"Mele Kalikimaka" (pronounced [ˈmɛlɛ kəˌlitiˈmɐkə]) is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas song written in 1949 by R. Alex Anderson.
The song takes its title from the Hawaiian transliteration of "Merry Christmas", Mele Kalikimaka.
[5] In 1955, the song became part of Crosby's famous compilation album Merry Christmas.
According to Anderson's daughter Pam, the family still receives revenues from all over the world every year from his songs including "Mele Kalikimaka".
[6] The earliest record of the greeting, Mele Kalikimaka, in print is from 1904, in the Hawaiian language newspaper Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, published between 1861 and 1927.