'Jingle Bells' sung in 12 languages in diverse NYC

[December 09, 2008]  NEW YORK (AP) -- One of New York City's most ethnically diverse areas has celebrated the lighting of its public Christmas tree with a multilingual singing of "Jingle Bells."

Elves from the Eriksen Translations language company crooned the holiday classic in at least 12 tongues in the plaza at Brooklyn's Borough Hall, where a 40-foot-tall balsam fir stands.

Brooklyn officials say the borough has nearly 100 ethnic groups speaking more than 135 languages. They say of the city's five boroughs only Queens is more diverse.

At Monday night's tree-lighting ceremony "Jingle Bells" was sung in languages including English, Portuguese, French, Romanian, Chinese (Mandarin), Swedish, Norwegian, Korean, Spanish, Japanese, Danish and German.

[Associated Press]

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