Christmas is the most popular festive season all over the world. It is the special time for celebrations, to have fun with family and friends, and especially Christmas music and songs are just awesome. What not!? We love to celebrate Christmas in each and every aspect of life. Jingle bells are something important during Christmas time and without jingle bells, people say that there is no Christmas. Today, let us learn a few facts about jingle bells and how Australians celebrate Christmas plus the importance of jingle bells during Christmas in Australia. Are you all excited!? Even I am excited to discuss about Christmas and the excited things that happen around Christmas time. Let us get into the topic without delay.
Australians celebrate Christmas twice a year i.e. in July and December months. But the real Christmas is celebrated all over Australia in December. Since Australia is located in southern hemisphere, the climate is quiet opposite to the countries in Northern hemisphere and it is summer during Christmas time while other northern countries celebrate Christmas in winter. Australians in the biggest island and smallest continent in the world.
Australians do and celebrate Christmas things differently and of course with the lack of snow and quirky traits of winter season. Whether it is a winter or summer, Christmas is a festive season involving full too fun with dances, parties, and dinners. Australians call the most popular festive season, Christmas as “Carols” celebrated on December 25th. The maximum number of immigrants in Australia are from Ireland and England. They have brought their Christmas customs along which are still being followed in Australia.
Christmas, a festival of happiness and joy celebrated all over the world in different ways!! Here are the things and Christmas customs celebrated and followed by Australians love to do:
- Love to surf, swim, ride bicycles, and sail
- Excited to do ‘Barbies’ which means grilling foods outdoor on Barbecue
- Having gatherings at night and sing Christmas carols together outside by lighting candles
- Decorate homes using a variety of ferns, flowers, palm leaves, and evergreen, colorful, and attractive flowers that specially bloom in summers referred as Christmas bush and Christmas bell flower.
- Some people arrange Christmas trees, decorating it with fresh poinsettias, stars, bells, ornaments, Christmas balls, tiny gift wraps, etc.
- Australians start celebrating Christmas in late November and continue till December singing Christmas songs and carols throughout.
- Finally, on the day of Christmas Eve, attending the Church’s service is a tradition being followed by most of the people and children expect the gifts from either the Church’s Father or Santa Claus.
- People who follow Irish customs follows as: light the candle in front of the window to welcome Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus. The candle is supposed to be lit by the youngest child of the family followed by attending midnight church service, then parties, and festive events.
- Traditional British Christmas celebrations include: meeting friends and family members all over the Australia and have dinners together. The traditional British dinners consists of roast turkey or ham combined with a rich plum dipped in brandy and set aflame.
- Some go to beaches whereas others enjoy backyard grilling dinners under sunshine.
- One thing is common among all the Australians from all over Australia whether they follow Irish or British traditions, they present tips to the people like newspaper carrier, postman, grocer, waiters, and many others as a token of offering ‘Thanks’ for the help they have been giving them in the past year.
- A day later the Christmas day i.e. December 26th is called as ‘Boxing Day’ for which people eagerly await year along to shop their favorite clothes because there are a lot of discounts offered in the market.
- Australians end the Christmas season by having parties and events same like the ones celebrated to begin Christmas season. The last party to end Christmas season will be on January 6th, Twelfth night.
Jingle Bells
‘Jingle Bells’ is the one of the most famous and popular Christmas tune or carol being played regularly on the Eve of Christmas. I have heard many versions of jingle bells carol songs worldwide and found all of them are interesting with some meaning. But I found Aussie version of Jingle bells much more interesting and worthy to share with you all. I enjoyed the sense of humor involved in Aussie version and this is the happiest Christmas song I have ever heard. Loved the Aussie’s sense of humor and the fun the song brings in. you can also experience the fun of the ‘Jingle Bells’ by singing with appropriate lyrics. Even if you want your little ones to participate in singing the Christmas carols conducted at the Church for the first time, the following version with lyrics helps you a lot! Have a look! Add some actions creatively if you are teaching this song to the pre-schoolers in order to make it livelier and funnier than regular and usual. Easy and fun lyrics of ‘Jingle Bells’ let kids enjoy the real spirit of Christmas and even they remember the lyrics so easily without any trouble. Here we go!
Dashing through the bush
In a rusty Holden Ute
Kicking up the dust
Esky in the boot
Kelpie by my side
Singing Christmas songs
It’s Summer time and I am in
My singlet, shorts and thongs
Oh! Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way
Christmas in Australia
On a scorching summer’s day
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Christmas time is beaut
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a rusty Holden Ute.
Engine’s getting hot
We dodge the kangaroos
The swaggie climbs aboard
He is welcome too
All the family’s there
Sitting by the pool
Christmas day, the Aussie way
By the barbecue!
Oh! Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way
Christmas in Australia
On a scorching summer’s day
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Christmas time is beaut
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a rusty Holden Ute.
Come the afternoon
Grandpa has a doze
The kids and uncle Bruce
Are swimming in their clothes
The time comes round to go
We take the family snap
Pack the car and all shoot through
Before the washing up
Oh! Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way
Christmas in Australia
On a scorching summer’s day
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Christmas time is beaut
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a rusty Holden Ute.
What the words mean
“Dashing through the bush
In a rusty Holden Ute”….Here what is the meaning of ‘Holden Ute’?
Holden means ‘make of a car’ like Toyota and Ford but they both are oppositions to Holden while Ute is a short form or abbreviation of the word ‘Utility’. Ute is used based on the current model of the car and its size. Americans call it as ‘pickup truck’. So, the final translation would be “dashing through the bush in a rusty Ford pickup truck”. Also the word Ute rhymes with boot.
“Kicking up the dust, Esky in the boot”….what is Esky in the line?
Esky is an Australian term for ‘portable cooler’ that keeps foods and drinks cooler in an insulated container say 18 inches long by 12 wide by 15 height with a clip on handle and lid. It working by keeping ice in the container for cooling purpose.
Boot- Trunk of a car used to store things
“Kelpie by my side, singing Christmas songs”….what is Kelpie?
Kelpie is a sheepdog of an Australian breed with a smooth coat, originally bred from a Scottish collie or any of a breed of energetic working dogs developed in Australia from British sheepdogs. The breed is basically originated in Scotland but associated with Australia. It is well known as farmer’s best friend and trained traditionally to herd sheep’s. If you would like to follow this up, please check a link to a kelpie website.
Singlet- Undershirt
Thongs- A kind of beach wear shoe but not resembles women’s underwear
“The swaggie climbs aboard, he is welcome too”… what is a Swaggie?
Swaggie is the short term of ‘Swagman’. A swagman is the person who doesn’t have a particular or permanent place to live and carries a swag nothing but a pack and roams all over the places around for work. English translation is similar to the word ‘tramp’. He was a common sight during the depression of 1890’s & 1930’s.
“And pack the car and all shoot through Before the washing up…. What exactly does this line refer to?
This means ‘Pack your presents or gifts and load in the car before the washing up is done’. Or ‘leave quickly because someone has to clean up’.
“We take the family snap”- Means ‘take a family picture with a camera’
You can watch Aussie Jingle Bells, the original version by Bucko and Champs released in 1996 here…
If you are looking for great holiday album available in Australia, then you can visit this source ‘Greg Champion’s Website’. He releases and sells the album for overseas buyers too.
About Colin Buchanan
Colin Buchanan is basically from Ireland (born in 1964) but associated with Australia. He has become a famous Australian singer, multi-instrumentalist, and entertainer. He is well-known as a family entertainer during past two decades in Christian arena. He also bagged the pride of award-winning musician and play school presenter celebrated 20 years since he released his first Christian album especially for children i.e. ‘Remember the Lord’ in 1996. He has got a lot number of fans including old and young fans just because of his famous children’s entertainer role in ABC TV’s play school. Thus, he became Australia’s best-selling Christian artist and beloved energetic entertainer by countless families.
Reach Colin Buchanan through his YouTube and blog here…
Official YouTube channel of multi-award winning Australian singer/songwriter Colin Buchanan
Aussie Christmas songs are fun themed and we have made Australian Jingle Bells song even better by adding right and original lyrics. Aussie Christmas songs are funnier and shows the Aussie musical talent clearly with a fun touch of sense of humor. Jingle bells is great for oldies, kids, and total family to sing along on the Eve of Christmas while making the day merrier, leaving a bag full of joy that Christmas day bring in.
Foreign friends of Australians often say that Christmas season is during scorching summer in Australia and it is to be weird to think of. Because instead of snow Australians celebrate Christmas season with scorching sun, barbecues under sunny days, surfing during mid-days under hot sun, and always checking the weather with a Thermometer in the hand. But all these have become an inspiration for most of the Christmas carols and songs in Australia. ‘Jingle Bells’ is the one among such wonderfully tuned Christmas songs.
