NEW  ZEALAND
FOLK * SONG
Christmas
Songs

Song List
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A Pukeko in a Ponga Tree
On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A pukeko in a ponga tree....

i te ra kirihimete
I homai ki ahau
Te pukeko i te ponga rakau

Te Harinui
Not on a snowy night by star or candlelight
Te harinui, glad tidings of great joy.


Märie Te Pö   Silent Night
Märie te pö, tapu te pö
Marino, marama
Ko te Whäea me te Tama
Peaceful night, holy night,
calm, bright.
See the mother and baby boy

Christmas in New Zealand
A chance to share the good times in the summer sun
Another family holiday's begun.


Tapu Te Po  Oh Holy Night
Tapu te po tiramarama ana, Koinei te po o te Kaiwhakaora..
Oh holy night, sparkling bright, This is the night of the Saviour

One on a Tractor
We three kings of Orient are
One on a tractor, two in a car..
.

The Southern Cross Looks Down
O little Babe of Bethlehem,
 the Southern Cross looks down...


Ka Waiata ki a Maria
Ka waiata ki a Maria, hine i whakaae
Let us sing to Mary, the girl who said yes

Christmas on the Beach
We don't want no holly - Or mistletoe
We don't want no Christmas tree
With artificial snow
.

Backblocks Nativity
So her kid was born in that roadman's shack
By the light of a lamp that'd hardly burn

Summer Wonderland
Sunburn sting, ice blocks glistening
The beautiful sight of barbies alight
Strolling through a summer wonderland

An Upside Down Christmas
Carol our Christmas, an upside down Christmas;
Snow is not falling and trees are not bare...

The Night Before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas,and under the bach
No creature was stirring; not even the rat
s.

Kiwiana Christmas
Mum's organised the family lunch
And dad'll be drinking Kiwi beer!

Jingle Bells
Dashing to the bay in a Hilux campervan
Christmas at the beach the family's master-pla
n

Sticky Beak the Kiwi
He's notified old Santa Claus to notify the deer
That he will pull the Christmas sleigh
in the southern hemisphere..


The Jersey Cow Came Mooing
The jersey cow came mooing, mooing, mooing.
The jersey cow came mooing to the old shed door...

Christmas Begins With You
Can you tell it's summer
And do you feel the rain?

I hope you can use some of these to bring joy, drama and fun to your Christmas singing.

Add some of these ones here to give local colour and variety to old favourites like Angels we have Heard on High, We Three Kings, The Holy and the Ivy, The First Noel...

I went to a Carol Singing session at a local church a few years back and none of those joyous old favourites were sung.

All we sang were serious hymns about "God became man to save us" - the same sermon ad nauseum - and every time sung to a forgettably dull tune.

I do hope you have more JOY in your singing this year.

 


Song List
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Published November, 2000,
revised Dec, 2001,
revised Dec, 2002
revised Oct, 2006
Christmas on the Beach added Nov 2020