Christmas Carols
New Zealand Christmas Carols
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! Children and adults alike enjoy a Christmas carol sing along during the festive season. Read on if you're looking for Christmas songs with a difference, Kiwi Christmas carols and sing along events for New Zealand families.
Put the ‘Merry’ into ‘Merry Christmas’ with a round of traditional, contemporary or Kiwi Christmas carols this Christmas!
Popular Christmas songs
We’re all familiar with traditional Christmas carols – these favourite and not-so-favoured festive ditties can be heard from October onwards in stores from Kaitaia to Bluff. For an alternative to traditional Christmas carols, try your ear on these numbers:
- John Lennon’s Happy Christmas (War Is Over) – this Christmas song gives a message of hope to the world and reminds us of the many people affected by war and conflict. It's political, meaningful and has a great tune that’s easy on the ears.
- Simon and Garfunkel’s Seven O’Clock News/Silent Night – a cutting edge Christmas carol mix from 1966, overlaying the familiar peaceful sounds of Silent Night with news stories that are anything but peaceful.
- The Kinks’ Father Christmas – these rockers give a cynical take on the commercialism of Christmas, reminding us to remember the true meaning of the festive season instead of asking Santa to bring us money and material things.
- Elvis Presley's Blue Christmas – with lyrics and music by Billy Hayes and Jay Johnson, the King goes red and green (and blue) with this melancholy Christmas number.
- David Bowie and Bing Crosby’s Little Drummer Boy – a new take on a classic Christmas song, from an unlikely duo. Another layer of lyrics is added to the mix, asking whether peace on Earth can ever be possible.
To bring festive cheer to your home, office or workplace, check out the range of Christmas song CD's and DVD's offered by our friends at Real Groovy.
Kiwi Christmas carols
We’re all familiar with the sounds of traditional Christmas favourites, but what about Christmas songs that carry a New Zealand stamp? Distinctively New Zealand Christmas carols are another way to bring some Kiwi culture into your Christmas celebrations. Many NZ Christmas songs are inspired by our heritage, Maori culture, and local plants and wildlife:
- Te Harinui tells the tale of the Reverend Samuel Marsden who first preached the Gospel at the Bay of Islands on Christmas Day 1814.
- Sticky Beak the Kiwi gives kids the chance to bring our national bird to their singing at Christmas.
- A Kiwiana Christmas shows the highlights of celebrating Christmas down under “the good old Kiwi way.”
- The Southern Cross Looks Down connects the Southern Cross, our most recognised constellation, with the famous star over Bethlehem that guided three wise men to the newborn Jesus Christ.
Visit the New Zealand Folk Song website for these and other New Zealand Christmas carols.
Singing Christmas carols
Are you wanting to belt out the Christmas carol classics with others? There are many Christmas carol sing-alongs held in towns and cities throughout New Zealand, usually in early or mid-December. Find a Christmas sing along event near you:
- Carols by Candlelight – this event has been held in New Zealand for more than fifty years, with events at the Domain in Auckland, Frank Kitts Park in Wellington, Victoria Square in Christchurch and the Octagon in Dunedin. Grab a candle and join hundreds of others to sing Christmas songs and celebrate this special time of year with a Christmas sing along.
- Christmas in the Park – thousands of people flock to Christmas in the Park events in Auckland and Christchurch to enjoy one of the country’s biggest outdoor parties. This extravaganza draws crowds, with picnic baskets and rugs in tow, for music, singing and dancing, fireworks and family entertainment.
- Church Christmas carols – both Christians and non-religious New Zealanders join together to remember the true meaning of Christmas and to reflect on their own lives. As well as traditional Christian church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many New Zealand churches hold Christmas carol services singing traditional Christian Christmas songs and popular carols.
To help you sing along to Christmas classics, most Christmas carol events will provide a song sheet with lyrics and music. If you’re feeling rusty, brush up on your Christmas song lyrics before you sing in public!
Looking for further festive information? Read more on Christmas celebrations in New Zealand.
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Seasons and Celebrations images from Flickr: Dyed Eggs, Chickees and Chocolate Bunnies.
