Christmas Songs from the Southern Hemisphere

[Dannyalcatraz]

It’s currently 81degF where I am. I’m running errands and going to appointments today, and 15 days before Halloween, I’m seeing signs for Christmas display installation services. I get it: they HAVE to start scheduled appointments now, but it made me think.

Given that Christmas south of the equator is a summer holiday, I’m thinking “White Christmas” and similarly wintry tunes wouldn’t be as popular or evocative as they are in the north.

And you’d think SOMEONE would have at least attempted to write carols that were more appropriate for their local Christmas season. But because I’ve only lived in Northern hemisphere, I’ve never heard any. I’d like to change that.

So if you know any, please share!

 

[pukunui]

You’d be surprised! It is really weird to hear all the standard wintry Christmas songs in the middle of summer. I wish the Lands Down Under would move Christmas to June or July.

There aren’t really any noteworthy “Christmas in summer” songs that I’m aware of, and I’ve lived in New Zealand for 20+ years.

Apparently Paul Kelly’s “How to Make Gravy” is considered a Christmas song, although it’s more of a “I’m in jail so I’m going to miss Christmas” song. Those Aussies, eh?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There aren’t really any noteworthy “Christmas in summer” songs that I’m aware of, and I’ve lived in New Zealand for 20+ years.

Boo! That feels like a real missed opportunity.

Doesn't Kylie Minogue want her own perpetual money machine with a hit holiday single, like Mariah Carey has? Or, for the Kiwis, the Flight of the Conchords seem like they could knock out a song over a weekend.

 

[pukunui]

Boo! That feels like a real missed opportunity.

Doesn't Kylie Minogue want her own perpetual money machine with a hit holiday single, like Mariah Carey has? Or, for the Kiwis, the Flight of the Conchords seem like they could knock out a song over a weekend.

You’d think! But no, even our homegrown artists only ever seem to cover the northern hemisphere classics.

 

[MarkB]

Well, it's not southern hemisphere, but it's definitely "Christmas, but summery".

 

[boffo01]

Yep, wintery Christmas songs, fake snow in the shop windows, big roast dinners for Christmas lunch: this is the colonial way of things in the antipodean climes. NZ, Oz and SA all do it.
("How to Make Gravy" is really the best Southern Hemisphere Christmas song, and I say that as a Kiwi. It's the "Fairytale of New York" of Australia.)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

("How to Make Gravy" is really the best Southern Hemisphere Christmas song, and I say that as a Kiwi. It's the "Fairytale of New York" of Australia.)

Adding it to my Northern Hemisphere playlist this year.

 

[Tonguez]

You’d think! But no, even our homegrown artists only ever seem to cover the northern hemisphere classics.

a man named Pukunui should know Pukeko in a Punga Tree!

Mele Kalikimaka was once kinda popular (though Bing and the Andrew Sisters are a bit dated now )

Aotearoa New Zealand
Christmas in New Zealand - "the time is right for barbecues and swimming across the bay"
country singer Dennis Marsh put out a Christmas Album
Te Harinui - faith song about the first Christmas Sermon in NZ 1814 "not on a snowy night, by star or candlelight"

and Ronan Keating (and Julian Denison) did a Summer Wonderland song as an Air New Zealand ad

most other NZ Christmas songs are child focussed, or traditional carols, a few country singers do Christmas covers though. Last Christmas and Feliz Navida also get a lot of air play

Australia has a few Christmas novelty songs
Christmas Where the Gum Trees Grow "there is no frost there is no snow, Australia is hot, cold and frosty it is not!"
Aussie Jingle Bells - novelty version of Jingle Bells "its Christmas time and I am in my singlet shorts and thongs"
Kevin Bloody Wilson did a popular novelty song about Santa not bringing him a bike- but its not Grandma friendly

 

[Tonguez]

this is the colonial way of things in the antipodean climes. NZ, Oz and SA all do it.

yeah Christmas where the gum trees grow has a whole verse calling that out
"From England came our Christmas fare
They even said what Santa should wear
But here down under for summer’s cool
Santa should dip in a swimming pool"

 

[pukunui]

a man named Pukunui should know Pukeko in a Punga Tree!

Yeah, I wasn't thinking of children's songs. You don't hear those on the radio. None of those other ones you mentioned get any mainstream airplay, either. They're all pretty niche.