Little Robin Redbreast
Sat upon a tree,
I wish you a merry Christmas
It’s a greeting from me.

With apples to eat,
Nuts to crack,
I wish you a merry Christmas
With a big rat-a-tat.

-Lisa

Hugues wrote to me about a custom they follow in his school at Christmastime. It involves a recitation in Occitan. Here’s what he wrote:

Here is a small Occitan custom that’s practiced at Christmastime. I don’t know it’s date or precise origin (the term “cachafuoc” for “Yule log” comes from the Cévennes mountains in south central France). Nonetheless, in the school where I work, we organize a little party for Christmas where we recapture this custom.

During this party the gifts are given out to all the people there. That’s the “soca” (a log) that brings the gifts. Two people (the youngest and the oldest of the group) carry the log into the room and say a ritual phrase in Occitan:

Bota fuòc, cachafuòc,
que nos alegre,
que nos fague la jòia d’èstre aquíi l’an que ven,
e se sèm pas mai,
que siaguem pas mens!

English Translation:

Light up, Yule log,
Delight us,
Give us the joy to be here next year,
And if we aren’t more numerous,
Let us not be less!

Many thanks to Hugues for sharing this nice saying and custom with us!

-Lisa

Chill December brings the sleet,
Blazing fire and Christmas treat!

___

When December snow falls fast,
Marry, and true love will last.

___

The north wind doth blow,
And we shall have snow,
And what will poor Robin do then?
Poor thing.

He’ll sit in a barn,
And keep himself warm,
And hide his head under his wing.
Poor thing.

___

More nursery rhymes about the winter season coming soon!

Clap for Santa Claus

O, clap, clap the hands
And sing with glee!
For Christmas is coming
And merry are we!
(Clap hands on all lines in this verse)

Then swift o’er the snow
The tiny reindeer,
Are trotting and bringing
Dear Santa Claus near.
(Thumbs interlocked, make running motions with other fingers
to show reindeer running and pulling the sleigh, on all lines in this verse)

Our stockings we’ll hang,
(hang down four fingers to look like stocking)
And while we’re asleep
(Put head on hands like your sleeping)
Then down thro’ the chimney
Will Santa Claus creep.
(Last 2 lines, put one fist on top of the other and put the top thumb into the fist like Santa going into the chimney)

He’ll empty his pack,
Then up he will come
(Raise upper thumb from top fist like Santa’s coming out of the chimney)
And calling his reindeer
Will haste away home.
(Interlock thumbs and move 8 other fingers again like they’re flying up and away)

Then, clap, clap the hands
And sing out with glee!
For Christmas is coming
And merry are we!
(Clap hands on all lines in this verse)

Merry Christmas!

Lisa