Tag Archives: holiday songs

Tips For Learning Holdays Songs In Non-English Languages

Screen shot 2018-12-13 at 7.36.20 PMThe winter holidays are a fun time to explore celebrations and traditions from around the world. When you do, why not learn a favorite Christmas carol in another language? You might want to choose a language from your family’s heritage or maybe one from the community around you. Maybe you’re living as an expat in another country and want to embrace one of their favorite songs, or just reach out and expand your linguistic abilities.

Check out these helpful tips on learning a song in another language with your kids or dive right into our version of Jingle Bells in Russian below! Beneath that, we’ve included links to past posts on Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer in Japanese and Jingle Bells in Mandarin, plus a fun cheat sheet that shares holiday greetings in 18 different world languages

LANGUAGE LEARNING TIPS

Pick a song that’s fun to sing and has a catchy tune!

Pick a language from your family heritage or one you’d like to learn.

Pick a language where someone you know can help you with the lyrics or pronunciation. Will Grandma help with that song in Italian or Papou help with a carol in Greece?

If learning the whole song is too daunting (language is difficult or your kids are very young), just learn the chorus – that’s usually very easy to master.

Write out the lyrics phonetically. Break them down into easy-to-pronounce syllables.

Praise you kids (or yourself) for exploring a new language. Learning a new language is not easy but encouragement and praise help a new speaker gain both confidence and capacity!

A video of a new song or a live “singing Christmas card” makes a great gift for a grandparent or loved one abroad.

Enjoy the process as you make happy holiday memories.

Now, here’s a version of Jingle bells for anyone wishing to learn a bit of Russian this year!

Links And Resources

Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer in Japanese http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/classroom-music/favorite-holiday-songs-rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-in-japanese

Jingle Bells In Chinese – http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/uncategorized/favorite-holiday-songs-from-around-the-world-jingle-bells-in-chinese/

Happy Holidays in 18 Languages – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Happy-Holidays-in-18-Languages-2230358

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Dreidel Song and Games For Holiday Fun

3 dreidelsDoes your family celebrate Hanukkah? Or do you want to learn more about the Holiday of Lights to share with your child?

Hanukkah (or Chanuka) is a beautiful celebration that marks a special miracle that happened long ago and still is inspiring today! And for young kids, one of the things they love with most about this holiday is the little spinning top, called a dreidel, that is both a song and a game.

Is it Dreydl or Dreidel?

The word dreidel comes from the Yiddish verb “dreyen” which means to twist or turn, so it’s a perfect name for this little top. Because Yiddish and Hebrew words are written several different ways to reflect sounds that aren’t in the English alphabet, you’ll often see various spellings of the same word, such as Hanukkah and Chanuka or dreydl, dreidel and dreidl.

Watch The Video

What do each of the Hebrew letters on the spinning top mean? Watch this short, sweet video to find out! Also feel free to check out any of the resources below to get the song as an mp3, game instructions or free coloring pages.

Little Dreidel Song Lyrics

Although people are most familiar with the first verse and chorus, here’s the longer version of the lyrics heard in the video above.

I have a little dreydl
, I made it out of clay


And when it’s dry and ready, 
a dreydl I will play

CHORUS: Oh dreydl, dreydl, dreydl, 
I made you out of clay


And when you’re dry and ready, 
A dreydl I will play

My dreydl has four corners
, and a letter on each face


To remind us of the miracle
, that long ago took place (repeat chorus)

The letters also tell us
, who will lose or win


I have a pile of goodies (walnuts)
, I’m ready, let’s begin (repeat chorus)

Here’s wishing you a beautiful and inspiring holiday season!

Links and Resources

DARIA’s Oh Dreydl on Itunes  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/celebrate-season-multicultural/id344193347

DARIA’s Oh Dreydl on Amazon mp3  http://www.amazon.com/Celebrate-The-Season-Multicultural-Holidays/dp/B00302OL0K/ref=ntt_mus_dp_dpt_6

Play The Dreidel Game – Free From TeachersPayTeachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Dreidel-or-Dreydl-Game-918616

Dreidel Coloring Page – Free From TeachersPayTeachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dreidel-Coloring-Page-985694

Dreidel Song And Game Activity – From TeachersPayTeachers https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dreydl-Dreidel-Song-and-Game-Activity-921898

 

Four Fun Kids Music Videos For Christmas And Hanukkah!

Over the past few years, we’ve had fun creating simple videos to some of the world’s favorite Christmas and Hanukkah songs.

We hope you enjoy them and wondered if you have a favorite holiday video pick?  We’d love to feature it and share it with our readers, too!

Here’s our four most popular videos for the holidays:

Feliz Navidad

Jingle Bells

The Classic Dreidel (or Dreydl) Song!

Learn about the dreidel game and the meaning of the Hebrew letters on the wonderful spinning top here:

A Hanukkah Song From Spain

Check out this video for a lovely bilingual song (Ladino and English) about Hanukkah fun in Spain – Ocho Candelikas

Links And Resources

Listen to these four songs on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7Jl8awV8rWHIZzJbcudDaa
Add To Your Apple Music Playlist: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/celebrate-season-multicultural/id344193347

Sing A Song About Your Child – For Christmas or Hanukkah

12 daysWhat child does not love hearing their name in a song?

A fun way to get ready for Christmas or Hanukkah with your small child is to create a simple song about the holidays using your family’s activities or your child’s name as part of the lyrics. Even if you feel you’re not a particularly creative parent or a seasoned songwriter, you’ll definitely get some holiday cheer out of writing a homemade version of either of these two tunes!

Create Your Own 12 Days of Christmas Carol!

Did you know that the 12 Days of Christmas song was originally a memory game? When it was sung, each person added a verse and had to recall the previous items on the list. Although you probably heard it with the same list of items as seen below, you can get inventive and make up a version with things that are special to your family or your classroom. Here’s the most popular version of the items for the 12 days:

1 A Partridge in a Pear Tree

2 Turtle Doves

3 French Hens

4 Calling (or Colly) Birds

5 Golden Rings

6 Geese A-Laying

7 Swans A Swimming

8 Maids A-Milking

9 Ladies Dancing

10 Lords A-Leaping

11 Pipers Piping

12 Drummers Drumming

What can you substitute?  Check out the post below to see how one classroom in the Caribbean came up with a very funny version for the holidays from their island home:

http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/uncategorized/write-your-own-12-days-of-christmas-carol/
dreydl use this oneWho’s Dreydl is It Anyway?

If you’re learning about Hanukkah or getting ready to celebrate this special holiday, you can adapt the popular dreydl song to include your child’s name. Simple and yet truly delightful, substitute your child’s name for “I”.  In other words, instead of singing “I have a little dreydl”, try “David has a little dreydl” or:

Sarah has a little dreydl
She made it out of clay
And when it’s dry and ready
Her dreydl she will play

Oh dreydl, dreydl, dreydl
She made it out of clay
And when it’s dry and ready
Her dreydl she will play

You can find the complete set of lyrics plus an explanation of what the Hebrew letters mean on the free dreydl coloring page below.

So whether you’re spinning a top or lighting a tree, you can easily give a special child in your life the gift of a perfectly personalized song!

Resources

Write Your Own 12 Days Song:
http://www.tinytappingtoes.com/uncategorized/write-your-own-12-days-of-christmas-carol/

Free Dreydl Coloring Page and Song Lyrics
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dreidel-Coloring-Page-985694

Dreydl Song and Activity From TeachersPayTeachers (.99)
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Dreydel-Dreidel-Song-and-Game-Activity-921898

Sheet Music For The Dreydl Song From TeachersPayTeachers (1.99)
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Oh-Dreydl-Dreidel-Sheet-Music-966158

Write Your Own “12 Days Of Christmas” Carol!

12 daysSinging with your children is one of the simple pleasures of the holiday season.  It’s a great time to relive memories from your childhood and also to make new ones for your family! Have you ever thought of making your own, custom-tailored Christmas song?  If you have creative kids and a sense of humor, you can easily make your own version of the classic holiday song – the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Almost everyone is familiar with the song’s lyrics:

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,

a partridge in a pear tree.”

Then, each day, a new gift is added and the list becomes part of the song.  To see the popular list of 12 days/gifts, take a look below.  However, originally the song was used as part of a memory game where each person added a verse and then had to recite all the items that had come before them.  Some people believe there is special hidden symbolism in the words, and that each items reflects some part of the story of the life of Jesus.  In any event, the song has been treasured and passed down for many generations and has easily become part of holiday festivities in countries all over the globe.

How can you write your own version?  Use the same melody and format, but add the names of things that are special to you and your loved ones.  You can also describe what the holiday means to people in your area.  For instance, here’s a great version of the 12 days of Christmas written by a class of school children in St. Croix.  The wanted to share what holiday cheer meant to them on their island.  It’s a funny and fun version of their own special 12 days and I especially love their choice for day 5 – five centipedes!

Here’s what they created:

On The Twelve Days of Christmas – Crucian Style
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
An iguana in a Mango tree.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
2 forts with cannons etc.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
3 mocko jumbies etc. (Special stilt walkers seen in St. Croix)
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
4 frogs a singing etc.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
5 centipedes etc.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
6 cruise ships coming etc.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
7 roosters crowing etc
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
8 geckos climbing etc.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
9 lobsters swimming etc
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
10 Crucians speaking etc
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
11 children dancing etc.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
12 steel pans drumming etc.

What can you sing about?  Choose anything that is a part of your holiday celebration.  Will there be a number of presents wrapping?  A nativity set up?  Cookies being baked?  Visits to friends?  Are their ornaments to be hung?  Special pictures to be taken?  Carols sung by the tree?  If you enlist your kids help, it won’t be hard to find 12 things you all love about Christmas to turn into a very special and unique song.

Here’s hoping this fun holiday song makes some great memories for you and your family this year!

The Original 12 Days of Christmas

1 A Partridge in a Pear Tree

2 Turtle Doves

3 French Hens

4 Calling (or Colly) Birds

5 Golden Rings

6 Geese A-Laying

7 Swans A Swimming

8 Maids A-Milking

9 Ladies Dancing

10 Lords A-Leaping

11 Pipers Piping

12 Drummers Drumming

———————————–

Many thanks to Miss Barb and her students at the AZ Academy on the island of St. Croix for allowing me to share their creative songwriting in this post!

Illustration is from the Catholic Toolbox, who have created a cute memory game with the twelve images seen here:

http://catholicblogger1.blogspot.com/2009/11/twelve-days-of-christmas-memory-game.html