The Customs of Christmas

Singing Christmas Carols — D-F

Click on the song title to view the lyrics.
Deck the Hall Do You Hear What I Hear? Dominick The Donkey
Emmanuel Feliz Navidad The First Noel
The Friendly Beasts Frosty the Snowman

Deck the Hall

Traditional Welsh carol


Deck the hall with boughs of holly.
Fa la la la la la la la la
'Tis the season to be jolly.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Don we now our gay apparel.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol.
Fa la la la la la la la la

See the blazing yule before us.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Follow me in merry measure.
Fa la la la la la la la la
While I tell of Yuletide treasure.
Fa la la la la la la la la

Fast away the old year passes.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Sing we joyous, all together.
Fa la la la la la la la la
Heedless of the wind and weather.
Fa la la la la la la la la

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

Words and music by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne


Said the night wind to the little lamb,
Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb.
Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite.

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy,
Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy.
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song, high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea.

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king,
Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king.
Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold.

Said the king to the people everywhere,
Listen to what I say.
Pray for peace, people, everywhere!
Listen to what I say.
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light.
He will bring us goodness and light.

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Dominick The Donkey

Written by Ray Allen, Sam Saltzberg and Lou Monte


Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)

Santa's got a little friend,
His name is Dominick.
The cutest little donkey,
You never see him kick.
When Santa visits his paisons,
With Dominick he'll be.
Because the reindeer cannot,
Climb the hills of Italy.

Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)

Jingle bells around his feet,
And presents on the sled.
Hey! Look at the mayor's derby,
On top of Dominick's head.
A pair of shoes for Louie,
And a dress for Josephine.
The labels on the inside says,
They're made in Brooklyn.

Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)

Children sing, and clap their hands,
And Dominick starts to dance.
They talk Italian to him,
And he even understands.

Cumpare sing,
Cumpare su,
And dance 'sta tarantel.
When jusamagora comes to town,
And brings du ciuccianello.

Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)

Hey! Domini

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Emmanuel

Words and music by Janis Ian and Kye Fleming

CHORUS
Emmanuel, Emmanuel,
A Child is born, a Child is born.
Sing glory unto God on high
Joy to all the world this night,
And to all people peace
And to all people peace.

Remember Him, oh little star,
Remember Him and shine
Around the world in ev'ry heart.
On this holy night, lead us to His light.

CHORUS

Remember Him, the angels sing
And do not be afraid
Into this world good news we bring.
Love has overcome. Behold the Son.

CHORUS

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Feliz Navidad

Words and music by Jose Feliciano


Feliz Navidad. Feliz Navidad.
Feliz Navidad. Prospero ano y felicidad.
Feliz Navidad. Feliz Navidad.
Feliz Navidad. Prospero ano y felicidad.

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas.
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas.
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart.

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas.
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas.
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart.

Feliz Navidad. Feliz Navidad.
Feliz Navidad. Prospero ano y felicidad.

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The First Noel

17th Century English carol


The first noel, the angels did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

CHORUS
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East, beyond them far;
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.

CHORUS

And by the light of that same star,
Three wise men came from country far;
To seek for a King was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.

CHORUS

This star drew night to the northwest,
O'er Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.

CHORUS

Then entered in those wise men three,
Full reverently upon their knee;
And offered there in His presence,
Their gold, and myrrh, and frankincense.

CHORUS

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The Friendly Beasts

12th Century English carol

Jesus, our brother kind and good,
Was humbly born in a stable of wood.
And the friendly beasts around Him stood,
Jesus, our brother kind and good.

"I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
"I carried His mother uphill and down.
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town.
I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

"I," said the cow, all white and red,
"I gave Him my manger for a bed.
I gave Him my hay to pillow His head.
I," said the cow, all white and red.

"I," said the sheep with curly horn,
"I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm.
He wore my coat on that Christmas morn.
I," said the sheep with curly horn.

"I," said the dove from the rafters high,
"I cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry
We cooed Him to sleep my love and I.
I," said the dove from the rafters high.

"I," said the camel, yellow and black,
Over the desert upon my back,
I brought Him a gift in the wise man's pack.
I," said the camel, yellow and black.

And thus, every beast, remembering it well,
In the stable dark was so proud to tell,
Of the gifts that they gave Emmanuel.
The gifts that they gave Emmanuel.

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Frosty the Snowman

Words and music by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins


Frosty the snowman was a jolly, happy soul,
With a corn cob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal.
Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale they say,
He was made of snow, but the children know how he came to life one day.
There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found.
For when they placed it on his head he began to dance around.
Oh, Frosty the snowman was alive as he could be,
And the children say he could laugh and play just the same as you and me.

Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day,
So he said, "Let's run, and we'll have some fun now before I melt away."
Down to the village with a broomstick in his hand,
Running here and there all around the square, sayin', "Catch me if you can."
He led them down the streets of town right to the traffic cop.
And he only paused a moment when he heard him holler, "Stop!"
For Frosty the snowman had to hurry on his way,
But he waved goodbye sayin', "Don't you cry, I'll be back again some day."

Thumpety thump thump, thumpety thump thump
Look at Frosty go.
Thumpety thump thump, thumpety thump thump
Over the hills of snow.

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Jesus is the Reason for the season


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