Christmas greetings from Down Under

Subject: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 24 Dec 97 - 08:08 PM

G'day,
Happy Christmas to Dick, Max, Susan and all other Mudcat Folkies.

Even though I've experienced Christmas in Germany I can't relate very well to Christmas in winter.

Sitting on the grass in shorts, T shirt and thongs and singing Carols by Candlelight is much more like it.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Jimmy
Date: 24 Dec 97 - 08:45 PM

merry christmas to all from wellington new zealand

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: alison
Date: 24 Dec 97 - 10:06 PM

Hi

Happy Christmas..... I'm off into the pool......

Slainte

Alison

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 12:08 AM

G'day,
Thought I'd share an Aussie Christmas carol.

THE CAROL OF THE BIRDS (Wheeler/James)

COut on the plains the brolgas are dancing
DmLifting their feet like Gwarhorses prancing
CUp to the sun the Fwoodlarks go winging
AmFaint in the Cdawn light Fechoes their Gsinging
OCrana! OAmrana! ODmrana to G7Christmas CDay.

Down where the tree ferns grow by the river
There where the waters sparkle and quiver
Deep in the gullies bell-birds are chiming
Softly and sweetly their lyric notes rhyming
Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day.

Friar birds sip the nectar of flowers
Currawongs chant in wattle tree bowers
In the blue ranges lorikeets calling
Carols of bush birds rising and falling
Orana! Orana! Orana to Christmas Day.

MIDI file: CAROLBDS.MID

Timebase: 480

Name: Carol Of The Birds
TimeSig: 6/8 24 4
Key: C
Tempo: 100 (600000 microsec/crotchet)
Start
0000 1 60 064 0238 0 60 064 0002 1 60 064 0238 0 60 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 64 064 0478 0 64 064 0002 1 65 064 0238 0 65 064 0002 1 67 064 0238 0 67 064 0002 1 69 064 0238 0 69 064 0002 1 67 064 0238 0 67 064 0002 1 65 064 0478 0 65 064 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 65 064 0478 0 65 064 0002 1 67 064 0238 0 67 064 0002 1 69 064 0238 0 69 064 0002 1 71 064 0238 0 71 064 0002 1 69 064 0238 0 69 064 0002 1 67 063 0478 0 67 063 0002 1 65 063 0238 0 65 063 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 65 064 0238 0 65 064 0002 1 67 064 0478 0 67 064 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 65 064 0478 0 65 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 60 064 0238 0 60 064 0002 1 60 064 0238 0 60 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 60 064 0238 0 60 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 65 064 0238 0 65 064 0002 1 67 064 0238 0 67 064 0002 1 69 064 0238 0 69 064 0002 1 71 064 0238 0 71 064 0002 1 72 064 0718 0 72 064 0002 1 67 064 0478 0 67 064 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 72 064 0718 0 72 064 0002 1 69 064 0478 0 69 064 0002 1 64 064 0238 0 64 064 0002 1 72 064 0238 0 72 064 0002 1 69 064 0238 0 69 064 0002 1 65 064 0238 0 65 064 0002 1 64 064 0478 0 64 064 0002 1 62 064 0238 0 62 064 0002 1 60 064 1438 0 60 064
End

To download the November 10 MIDItext 97 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:nameless
M:6/8
Q:1/4=100
K:C
CCDE2F|GAGF2E|DDEF2G|ABAG2F|EEFG2E|DDEF2D|
CCDEDC|DEFGAB|c3G2E|c3A2E|cAFE2D|C6||

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Joe Offer
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 02:43 AM

Well, you Ozzians can just go agead and gloat about your summer weather if you like. Heck, it's even cold here in Northern California. Just remember: for us, Christmas has just begun - for you, it's all over. I sure hope you enjoyed it, though. Better yet - why not join us and extend your celebration? Merry Christmas, everybody!
-Joe Offer, hoarse after Midnight Mass (with two Masses yet to be sung)-

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Shula
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 02:46 AM

Dear Ozzies All,

Must be a tad queer singing "In The Bleak Midwinter" in Ozzie churches, though...?

Shula

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 03:25 AM

Shula,
Yes it is, and others as well, but we've done it all our lives and we get used to it. Wouldn't like to be a store Santa though in this weather.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Shula
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 05:52 AM

Dear Alan,

Lovely carol! And nice to think that there is always a warm, blooming place somewhere -- even if it isn't our turn just now, there is yet the hope and the promise. Merry, Peaceful and Musical Tidings!

Shula

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Helen
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 06:48 AM

Hey Alan

You forgot one of the woprds in the chorus: Torana ;->

"OCrana! OAmrana! ODmrana to G7Christmas CDay"

To explain for non-Ozzies: a Torana is an Australian car which was popular a couple of decades ago for what we call "hoons" i.e. young men who show off in cars, and who are usually totally obsessed by their cars. I'm sure you know the type.

Helen

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Up above
From: Selene
Date: 25 Dec 97 - 03:01 PM

Hi all

You know, you're all saying about christmas in the lovely warm, but I just can't imagine it, not with a howling gail (yes, right now) and sub-zero temperatures. I saw Ice yesterday! I guess that for us northern-hemisphere's it would be just as weird as for you to have cold weather.

But as long as we're merry, and warm at heart, who cares! Eat, drink and be merry!

Selene PS, I'm glad I get to wear a santa suit in cold weather, not a heat wave-yuck!

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: alison
Date: 26 Dec 97 - 03:03 AM

Hi

Thought I'd give you anothere Aussie carol.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,

Christmas in Australia on a scorching summers day,

Jingle bells, jingle bells, Christmas time is beaut,

Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusty Holden ute.

If you're really desparate there are another 3 verses to this.....

Slainte

Alison

PS I did sing "In the bleak midwinter" at our folk club Christmas do........ It's one of my favourites.

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 26 Dec 97 - 07:04 PM

It's sort of interesting how the northern European ckimate has colored our ideas of Christmas. Bethlehem isn't known for snow (I imagine that a manger would be untenable in sub-freezing temperatures). And THe Cherry Tree Carol (original legend dealt with dates, I've been told) doesn't quite jube with midwinters chilly blast.

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Sheye
Date: 28 Dec 97 - 07:59 PM

For the first time in some 50-odd years, most of Canada is experiencing a brown christmas, about 20 degrees C above normal. Only a few of the braver souls are sporting shorts, but cheers with the brew!!!

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Wolfgang
Date: 31 Dec 97 - 05:43 AM

I once was in Australia at Christmas time. Much too hot for my personal Christmas feelings. But it's only a question of what you are used to.
Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: dani
Date: 31 Dec 97 - 07:18 AM

I read in one of those timely newspaper Christmas articles that the weather in the area where Joseph and Mary 'may' have been trekking was akin to winter in NJ - freezing at night, cold rain during the day. Having just spent the holiday there, we're glad to be back in temperate NC!

May the new year bring laughter and music to all

Dani

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Helen
Date: 31 Dec 97 - 08:15 PM

THe funniest thing about Christmas in Australia is that the Chrissy cards and store window decrations almost all have snow scenes and northern hemisphere flora and fauna. You get a card on a hot, sweltering day and it has a picture of Santa all rugged up in his long sleeves, boots and fur linings, in the snow, with holly and reindeer and things like that and the majority of people don't even see the humour in it.

At least artists like Roland Harvey do Chrissy cards with Santa in shorts or board/surf shorts in outback locations or on the beach, with kangaroos instead of reindeer pulling the sleigh.

Helen

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Dick Wisan (Upstate New York)
Date: 01 Jan 98 - 12:24 AM

Easter. When do you celebrate Easter down there? Isn't it supposed to be timed on the spring equinox?

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Helen
Date: 01 Jan 98 - 08:48 PM

Dick Maybe that's why the timing of Easter always comes as a surprise to me - I always thought it was connected to soemthing to do with a full moon or something - the *n*th full moon after Lent or whatever - Don't ask me, I just look at the calendar :-)

But no, we have Easter the same date as you - March or April, except that it is autumn (fall) and not spring. It doesn't make much difference in weather though where I come from (east coast, just above Sydney) because autumn weather is gloriously sunny and warm, fantastic swimming & picnic weather. - Just to make you northerners even more envious ;->

Helen

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Bob Landry
Date: 02 Jan 98 - 01:51 PM

As Sheye pointed out, we in Edmonton (North America's most northerly major city - same lattitide as Moscow) experienced the first brown Christmas in living memory; thank you, El Nino. On Dec 26, the weather was +12c, warm enough to allow me wax my car in the driveway. I did see some hardy Northerners walking about in shorts but I'm not that brave. Alas fortunes change. Yesterday, New Years Day, the temp fell to -20 c., exposed skin began to freeze within minutes and I had to shovel the first snow of the season. I'm thinking of writing a new folk song - "Where has old El Nino gone...."

I wish a belated Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Hannukah, Merry Winter Solstice, etc. to all.

Bob

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Jon W.
Date: 02 Jan 98 - 05:00 PM

Easter is the Sunday after the first new moon (or is it full moon?) after the spring equinox, I think. Shula could tell us. Shula, when is the feast of the passover? Anyway, Easter is the Sunday after the feast of the passover.

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Jan 98 - 05:46 PM

Now, is the vernal equinox March 21 in Australia, or is that called the autumnal equinox? Easter is the first Sunday after the first FULL moon after the vernal (Spring) equinox. Passover, of course, is on the 14th of Nisan [of course :)]. Since the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar and Easter is based on a lunar event, there is a relationship. Somewhere along the history of the evolution of the Christian calendar, the date of Easter came to be based directly on lunar events and not on the date of Passover.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Sheye
Date: 02 Jan 98 - 08:46 PM

Unless, of course, the moon is in the 7th house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars...

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Bill D
Date: 03 Jan 98 - 08:08 PM

for anything you ever wanted to know about dates & calendars

go here

found it from this site of amazing links

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Selene
Date: 04 Jan 98 - 02:54 PM

one of the favorite cards I got last year was a self-made one, it was a recycled-paper one (this caught my attention) and had a stamp with paint (like the potato ones everybody makes as kids-or adults) of a possum (we think, never having seen one) in brown paint, with stars in the background - totally not christmassy, but very nice, and not regional, except for the possum....

Sheye, from which play did that line come? My dad says it's from the same play as the song "it is the dawning of the age of aquarius" but he can't think of the name of the play. Oh, and does anybody know where I can get hold of a recording of that song?

Selene

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Wolfgang Hell
Date: 06 Jan 98 - 06:07 AM

Selene, it's from the musical "Hair" (your dad's right)
Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Christmas greetings from Down Under
From: Wolfgang
Date: 06 Jan 98 - 06:09 AM

several days late, I was, should have read all the other threads before responding