Six white boomers and other Aussie carols

Click for the movingamation

Six white boomers, snow white boomers
Racing Santa Claus through the blazing sun
Six white boomers, snow white boomers
... On his Australian run

Kayla from California writes: "heard on the radio that there is a myth that Santa uses 8 white kangaroos instead of reindeer".

My reply: In 1960 the Australian singer/songwriter Rolf Harris wrote a hit novelty Xmas song called 'Six White Boomers', about Santa having white boomers (buck kangaroos) pulling his sleigh -- read lyrics/listen to midi. There are some graphic depictions here, but none are particularly good ones. Artists, we need some good pix of Santa's six white boomers.

There's no old folklore about it, but after four decades it is folklore now, I suppose.

My favourite Australian carol, however, is 'Carol of the Birds' which has beautiful words and tune ('orana' means 'welcome').

Out on the plains
the brolgas are dancing
Lifting their feet
like war horses prancing
Up to the sun
the woodlarks go winging
Faint in the dawn light
echoes their singing

Orana! Orana!
Orana! To Christmas Day.

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 bushlands
rising and falling

Orana! Orana!
Orana! To Christmas Day.

Tagged: australia, christmas, folklore, lore, kangaroos, santa, santa+claus