the Italian Christmas Donkey : one of the most popular holiday songs. |
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And to all the badly-treated donkeys in the world.
Dominick - the Italian Christmas donkey ...
... is a festive song written in the early 1960s and famously sung by Lou Monte. It tells of a donkey who helps Santa bring gifts to Italian children when the reindeer can’t cope with Italy’s mountains. Is it Italian Christmas music?
No, nor does it have any basis in Italian folklore. It’s just a happy tune sung by an Italian-American well known for his Italian novelty songs.
It is, though, one of the Italian Christmas songs which has become a staple in many present day American-Italian homes.
Dominick the Donkey :
listen to the original version here ...(though not the original video - there wasn’t one!).
We know - you need to buy it!
Because we are very happy to support
the Italian donkey sanctuary
and its sister the
UK donkey sanctuary
we have decided that 100% of any profits made here from the sale of this music will be donated to these two organisations.
The Italian Christmas Donkey : interesting fact!
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Want to sing along? - here’s the words!
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Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
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His name is Dominick;
The cutest little donkey -
You never see him kick.
When Santa visits his ‘paisans’,
With Dominick he'll be,
Because the reindeer cannot
Climb the hills of Italy.
CHORUS
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.
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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 ‘a tarantell’
When San’a Nicola’ comes to town,
And brings u ciucciariell’.
CHORUS.
The Italian Christmas Donkey : interesting fact #2!
What does that bit in the middle mean?It’s Sicilian dialect.
“Paisans” means fellow countrywomen and men.
“Cumpare sing” : dialect for ‘friend’ - so, “sing, my friend”.
“‘A tarantell’” is the shortened form of “la tarantella” - a local dance.
“San’na Nicol’” is again the dialect version of ‘San Nicola’ - Saint Nicholas or ‘Santa Claus’.
And “u cucciarell’” is dialect meaning ‘the little donkey’.
Want to hear it again? OK!
The Italian Christmas Donkey : one final interesting fact!
For some reason - no-one seems quite sure why - a college fraternity in Western Illinois, U.S.A., adopted ‘Dominick the Donkey’ as their anthem.
For the past twenty-five years have insisted on playing fromn their college windows (no doubt to the distress of their neighbours) at maximum volume every day between Thanksgiving and New Year.
For the rest of us - it's just a catchy Italian Christmas song.
Dominick, the Italian Christmas donkey
to our home page about Italian culture.
The Italian Christmas Donkey : one final interesting fact!
|
For the past twenty-five years have insisted on playing fromn their college windows (no doubt to the distress of their neighbours) at maximum volume every day between Thanksgiving and New Year.
For the rest of us - it's just a catchy Italian Christmas song.
|
Dominick, the Italian Christmas donkey
to our home page about Italian culture.