An Indigenous Christmas Story: "Some Things for Christmas"
Image sourced from Living Archive of Aboriginal Language.
December is the month where we immerse ourselves in everything Christmas. Our homes and lives become filled with Christmas colours, decorations, art, activities, stories, movies, music and food. For many of us, especially those with children we love to spend our time doing arts and crafts, making Christmas themed decorations.
On the Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages you can find the book Sambala ting bla Krismis (Something for Christmas). Written in Barunga by Margaret Allen and translated into Kriol by Judy Galmur, this book gives instructions for making Christmas decorations. We have included a snippet of this story below, where you can learn how to make Christmas cards and a Christmas tree.
Sambala ting bla Krismis
KRISMIS KAD
Abat 100 yiya ago, pipul bin stat bla sendimbat Krismis kad la wananaja.
Sambala kad gadim pitja bla Jisas bin bon.
Naja pitja bla Krismis tri, o Faja Krismis.
YU GIN MEIKIM YU RON KRISMIS KAD
1. YU GIN YUSIM KALAPEIPA O KADBOD:
2. FOLDIM HAF:
3. LANGA FRANT, DROIM O MEIKIM PITJA:
4. EN LANGA INSAID, RAIDIM BLA YU STORI:
KRISMIS TRI
Ola German pipul bin feswan bla pudumap det speshul tri la olabat hom et Krismistaim.
Na loda pipul gadim Krismis tri en dei pudimbat loda purdi kala gadim lait en loda najalot purdi ting.
YU GIN MEIKIM YU RON KRISMIS TRI
1. Pudum twig la peipa kap o botul:
2. Filimap gadim mabul o ston:
3. Pudum loda ebrijing la yu krismis tri gadim yu lil strima o sta o lait:
Some things for Christmas
CHRISTMAS CARDS
About 100 years ago, people started sending Christmas cards to one another.
Some cards have pictures of when Jesus was born.
Other pictures have Christmas trees, or Father Christmas.
You can make your own Christmas cards
1. You can use coloured paper or cardboard:
2. Fold it in half:
3. On the front, draw or make a picture:
4. On the inside, write your own message:
CHRISTMAS TREES
The German people were the first ones to put up a special tree in their homes at Christmas time.
Now many people have Christmas trees and they put lots of pretty colours and lights and many pretty things.
You can make your own Christmas tree
1. Put a twig in a paper cup or bottle:
2. Fill it up with marbles or stones:
3. Put lots of things on your Christmas tree like streamers or stars or lights
You can view the rest of the story here.
Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land and sea. We pay our respect to all Elders, past, present and emerging.