The Calf Yells "Le Le!" Kolede!

It's 6:45AM on Christmas Eve, January 6, 2009, and I am awakened by the first batch of children making their way through my neighborhood singing the Kolede Song. This year there is lots of icy snow on the ground and the children are bundled up like Ralfie's little brother.

Oops, there goes the doorbell. Hmm... it seems this group of children has added a drum to give the song a beat lively beat. lol. I must go answer the door and hand out this years treat: mandarins and chestnuts this year. =)

Here's a VERY rough translation of the song:

One icey Kolede

a tree limb fell on grandpa

grandpa was in agony.

Grandma incubates [sits on] 4 goose eggs.

Crazy happenings, Kolede!

Today is Kolede
tomorrow is Christmas

We're going to kill a calf
but the calf yells, "lele!"

I won't kill the calf
I'll give you veggies

and we'll make pita
for all of us to eat. Kolede!

It still gets me that the children are bundled up and out the door so early in the morning. My friend on the other side of town had them ringing her doorbell at 5AM this year. When my language teacher first told me about this I'd assumed that the children would come in the early evening like in the US for Halloween. So you an imagine my shock my first year here when my doorbell rang and children were singing this Grandma-got-run-over-by-a-reindeer-ish song at 6:30AM! It took me 7 years, but I was awake, dressed and ready for them this year! (See last years post for more on Christmas Eve in Macedonia.)