Christmas in a Tent
Is it true that Santa brings them presents, too?
Hi all,
Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “Christmas in a Tent” by David Rovics. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article.
Below, you’ll find my interpretation of the lyrics which are written in italics. Comments and questions are welcome. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEIC (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1. Listen to this article on the Substack App.
Christmas in a Tent
(711 words)
In the United States, Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25th. In many families who celebrate this holiday, the members get together, exchange gifts, and enjoy a big meal. They start the day by opening presents which are often placed under a decorated Christmas tree, an important symbol of the holiday. Some families attend church, sing carols, or watch holiday movies as part of the tradition.
The Christmas meal really depends on each family, but common foods are roasted meats like turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a variety of vegetables. Families also eat desserts of pies, such as pumpkin, apple, and pecan, along with cookies and fruitcakes. Eggnog and hot chocolate are popular holiday beverages. In the U.S., there isn’t really anything known as “Christmas Cake” like there is in Japan*. Also, although some families do eat chicken, it’s not necessarily an important part of Christmas dinner.
Throughout the day, people may play board games, take family photos, or go for a walk to look at neighborhood Christmas lights. Some communities also hold parades or organize charity events. The day is important for family togetherness, with decorations and music that create a warm and happy atmosphere.
There are also families who aren’t able to celebrate in this way. As of early 2023, there were about 653,000 people without homes in the U.S. Around 186,000 of these were in families with children. There are many reasons why people have become homeless. Some were evicted from their homes because during the COVID pandemic, they didn’t make money to pay the rent or home loans. Others aren’t able to pay rent because rents keep increasing too much.
This song is about a little girl in Portland, Oregon, who sees these people and wonders how they will spend Christmas.
We wake up in the morning, get out of our warm bed
My daughter often asks me about something someone said
Often asking questions, why things are the way they are
Watching Portland passing by from the back seat of the car
As we drove across the bridge, saw the people underneath
She said, “If they don’t have a door, where do they put their wreath?”
I couldn’t think of how to answer when she asked me if it’s true
That Santa brings them presents, too
The little girl knows that Santa comes on Christmas Eve. She knows that you have to leave a tray of cookies and milk for him and some carrots for the reindeer. Santa lands his sleigh on the roof when he delivers his presents.
We always say hello to the people that we meet
Give a dollar to the man who asks can you spare something to eat
We marvel at the tree in the center of the city
“Look at all the lights,” she says, “They’re so colorful and pretty
But those kids who live in tents, where do they put the cookie tray?
With a roof so thin, how can he land his sleigh?”
I couldn’t think of how to answer when she asked me if it’s true
That Santa brings them presents, too
The little girl also knows that Santa only brings presents to girls and boys who have been good all year. She asks about the children she sees. If they have obeyed their parents and teachers, then shouldn’t they get presents, too? Her father didn’t have an answer to her most important question.
What if they’ve been good all year – what they were supposed to do, they did
What if they’ve been kind to all the other kids
What if they got good grades, A’s on every test
Slept well through the night and let their parents rest
But where would they put their toys if they got them anyway
Maybe he could just give them a house on Christmas Day
I couldn’t think of how to answer when she asked me if it’s true
That Santa brings them presents, too
On his website, David Rovics asks a very good question:
There’s a religious quality to the whole belief in Santa Claus. As a leftist, atheist, and parent, the whole thing is mildly distressing. If Santa is giving you presents, what about everybody else? Does Santa/God love the homeless children, too?
Question
How would you answer the little girl’s questions? How would you answer David’s question?
Vocabulary
roasted 焼ける
Christmas lights イルミネーション
be evicted 退去を命じられる
COVID pandemic コロナ禍
reindeer トナカイ
sleigh そり
spare 助ける (give)
marvel びっくりする
obey 従う
atheist 無神論者
distressing 悲惨な
“Christmas In A Tent” appears on the album, The Other Side, (2015).
https://www.davidrovics.com/songbook/christmas-in-a-tent/
* In Germany, there is a tradition of the Christmas Cake, and it seems that is where Japan’s custom comes from. Thank you to David Rovics for pointing this out!
I believe that education should be free.
All of the articles about the songs will remain free for students to use. (We are all students, are we not?) However, if you find these articles useful and are in a position to make a small (or large) donation, I would be deeply grateful.
What a very hard question to answer to an innocent child that knows nothing of the sad situation of all the hundreds of thousands, millions even of unfortunates in this world. I would answer with hope, that they are found and treated as kindly as every other child is, because all they have is hope.