Hey! Chingedy Ching, Hee haw! Hee haw!
It’s Dominick the Donkey!
That’s right. He’s here!
Who?
The Italian Christmas Donkey!
In a beloved song enjoyed by generations of Italian-American families during the Christmas season, Dominick is a lovable donkey that lives in the Italian hills. When the reindeer encounter difficulty, Dominick is tasked with carrying Santa’s special gifts to the children in the towns below.
The song about him, “Dominick the Donkey” was first released in 1960.
With its catchy, upbeat melody and lyrics sprinkled with bits of Italian dialect (not to mention the chorus of La la la’s and Hee haw! Hee haws!) young and old alike can’t resist joining in.
Even now, decades later!
For many, the song evokes memories of gathering with loved ones in the kitchen or living room and singing Christmas songs along with the radio. Most can recall a collective roar of delight the moment “Dominick the Donkey” came on!
Because it was (and is) a drop-everything-and-sing kind of song!
An American journalist of Italian heritage said, “Dominick the Donkey is not Italian-Italian, but he is ours. We held onto him and at this point it wouldn’t be an Italian-American Christmas without him.”
This holiday season, we invite you to join in the fun with
Dominick the Donkey!
Buon Natale!
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Our Dominick the Donkey is sweet and cuddly and sports a festive red vest.
With a touch of a button, he plays the cheery Dominick the Donkey song!
He sits 12 inches tall (not including ears)
Requires two AAA batteries (Triple A)
Song sheet with lyrics included
Watch video below to listen to a clip of the song!