Bounce Buckram, Velvet's Dear Lyrics
Two lines about stiff buckram cloth, costly velvet, and the reminder that Christmas comes only once a year. It is one of the shortest Christmas rhymes in the old collections.
Bounce Buckram, Velvet's Dear
Bounce Buckram, velvet's dear;
Christmas comes but once a year.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/bounce-buckram-velvets-dear/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Said as a pair of steady claps, one clap on each stressed word
- Best for ages
- 3 to 8 years
What Does Bounce Buckram, Velvet's Dear Mean?
The rhyme is two lines and does its work with two cloths. Buckram is a stiff cotton or linen cloth, used for stiffening hats, collars and book covers. Velvet is soft, thick cloth with a smooth pile, and it has always been expensive, so "velvet's dear" means velvet costs a lot. The opening word Bounce is a lively start; the rhyme does not say what it means.
The second line gives the reason to spend: "Christmas comes but once a year". It is the same sort of excuse a child hears for a treat today, that the day is special and happens only once.
Because the rhyme is so short, the best way to use it is as a rhythm piece. The first line has a stamping beat, the second line settles with a smooth, rocking feel, and a child can learn both in a minute.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell included it among his Christmas rhymes, and Andrew Lang's The Nursery Rhyme Book prints the same two lines. Neither book names a singer or gives a tune.
Learning Activities
- Feel the cloth: pass round a piece of velvet and a piece of stiff cotton or canvas, and say which one is buckram-like and which is velvet-like.
- Clap pattern: clap on every stressed word of line one, then pat knees slowly on line two.
- Once a year: make a list of things that happen once a year, such as birthdays, and say the second line after each item.
- Dress-up box: put scraps of stiff and soft cloth in a box and let the children sort them by touch.