'Hey Dan, it's Joe here': How December 21 became an unofficial Aussie 'holiday'

It's a song without a chorus about a bloke spending Christmas in prison. It was never expected to be a hit.

Yet, for almost 30 years, Australian singer songwriter Paul Kelly's How To Make Gravy plays on repeat on a single day in December. It's an unofficial national tradition.

Here's why scores of Australians refer to 21 December as 'Gravy Day'.

Watch the video above.

So... what is Gravy Day, exactly?

It's an unofficial holiday in Australia where the storytelling brilliance of homegrown singer-songwriter Paul Kelly's How to Make Gravy is celebrated.

Kelly released the song in 1996 and almost three decades later, it's still celebrated. This year, it was voted the ninth best Australian song of all time in Triple J's Hottest 100 countdown.

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What is How To Make Gravy about?

The song is about a man named Joe who's in prison.

He writes a forlorn letter home to his brother Dan on December 21 as he grapples with spending Christmas in prison.

As well as sending his love to his family, Joe ponders the Christmas Day traditions he'll miss out on. One that sticks in his mind is who will make the gravy for Christmas lunch.

He then shares a recipe for the gravy: "Just add flour, salt, a little red wine, a dollop of tomato sauce (for sweetness and that extra tang)."

Kelly wrote the track after being invited to add a song to an annual Christmas album.

When he discovered his chosen song had appeared on a previous album, Kelly decided to write an original tune.

"I started thinking ... maybe I'll write it from the point of view of somebody who is missing Christmas, who can't get to Christmas," he told the ABC in 2017.

Why is it celebrated on December 21?

That's the day mentioned in the song.

Kelly's protagonist, Joe, writes a letter home to his brother Dan on December 21 as the prison guards ring the last bell.

"Hello Dan, it's Joe here / I hope you're keeping well / It's the 21st of December / And now they're ringing the last bells," the song begins.

When did Gravy Day become a thing?

There's no exact date. The popularity of Kelly's song has waxed and waned depending on the generation of listeners.

Yet, in recent times December 21 has become an unofficial national holiday referred to as Gravy Day.

In 2022, Australian gravy giant Gravox released a limited edition Chrissie Gravy with Kelly's song in mind.

Kelly still performs the song at most of his live performances. The popularity of the track was quite the surprise.

"You never know what's going to happen to the song after you write them," he told ABC Radio in 2014.

"It was a song that doesn't have a chorus, it's set in prison, so I never thought it would be a hit song or anything."

In 2025, Kelly released a sequel to How To Make Gravy, titled Rita Writes a Letter.

The song is from the perspective of Joe, who is singing from beyond the grave, and reveals his worst fear came true – his partner Rita ended up with Danny while he was locked behind bars.

Is How To Make Gravy a movie, too?

Yes – in 2024, the song was turned into a feature film, starring Hugo Weaving, Brenton Thwaites, Damon Herriman and Kate Mulvany.

It was adapted for the screen by musician Meg Washington and Nick Waterman, who wrote and directed the movie. You can watch it on Binge.

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