Stocking Stuffers # 1

ALL THE CHRISTMAS SAINTS AND ANGELS

All the Christmas Saints and Angels
Work behind the scenes
To orchestrate the season
Like precision built machines

They make the tinsel sparkle
They make the music play
They fill out hearts with love
As we wait for the saviours day

All the Christmas Saints and Angels
Pulling the strings unseen
Their purpose is a simple one
To fulfil all our Christmas dreams

ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1938

The great American film director, George Cukor, announced that Vivien Leigh would play Scarlett O'Hara in the epic Gone with the Wind.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – MRS. MIRACLE 2, MIRACLE IN MANHATTAN

Mrs. Merkle (Doris Roberts) as if by holiday magic pops up in a family-owned New York City department store as a sassy saleswoman, but no one remembers hiring her.
She gets to work quickly on her boss Jake (Eric Johnson) and his dad, JR (Tom Butler) who have a strained relationship to say the least.
Her mission is to help JR rediscover the magic of Christmas while helping along a romance with Jake and Holly (Jewel Staite).
Holly is a beautiful but put upon assistant to a fashion designer, Lindy Lowe (Lauren Holly), and is also the legal guardian to her nephew, Gabe, while her brother is overseas with the army.
But before long with her unquenchable and infectious spirit, she has things under control at the store but Mrs. Miracle still had a lot work ahead of her in order that it is a magical Christmas for all.

LUCY BRIDE

Every year the Lucy bride in Stockholm's is crowned by the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY # 3

The famous German painter Hans von Bartels was born on Christmas day in 1856 and another artist was born the same day in
1883, Maurice Utrillo, one of the "Montmartre" artist’s.
Bandleader Cab Calloway way born on the savior’s day in 1907
Sir Lew Grade the famous film producer was first produced on Christmas day 1906 and fellow movie producer Ismail Merchant made his festive debut in 1936.

SEASONAL GREETINGS FROM SOUTHERN EUROPE

Corsica
Pace e salute
Malta
IL-Milied It-tajjeb
Italy
Buone Feste Natalizie
Portugugal
Feliz Natal
Sardinia
Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Spain
Feliz Navidad
Spain (Basque)
Zorionak eta Urte Berri On
Spain (Catalan)
Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou
Spain (Galician)
Bo Nada

CHRISTMAS IS NIGH

The snow lays deep and crisp
And though the frost is keen
In the clear night sky, the heavens
In all their glory can be seen
And bright there shines a star
Standing out from the jewelled sky
A star that seems to call out
Sweetly “Christmas is nigh”

ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1939

Charles Dickens' story of redemption “A Christmas Carol” was read on radio for the first time. It was broadcast on CBS radio.

MR GLISTEN COMES TO TOWN

The snow has come its falling fast
Its time to dance about and cheer
Soon it will be time to build a snowman
I build the same one every year

When the snow is lying deep and fresh
I go to the cupboard in my room
Where I get his hat, gloves and scarf
And of course his Birchwood broom

Mum says “don’t you stay out long”
But she knows that I don’t listen
She knows that it takes some time
To build the perfect Mr Glisten

I always start in the same place
And make the body large and round
For his head I roll a smaller ball
Rolling it on the snowy ground

Soon he stands up taller than me
Rising up from the fallen snow
Each year it takes a little longer
As like me each year he grows

Down his front go pebble buttons
From his neck down to the floor
His stick arms wear his gloves
Which don’t really fit him anymore

Then I put on his scarf and hat
His birch broom stands by his side
Marbles to make his eyes shine
And a stick mouth smiling wide

Last the carrot nose goes in place
And I step back and a moment spend
Gazing at the happy snowman face
Then I say “Hello my old friend”

GOLDEN BALLS

St Nicholas is the patron saint of pawn brokers and outside of a pawn brokers you will see the symbol of three gold balls which are representations of the three bags of gold.
He gave to the poor father to save his daughters from prostitution.

SCROOGE AND GRINCH

Scrooge and Grinch
Don’t believe in Christmas
When the carolers come along
They start to swear and cuss

Ebenezer Scrooge is a skinflint
A mean and grasping old miser
Who buys from the pound shop
And sells them at a fiver

Little more than a grouch
Is the Christmas stealing Grinch
Who to miserable to be happy
He steals your Christmas by the inch

The tale is told of redemption
After the ghostly haunting stunt
The Grinch whole-hearted and loving
Says merry Christmas with a grunt
Scrooge and Grinch never changed
They were just putting on a front

FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS CAROL # 14

IL EST NE, LE DIVIN ENFANT
Music and lyrics traditional (French)

Chorus:
Il est ne, le divin Enfant,
Jouez, hautbois, resonnez, musettes;
Il est ne, le divin Enfant;
Chantons tous son avenement!

Verse 1
Depuis plus de quatre mille ans,
Nous le promettaient les Prophetes;
Depuis plus de quatre mille ans,
Nous attendions cet heureux temps. Chorus

Chorus:
Il est ne, le divin Enfant,
Jouez, hautbois, resonnez, musettes;
Il est ne, le divin Enfant;
Chantons tous son avenement!

Verse 2
Ah! qu'il est beau, qu'il est charmant,
Que ses graces sont parfaites!
Ah! qu'il est beau, qu'il est charmant,
Qu'il est doux le divin Enfant! Chorus

Chorus:
Il est ne, le divin Enfant,
Jouez, hautbois, resonnez, musettes;
Il est ne, le divin Enfant;
Chantons tous son avenement!

Verse 3
Une etable est son logement,
Un peu de paille, sa couchette,
Une etable est son logement,
Pour un Dieu, quel abaissement! Chorus

Chorus:
Il est ne, le divin Enfant,
Jouez, hautbois, resonnez, musettes;
Il est ne, le divin Enfant;
Chantons tous son avenement!

Verse 4
O Jesus! O Roi tout puissant!
Tout petit enfant que vous etes,
O Jesus! O Roi tout puissant!
Regnez sur nous entierement! Chorus

REPRESENTING ST STEPHEN

St Stephen is represented as a deacon carrying a pile of rocks, as a deacon with rocks gathered in his vestments or as a deacon with rocks on his head.
He is also represented as a deacon with rocks or a book at hand, by stones or by a palm.

JINGLE BELLS

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
I’ve got a gun and a clever disguise
To rob the bank on its busiest day

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
We got caught do you know why?
Because we only had a getaway sleigh

FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS SONG # 12

Despite the general awfulness of the Christmas song there are however always exceptions to the rule and I have a short list of personal favourites.
Without exception all my choices not only include the song but the best performer of that song and so in no particular order here is my twelfth selection.

"I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" Music and lyrics by Roy Wood performed by Wizzard

When the snowman brings the snow,
Well he just might like to know.
He’s put a great big smile on somebody’s face.
If you jump into your bed,
Quickly cover up your head,
Don’t you lock the doors you know that sweet Santa Claus is on the way.

Well I wish it could be Christmas every day.
When the kids start singing and the band begins to play.
Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day.
Let the bells ring out for Christmas.

When we’re skating in the park,
If the storm cloud paints it dark,
Then your rosy cheeks going to light my merry way.
Now the frostiness appear
And they’ve frozen up my beard,
So we’ll lie by the fire till the sleep simply melts them all away.

Well I wish it could be Christmas every day.
When the kids start singing and the band begins to play.
Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day.
So, let the bells ring out for Christmas.

When the snowman brings the snow,
Well he just might like to know,
He’s put a great big smile on somebody’s face.
So if Santa brings that sleigh
All along the milky way,
I’ll sign my name on the rooftop in the snow then he may decide to stay.

Well I wish it could be Christmas every day.
When the kids start singing and the band begins to play.
Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day.
So, let the bells ring out for Christmas.
You lot Take It

Chorus, sung by children
Well I wish it could be Christmas every day.
When the kids start singing and the band begins to play.
Oh I wish it could be Christmas every day.
Let the bells ring out for Christmas.
Why don’t you give your love for Christmas

CHRISTMAS WITHOUT HARRY

It was early when the children woke up
With their squeals of joy and delight
They hadn’t woken me though
I’d been awake half the night

Christmas held no joy for me this year
I was not looking forward to the day
And I always loved Christmas
This year I didn’t want to play

It was the first Christmas since I lost Harry
And each moment was a fresh agony
Everything we used to do together
Now had to be done by me

When you are the perfect partnership
It’s so hard when you lose one of the team
He was the cream cheese on my bagel,
I was the coffee to his cream

Its six months since he was taken from me
But the wound has barely healed
It takes just the slightest remembrance
And a fresh scar is then revealed

The children have all adjusted well
I’m so proud of the way they’ve coped
They’ve gotten on with their lives
And not sat around and moped

I’ve lain awake most of the night
Reliving Christmases gone by
I laughed at all the happy memories
And then the laughter turned to cries

It was going to be a difficult day to bear
And I would be glad when it was done
But I didn’t want to be a Grinch
And pour water on the children’s fun

Having Christmas without Harry
Was like having an undecorated tree
He was my best friend and soul mate
He was just everything to me

So for the kid’s sake I had to grin and bear it
Put on a brave face, smiled through the pain
I thought it would never end but end it did
And it won’t be that hard again

ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1831

Louisiana and Arkansas were the first states to observe Christmas as holiday.

CHRISTIANS OF ST. THOMAS

There is still a large native population on Malabar Coast in India who call themselves "Christians of St. Thomas."

DO YOU BELIEVE IN SANTA?

Do you believe in Santa?
It’s a yes or no answer
Have you never seen him?
He is there none the less
He is in the smiling faces
Or people that you meet
And in the children’s laughter
As they rush along the street
He is in the hearty handshakes
And the heart felt hellos
He is at the happy reunions
And the tearful farewells
He is in the choirs voices
Singing praise to the lord
And in the hearts of volunteers
Who feed the homeless
He is the presence of good
He is the Christmas spirit

MERRY CHRISTMAS SIR

Merry Christmas sir, I’m your paper boy
I bring you daily tidings of peace and joy
I know that at 6am that no one knocks
But how else would I get my Christmas box