By all accounts the eating of Goose at Christmas as part of the festivities came about because on Christmas Eve 1588 Queen Elizabeth I was dining on Goose at Greenwich palace when the long awaited news reached her that the Spanish Armada had been defeated.
Relieved
and delighted she decreed that roast goose should be served at Christmas to
mark the historic event.
It
was her father Henry VIII who is widely regarded to be the first person known
to eat Turkey on Christmas day.
The family McCallister are gathering in preparation of Christmas in Miami, at Peter (John Heard) and Kate's (Catherine O'Hara) home in a suburb of Chicago.
Ten-year-old
son Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is unimpressed with the prospect of Christmas in
Miami and on the night before their flight after a family argument he storms
off to the third-floor bedroom of the house where he wishes he had his own
money so he could go on his own vacation.
Peter unknowingly resets the family's alarm clock, which
causes them to oversleep.
In
the resulting panic and confusion of the rush to make their flight their
youngest son Kevin gets on the wrong flight and is bound for New York.
It’s
only when the family arrive in Florida that they realize Kevin is missing.
Kevin
meanwhile is touring New York is checking into the Plaza Hotel.
In Florida, the McCallister's discover Kevin has been
found using Peter's credit card in New York so the family flies to New York and
Kate desperately tries to find her son.
Sadly, after visiting Duncan's Toy Chest Kevin crosses
the paths of The Wet Bandits,
Harry Lyme (Joe Pesci) and Marv Merchants (Daniel Stern), who are planning to
break into Duncan's
Toy Chest and steal the proceeds
which are due to go to a children’s charity.
The
story follows the bad guys attempts to rob the Store and Kevin’s efforts to
thwart them while Kate takes extreme measures to find him.
There
is slapstick galore, humour in abundance, sentimentality and a happy ending.
Traditionally in the nativity scene there is almost always a donkey, or an ass depicted.
However, in the gospels telling of
Christ’s birth they are not mentioned.
But as Jesus was born in a stable and lain in a manger it would seem
logical to conclude that some animals where present.
The Hollywood child star Shirley Temple stopped believing in Santa Claus when she was six because the Department store Santa asked for her autograph in a shopping center.
Switzerland is another country with several traditions and languages.
So, it is not surprising there are several different St. Nicholas
traditions.
In German-speaking areas Saint Nicholas is known as Samichlaus and he rides upon a white horse
and is followed by the wicked Ruprecht.
In the French-speaking area Saint Nicolas is known as Père noel and he leads a donkey carrying
baskets full of gifts and he is followed by the sound of Père Fouettard's
chains.
In the Italian quarter the tradition is much more reverent when
they celebrate the arrival of St Nicholas’s relics in the Italian city of Bari
in the year 1087.
But all the celebrations have in common the great colour music and
excitement generated by the enthusiastic revellers.
The family McCallister are gathering in preparation of spending Christmas in Paris, at Peter (John Heard) and Kate's (Catherine O'Hara) home in a suburb of Chicago.
On
the night before their flight their eight-year-old son Kevin (Macaulay Culkin)
is sent to the third-floor bedroom of the house as punishment for fighting with
his brother.
While
in solitary confinement he wishes his family would disappear.
During
the night a power cut resets all the alarm clocks and causes the entire group
to oversleep.
In
the resulting panic and confusion of the rush to make their flight their
youngest son Kevin is left home alone.
Its
only when the family are airborne that they realize and immediately on arrival
in Paris they desperately try to book a flight home.
Kevin
is overjoyed to find that his wish came true when he wakes up to find everyone
gone and the house to himself and able to do anything he wanted.
The
downside to all this are The Wet Bandits, Harry Lyme (Joe Pesci) and Marv
Merchants (Daniel Stern), who are planning to break into vacant houses in the
neighbourhood.
There
is also another danger that of Old Man Marley (Roberts Blossom) who Kevin
believes murdered his whole family.
The
story follows the bad guy’s attempts to rob the house and Kevin’s efforts to
thwart them while Kate takes extreme measures to get home.
There
is slapstick galore, humour in abundance, sentimentality, and a happy ending.
Star Carol Written By John Rutter
Sing
this night, for a boy is born in Bethlehem,
Christ
our Lord in a lowly manger lies;
Bring
your gifts, come and worship at his cradle,
Hurry
to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!
See
his star shining bright
In
the sky this Christmas Night!
Follow
me joyfully;
Hurry
to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!
Angels
bright, come from heaven’s highest glory,
Bear
the news with its message of good cheer:
“Sing,
rejoice, for a King is come to save us,
Hurry
to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!”
Let
us pay our homage at the manger,
Sing
his praise on this joyful Christmas Night;
Christ
is come, bringing promises of salvation;
Hurry
to Bethlehem and see the son of Mary!
