A CRACKING IDEA

 

The origins of the Christmas cracker lie in France where bags of bon-bons were wrapped in paper which two children would then pull apart.

While on holiday in Paris in the 1860’s an English confectioner named Tom Smith noticed the paper wrapped bags of sugared almonds and bon-bons in many shop windows.

When he returned to London, he decided he would sell these bags of sweets in his shop but they were not to the English taste so he formulated an idea to improve on the French idea adding a printed motto or riddle this did not help.

It was only when he was sitting quietly by his fireside listening to the logs burning and cracking that the idea hit him.

Make them bang.

He was a very resourceful man and experimented with various chemicals before he succeeded in impregnating two strips of cardboard which when pulled apart, as a result of friction, would then cause a small explosion.

 

When they went on sale they contained mottoes written by popular writers of the day and quality novelties in the form of games, puzzles, toys and curiosities, a far cry from the cheap plastic imports and paper hats we get today.

Tom Smiths Christmas Crackers became an instant success. 

A SAINT IS FOR LIFE NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS

 

Often the true meaning of Christmas passes us by

The night the holy star appeared bright in the sky

Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ the savior

But others are also remembered at this time of year

St Lucia’s day is on the thirteenth day of December

In fourth century, Sicily Lucia was a virgin martyr

Lucia means “light” very apt for a Christmas saint

She is also called upon to cure any eye complaint

St Thomas’s day is on the twenty first of December

The shortest and darkest day in our modern calendar

Traditionally the poor would all go out “thomasing”

For wheat flour and other Christmas “goodening”

Not the first saint you’d associate with Christmas

He is perhaps better known as “doubting Thomas”

Because he at first questioned Christ’s resurrection

He is patron saint of the carpenter and stone mason

On the twenty-six of the month St Stephens day falls

Boxing Day or the feast of Stephen in hallowed halls

Chosen by the disciples to help spread Christianity

He was put to death by the zealots for his profanity

The most famous Christmas time saint of all must be

St Nicholas the Bishop of Myra now a part of Turkey

He was a very shy man and the kindest man to know

When he threw coins through a poor family’s window

They landed in a stocking hanging over the fire to dry

So that’s where it all began if you ever wondered why

GREETINGS TO THE WORLD

 

“Happy Christmas” is what I chose to say

But many greetings are used for the day

To one and all during the festive season

And different languages are the reason

Say "Frolyke Kerstfeest" or "Joyoo Noel"

"Felleeth Navidad" even "Glaydlig Yool"

"Kalla Kristoogenna", "Boo-on Natarlee"

"Boas Festas" or "Sheng Dan Kwhy Lee"

You could say "Frerlicker Vine-akten"

Or maybe "Roshdesrom Kristovim" then

So you can say it in very many ways

But please never say “Happy Holidays”

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – A NANNY FOR CHRISTMAS (2010)

 

Smart young career woman Ally (Emmanuelle Vaugier) needs a new job and she thinks she has found one when Samantha (Cynthia Gibb) a busy Beverly Hills advertising executive/mom offers her a position.

Danny Donner (Dean Cain) is the tough-guy owner of a chocolate company who wants a major ad campaign immediately and Samantha’s firm is given the job and it turned out that what she needed was a Nanny to her two well-mannered kids to give her the time to work on it.

Although Ally was disappointed, she takes the job and finds that she needs to put some fun in the children’s lives while working on some ideas for the campaign herself in her spare time.

The events that follow lead to the Christmas that changes everyone's worlds forever.

Sierra McCormick and Jared Gilmore play the children, Sarah Thompson plays Ally’s friend and Richard Ruccolo provides the romantic interest in this delightful comedy of little white lies, holiday wishes, and a young woman who finds love in the most unexpected place by becoming A Nanny for Christmas.

SANTA’S SLEIGH BROKE DOWN

 

Santa’s sleigh broke down

So, he stopped a passing motorist

Who offered to give him a toe

But then he was a Chiropodist

CHRISTMAS CANDLES – A SIGNAL

The placing of lighted candles in the windows in England harks back to a time when the Catholic religion was banned.

A lighted candle would be placed in the window of a Catholic family as a signal that it was safe for a priest to come into their home to celebrate Mass.

SHE SAID SHE FELT SO HELPLESSLY ALONE

 

She said she felt so helplessly alone

Like a lonely candle flickering in the dark

Then on the day when I came into her life

She said there was a discernable spark

And as if by a kind of magic, hey presto 

We were instantly two candles in the dark