FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS CAROL # 7 THE HOLLY AND THE IVY

 

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY

Music and lyrics traditional

 

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir 

CHRISTMAS IN SPACE

 

On December 21, 1968 Apollo 8 was launched with Frank Borman as the commander, James A. Lovell, the command module pilot and 

William A. Anders the lunar module pilot.

After establishing Earth orbit Apollo 8 was set on a trajectory toward the moon.

On Christmas Eve Apollo 8 began orbiting the moon during the lunar orbits Broadcasts were made back to earth and Christmas greeting were exchanged.

After completing ten lunar orbits they left the moon being and headed back towards earth.

They returned safely to Earth on 27^th December 1968.

CHRISTMAS HILL

 

Christmas Hill is situated in the Silverton Hills of Oregon where you will find the Christmas Hill tree farm which perhaps naturally specializes in the production of conifers grown commercially for the Christmas tree market.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – 12 DAYS OF GIVING (2017)

 

Struggling photographer Baxter (David Blue) is persuaded by his brother Toby (Preston James Hillier) to enter a prize draw at the Mall, and he wins a car.

However he thinks the car impractical for his life style so takes the cash equivalent, but instead of doing what his fiancé Audrey (Melanie Recker) wants, namely to fritter it away on unnecessary lavishness for their upcoming wedding, he decides to share his winnings with the residents of his small town play by playing a kind of Secret Santa.

One of the chosen recipients is a boy Westin (Jax Connolly) whose father is deceased and by extension his mother Pamela (Ashley Jones).

When his fiancé Audrey finds out he has been spending the money on strangers she gets really mad and breaks up with him before storming out, but when she tries to reconcile with him he isn’t interested in taking her back as he had now seen her in her true colours.

He had grown fond of Pamela in the short time he’d known her and had begun to fall in love with her, and he thought her a much worthier recipient of his heart.

ISLAND OF ST THOMAS

 

St. Thomas Island is part of the group that makes up the Virgin Islands.

It was first sighted by Columbus on his second westward voyage in 1493 and although he did not land it was Columbus who named them Las Virgenes.

It wasn’t until 150 years later that the Danish flag was planted on St. Thomas and it eventually became part of Danish West Indies.

The island was populated with Slaves imported from Africa to work on the large number of sugar plantations and the islands wealth grew.

But the prosperity of the island dwindled After Denmark abolished slavery in 1848.

The Danish West Indies came under threat of German expansion during World War I so America purchased the islands which became the American Virgins in March 1917 and in 1927 the islands residents were granted United States citizenship.

Even though the islands have their own Governor and a locally elected legislature residents cannot vote in the Presidential election despite being United States taxpayers.

 

20 PEOPLE WHO ARRIVED IN THE WORLD ON DECEMBER 26TH

 

1194 Frederick II, Iesi Italy, German Emperor and King of Sicily
1618 abbess Elisabeth Paltsgravin of Rhine

1716 Thomas Gray, English poet

1792 Charles Babbage, English inventor of the calculating machine

1805 Joseph-Leon Gatayes, composer
1855 Arnold Ludwig Mendelssohn, composer

1891 Henry Miller, author 

1894 Antonio Molina, composer

1902 Elisha Cook Jr, San Francisco California, actor

1914 Richard Widmark, Sunrise Michigan, actor

1921 Steve Allen, New York City, comedian and TV host

1927 Denis Quilley, London English actor

1930 Donald Moffat, Plymouth English actor
1932 Walter Leblanc, Belgian painter

1939 Harvey Phil Spector, record producer

1944 Jane Lapotaire, actress 
1951 Richard Skinner, British Disc Jockey
1953 Matthew Harding, businessman and Chelsea football supporter and director
1972 Jared Leto, Bossier City Louisiana, actor

1985 Steven Hartman, Westlake California, actor

SYMBOLIC

 

The symbol of St Thomas is the builder's square, which comes from an ancient story that built a palace for King Guduphara in India.