ST NICHOLAS ISLAND

 

There is an island off the coast of California used as a research and observation facility by NASA.

FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS CAROL # 10 O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

 

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

Words by Philips Brooks and Music by Ralph Vaughan Williams

 

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.

 

O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.

 

How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His Heaven.
No ear may hear His coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him, still
The dear Christ enters in.

 

Where children pure and happy
Pray to the blessed Child,
Where Misery cries out to Thee,
Son of the Mother mild;
Where Charity stands watching,
And Faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
And Christmas comes once more.

 

O holy Child of Bethlehem!
Descend to us we pray!
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
O, come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel!

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – LOVELY, STILL AT CHRISTMAS (2008)

This wonderful holiday fable tells the story of an elderly man Robert Malone (Martin Landau) discovering love for the first time.

In fact, something mysterious, new, unexpected and lovely is happening to Robert since he met Mary (Ellen Burstyn).

Burstyn and Landau are so natural together and gracefully manoeuvre and negotiate their way through their developing relationship and give fantastic performances in this charming Christmas offering.

Elizabeth Banks supports well as Marys daughter Alex and Adam Scott does similarly playing Roberts employer and relationship counsellor Mike. 

TOMTEN

The Victor Rydberg poem, “Tomten,” is always read at the Lucia Fest of the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis.

LUCIA PATRON SAINT OF

 

St Lucia of Syracuse is the patron saint of authors, blind people, blindness, cutlers, dysentery, eye disease, eye problems, fire, glaziers, hemorrhages, laborers, martyrs, notaries

Peasants, peddlers Perugia Italy, saddlers, salesmen, servant girls

Stained glass workers, scribes, Syracuse Sicily, tailors, throat infections, virgins,

Weavers and writers.

NO TURNING

 

On St. Lucy's Day any activity involving turning motions are forbidden, including spinning, stirring, and working a grindstone as these circular motions might interfere with the return of the sun.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – SMOTHERED (2005)

 

J.J. Jenner (Carly Pope) works at a New York magazine as the assistant to the food critic but when the critic leaves to have a baby, her boss gives J.J. the job for a trial period, so she tries to find a new refreshing and exciting restaurant to write about for the next addition just before Christmas.

However her estranged mother Lee (Christine Baranski) turns up out of the blue, after losing her job and J.J. can’t deal with her.

So when Alex Stermadapolous (Bobby Cannavale) a struggling restaurateur who is facing the possibility of being closed down, asks her to come to his restaurant and try it out and then write about it in the magazine she agrees to review his restaurant on the condition that he take her mother off her hands for a few weeks.

Alex reluctantly agrees and forms an instant rapport with Lee that amazes J.J. but what amazed her even more was that it made her jealous.

It’s a fun Christmas mother-daughter film but underneath all the comic moments is a poignant story of intimate strangers.

It's a good holiday movie and in the Christmas spirit comes with a satisfying ending.