STREET LIGHTS

 

So many people decorate the outside of their house’s now with colored lights that the big London Christmas displays like oxford street or Regents street It don’t seem such a big deal now.

But when they first began it was a different story.

They came about after an article in the daily telegraph commented that during Christmas London looked so drab and grey.

As a result, in 1954 the Regent Street association decided to take decisive action and organized themselves to decorate the buildings with electric lights.

These became so popular that people would travel for miles to see them and turning the lights on became such an event that thousands of people would turn up to see a celebrity flick the switch.

FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS CAROL # 28 THE FRIENDLY BEASTS

 

The Friendly Beasts

Old English Christmas Carol writer unknown

 

Jesus our brother, kind and good
Was humbly born in a stable rude
And the friendly beasts around Him stood
Jesus our brother, kind and good.

“I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
“I carried His mother up hill and down;
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town.”
“I,” said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

“I,” said the cow, all white and red
“I gave Him my manger for a bed;
I gave Him my hay to pillow His head.”
“I,” said the cow, all white and red.

“I,” said the sheep with curly horn,
“I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm;
He wore my coat on Christmas morn.”
“I,” said the sheep with curly horn.

“I,” said the dove from the rafters high,
“Cooed Him to sleep that He should not cry;
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I.”
“I,” said the dove from the rafters high.

“I,” said the camel, yellow and black,
“Over the desert, upon my back,
I brought Him a gift in the Wise Men's pack.”
“I,” said the camel, yellow and black.

Thus every beast by some good spell
In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gift he gave Emmanuel,
The gift he gave Emmanuel.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – THE REAL ST NICK

Kate (Torrey Devitto), a pretty psychiatrist is saved from an accident during an earthquake by a man who, after hitting his head on a rock, believes he is Santa Claus.

She has him admitted to the clinic where she works and begins to nurse him back to health.

He soon “infects” everyone in the ward with the spirit of Christmas.

This may be considered as corny, predictable, holiday fare but it is very watchable, nonetheless.

Jack (Kenneth Choi) as one of patients who thinks he's Jack Nicholson in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.” Steals the show though and brings the movie above the mundane.

THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER – JOYEUX NOËL

Joyeux Noël portrays a small part of the historic events of Christmas Eve 1914 when numerous sections of the Western Front called an informal, and unauthorized, truce where the French, German and British front-line soldiers of the conflict met peacefully in No Man's Land.

The film shines a light on the rare window of peace when men met to share a precious pause in the hostilities to exchange mementoes and sing Christmas songs.

The short respite when humanity briefly returned to the battle scarred land was soon at an end but this film portrays events beautifully.

 

WHEN RUDOLPH ARRIVED

 

When Rudolph arrived

Cupid was so pleased

It meant the other reindeer

Had someone new to tease

MIDDLE AGED SPREAD

 

During the Middle Ages Christmas was the most popular of the religious holidays as it was generally the happiest and undoubtedly the longest, lasting from Christmas Eve until the feast of Epiphany on January 6^th.

In the royal or wealthy houses Christmas preparations would begin as early as November when beasts were slaughtered and this would have happened in spite of Christmas rather than because of it as there was normally not enough food to keep large numbers of beasts through the long winters.

Nothing was wasted and every part of the animals was used and the meat was preserved with salt and spices or pickled in vinegar or smoked and cured by a fire.

Quinces, apples, pears, plums and assorted other fruits were exceeding popular in the Middle Ages and were dried and stored for the winter.

The poor celebrated the two week holiday as best they could with the luckiest workers being given some time off and they might even receive gifts of ale, food or firewood.

The wealthiest in the land would lay on great banquets and entertainments and the more important of the local workers or villagers were sometimes invited to the lord’s hall for a feast, though they had to take their own cup and plate.

I SAW SANTA CLAUS LAST NIGHT

 

I saw Santa Claus last night

Messing with a ho ho ho

When he was kissing her

Underneath the camel toe