Twas the night before Christmas
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Labels: Christmas
Santa Claus is coming to town
The time for the big man to make his rounds is getting close now and for those parents who want to use the net this holiday season, here are a few sites that might be helpful:
NORADOk so this is partially our tax dollars "hard at work" but it is a fun site which you can use to
track Santa's progress Christmas Eve. The kids really get a kick out of watching him fly all over. They even have a toll free number you can call on Christmas eve, starting at 2 am mountain standard time. The number is 877-HI-NORAD [or 877-466-6723 for those who hat dialing by letter].
ClausLarge site with lots to do but my favorite part is the
Santa Claus Naughty or Nice Rating system. Just type in your name, or your child's name, and out comes the results from their patented Nice-O-Meter [or is it niceometer?]. This is my read out from the Nice-O-Meter:
Much more nice than naughty. Can be very thoughtful. Has improved cleanliness, which I like. Could take better care of toys. Says "thank you" often, but still not as much as I would like. Good mood often spreads to others. Hopefully, will keep up the good work!Guess I have to be better with my toys and say thank you more often, which is just good advice.
NorthpoleAnother large website with hours of fun, especially the
ElfChat feature. It's not the most intelligent pseudo-chat algorithm however it could be fun to have the kids chat with a real live [programmed] elf just before Christmas.
Joulupukin KammariSanta Claus Live offers some insight into Santa's office, which is apparently located far away in the North of Finland on the Arctic Circle - I didn't know that. The
Santa Claus Live indoor and outdoor webcams look like something fun to watch before the big day [they went live on December 1st and will go offline on January 10th.
TelsantaYou can take the level of interaction with the big guy to a new level on telsanta where you can hear from Santa himself. The calls are not toll free but it does record your voice [and your Christmas wish list] and email it back to you. Very clever.
Santa for HireOf course if you want to take your Christmas game to the next level, how about having your very own Real Bearded Santa Claus visit the house on Christmas Eve / Day. Check out the guys from the
Eastern USA Santa list. These guys look good, especially Santa Lawrence, Towson, MD - that guy looks like the real deal.
Happy Friday to all, and to all a good Weekend!Labels: Christmas, Santa
The Candy Cane
Did you know that approximately 2 billion candy canes will be sold in the four weeks before Christmas and Hanukkah? That's a lot of canes! The candy cane's origin dates back to the late 1600's and The Cologne Cathedral in Köln, Germany (official name Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria). Part of the Christmas celebration at the Cologne Cathedral were pagents of living creches. In about 1670 the choirmaster there had sticks of candy bent into the shape of a shepherd's crook and passed them out to children who attended the ceremonies. This became a popular tradition, and eventually the practice of passing out the sugar canes at living creche ceremonies spread throughout Europe.
The use of candy canes on Christmas trees made its way to America by the 1800's, however during this time they were still pure white. They are represented this way on Christmas cards made before 1900, and it is not until the early 20th century that they appear with their familiar red stripes.
Many people have given religious meaning to the shape and form of the candy cane. It is said that its shape is like the letter "J" in Jesus' name. It is also in the shape of the shepherds' crook, symbolic of how Jesus, like the "Good Shepherd" watches over his children like little lambs. It is a hard candy, solid like a "rock", the foundation of the Church. The flavor of peppermint is similar to another member of the mint family, hyssop. In the Old Testament hyssop was used for purification and sacrifice, and this is said to symbolize the purity of Jesus and the sacrifice he made.
Some say the white of the candy cane represents the purity of Jesus and his virgin birth. The bold red stripe represents God's love. The three fine stripes are said by some to represent the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Others say they represent the blood spilled at the beating Jesus received at the hands of the Roman soldiers.
From its plain early beginnings to its familiar shape and color of today, the candy cane is a symbol of Christmas and a reminder of the meaning of the holiday.
Labels: Candy, Christmas
From the BOTB to you and your family.