MERRY CHRISTMAS!
“You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He's making a list,
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!
O! You better watch out!
You better not cry.
Better not pout, I'm telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Santa Claus is coming to town…”
Once, I heard this sentence.
“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
These are the wonderful words of Charles Dickens. These words make you think about the real meaning of Christmas.
From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it. (Katharine Whitehorn)
Right? Christmas is the funniest way to bind parts of world in a big little pie!
And..popoular symbols of Xmas are presents, right?
People like asking weird and funny presents to Santa, such as pasta maker and a Richard James t-shirt! I’m talking about Taylor Swift’s and Hugh Grant’s wish lists!
For example, Taylor Swift - an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress - would like “anything from Free People or Anthropologie” and antique picture frames.
Instead, Hugh Grant would also like a Terry’s Chocolate Orange, Gucci sunglasses, three pairs of black socks and Adidas trainers!
Sometimes Xmas wish lists are a little funny, don’t you think?
Though Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. (Janice Maeditere).
TASTES LIKE CHRISTMAS STUFF
Christmas Eve - December 24th and Christmas Day
What about Christmas Eve?
Night time on Christmas Eve is very exciting for everyone! It is the time when Santa Claus comes. They usually hang up their stockings and go to bed. In this night, Santa, with presents for everybody, rides across the blue sky with his nine reindeer – the most famous one is Rudolf -
In the morning, when children wake up, they looking for their stockings to open ‘em and enjoy themselves with all the presents who Santa brought ‘em!
Besides, on Xmas Eve, the children left out milk and mince pies for Santa, and a carrot for Rudolf and the other reindeer.
And…there are no strangers on Christmas Eve! (Mildred Cram)
Instead, in the Christmas day, the average family gets up before the 8.00, and is ready to start opening presents! Then, the family sits down for breakfast.
Dinner is served about half past three. And you know that 38 per cent of families think that spending time with the family is the best thing about Christmas Day? So, Christmas Day is very important!
Christmas Dinner and Pudding!
One of the most particular symbols of Xmas is the Christmas Dinner.
Did you know that in the past some very strange things were eaten around Christmas Dinners, such as swans and peacocks!?
Nowadays, a typical British family have a “normal” dinner. The started is probably going to be prawns or smoked salmon. Then, as main course, they have turkey, and for the vegetarian in the family, a nut roast, served with potatoes and vegetables. This is followed by the Xmas pudding, matched by brandy sauce!
The pudding became associated with Christmas when it was introduced to the Royal Christmas dinner table by Prince Albert - the husband of Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland –
Plum puddings are a very rich, dark pudding made with all sorts of dried fruits, nuts, spices, and lots sherry or brandy! In addition, if the pudding is made at home, everyone in the household must take it in turns to stir the pudding and make a personal wish!
Santa Claus and other Christmas Symbols
Who’s Santa Claus?
I’m talkin’ about that red and fat grandaddy who, on Christmas Eve night, brings presents for everyone!
The tradition of hanging up the stocking is still followed in the British Isles. It is left out on Christmas Eve, along with mince pies, sherry and carrots for Santa and his reindeer, and even today most children are in bed way before midnight waiting for Santa to visit. Nowadays the gifts Santa Claus brings can be quite elaborate; in Victorian times it was traditionally fruit, nuts, sweets and coins.
Other Xmas symbols are the Christmas cards. Most people buy their cards from Hallmark etc., people use ‘em to decorate houses and they’re sent before Xmas Day.
And Christmas crackers? They are used to decorate the table at Christmas dinner.
When the cracker is 'pulled' by two people, the friction creates a small explosive 'pop' produced by a narrow strip of paper! Inside it there is usually a tissue paper hat, a balloon, a slip of paper with a corny joke on it (for example: "What does Santa call his blind reindeer?" "No-eye-deer!") and a small gift.
Christmas trees are a part of the Christmas decorations in British households.
.. The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect! (Charles N. Barnard)
Nowadays in the UK you will find a lot of particular trees! The tree is decorated with lights, candles, tinsel, chocolate figures and coins, and the obligatory angel / fairy on the top.
There’s a nice joke about “how the fairy ended up on the top of the Christmas tree”.
“Santa was very upset. It was Christmas Eve and NOTHING was going right!
Mrs. Claus had burned all the mince pies. The elves were complaining about not getting paid overtime. The reindeer had been drinking sherry all afternoon and were dead drunk. And to make matters worse, they had taken the sleigh out for a spin earlier in the day and crashed it into a tree.
Santa was furious. "I can't believe it! I've got to deliver millions of presents all over the world in just a few hours and all of my reindeer are drunk, the elves are on strike and I don't even have a Christmas tree!" He continued, "I sent that stupid little Christmas fairy out hours ago to find a tree and she isn't back yet! What am I going to do?"
Just then, the Christmas fairy opened the front door and stepped in from the snowy night, dragging a Christmas tree behind her. She said, "Yo, fat man! Where do you want me to stick the tree this year?"
And thus the tradition of fairies on top of the Christmas tree got its start.
Fa la la la la, la la, la la.”
AND…WHAT ELSE?
MY PERSONAL WISH LIST
Mmm, I like Xmas so much. It’s one of my favorite holidays of the year. Christmas enchantment is in all the invisible things that we often do in this day. Christmas is in the pudding, the tree, the bells, Rudolf and Christmas cards! But the most beautiful thing of all is the red heart full of peace and joy whom Christmas makes us grow inside. Christmas is as magic as the love himself! But lately a lot of hypocritical people used it to their own purposes such as presents, money and other material benefits. Is it right? Nope! The magic of Christmas is losing itself! So.. this is my personal wish-list for this season. Some of these are material things, others are not. Some are realistic, others (at least from my point of view) may not be quite as realistic. But nothing is really impossible. Hope you like reading them as much as I loved writing my wish list!
In fact, this is the message of Christmas: We are never alone. (Taylor Caldwell)
- A keyboard: I’d like to play the piano everytime I wish.
- A photocamera: I love taking pictures!
- Peace and no war in all the world : Each Christmas I hope for this, but it never happens.
- No more poverty in other countries such as Bangladesh, Zimbawe, etc.
In the end…
- Love, Peace and Joy came down on earth on Christmas day to make you happy and cheerful. May Christmas spread cheer in your lives!
- May your world be filled with warmth and good cheer this Holy season, and throughout the year! Wish your Christmas be filled with peace and love. Merry Xmas.
- May the good times and treasures of the present become the golden memories of tomorrow. Wish you lots of love, joy and happiness!
- May the Christmas makes you more aware of all the little happy things of every single day.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!
Luigi Vecchio IIIA