.

I used to love singing this when I was a child
and I still do. . .
.
enjoy!

.

silent night

.

as sung by
Ms O'CONNOR

.

that was so beautiful,
I don't need to add
anything really
.
(but I have to!)
.
*whispers*
.
I was brought up listening to my mother's records of the Vienna Boys' Choir. . .
so "pop" versions of carols never quite do it for me
.
(however much I admire Aled)
.
here's a more traditional version

ho ho ho

I got this in an email,
I hope it works for you!
.
and in the meantime. . .
"have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

next year all our toubles will be out of sight. . ."

snow

for the uninitiated

and the snowman. . .

. . .the one and only snowman!

(made entirely out of this stuff )

RAYMOND BRIGGS

not as sung by ALED JONES

the holy and the ivy

a more beautiful version I haven't EVER heard. . .

a little history:
.

Holly (ilex aquifolium)
.

Holly (the word "holly" originates from the Old English word "hollin") has been used as a festive decoration since earliest times and is ritually symbolic for almost all pagan religions. Unlike most other plants and trees, the holly tree is at its most spectacular in mid-winter with brilliant red berries and glossy green leaves. It is hardly surprising that our pagan ancestors regarded it as magical.
.
Traditions surrounding the holly abound. It was said that a walking stick made from holly would protect the person who carries it from any wild animal. A holly tree on your property was believed to ward off witches and to be the place where faeries and elves lived. A syrup made from holly allegedly cures coughs. A sprig of holly on a bedpost assures one of pleasant dreams. Early Christians adopted the holly with enthusiasm and it became symbolic of the ‘crown of thorns’ worn by Jesus on his way to be crucified. A very early tradition suggests that the holly originally had yellow berries until they were stained red with Jesus’s blood.
.
Holly was traditionally seen as a ‘male’ plant – perhaps because it is so prickly! This tradition was not universally accepted. Because holly has both very prickly leaves and softer leaves it was believed by some people that both sexes were represented in the same plant and it all depended on which sort of leaves were used to decorate the house as to who was going to be in charge for the coming year.

Ivy (hedera helix)
.

The traditions associated with ivy date back into pre-history when it was seen as a ‘female’ plant. Bacchus, the Roman god of drinking, is always depicted with a wreath of ivy as it was said to ward off drunkenness. Not a particularly good omen for the festive season perhaps.
.
Ivy has a number of traditions associated with it including the ability to predict the future and cause domestic strife. It was said that people should drop an ivy leaf in a glass of water on New Year’s Eve and leave it until Twelfth Night. If it stays fresh and green then a good year will follow but look out if any black spots appear as these foretell bad luck.

Holly and Ivy

Since holly and ivy were believed to represent men and women, it was said that whichever was brought into the house first would dictate who rules the residence. . .

candy canes

it's beginning to look
a lot like Christmas!

"The history of candy canes goes back to the 17th century, when candy-makers across Europe were already producing hard sugar sticks, a popular treat at the time. Unlike their modern counterparts, however, these candy cane predecessors were completely straight and all-white in color. Then, in 1670, the choirmaster of Germany's Cologne Cathedral introduced a new twist to the sweet sugar sticks. He intended to hand the candy out to children to keep them quiet during the church's lengthy Christmas ceremony, and to commemorate the occasion he had the sticks bent at one end to resemble shepherds' crooks. Thus was born the familiar hook-shaped appearance of today's candy canes.
.
"Following the choirmaster's innovation, bent sugar stick treats became a popular holiday confection throughout Europe. The first documented reference of candy canes in the United States goes back to 1847, when a German-Swedish immigrant named August Imgard decorated his Christmas tree by hanging the treats from its branches. Friends and family members were delighted by Imgard's idea, and they rushed home to adorn their own Christmas evergreens with candy canes. This tradition quickly spread across the country, making candy canes a staple of Christmas celebrations in the United States. But these plain white canes still lacked the colorful designs seen in today's versions. No one is sure exactly when the customary red stripes were introduced, but it was somewhere around the turn of the century. Christmas cards produced before 1900 show plain white canes, while striped ones appear on many cards printed almost immediately thereafter. Additionally, the popular peppermint-flavored variation also emerged around the same time as the striped patterns."

doing my part

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
..
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
.

Enough for Him, Whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, Whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

CHRISTINA ROSSETTI 1872
.

as sung by Gloucester Cathedral Choir