Day 10 of Nightlight Readings: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer's, A Little History.

 

Recently an aunt of mine sent out a forwarded email, which I am sure some people have seen, but it was the first time I read it. I knew part of the story of how "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" came to be, as you can look at last year's post on Day 10, but this story gives us a little more perspective on how one man who felt like a "Rudolph" was given a second chance. Here is the story:

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.

His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.

Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. From childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did complete college, married his loving wife and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook! Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling. Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print,_ Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores. By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either.

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.  "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas."

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing.    

Day 3 of Nightlight Readings: The Holly and the Ivy

 

Holly was seen as sacred to the European druids and the Romans considered it the plant of Saturn. As the Christian faith began to spread throughout Europe, holly quickly became a symbol of Christmas. Henry VIII, a known writer of songs (see Greensleeves), wrote a love song featuring the plant.

The carol "The Holly and the Ivy" may possibly be older than an early 18th century mention of it in a broadside. However, there are manuscripts explaining ancient English villages holding singing contests during the winter solstice, where the men sang about holly (seen as masculine) and the women sang about ivy (seen as feminine). Of course the only resolution to this contest was underneath the mistletoe. These three plants are prominent in England during the winter.

Day 2 of Nightlight Readings: A Letter from Santa Claus

Samuel Clemens, known for his pen name Mark Twain, wrote a letter to his daughter, Susie Clemens. Susie lived a short life of 23 years. She was a sickly girl and during one of her bouts of sickness, her father wrote a letter from Santa Claus.

Palace of St. Nicholas

In the Moon

Christmas Morning

MY DEAR SUSIE CLEMENS:

I have received and read all the letters which you and your little sister have written me by the hand of your mother and your nurses; I have also read those which you little people have written me with your own hands--for although you did not use any characters that are in grown peoples' alphabet, you used the characters that all children in all lands on earth and in the twinkling stars use; and as all my subjects in the moon are children and use no character but that, you will easily understand that I can read your and your baby sister's jagged and fantastic marks without any trouble at all. But I had trouble with those letters which you dictated through your mother and the nurses, for I am a foreigner and cannot read English writing well. You will find that I made no mistakes about the things which you and the baby ordered in your own letters--I went down your chimney at midnight when you were asleep and delivered them all myself--and kissed both of you, too, because you are good children, well trained, nice mannered, and about the most obedient little people I ever saw. But in the letter which you dictated there were some words which I could not make out for certain, and one or two small orders which I could not fill because we ran out of stock. Our last lot of kitchen furniture for dolls has just gone to a very poor little child in the North Star away up, in the cold country above the Big Dipper. Your mama can show you that star and you will say: "Little Snow Flake," (for that is the child's name) "I'm glad you got that furniture, for you need it more than I." That is, you must write that, with your own hand, and Snow Flake will write you an answer. If you only spoke it she wouldn't hear you. Make your letter light and thin, for the distance is great and the postage very heavy.

There was a word or two in your mama's letter which I couldn't be certain of. I took it to be "a trunk full of doll's clothes." Is that it? I will call at your kitchen door about nine o'clock this morning to inquire. But I must not see anybody and I must not speak to anybody but you. When the kitchen doorbell rings, George must be blindfolded and sent to open the door. Then he must go back to the dining room or the china closet and take the cook with him. You must tell George he must walk on tiptoe and not speak--otherwise he will die someday. Then you must go up to the nursery and stand on a chair or the nurse's bed and put your car to the speaking tube that leads down to the kitchen and when I whistle through it you must speak in the tube and say, "Welcome, Santa Claus!" Then I will ask whether it was a trunk you ordered or not. If you say it was, I shall ask you what color you want the trunk to be. Your mama will help you to name a nice color and then you must tell me every single thing in detail which you want the trunk to contain. Then when I say "Good-by and a merry Christmas to my little Susie Clemens," you must say "Good-by, good old Santa Claus, I thank you very much and please tell that little Snow Flake I will look at her star tonight and she must look down here--I will be right in the west bay window; and every fine night I will look at her star and say, 'I know somebody up there and like her, too.' " Then you must go down into the library and make George close all the doors that open into the main hall, and everybody must keep still for a little while. I will go to the moon and get those things and in a few minutes I will come down the chimney that belongs to the fireplace that is in the hall--if it is a trunk you want--because I couldn't get such a thing as a trunk down the nursery chimney, you know.

People may talk if they want, until they hear my footsteps in the hall. Then you tell them to keep quiet a little while till I go back up the chimney. Maybe you will not hear my footsteps at all--so you may go now and then and peep through the dining-room doors, and by and by you will see that thing which you want, right under the piano in the drawing room-for I shall put it there. If I should leave any snow in the hall, you must tell George to sweep it into the fireplace, for I haven't time to do such things. George must not use a broom, but a rag--else he will die someday. You must watch George and not let him run into danger. If my boot should leave a stain on the marble, George must not holystone it away. Leave it there always in memory of my visit; and whenever you look at it or show it to anybody you must let it remind you to be a good little girl. Whenever you are naughty and somebody points to that mark which your good old Santa Claus's boot made on the marble, what will you say, little sweetheart?

Good-by for a few minutes, till I come down to the world and ring the kitchen doorbell.

Your loving SANTA CLAUS
Whom people sometimes call "The Man in the Moon"

Clemens as St. Nick

Day 25 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Luke Ch. 2

Through all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we often forget the true reason for the Christmas season: the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The most well known telling of the nativity is Luke 2, with the announcement of the census issued by Caesar Augustus in 8 BC, so all the land of the Roman Empire could be taxed. Joseph and his new pregnant wife, then had to travel to the place of his birth, Bethlehem, to be counted in the census. Since everyone was on the road, traveling back to the place of their birth, there was no room for Joseph and Mary in the local inns. The only place available to stay the night was a stable, more than likely a cleft in a rock which would have been made into a livestock shelter. It was there that Mary brought God's Son into the world.

Meanwhile, in a field outside of Bethlehem, shepherds were guarding their sheep at night. Then a blessed sight descended upon them and angels appeared announcing the Messiah's birth, saying "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." The shepherds then rushed to the stable to find the birth of Christ, praising God. From there they went around sharing with everyone the birth of the Messiah.

Day 24 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Coventry Mystery Plays

  

Most of us have heard "Coventry Carol" play on our Christmas Pandora Radio Station this year, but little known of the carol other than its a Christian noel.  The song was written to play in a collection of medieval plays in Coventry, England titled The Coventry Mystery Plays or Coventry Corpus Cristi Pageants (plays as such were performed to the common classes, as many could not read the Bible). Yes, they had Christmas pageants back in the 14th century. To this day, only two of the plays survived (historians predict there were dozens), one of which was called "The Shearmen and the Tailor's Pageant," a nativity play depicting the annunciation of Mary, the birth of Christ, and the massacre of the innocents (King Herod's orders to kill all male children under two years of age). In this very play the actors perform "Coventry Carol."

Day 23 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Polar Express

This evening my family, as well as our close family friends (practically family), are going to Hood River to ride The Polar Express. There is something so magical about this story—of a small boy doubting the truth about Santa Claus. On that magical Christmas Eve he is swept away by the Polar Express bound to the North Pole to visit Santa. At the North Pole one of the children are to be chosen to receive the first Christmas present and the small boy is chosen. But all he would like is a silver bell from Santa's sleigh. He puts it in his pocket, but as he returns home he finds that the bell slipped through a hole. Saddened he goes to bed to wake up Christmas morning. There is everything around the tree, but he is sad, until he finds a small gift from Santa with the bell inside. His parents cannot hear the sound of the bell, only he and his sister. For years he keeps the bell, but slowly each year fewer and fewer of his friends can hear the bells. Even his sister one year can no longer hear the bell. But even when he is old and gray the bell still rings for him.

Day 22 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: The Gift of the Magi

The Gift of the Magi, written by O. Henry (aka William Sydney Porter) in 1906, is a short story about a married couple who try to buy each other a Christmas gift with what little money they have. In an ending of situational irony, both have sold something of their own in order to purchase a gift for their spouse. Della, the wife, sells her long hair to buy a chain for her husband, Jim's gold watch. And Jim sells his gold watch to buy Della expensive combs for her hair. They both realize at the end that all that really matters is each others love.

The book ends with this:

The magi, as you know, were wise men – wonderfully wise men – who brought gifts to the new-born King of the Jews in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. In a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as donors they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the Magi.

Since the story's publication there have been many adaptations. One which is still popular is "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas."

Day 21 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Of the Father's Love Begotten

It is hard to say what the oldest Christmas carol is, but this one comes pretty close, as it was first written as a poem by the Roman poet Prudentius during the 4th century. It was then called Corde natus. Early Christmas hymns were written about the virgin birth, often chanted in mass (called plainchants—a melodic chant). Corde natus or "Of the Father's Love Begotten," was sung to the plainchant Divinium mysterium, in the earliest known manuscripts. The plainchant was not replaced by the poem in hymn until 1851.

I leave you tonight with this entertaining little bit from Darby above Notting Hill (say this in a British accent as you read it).

Day 20 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Madeline's Christmas

"In an old house in Paris, that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines... the smallest one was Madeline." Ludwig Bemelmans published six Madeline books during his lifetime, the last being Madeline's Christmas in 1956 (first published in McCall Magazine). I do not have a particular history to tell regarding this little book, just that it was one of my favorite Madeline books. In this particular story all the little girls are sick with a cold, except Madeline, and she has to take care of everyone—until she receives help from a magician. I know this story was enjoyed by my generation and my parents generation, and hopefully we can now share it with our future generations.

Day 19 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: "Santa Claus in Camp"

"Santa Claus in Camp"

As Clement Clark Moore lent tradition a vivid description of the 'jolly ol' elf,' Thomas Nast popularized the image of Santa Claus as we view him today: complete with red suit. His first published illustration of Santa Claus was in the January 1862 edition of Harper's Weekly. This issue included a full page spread of the sacrifices families were making the first Christmas of the American Civil War. (At this time the North was not fairing well in the war, as depicted in the smaller holly wreath below.) If you look close enough, there is a little Santa crawling into the chimney in the upper left corner.

"Christmas Eve"

Nast's inspiration in creating his vision of Santa Claus came from his German heritage, just as Moore was inspired. St. Nicholas, as the gift giver, was celebrated in Germany on December 6th. At was at this time, with the societal influence of Moore and Nast, that Santa Claus came to the United States as part of the secular and religious Christmas celebrations.

In most of Nast's Christmas illustrations he depicts Santa Claus, and as always the cartoons contain propaganda (if you didn't notice in the leading picture, Santa Claus is holding a puppet of Jefferson Davis). The following year, Nast drew the previous separated couple reunited.

"Christmas Eve, 1863"

By 1864, on the eve of Union victory, President Lincoln is shown absent of Santa Claus. In the illustration President Lincoln is shown ushering in soldiers into a banquet hall. The insets surrounding the large picture, show the Confederacy in acts of surrender and as the prodigal son returning home.

"The Union Christmas"

In the first Christmas illustration after the Civil War, a scene is drawn to illustrate the returning traditions of a "merry Christmas," now complete with the severed heads of former Confederate generals (at the bottom center of the picture).

"Merry Christmas to All"

"Santa Claus"

Day 18 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: The Greatest Gift

"The Greatest Gift" is a short story by Philip Van Doren Stern about a man, by the name of George Pratt, who stands upon a bridge on Christmas Eve ready to commit suicide. It is there he meets a shabbily dressed, yet astute gentleman, and tells him that he wishes that he was never born. The gentleman says that he has got his wish and to go door to door as a brush salesman selling brushes. Everyone he meets does not know him. At his wife's house her husband shoos him away and when he goes to his childhood home he finds that his younger brother died in a drowning accident. He soon realizes that everyone he meets has been changed in a negative way because he was never born, so he returns to the bridge to wish that he had been born and that none of this ever happened. When he returns home to find his wife waiting for him, he embraces her and tells her that he is so happy that he never lost her. As he hugs her, he knocks a brush off the couch and realizes that the brush was one that he had given her earlier.

Sound familiar? Stern wrote the little story after a dream in the 1930s, but only printed 20 copies by 1943, passing out the copies to friends on Christmas. His story soon got out and RKO Productions' director showed it to Cary Grant who was interested in taking the lead and making it into a film. In 1945 Frank Capra bought the rights and adapted it into the movie we all know and love today "It's a Wonderful Life." Of course it was George Bailey in the movie instead of George Pratt, played by none other than Jimmy Stewart. And the man who visited him at the bridge was Clarence the angel who was trying to 'earn' his wings.

Day 17 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Silent Night

Silent Night tells the story of the Christmas Truce in 1914 during WWI. There is some variation on the story, but this book tells the true story behind the truce. The spontaneous truce which occurred in the trenches during Christmas, caused a moment of peace between the Germans, Scottish, and French soldiers. That very night they set aside their weapons and instead spent the evening exchanging goods, sharing food and drinks, and even sharing a song or two, one being "Silent Night" (which everyone knew in their own language).

Originally in German, an Austrian priest, wrote the Christmas hymn nearly a hundred years prior to the evening in the trenches. There are several myths surrounding the creation of the carol, but one seems pretty repetitive that Franz Gruber, the composer, wrote the song with a guitar melody because the church organ was broken. Whether this is accurate or not, is debatable.

As I was researching the Christmas Truce this evening I thought, wouldn't it have been cool to have an actual recording of the three opposing sides singing "Silent Night." Of course this is not possible, because (not to my knowledge) film was not being recorded on war front until WWII—and it was limited to even then. Now a-days, we would have seen the video go viral on YouTube and all the media sites. If only...the best I can do is show a clip from a French film (thanks to the suggestion of a teacher friend of mine) "Joyeux Noel."

Day 16 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Miracle on 34th Street

Did you know that "Miracle on 34th Street" was also a novel? I just discovered this this evening as I watch the Christmas classic on AMC. I have not read the book, but the same gentleman who wrote the screenplay also wrote the novel, both released in 1947.

At first George Seaton was underwhelmed with the making of the movie and decided the only way for the movie to actually become a success was to release it in May, because most Americans watched movies during the summer. While promoting the movie they kept the Christmas setting a secret, as seen in the trailer, and kept Santa Claus in the background of the movie posters. Today is one of the most popular Christmas movies shown on TV during the holiday season.

Day 15 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: A Christmas Carol

Forgive me dear readers for not posting yesterday. I did not forget—Christmas shopping just takes a lot out of you. Since I neglected "Christmas Nightlight Readings" yesterday I will give you two today, starting with one of the most famous and adaptable Christmas stories from none other but Charles Dickens.

We have seen this story over and over again on film and stage, from "A Muppet Christmas Carol" (one of my favorites) to George C. Scott in "A Christmas Carol." I don't need to fill you in on the plot, because I don't know anyone who doesn't know the story. So as routine suggests, I will tell you the story behind the story.

As written in an earlier post, O Tannenbaum, the Victorian era reintroduced the tradition of the Christmas tree (via Queen Victoria and her German husband Prince Albert) to the world as well as many other traditions. The Victorian era was fraught with the coal smoke of the Industrial Revolution and capitalism was sweeping Christmas traditions under the rug. During the 1840s, when Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, Englishmen were trying to reinvigorate traditions. In many ways Dickens own childhood inspired the characters and the plot, for he experienced a humiliating childhood and had great sympathy for the poor (he grew up poor). Immediately upon publication the book was a hit in Great Britain, but it received less enthusiasm in America (this was soon after Dickens' tourist journal of America was published and there were some hard feelings).

By the end of the Civil War, nearly every other household in America owned or had read A Christmas Carol. The story helped Americans remember the spirit of kindness and generosity. This story has been such a great influence, several adaptations have been produced (with an influx of made-for-TV movies). There is even evidence in its inspiration in "It's a Wonderful Life," and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Day 14 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Greensleeves

Just as the tune of "O Tannenbaum" has been used in many songs, so has "Greensleeves." Originally believed to have been written by King Henry VIII for Anne Boleyn, as he was trying to woe her and was at first rejected, historians now say that the song is Elizabethan. They say thus, because the song is written in an Italian composition that did not migrate to England until after his death. We further know that the song was well known by Shakespeare's time, for he mentions the song in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

More popularly played during the Christmas season is "What Child is This?" in the "Greensleeves" tune, which was written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix, a surgeon and hymn writer. With the tune sped up is the older and traditional "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In" (which is one of my favorites by Nat King Cole), which can be traced back to 17th century Derbyshire.

"I Saw Three Ships," is about three ships sailing into Bethlehem carrying the magi after the birth of Christ on Christmas morning. We all know the song lyrics are not historically accurate as the magi more than likely arrived two years after Jesus' birth and the closest body of water is the Dead Sea, which is at least 20 miles away. It is possible that the song is inspired from an event that took place in the 12th century, when relics of the magi sailed into Cologne, Germany to the site of the Cologne Cathedral (which had been previously housed in Milan, Italy at the basilica—some of the relics have since returned to Milan).

Day 13 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

As it has been so cold outside these last few days, I am often reminded of one of my favorite Nutcracker suits, "Waltz of the Snowflakes." (Still waiting on our first winter snow.) The story was written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816. Most of us either see The Nutcracker ballet around the holiday season or are familiar with it. We all know the story of Marie who is gifted a Nutcracker doll by her godfather, a clockmaker. However, the nutcracker isn't just any doll, for as midnight falls the Nutcracker comes to life, fights the evil mouse king, and sweeps Marie off to a magical land of sugar plums and snowflakes.

The earliest version of the wooden doll nutcrackers can be traced to the woodcarving towns of 17th century Germany, next to wood toys. As Germans immigrated, so did these nutcrackers. They did not specifically become part of the Christmas holiday, although they were often given as gifts, but they did become a common winter commodity as nuts were often harvested after the first frost. I don't know about you, but nut varieties and nutcrackers seemed to be a Christmas staple in our house growing up—Santa always left nuts and handpicked nectarines in my stocking.

So as the night drops into the low 20s (unfortunately with no snow in sight), I leave you with this favorite Nutcracker performance:

Day 10 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

The year was 1939, the Great Depression continued, and the Montgomery Ward department store was feeling the economic stress. Every year at Christmas time, they had given coloring books out to children, but they decided that it would be cheaper and more efficient to make their own book. So they hired one of their copywriters, Robert L. May, to write a story that can be given to children as they visited Santa Claus. The story of the 9th reindeer, Rudolph, was born. This little retail gimmick turned into something bigger than they could have imagined. During the first year of publication, over two million copies were sold.

In 1947 a cartoon short based on the book was released, and ten years after the book was first published, a song written by May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks was sung by Gene Autry. The song became even more popular with the renditions of Bing Crosby and Burl Ives. The story has expanded to every generation with the Rankin/Bass stop motion movie made in 1964 (which is more based off of the Johnny Marks song than the actual book), which we all know and love (it will be on CBS tomorrow night at 8).

Day 9 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash

Every morning on Christmas Day, we wake up in our house to a brightly lit Christmas tree, Christmas music on the stereo, and "A Christmas Story" playing quietly on the television. TBS has begun a tradition in almost every household of 24 hours of "A Christmas Story." And every year we watch as Ralphie comes down the stairs dressed in a ridiculous pink bunny outfit, nearly "shoots his eye out," and the turkey gets eaten by the Bumpuse's hillbilly dogs. In our house we continuously quote the movie: "I can't put my arms down," "It says 'fra-gi-le. It must be French!" "Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf, I hate meatloaf," "You'll shoot your eye out, kid," "That's mine. OOo, that's mine! Ooo, a firetruck! That's mine."

We all know the movie, but we all know the book it is adapted from. Like most movies, there is some truth behind the fiction. Written by Jean Shepherd in 1966, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash, the short stories are set around the small Indian town during the Christmas season. Based on the true childhood of Shepherd, he too hoped for a Red Ryder BB Gun.

To tide us over until Christmas:

Day 8 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: Winston Churchill's Christmas Eve Speech, 1941

In honor of today, in remembrance of Pearl Harbor, I thought it suitable to post Winston Churchill's Christmas Eve message from 1941. Many books were written on the subject and I'll post them here, but I thought first I would talk about the message. Three days before Christmas Churchill showed up at the White House, deciding to spend his holiday in America on eve of WWII. During the presentation of the White House Christmas tree, both FDR and Churchill gave a message to honor the occasion prior to Churchill lighting the tree.

I spend this anniversary and festival far from my country, 

far from my family, and yet I cannot truthfully say that

 I feel far from home.  Whether it be the ties of blood 

on my mother's side, or the friendships I

have developed here over many years of active life, 

or the commanding sentiment of comradeship

 in the common cause of great peoples 

who speak the same language, who kneel at the 

same altars and, to a very large extent, pursue 

the same ideals; I cannot feel myself a stranger 

here in the center and at the summit of the United States. 

 I feel a sense of unity and fraternal association which, 

added to the kindliness of your welcome, convinces me 

that I have a right to sit at your fireside and

share your Christmas joys.



Fellow workers, fellow soldiers in the cause, 

this is a strange Christmas Eve.  Almost the 

whole world is locked in deadly struggle.  Armed 

with the most terrible weapons which science can 

devise, the nations advance upon each other. 

 Ill would it be for us this Christmastide if we were not 

sure that no greed for the lands or wealth of any other 

people, no vulgar ambitions, no morbid lust for material 

gain at the expense of others had led us to the field.  

Ill would it be for us if that were so.  Here, in

the midst of war, raging and roaring over all the lands and seas, 

sweeping nearer to our hearths and homes; here, amid 

all these tumults, we have tonight the peace of the spirit 

in each cottage home and in every generous

heart.  Therefore we may cast aside, for this night at least, 

the cares and dangers which beset us and make for the

 children an evening of happiness in a world of storm.  

Here then, for one night only, each home throughout the 

English-speaking world should be a brightly lighted 

island of happiness and peace.



Let the children have their night of fun and laughter, let the gifts of 

Father Christmas delight their play.  Let us grown-ups share to the full 

in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern tasks 

and the formidable years that lie before us, resolved that by

 our sacrifice and daring these same children shall not be 

robbed of their inheritance or denied their right to live in a 

free and decent world.



And so, in God's mercy, a happy Christmas to you all.

 To hear the whole broadcast, play this Youtube video:


Two books that have been published in the last couple of years are centered around that "infamous" Christmas Eve.

http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Streets-Shineth-Christmas-Story/dp/1606418319

http://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Harbor-Christmas-World-December/dp/0306820617

Day 7 of Christmas Nightlight Readings: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

A childhood classic, originally published in 1957, Dr. Seuss was at his genius again with How the Grinch Stole Christmas. As a child we do not realize it, but the story is about the commercialization and exploitation of Christmas. The story is about the Grinch who does everything in his power to stop Christmas, stealing presents, decorations, and even who-ham (in some ways the Grinch follows the tradition of Ebenezer Scrooge). He thinks that if he could steal everything then the citizens of Whoville will not have Christmas. However, this does not stop the holiday, for all the Whos come out Christmas morning to sing around their naked tree and celebrate togetherness and the spirit of Christmas. Realizing his big mistake, the Grinch sheds a tear and his heart grows ten sizes in result.

Not only is this one of my favorite children's Christmas books, it has to be one of my favorite animated films of the holidays, as well as a full length motion picture.