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Merry Christmas!!! — 29 Comments

  6. This carol is particularly appropriate in our current state of political polarization. The words were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas Day in 1863, about halfway through the Civil War. Longfellow had lost his much-loved wife in 1861; then his oldest son joined the Union Army in the spring of 1863 against Longfellow’s wishes.

    The original version of Longfellow’s carol contains two stanzas that refer directly to the Civil War and are not usually included in recorded versions:

    Then from each black, accursed mouth
    The cannon thundered in the South,
    And with the sound
    The carols drowned
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    It was as if an earthquake rent
    The hearth-stones of a continent,
    And made forlorn
    The households born
    Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

    These stanzas are followed by the stanza beginning, “And in despair I bowed my head . . . ”

    Neo has chosen a beautiful version of this carol for today’s open thread. Warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas to her and to all who visit her blog.

  7. Merry Christmas. We drove 500 miles to spend it, mask free, with our children and grand children in California. Wishing all a happier New Year.

  9. Thank you, Neo, for the Christmas greeting, the musical interlude, and your blog all year long. My best to you and yours.

  11. Thank you Neo for all you do for us…. Merry Christmas and hope for a wonderful New Year.

  12. Thanks Neo,
    Love your writings. I have read you almost everyday since back in 2007.
    It may help in these times we are living in to remember that the Angelic * phrase, “…and on earth peace, good will toward men. ” ( Luke 2:14 KJV) is from a time when the Jewish Nation was under the yoke of the Roman Empire . As the late Rush would point out, a big government regulation compelled Mary and Joseph to travel on a journey – they were not homeless . ( All this , we Christians believe , was ultimately Divine Providence to fulfill Micah 5:2 “ But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.” KJV)
    “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John14:27 KJV
    * There seems to be a subtle difference in the extent of the “ peace”, or to whom it is directed , in the angelic phrase in at least some newer translations than in the KJV in Luke 2:14 .

  13. Blessed Christmas Neo & all…just keep hanging on to the promise..
    “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
    The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
    With peace on Earth, good will to men”

    “Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
    He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
    establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever.”

  14. Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year to everyone.

    I raise my glass of champagne to y’all as I start prepping dinner for today – lamb with roasted veggies and then an eggnog brioche bread pudding. The local Walmart Market carries a good selection of American lamb, so I have a small package of boneless leg of lamb. It’s enough for 2-3 meals.

    My sister is driving to her daughter’s house for a “drive-by” and a possible outdoor dinner. They aren’t afraid of C19, just the nasty stomach bug that has my grand nephew very sick to his stomach. The bug is going around his school and everyone at the house will probably get it later this week. I contribute to their college fund every year, but I also included some screeching flingshot monkeys. I’ll let you know if I am allowed to send presents next year or just stick with the college fund donations!

    https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09DZ1HK7G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  15. Liz…My favourite stocking stuffer EVAH!
    Screeching slingshot monkeys. I’m old enough to not be thinking about college funds except for my kids & they know they’ve got to pull their own weight. But those monkeys would be for ME!

  19. To all my cyber-friends who frequent neo’s blog . . .

    I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a rewarding New Year.

    [I have come to prefer “Happy Christmas” to the more familiar salutation.]

    Especially invaluable landlord neo, thanks so much for all you do for us.

    M J R

  21. Merry Christmas everyone. It’s bedtime here, but I did manage to see It’s a Wonderful Life, even if the day was pretty quiet and lonely. I would go crazy if it weren’t for Neo and her great commenters. Have a good dessert.

  23. expat,
    My mother and I watched “ It’s a Wonderful Life” Christmas Eve night. I think that was the first time in my 51 years I actually watched the majority of that movie. This time around it kept my interest.

  24. expat,
    As I was watching “It’s a Wonderful Life”, I recalled how our former pastor talked about how it was a tradition in his family to watch that movie each year, even though he knew the story had the concept of angels wrong. Typical of Hollywood, it portrays angels as former humans, even though Biblically, humans and angels have different origins. ( Different species) I think he enjoyed the message of the story while using the aspect of the angels as a teaching point with the kids about the Bible and angels.

  26. To Neo and all of y’all who visit here and sometimes post (or don’t): Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May this blog continue to be a blessing to everyone it touches. I feel very lucky to have found it some years back. Such sane, intelligent, often scholarly posts and comments; such good temper and civilized wit. I always learn something and come away happier than when I began.

    PS: PA+Cat: what an amazing back-story on Longfellow and the “missing verses.” It’s so easy to take the canon of Xmas carols as some kind of eternal fixture, their lyrics never altered, almost divinely generated: but they were written by human beings, at the top of their very considerable game, as a gift to us all.

    Kinda like this blog.

    All best, people.

  27. Merry Christmas plus one! Bonus almost holiday.

    Neo, I thought of you the second theses sisters began to sing together. A gift to you from Glenn Reynolds. He has a few more of them singing carols posted on his site from yesterday.

    https://youtu.be/aKEUlJRQVbA

  28. My family watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the first time. I realized I had never watched the whole thing from start to finish.

    I was quite struck by Mary played by Donna Reed. What an incredible, lovely woman! (btw, her frustrated suitor at the dance who is enlisted in opening the floor is played by the same actor who played Alfafa)

    You have to wonder in today’s world how many brides would take all the money for her honeymoon and give it up for her husband’s work? At her own initiative without being asked the moment she understands the situation. And unless I missed it, her quick thinking to solve the problem and her selfless sacrifice is not remarked upon afterward (although there is a mention by George of their not having had a honeymoon).

    When the movie reaches its climax, while George contemplates suicide it is Mary who works tirelessly to spread the word, send the telegrams, rally the townspeople, save her husband from prison, rescue the building and loan, and the town. Love is about action. And her love for husband just shines with a blazing brilliance throughout the movie.

    I’m trying to think of another movie where a wife’s love and devotion is played so well and features so heroically. Any suggestions?

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