Faith Family Friends

Celebrating the Joy of Living & Home Making ~

Baking, Cooking, Decorating, Tea Time, and taking Inspiration from those I love and the world around me...

A sharing of my heart and my home from a Christian perspective

...with a wee bit of whimsy added.

Tuesday 18 December 2018

The ABC's of Christmas ~ X

What is the Christmas spirit? It is the spirit which brings a smile to the lips and tenderness to the heart; It is the spirit which warms one into friendship with all the world, which impels one to hold out the hand of fellowship to every man and woman. ~ Anonymous


Welcome to the next letter in the ABC's of Christmas! 
Internet

Today's letter is X.


is for...
Xmas, Xylophone, and Angels We Have Heard on High.

The term "Xmas" is a bone of contention for many since it seems an informal and crass abbreviation of what is a very traditional and celebrated event. 

The X stems from the Greek word for Christ, so the abbreviation is accurate, however it is a term that is discouraged since it seems to gloss over the importance of Jesus. While the term was used on occasion by the likes of Lord Byron, Samuel Coleridge and Lewis Carroll, in secular society it is also considered rather abhorrent by many, including myself.

I feel it is of the utmost importance to write Merry Christmas on your Christmas cards and not Xmas.

Please, let's keep Christ in CHRISTmas. He is the Reason for the season and without His coming that first time, there would be no Christmas.

I wish you all a Very Merry CHRISTmas!


A vintage xylophone by Fisher Price, courtesy of the Internet

Xylophone ~ The xylophone is an instrument belonging to the family of the percussion musical instruments. It's bars are made of wood. There is a similar instrument also in the percussion instruments called the glockenspiel. It's bars however,  are made of steel. 

My youngest son got a xylophone for Christmas when he was a little fellow. He always had an ear for music as did all my guys. 
He played percussion in the school band but he always preferred instruments like these rather than the drum kit. I remember at one Christmas band concert, he had to run from one instrument to another while performing. Percussionists play many instruments in the course of their music and I am always amazed at how all those instruments together can make such beautiful music. My son also loved to play the keyboards. 

I think most little ones probably had a glockenspiel or a xylophone at one time or another. 


Angels We Have Heard on High is inspired by the French carol known as Les Anges dans nos campagnes composed by Francois- Augiste Gevaert in France. The French song has received many adjustments including Angels We Have Heard on High written in 1862 by James Chadwick, the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, northeast England.

I chose this particular song for today's letter X because the chorus goes, "Gloria, in ex-cel-sis Deo!

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain:
Gloria, in ex-cel-sis Deo!
Gloria, in ex-cel-sis Deo!

Thank you for visiting today and I invite you to join me again tomorrow for the letter Y.


Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

9 comments :

  1. I often wondered where Xmas came from. Now I know. Thanks. I'm enjoying your blog ABC's. Take care and Merry Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm like you, Sandi, and don't like writing Xmas. My little Cissy gets so irritated with friends who say or write it out. She's a dear little soul.
    I hope you'll have a very Merry Christmas with your wonderful family. Love and hugs are sent to you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is a lovely series and something to educate us too! Thank you for doing just that!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Sandi and a vert Merry Chtistmas to you and your family, filled with the joy of our Lord and His love and guidance for the coming year. With everything, I have missed most of your days of Christmas... but catching up!
    Ruth

    ReplyDelete
  5. Merry Christmas to you and your family ,Sandi, and thank you again for this lovely series.
    From previous posts, just a few sweet
    memories...My Dad always read "Night before Christmas" when we went to bed on Christmas Eve. With my sister, I've seen "The Nutcracker" a few times and on my tree are 4 precious Nutcracker glass ornaments she gave me. Hanging on my door are 2 silver bells, and watching "White Christmas" is a tradition from way back. As a child, making wish lists was so exciting! (And probably using the Sears Wishbook catalog!)


    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you Sandi for this lovely ABC Christmas tour , I've appreciated it so much!!! JOYEUX NOËL !!!!!!!

    ★ ˛
    ★ *. •
    ★ *. •
    ° * * ★
    **.*
    *
    *

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear Sandi---the Xylophone reminded me of my short-lived stint in percussion in college. I needed a credit and the band leader needed someone who could read music. His entire percussion section played by ear....and I was a classical violinist. I know what you mean about running from one thing to another---and three guys(drummers)...having to be cued. It was great fun---but I opted for pit orchestra after a stint with the drummers.
    Have a Merry Christmas to you and your family!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Angels We Have Heard on High is one of my favourite Christmas carols!

    ReplyDelete

I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY!

Also, due to the amount of spam I've been getting, I have had to set Comment Moderation. ~ Sandi

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.