H ~ The ABC's of Christmas
Welcome Christmas friends to the ABC's of Christmas. Today's letter is H...
is for...
The Holly and the Ivy, O Holy Night, Happy Holidays, and Home Alone.
The Holly and the Ivy, O Holy Night, Happy Holidays, and Home Alone.
As an evergreen plant that bears vibrant berries even in the dead of Winter, holly is a natural choice for decorative foliage for Christmas. Its symbolic importance stems back to Druid times who considered the holly to have magical properties.
internet
Holly is associated with males and as such is considered to bring men good luck, whereas ivy is the female counterpart, so be sure to decorate with both to have a fortuitous Christmas for the whole family.
Happy Holidays is a greeting used everywhere nowadays instead of Merry Christmas. It is thought that in using the term Happy Holidays, one would not offend others who don't celebrate the holiday, Christmas. Personally, I greet everyone with Merry Christmas. However, I do have an aunt and uncle who are Jewish and I always send them a Hanukkah card. My aunt always sends me a card wishing me a Merry Christmas. Our beliefs may differ just a little but we still love and respect one another.
courtesy of the internet
Home Alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film starring Maccaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, a boy who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to Paris for their Christmas vacation. The first time I saw the movie, I was somewhat shocked at the way he talked to his parents and adults in general. My children would never have talked to us that way! However, Kevin was a very precocious and resourceful young man who relished having the house to himself but soon had to contend with two burglars. Great comedy with good lessons learned.
O Holy Night is one of my favourite Christmas carols.
"O Holy Night" ("Cantique de Noël") is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau (1808–1877), a wine merchant and poet, who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem. A minister, John Sullivan Dwight,[2] editor of Dwight's Journal of Music, created a singing edition based on Cappeau's French text in 1855. In both the French original and in the two familiar English versions of the carol, the text reflects on the birth of Jesus and of mankind's redemption. {Internet}
O Holy Night
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
What is your favourite Christmas carol? Please join me tomorrow for the letter I.