Tag: Christmas Carols

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Christmas holiday

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

On this morning’s run, I felt compelled to take a picture of brightly decorated palm trees. Yes, my friends, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, even in Florida.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas with decorated palm trees

This morning, I also heard that Christmas albums are already hitting the charts in mid-November. This reminded me of a workplace debate we had on the first of November on when it was appropriate to start with Christmas music. It looks like the people have spoken, and that time is now.

I shouldn’t be surprised. Some years back, at the beginning of November, I heard Christmas music at a convenience store.

Cartoon of Scrooge and the ghost of Jacob Marley. Marley says, "You will be visited by three spirits: The Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Christmas present, and Ghost of Christmas Mall Music."

Why the rush? We love the memories and good feelings associated with the season. Besides, it’s getting darker, and we need more lights to help us see our way through the darkness.

So roll out the holly! And crank up the holiday music, everyone. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… in mid-November!

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Christianity Christmas holiday Religion Cartoons

Day After Christmas

What would the day after the first Christmas have looked like? How would the day after the shepherds have looked?

  • Would there have been some curious people strolling in because they heard the shepherds’ proclamation?
  • Could the innkeeper caved into the guilt and got the new family a room, or at least some comforts?
  • Did Joseph have to scramble to the busy marketplace to find some food for the starving, exhausted mother?
  • Did the barn animals behave themselves? Surely they couldn’t keep quiet as the baby laid in the manger!
Cartoon of a nativity scene with a cow and donkey. The cow says, “Nonesense, my dear Donkey! It wasn’t my lowing, but your braying that woke the poor baby!

I think back to the days after my children were born. We were grateful for the grandparents’ help. Our small group made sure we were well fed and cared for. At the same time, we were exhausted and equally thankful when we were home and the excitement had died down… then came the work of raising a brand new human!

How was it for the new parents? No grandparents were nearby. All the support was ninety miles away in Nazareth. Did they help from others that were brought together for the census?

Maybe it was a silent night, but the next day was probably a cacophony of noise, smells, and activity. It makes me that much more thankful that hope, light, and love had come.

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motivation

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter

It’s a cold, frosty morning as I write this. In the northern hemisphere, Winter officially arrives at 10:59 AM EST. It will be the shortest day of the year and I am looking forward to the sun making a valiant effort to beat back the darkness and cold for another six months.

As a child, I was intrigued by how winter came just four days before Christmas. It was as if the world acknowledged how dark and dismal things have gotten, but then reminded us that Christmas is coming. I’ve written a few thoughts on this time of year before. It’s a time that reminds me to persevere through the dark and cold times.

Winter Solstice Sunrise in Southwest Ohio
Winter Solstice Sunrise in Southwest Ohio, 2019

One Christmas carol we don’t hear much is, “In the Bleak Midwinter.” It’s a soft, contemplative song. I like how it makes me pause and think.

In the Bleak Midwinter: Susan Boyle

Winter causes us to pause and contemplate. In the colder regions, there isn’t much to do except stare outside and pine for warmer days. Winter reminds us that the world is a cold place. Christmas gives us hope that a little ember will grow into a fire.

This year feels like an even more bleak time. We thought we beat the coronavirus only to have the Omicron variant blaze onto the scene. The news is bleak and dark. However, Christmas is in four days. Summer is just 181 days away. Things will get better. Just hold on; brighter days are coming!

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cartoon

Away in a manger, and what’s all that noise?

Cartoon of a nativity scene with a cow and donkey. The cow says, “Nonesense, my dear Donkey! It wasn’t my lowing, but your braying that woke the poor baby!

Away in a Manger is one of my favorite Christmas carols, but it takes so many liberties with the Christmas story. Do stars really look? was there hay in the manger? and there are no details about the livestock in attendance. 

I think the cow has a point. If you ever heard a donkey bray, you know it would be hard to sleep through that. Then again, the lyrics flow as it is. Who wants to sing about a braying donkey? I’ll leave it as is.

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Christmas holiday

Why Does Shopping Mall Christmas Music Drive us Crazy?

Cartoon Template

Early last month, I was at a shopping mall. The streets were decorated for the season and Christmas music was blaring from  loudspeakers. You could see people grimacing and rolling their eyes as “All I Want for Christmas is You,” assaulted us.

I wondered if Ebenezer Scrooge would have changed his ways much sooner if the Ghost of Christmas Mall Music visited him first. Why do people react so negatively when they hear Christmas tunes at the mall?

  • We know the mall is in “The Christmas Spirit” not because of peace on Earth and goodwill toward men. It’s all about the money.
  • While holiday music is king, Christmas carols are gone at the mall. There’s no “Little Town of Bethlehem,” or “O Holy Night.” Now it’s all about Santa Claus and holiday flirting.
  • Original Christmas music is a no-no at the mall. They want the familiar, not the creative. You can have twenty versions of a song for nostalgia’s sake, but heaven forbid we’d get a truly new song. How many versions of “Santa Baby,” do we need, anyway?

I suppose it is asking too much to have the malls think beyond what they think is the right mood music for creating jolly spenders. You can’t expect much more than commercialization at a commercial place. Still, if they’re going to be so bad at setting the Christmas mood, don’t begin the sanitized, commercialized tripe in early November!

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