MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU ~ READERS AND BLOG BUDDIES

The Nativity Between Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel by Duccio Di Buoninsegna

I remember Christmas when I was five. My mother was rushed off to give birth to one of my brothers and my two dueling Grandmothers took over and quibbled about how to cook the turkey and make the meal, all day. I think they ended up using a brown paper bag, but am not too sure. 

I remember my brothers and I all begging to be the one to put the Christ Child in his manger in the family creche after Midnight Mass; then we set down to Mom's home made tortiere, from an old family recipe. We are an old old French Canadien family and the traditions run deep.

I remember the time one brother snuck down in the wee hours and opened all the presents!

I remember Mom's amazing brandy laced Christmas cake just exploding with flavour, enough to get me, a teetotaler, tipsy. We did not make it this year because Mom was too unwell and the time just was not there. Next year will not catch me unawares however. 

I remember many times hitchhiking home for Christmas, waiting long hours  in the rain at the side of the road for a ride because people were hesitant to pick up a young woman and her big soggy Old English Sheepdog ~ but someone always ended up dropping Lucy and me off in front of our Victorian brick family home.  

I remember my two daughters waking up and coming to jump up on my large bed and spend hours opening up their stocking gifts. I was a stocking stuffing queen  who gathered up titbits from all over during the year. It did take that long because often the contents tumbled out into another sack on the floor beneath. Everything was quality changing over the years to age appropriateness. I believe that is the thing I miss most at times.

Those are the things I remember most, the visiting, the setting aside of differences, the family at Mass or setting down to a delicious meal. I don't remember the toys or the gifts much, although Aunt Dorothy sent me pajamas once too often; I remember the circumstances of Christmas in a large family. But then, things were not so commercialized back then and I have never been much of a consumer of material goods. I believe they call me a minimalist ~ or cheap! 

Over the decades, we have all managed to make it home to celebrate Christmas with our parents if at all possible. This year, Mother is 93 and we almost lost her several times since last Christmas. In fact, in the tougher times, I thought she would not be here and wondered how we would fare. But the miracle is, she is here; she is in great shape and ready to enjoy the Christmas season with four of her five children with their extended families,including her 4 new great grandchildren. 

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To me, this is the only gift I wanted and have been blessed to receive.

Each year Christmas as the world experiences it has been held in bleaker and bleaker times. Many traditions have been tossed aside as the "God is Dead" movement grew.  But the love of family and tradition is a timeless comfort for so many of us.  So is the time of sacredness to all of Christianity wherever we might be, whatever language we speak, whatever our cultural rituals. The things I write of are the things I remember most, the visiting, the setting aside of differences, the family at Mass or setting down to a delicious meal.

My gift to you all is an assortment of Christmas songs by an assortment of artists, many of which I recognize from my childhood, in Eastern Canada. The photographs are taken from Voices from Russia and depict Christmas being celebrated internationally. This is a time of year when Christians share love and peace with each other and the world and it was my hope to show just how widespread the religion is. 

It is interesting to note that the most contentious area of the world, possibly close to the site of Armageddon, is the one place where three divergent branches of religion have worked out a method to share their place of prayer. Yes, once again Palestine sets an example for the rest of us!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas spent in the company of your loved ones. The gift I send as a prayer for your good health and the strength to continue our struggle during the year to come.

The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestine, is shared between the Orthodox, Catholic, and Armenian Apostolic faiths. The Catholics celebrate Christmas on 25 December, and we Orthodox and Armenians celebrate it on 7 January.This is a place sacred to all real Christians; as for Sectarians, I frankly don’t care… they’re not of us, they never were, and they never shall be.

WHAT CHILD IS THIS BY MOODY BLUES (1967)

Christmas in Red Square, Russia

OH LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM BY MARIO LANZA

An edible Christmas tree made of Ferero Rochet candy in Covent Garden, London. The tree is composed of 10,000 chocolates, weighs 440 pounds and is 10 feet tall.

BLUE CHRISTMAS BY ELVIS PRESLEY AND MARTINA MCBRIDE

An American alligator in a California zoo. Yes, only in America!

ROCKIN AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE BY BRENDA LEE

A Indonesian Christian holds high a candle at a Christmas Mass.

THE FIRST NOEL BY CRASH TEST DUMMIES (1991)

Lighting candles in a Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria

O, COME ALL YE FAITHFUL BY CELTIC WOMAN

A girl in Bagdad decorates the family tree.

GOOD KING WENCESLAS ~ LOREENA MCKENNITT

Nigerian pilgrims pray at the grotto where the the Virgin Mary gave birth to Christ at the Cathedral of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestine.

O HOLY NIGHT BY JOSH GROBAN

Children in Sydney, Australia, admire a lit up home.

LITTLE DRUMMER BOY BY BING CROSBY AND DAVID BOWIE

Penguins in the Hannover Zoo, Germany, investigate their gifts.

CHRISTMAS MAKES ME CRY

The Salisbury Cathedral Children's Choir.

WINTER WONDERLAND BY RAY CONNIFF SINGERS(1959)

An old woman in Shanghai does her Rosary at Advent Mass.

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS BY ELLA FITZGERALD(1960)

Seoul volunteers wrap gifts for charity.

WHITE CHRISTMAS BY DEAN MARTIN

A volunteer Santa visits a sick child in a hospital in the Honduras.

LET IT SNOW! BY DEAN MARTIN

 

A young angel in Chile sings aloud.

 

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS BY ENYA

Catholics in Shanghai at a special Christmas service.

 JINGLE BELLS BY PERRY COMO

Santa with Indian children, distributing small gifts to all, no matter their religion.

THE BELLS OF CHRISTMAS BY LOREENA MCKENNITT

 

 A Catholic Cathedral in Berlin stuffed with worshipers.

 GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN AND SILENT NIGHT BY BARE NAKED LADIES

Gouda in the Netherlands ~ thousands gather to carol and light candles.

SILENT NIGHT BY SARAH MC LOUGHLIN

A sole lit up tree in Switzerland

SANTA BABY BY EARTHA KITT

The Accordion Santas of Seoul

I SAW MOMMY KISSING SANTA CLAUS BY THE JACKSON FIVE

Hebrew graffiti on altar and walls of a Christian cathedral in Jerusalem. Translated "Death to Christians”

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS (WAR IS OVER) BY JOHN LENNON