...but I think every day should be Christmas.
I love the poem “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Christina Rossetti (1830 - 1894).
I love the tune called CRANHAM.
I love that CRANHAM was composed by Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934) during the time he lived in Cranham, a village in Gloucestershire, England, in a house now known as Midwinter.
I love that Rossetti’s poem has been set to Holst’s tune.
I love the sound made by the choir and congregation of Gloucester Cathedral (3:29).
I love that even though Israel is a land of warmth and palm trees and that the three wise men or magi or kings or whatever they were are always pictured as riding on camels across arid deserts, Christians in northern climes have managed to project their winter weather patterns into the Christmas story.
I love that Jesus was probably born in March or April, since spring -- the time lambs are usually born -- was the only time of year that shepherds stayed in the fields all night to assist the ewes rather than herding the flocks into the sheepfolds, and that early Christians chose to observe the birth of the Savior in December because they were less likely to be detected while the Roman Empire was celebrating Saturnalia.
If you love any of these things, even though it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet, click anywhere on this post.
That must be the longest link in history! Great carol though.
ReplyDeleteI hate Christmas. But I hate New Year's Eve and the first couple of weeks of January even more.
ReplyDeleteJust call me Scrooge.
Shooting Parrots, long links, warm heart. No, wait, that is cold hands.
ReplyDeleteCarolina, what do you hade about the first couple weeks of January? Is it failing to keep all those New Year's resolutions or something else? Inquiring minds want to know.
hate
ReplyDeleteI don't like all those people who want to kiss you (or me), which for some reason goes with wishing someone a happy new year. Three kisses. I don't mind kissing some people, but not
ReplyDeletee v e r y o n e. And I always have a melancholy feeling. Perhaps because another year has gone. I don't know, but I do know that I just don't feel good in the first half of January.
Hope your inquiring mind is satisfied? ;-)
This must be a blogging first! Where ever I click there's a link. I love "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" even though I am an ardent atheist. It's not too late for you to join us.
ReplyDeleteHalloween is my favorite holiday because it's less commercialized than some, and because I so love the season and the colors that are associated with it.
ReplyDeleteBut Yorkie, if I join you who will direct the children's handbell choir at the Methodist Church this Christmas?
ReplyDeleteSnow, I'm partial to Bastille Day myself.
"I'm partial to Bastille Day myself."
ReplyDeleteYou're just making fun of me for liking Halloween; I just know it. I'll have you know that it has often been proven in exhaustive and well-designed scientific tests that people who think Halloween is the best holiday of the year are pretty much at the top of the heap in every desirable characteristic imaginable. On the other hand, people (Americans anyway) who like Bastille Day have their own diagnosis in the American Psychological Association's Diagnostic and Standards Manual. It's called JPW Syndrome, which means Just Plain Weird.