A Christmas Poem

A Christmas Alphabet

A is for Animals who shared the stable.
B is for the Babe with their manger for cradle.
C is for the Carols so blithe and so gay.
D for December, the twenty-fifth day.
E for the Eve when we're all so excited.
F for the Fun when the tree's at last lighted.
G is the Goose which you know is fat.
H for the Holly you stick in your hat.
I for the Ive that clings to the wall.
J is for Jesus, the cause of it all.
K for the Kindness begot by this feast.
L is the Light shining way in the east.
M for the Mistletoe, all green and white.
N for the Noels we sing Christmas night.
O for the Oxen, the first to adore Him.
P for the Presents Wise Men laid before Him.
Q for the Queerness that this should have been
     Near two thousand years before you were seen.
R for the Reindeer leaping the roofs.
S for the Stockings that Santa Claus stuffs.
T for the Toys, the Tinsel, the Tree.
U is for Us - the whole family.
V is for Visitors bringing us cheer.
W is Welcome to the happy New Year.
X Y Z bother me! All I can say,
     Is this the end of my Christmas lay.
     So now to you all, wherever you be,
     A merry, merry Christmas, and many may you see!

Author Unknown

From Christmas Poems, Stories and Carols
Random House Value Publishing Inc., 1995.

Christmas - The birth of Jesus or something else

Christmas is coming. Are you ready for it? Ready for the family dinners, the twinkling tree, and the exchanging of gifts? Or are the images you carry overcrowded stores, angry/rude people and Black Friday Madness?

Our culture has the made the holiday into the most popular toys, latest electronic gadgets and companies watching the ka-ching of their cash registers.

Churches have made it about pageants, musical choirs and nativity scenes complete with a huge star.

The solstice is celebrated by others with the drumming up of the sun. 

Question is, what is Christmas really about? Given the various examples it would depend on whom you asked.

Our modern Christmas trees come from German tradition.

The giving of gifts DID NOT originate with the gifts the magi gave to the Christ child. It comes from the presenting of gifts to a pagan god during the Solstice. It was adapted and changed by the Catholic church.

Fact. It is too cold in the middle east for sheep to be out grazing during December. It is more likely, or so it is speculated, that Jesus was born sometime in September.

The huge star was actually a series of planetary conjunctions noted by many cultures. The Jewish people did not watch the heavens and therefore didn't know what was going on. Another reason Herod had no idea what the magi were talking about. Not to mention Mary and Joseph were living in a house when the gifts were presented. Not the stable as is commonly shown.

The story of the birth of Jesus has had a great deal of mythology added to it. Not to mention at no point does Peter, Paul or any of the followers of Christ say we should make a holiday out of our savior's birth.

So what is Christmas really? Should it really be a celebrated holiday or is it simply a tradition that is a mix of many cultures with roots no one really wants to look at? And what will it morph into in the future?

Christmas Movie Review : The Christmas Angel

'The Christmas Angel' is a touching film about a little girl who makes friends with a mysterious lady, played by Della Reese, living in a rundown house next door. Without giving much away, she discovers the woman's many secrets and in the end, the two are bonded.

There is also a love story between her mother (Teri Polo) and a new doctor in town (Kevin Sorbo). The supporting cast is marvelous including one of Disney's former childhood actresses.

I rate this film at about a four. It's a great family film.

Christmas Movie Review : Under the Mistletoe

The final film in the Christmas movie review series is 'Under the Mistletoe'. Starring Michael Shanks (Stargate SG1) and Jamie Ray Newman (Drop Dead Diva) throws together an unlikely couple during a radio contest where the heroine must pick a winner on who she is going to date. Included is her eight year old son who instigated the whole stunt, his enjoyment of hockey, and the coach.

There is an unusual aspect to the movie which the blogger won't ruin.

Available from amazon and rated at about a Four.

Christmas Movie Review : The Muppet Christmas Carol

The first major feature film made after Jim Henson's death, this movie lives up to the legacy he left behind. It is full of wonderful musical numbers, good acting and a great re-telling of an old familiar story. Kermit is cast as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as his wife, and Robin as Tiny Tim. Michael Caine is Ebenizer Scrooge. The story teller is Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat. The scene with the Ghost of Christmas Future is so frightening, even the narrators duck out leaving the audience alone with the specter.

Most of the Muppet favorites appear in various roles. Definitely a family film and a soon to be classic.

Rated at four and half.

Christmas Movie Review : Miracle on 34th Street

'Miracle on 34th Street' has two verisons, one is in black and white with a remake in color. Both are good movies with the original classic being slightly better. Much of the story centers around whether or not Kris Kringle, who is hired to play Santa in Macys, is really who he says he is or crazy. Some of the action is the store, the heroine's apartment, and court room.

Is he really Santa? You the viewer decide.

Original is a Four. Remake about a Three.

Christmas Movie Review : The Santa Clause trilogy

'The Santa Clause' is a delightful twist on the Santa Claus mythos with a strong and touching story line, great supporting cast, and humor, despite the fart from the reindeer. The newly found father/son bond despite a falling out over the divorce of his parents, the great lines from the head elf, and the shrink who thinks the main character is crazy, makes this movie a must see.

A four and half.

'The Santa Clause 2' has some very silly moments beginning with the meeting of the Legendary Leaders at the North Pole and the silly full sized plastic Santa who nearly wrecks havoc on the holiday. What makes this movie is the courtship between Santa Scott and his son's principal. Not to mention the introduction of Lucy, the daughter of Scott's ex-wife and her new husband. Of, and let us not forget Chet, the reindeer in training.

A three and half.

'The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause' is probably the worst of the three. Focusing on Jack Frost wanting to be Santa and turn the holiday into a consumer nightmare. The hero of this film is Lucy.

A two. 

Christmas Movie Review : Homeless for the Holidays

This week begins the Christmas Movie Review series beginning with the blogger's newest film, 'Homeless for the Holidays'.

On the upside, this film reflects the current economic conditions and a family living 'the good life' who suddenly find themselves having to face financial ruin due to the husband's job loss. There are beautiful moments with the family reconnecting, learning what is really important, and giving to those less fortunate.

Although based on a true story, using a narrator is a bit tacky, and quite a bit of over acting to the point of silliness. Not to mention way too much goodie-goodie and not enough reality to match the circumstances.

Good for one watch only and on a scale of one to five, with one the lowest and five the highest, this film is about a two and half.

'Why Not Question' : Christmas - Myth and Truth

The blogger of 'Why Not Question' celebrates Christmas as a nice family holiday but has removed much of the religious significance it once held.

Why?

Because the blogger understands the truths about how the holiday truly came to pass and the traditions it has encompassed over the years.

Myth : Christ was born on Christmas day.
Truth : The shepherds were in the fields with the sheep. This only happens during lambing season. More than likely Jesus was born sometime in the fall. Estimations by Biblical experts places the birth sometime in September. December would be much too cold for the shepherds and the sheep. Sheep are very fragile and die easily from the elements.

Speculation : Christmas was invented by a certain religious group in order to entice the pagans into the church by embracing the Solstice.

Myth: There were only three wise men and they were present at Jesus' birth.
Truth: The Bible never gives a specific number. It simply says Magi and tells about the three gifts given. The Bible specifically says Mary and Joseph were in a house - NOT the stable. It also says that Harod killed all male children under two years old and indicates that a great deal of time had passed between the birth and Magi's arrival.

Myth: A huge star was present.
Truth: There were a series of astronomical conjunctions and that caused quite a stir in Rome. The Jewish people were the only ones who had no such knowledge, they didn't pay any attention to the stars,emphasized by Harod having to call the religious leaders to find out what the Magi were talking about.

There are quite a number of other myths and truths mixed in with Jesus' birth and Biblical scholars are researching to find out what really was going on historically. It doesn't detract from the savior's birth. Instead, it adds to the current Christian's understanding of what truly happened and brings the Word of God to life far more accurately - destroying the mythos that has sprung up over the centuries.

Christians should celebrate the truths coming to light because each new historical fact proves Jesus was born, is a real person, and not a myth.

'Why Not Question' : Movie - 'A Christmas Snow', a Christian paranormal. (Spoiler alert)

Kathleen is career driven woman who gets snowed in with the daughter of the man she's dating, Lucy, and an older man who rescued her from some hoodlums, who misses his bus to see his family, and she finally takes him home to stay with her. It is a delightful story about the heroine finding herself again through the two people she's snowed in with and forgiving herself for thinking she was responsible, as most children do, for her father leaving when she was young.

Sounds cliche' doesn't it? However, and the twists come with Lucy acting as a therapist to help Kathleen face her past, and discovering the rescued man, Sam, was actually her dead father.

Whoa! Wait a minute! Sam was dead?

Yep.

Hmmm. It is interesting to note that this film has been well received and widely watched world wide, yet no one seems to realize that 'A Christmas Snow' is actually a Christian paranormal. How? Sam was a ghost - a necessary element in the genre.

Yet, Christian publishers are shying away from the genre when it has already been shown how to successfully use a ghost in a story about forgiveness and moving on with one's life.

With the success of this film, the paranormal genre needs to be rethought, although not used as it is in the secular market. Or perhaps it should in order to open doors for witnessing to unbelievers.