Always on Christmas night there was music. An uncle played the fiddle, a cousin sang "Cherry Ripe," and another uncle sang "Drake's Drum." It was very warm in the little house. Auntie Hannah, who had got on to the parsnip wine, sang a song about Bleeding Hearts and Death, and then another in which she said her heart was like a Bird's Nest; and then everybody laughed again; and then I went to bed. Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-colored snow, I could see the lights in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steady falling night. I turned the gas down, I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept........A Child's Christmas In Wales by Dylan Thomas .............and a Merry Christmas to you too.

"It was the policy of the good old gentlemen to make his children feel that home was the happiest place in the world; and I value this delicious home-feeling as one of the choicest gifts a parent can bestow." Washington Irving "Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart." Washington Irving "May you have the gladness of Christmas Which is Hope; The spirit of Christmas Which is Peace; The Heart of Christmas Which is Love." Ada V. Hendricks "At Christmas be merry, and thanke God of all: And feast thy pore neighbours, the great and the small." Thomas Tusser 1577 "How many observe Christ's birthday? How few, his precepts! O! "Tis easier to keep holidays than commandments." Ben FRanklin "Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love Divine; Love was born at Christmas; Star and angels gave the sign." Christina Rossetti 'Joy is the serious business of Heaven." C.S. Lewis "Heap on the wood!!! -- the wind is chill; But let it whistle as it will --- We'll keep our Christmas merry still!!!" Sir Walter Scott "Attacked by Christmas toys?? That's strange, that's the second toy complaint we've had" The Nightmare Before Christmas

I WOULDN'T HAVE BOTHERED IF I'D KNOWN IT WOULD TURN OUT TO BE YARD-LONG PROSE.......................................................................................... THE OXEN Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock, 'Now they are all on their knees,' An elder said as we sat in a flock By the embers in hearthside ease. We pictured the meek mild creatures where They dwelt in their strawy pen, Nor did it occur to one of us there To doubt they were kneeling then. So fair a fancy few would weave In these years! Yet, I feel, If someone said on Christmas Eve, 'Come; see the oxen kneel 'In the lonely barton by yonder coomb Our childhood used to know,' I should go with him in the gloom, Hoping it might be so. Thomas Hardy, 1915 This was first read to me by an Irish radio dramatist (for BBC radio) called Eric Ewens who is now dead. He knew Sam Beckett; he followed the poet WB Yeats through the streets of Dublin when he (Eric ) was a student there; he had digs near where Maude Gonne lived and saw her frequently. Apart from all that, what a wonderful poem! Don't we all hope that it might be so? And Merry Christmas to all my friends at RP: 'Nadolig Llawen', as we say in these parts. Dido. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE LAYOUT ON THIS FORUM? HOW CAN ANYBODY READ THIS WONDERFUL POEM WHEN IT APPEARS WITHOUT ANY LINE-BREAKS? WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO RP?

God bless us, every one--Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol; and A Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!--Clement Moore's The Night before Christmas. I mean both of them from my heart to all of you here at RP who make my reading life so much more interesting.

I found the poem below by Elizabeth Parkes, a writer of whom I had never heard. She seems to have been part of that noble band of worthy Victorian women bent on 'doing good' (perhaps an out-dated sentiment in today's world of me-me-me) Her grandfather had left England for Pennsylvania where he founded the Unitarian Church. EP went on to marry Louis Belloc and become the mother of Hillaire, of 'Cautionary Tales' fame. I think the 'link' should work properly.

Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas Comes But Once a Year

What a poem, Vee. I was in charge of our Angel Tree at church a couple of years, and it was an eye-opening experience for me. There are all kinds of requests. Some people are out to "work the system," while others are truly needy. I personally would rather buy for someone who doesn't really need it than take the chance that my "angels" were children who wouldn't otherwise have gifts.

Quite chilling and important to remember, always. I feel guilty by following it with this first verse from Eleanor Fargeon's "People Look East", which many of us sing in church during Advent (she also wrote "Morning Has Broken"):---------- People, look East!---- The time is near---- Of the crowning of the year.---- Make your house fair as you are able.---- Trim the hearth and set the table.---- People, look East and sing today.---- Christ, the Guest, is on the way!---- ****(I am so sorry. The site won't break it into lines. Thought that was fixed.)

Sorry--should be spelled Eleanor Farjeon

Peace on Earth, Good will to men.