Dashing through the snow

On a one horse open sleigh

O’er the fields we go,

Laughing all the way

Bells on bobtail ring,

making spirits bright

What fun it is to laugh and sing

A sleighing song tonight

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

A day or two ago,

I thought I’d take a ride,

And soon Miss Fanny Bright

Was seated by my side;

The horse was lean and lank

Misfortune seemed his lot

We got into a drifted bank,

And then we got upsot.

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

Jingle all the way!

Oh, What fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

Jingle all the way!

Oh, What fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh.

Now the ground is white

Go it while you’re young

Take the girls tonight

And sing this sleighing song

Just get a bobtailed bay

two-forty as his speed

Hitch him to an open sleigh

And crack! you’ll take the lead

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

Jingle all the way!

Oh, What fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

Jingle all the way!

Oh, What fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh.

Interesting Jingle Bells facts:

“Jingle Bells” is one of the best-known and commonly sung American songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh” in the autumn of 1857. It was originally written to be sung by a Sunday School choir.

Although originally intended for the Thanksgiving season in autumn and having no connection to Christmas it became associated with Christmas music and the holiday season.

“Jingle Bells” was the first song broadcast from space, in a Christmas-themed prank by Gemini 6 astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra. While in space on December 16, 1965, they sent this report to Mission Control:

„Gemini VII, this is Gemini VI. We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, up in a polar orbit. He’s in a very low trajectory traveling from north to south and has a very high climbing ratio. It looks like it might even be a … Very low. Looks like he might be going to reenter soon. Stand by one … You might just let me try to pick up that thing. I see a command module and eight smaller modules in front. The pilot of the command module is wearing a red suit.” Ground controllers then began to hear the strains of none other than “Jingle Bells,” being played by the astronauts on a harmonica backed by miniature sleigh bells. Today, those bells and harmonica are on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Every December, an old battle known as “The Jingle Bell Wars” rages on. The folks of Medford, Massachusetts, claim their town is the real birthplace of the famous holiday tune, as Pierpont was still living there in 1850 when it was allegedly written at the local Simpson Tavern. This isn’t a battle the South is prepared to lose: Savannah’s tourism guide maintains “Jingle Bells” was penned in the very church it premiered. That doesn’t stop Medford from holding an annual Jingle Bell Festival or dubbing itself “The Jingle Bell City.”

“We take full ownership of it,” says Medford Mayor Stephanie M. Burke in 2016. “It’s got a long history, and we’re proud of it.”

Oh, come, all ye faithful

Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.

Fun fact: The composer of this song is a mystery… Do you know who it was?

1833: Silent Night

Silent Night, holy night

Silent Night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

‘Round yon virgin Mother and Child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Did you know: This was first performed on Christmas Eve at St. Nicholas Parish in the Austrian Empire. It was first performed on guitar. The song was re-written for guitar last minute when the church organ was damaged by floodwaters.

1847: O, holy night

Oh holy night

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth

Long lay the world in sin and error, pining

‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

On Christmas Eve in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian war, a French soldier sang this during an intense battle and caused a ceasefire. Fighting ceased for a day as both sides celebrated Christmas. It was the first song broadcast live on December 21, 1906, played on the violin.

1861: O come, O come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

1865: What child is this?

What child is this?

Who lay to rest

On Mary’s lap is sleeping

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet

While shepherds watch are keeping

So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh

Come peasant king to own him

The King of Kings salvation brings

Let loving hearts enthrone him

This, this is Christ the King

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing

Haste, haste to bring him laud

The Babe, the Son of Mary.

William Chatterton Dix wrote this while having a religious experience. This may sound familiar because it shares the same tune as the traditional English folk song “Greensleeves”.

1885: How great thou art

Then sings my soul, my Saviour GOD to Thee, How great Thou Art, how great Thou Art.

Then sings my soul, my Saviour GOD to Thee, How Great Thou Art, how great Thou Art!

This was voted the United Kingdom’s favourite hymn by BBC’s “Songs of Praise”.

1919: Carol of the bells

Hark how the bells

Sweet silver bells

All seem to say

Throw cares away

Christmas is here

Bringing good cheer

To young and old

Meek and the bold

Ding-dong, ding-dong

This was adapted from a 1916 Ukrainian folk song. The original composer intended the music to be sung a cappella. Who else heard this song first in “Home Alone”?

1941: Little Drummer Boy

Come they told me

Pa rum pum pum pum

A newborn king to see

Pa rum pum pum pum

Our finest gifts we bring

Pa rum pum pum pum

To lay before the king

Pa rum pum pum pum,

Rum pum pum pum,

Rum pum pum pum

1943: I’ll be home for Christmas

I’ll be home for Christmas

You can plan on me

Please have snow and mistletoe

And presents by the tree

Christmas Eve will find me

Where the love light gleams

I’ll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

I’ll be home for Christmas

You can plan on me

Please have some snow and mistletoe

And presents by the tree

Christmas Eve will find me

Where the love light gleams

I’ll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

I’ll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

This was originally written to honour soldiers overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time. Bing Crosby’s recording was one of the first songs broadcast to astronauts in December 1965.

It was recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family Singers who inspired “The Sound of Music”. This song was released more than 220 times in seven languages.

1945: The Christmas Song

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Jack Frost nipping at your nose

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir

And folks dressed up like Eskimos

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe

Help to make the season bright

Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow

Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

This song was written during a blistering hot day.

1971: Happy Xmas! (War is over.)

So this is Christmas

And what have you done

Another year over

A new one just begun.

The X represents the Greek letter chi, the initial letter in Greek for Jesus Christ.

1984: Mary did you know?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has come to make you new?

This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you.

The composer said “these are the questions I would have asked if I were to sit down and have coffee with Mary. “

1990: My grown-up Christmas list

Do you remember me?

I sat upon your knee

I wrote to you

With childhood fantasies

Well, I’m all grown up now

And still need help somehow

I’m not a child

But my heart still can dream

1995: All I want for Christmas is you

I don’t want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need

I don’t care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree

I just want you for my own

More than you could ever know

Make my wish come true

All I want for Christmas is you, yeah

I don’t want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need

And I don’t care about the presents

Underneath the Christmas tree

I don’t need to hang my stocking

There upon the fireplace

Santa Claus won’t make me happy

With a toy on Christmas Day

I just want you for my own

More than you could ever know

Make my wish come true

All I want for Christmas is you

You, baby

This is Mariah Carey’s biggest international success and is the 12^th best-selling single of all time.

2004: Believe

Believe in what your heart is saying

Hear the melody that’s playing

There’s no time to waste

There’s so much to celebrate

Believe in what you feel inside

And give your dreams the wings to fly

You have everything you need

If you just believe.

The composer of this song Alan Silvestri also wrote the music for Back to the Future and The Avengers movies. Over 50 songs are title ‘Believe’.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!

Which songs can you find these words in?

1. melody
2. triumphant
3. underneath
4. Virgin Mother
5. Son of God
6. walk on water
7. chestnut

Key

1. Believe
2. O, come all ye faithful
3. All I want for Christmas is you
4. Silent Night
5. O come, O come, Emmanuel
6. Mary, did you know?
7. The Christmas Song

Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen

But do you recall

The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

Had a very shiny nose

And if you ever saw it

You would even say it glows

All of the other reindeer

Used to laugh and call him names

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say

“Rudolph, with your nose so bright

Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Then how the reindeer loved him

As they shouted out with glee

“Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

You’ll go down in history“

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

Had a very shiny nose

And if you ever saw it

You would even say it glows

All of the other reindeer

Used to laugh and call him names

They never let poor Rudolph

Join in any reindeer games

Then one foggy Christmas Eve

Santa came to say

“Rudolph, with your nose so bright

Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Then how the reindeer loved him

As they shouted out with glee

“Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

You’ll go down in history”

An alternative version:

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

Had a very shiny nose- LIKE A LIGHTBULB

and if you ever saw it,

You would even say it glows- LIKE A LIGHTBULB

All of the other reindeer you to laugh and call him names- LIKE PINOCCHIO

Then one foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say- HO HO HO

“Rudolph with your nose so bright, why don’t you guide the sleigh tonight?”

Then all the reindeer loved him and they shouted out with glee- YIPPEE

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer you’ll go down in history……

Can you answer the questions?

1. What is so special about Rudolph?

2. Did the other reindeer love him?

3. Could he join in the reindeer games?

4. Who did he meet one foggy Christmas Eve?

5. What did Santa Claus ask him to do?

Key

1. His nose is red and glows.

2. No, they laughed at him and called him names.

3. No, they couldn’t.

4. He met Santa Claus.

5. Santa asked him to guide his sleigh.

‘Cause it is my favorite holiday

But all this year’s been a busy blur

Don’t think I have the energy

To add to my already mad rush

Just ’cause ’tis the season

The perfect gift for me would be

Completionsand connections left from last year

Ski shop encounter most interesting

Had his number but never the time

Most of ’81 passed along those lines

So deck those halls. Trim those trees

Raise up cups of Christmas cheer

I just need to catch my breath

Christmas by myself this year

Calendar picture, frozen landscape

Chillthis room for twenty-four days

Evergreens. Sparkling snow

Get this winter over with!

Flash backto spring time saw him again

Would have been good to go for lunch

Couldn’t agree when we were both free

We tried, we said we’d keep in touch

Didn’t of course ’till summertime

Out to the beach to his boat

Could I join him?

No. This time it was me

Sunburnin the third degree

Now the calendar’s just one page

Of course I am excited

Tonight’s the night I’ve set my mind

Not to do too much about it

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

But I think I’ll miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

But I think I’ll miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

But I think I’ll miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

But I think I’ll miss this one this year

Hardly dashing through the snow

‘Cause I bundled up too tight

Last minute have-to-dos

A few cards, a few calls

Because it’s RSVP

No, thanks. No party lights

It’s Christmas Eve, gonna relax

Turn downall of my invites

Last fall I had a night to myself

Same guy called, Halloween party

Waited all night for him to show

This time his car wouldn’t go

Forget it, it’s cold, it’s getting late

Trudge onhome to celebrate

In a quiet way unwind

Doing Christmas right this time

A&P has provided me

With the world’s smallest turkey

Already in the oven, nice and hot

Oh damn! Guess what I forgot

So on with the boots

Back out in the snow

To the only all night grocery

When what to my wondering eyes should appear

In the line is that guy I’ve been chasing all year

‘Spending this one alone, ‘ he said

‘Give me a break, this year’s been crazy’

I said ‘Me too, but why are you

You mean you forgot cranberries too?’

Then suddenly we laughed and laughed

Caught on to what was happening

That Christmas magic’s brought this tale

To a very happy ending

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas

Couldn’t miss this one this year.

Karácsonyi utalások vannak a szövegben. Tudod, hogy honnan valók?

1. Bah, humbug.

2. ‘Tis the season

3. So deck those halls.

4. Dashing through the snow.

Key

1. Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol

2. ‘Tis the season to be jolly – from the song, Deck the Halls.

3. From the song, Deck the Halls.

4. From the song, Jingle Bells

On a snowy winter’s night.

And it didn’t take me long to see

That something wasn’t right.

They called her Christmas Carol,

Said her mind was nearly gone,

But she could still light up the room

When she sang a Christmas song.

Seems no one knows the story

To explain her Christmas cheer.

Why, she keeps the decorations up

All through the year.

And though she long ago

Forgot the names of family and friends,

When it comes to singing Christmas songs,

She’s like a child again.

[CHORUS:]

Sing, oh sing, Christmas Carol,

Sing with all of your might!

Sing Joy to the World,

Sing O Holy Night!

You’re closer now to Jesus

Than you’ve ever been;

Sing, oh sing, Christmas Carol,

Sing your songs to Him.

I’d told my son about her,

So I thought I’d take him by.

And he was so amazed at all

The tinsel and the lights.

She laughed and told her stories

Of her Christmas memories,

But nothing told it better than

When she began to sing.

[CHORUS]

Last time that I saw her,

She didn’t recognize me.

Her hair was thin and she was frail,

And she couldn’t even speak.

But I could sit down next to her,

Sing her favorite Christmas songs,

And somehow, God only knows how,

She could still sing right along!

Can you answer the questions?

1. Why was the old lady called Christmas Carol?

2. What was the problem with the old lady?

3. What was her house like?

4. What did she forget long ago?

5. What didn’t she forget?

6. What could she still do even if she couldn’t speak?

Key

1. Because she knew a lot of Christmas songs and liked to sing them all year long.

2. She was old and frail and her mind was nearly gone.

3. It was Christmassy. She kept the Christmas decorations up all through the year.

4. The names of family and friends.

5. She didn’t forget her Christmas songs.

6. God only knows how but she could still sing Christmas songs.

Before the reign of Queen Victoria in 1837, Christmas was barely celebrated, and Christmas holidays did not exist.

But with advancements in technology, industry and infrastructure, the end of the 19th century saw Christmas turn into the biggest annual celebration, taking on the shape we recognise today.

The Idea Of Christmas

The Victorians completely transformed the idea of Christmas with family and charity at its heart. The celebration and preparation of the festival was a family occasion, and this was epitomised by Queen Victoria, her husband Albert, and their nine children.

The act of being charitable was important to middle-class Victorians. Charities provided Christmas dinners for the vulnerable in society, and newspapers printed Christmas appeals for donations.

In November 1843 Charles Dickens wrote the first of his Christmas books ‘A Christmas Carol’ highlighting social issues of poverty and neglect afflicting much of Victorian society — particularly the plight of children. This is shown in the scene where the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge the two children Ignorance and Want:

“From the foldings of its robe, it brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable. They knelt down at its feet, and clung upon the outside of its garment”

Servants in return for working on Christmas Day were traditionally given Boxing Day off (26 December) to visit their families. Their employers would give each servant a ‘Christmas box’, of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year, and sometimes leftover food to take home.

For many, the new railway networks made it possible for those who had originally left the countryside to seek work in the cities to return home for Christmas and spend their precious days off with loved ones.

But it would not be until the 1870s when paid holidays were established for the first time.

At the beginning of the Victorian era the exchanging of gifts had traditionally been held on New Year, but as the significance of Christmas grew this changed to Christmas Day.

 The Christmas Tree

First to introduce the Christmas tree to Britain was ‘good Queen Charlotte’ (Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,) the German wife of George III. She set up the first known English Christmas tree at Queen’s Lodge, Windsor, in December 1800 at a party she gave for children. At first the custom of the Christmas tree didn’t spread much outside the royal family, but the future Queen Victoria recalls as a child the sight of Christmas trees in Windsor Palace:

“After dinner… we then went into the drawing-room near the dining-room… There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees…”

The tradition of an indoor Christmas tree first originated in Germany and following Queen Victoria’s marriage to Albert in 1841, wealthy middle-class families adopted the fashion, popularising the German tradition and making it seem British.

In 1848 the Illustrated London News published a drawing of the royal family celebrating around their decorated Christmas tree at Windsor Castle. The report was quickly picked up by other papers describing the trees in Windsor Castle in detail and showing the main tree surrounded by the royal family on its cover. In less than ten years the custom of the Christmas tree was displayed in every prosperous home in the country.

Christmas Cards

In 1843 inventor Sir Henry Cole, the first director of the V&A Museum in London commissioned his friend artist John Callcott Horsley to design a seasonal greeting card as a solution to his pile of unanswered correspondence.

The illustration showed three generations of the Cole family raising a toast to the card’s recipient: on either side were scenes of charity, with food and clothing being given to the poor.

Cole then appointed a printer to transfer the design onto cards, printing a thousand copies that could be personalised with a hand-written greeting. He kept some for himself and sold the rest charging one shilling each, initially this was expensive, but with printing technology quickly became more advanced, the price of card production dropped significantly, and together with the introduction of the halfpenny postage rate the Christmas card industry took off.

By the 1880s the sending of cards had become hugely popular, creating a lucrative industry that produced 11.5 million cards in 1880 alone.

Christmas Crackers

It was after seeing bonbons and sugared almonds wrapped in twists of paper in Paris, that British confectioner Tom Smith created the Christmas Cracker.

Smith invented a banger mechanism, that ‘cracked’ when pulled releasing a mixture of sweets. He first named them ‘Cosaques‘ after the noise made when the Cossack soldiers cracked their whips, but as rival brands diluted the market the term ‘cracker’ evolved into the name used today.

By the late Victorian period, the sweets had been replaced with a small gift and paper hats, and have remained this way as a traditional part of our modern Christmas.

Tom Smith’s company still produces the highest quality Christmas crackers and holds royal warrants from both Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales.

Christmas Dinner

Turkey, plum pudding and mince-pies were all firm Victorian favourites and for those who could afford it roasted meat such as beef and goose had been the centrepiece of the British Christmas dinner.

Turkeys had first been brought to Europe by the Spanish in the 16th century, but before the introduction of steam power they were not considered a holiday staple due to the birds having to be herded for miles to market alive – making them a luxury commodity. But with the arrival of trains, the price of turkeys dropped, and their perfect size for a middle class family gathering meant that by the beginning of the 20th century the turkey soon became the traditional dish served at Christmas.

The Christmas Plum pudding came to encapsulate Christmas, evolving from the medieval ‘pottage’. The importance of the pudding grew throughout the 19th century with every Victorian expecting a pudding as the grand ‘finale’ to their festive meal.

Christmas Carols

Seasonal songs had been sung as early as the 13th century, but in Britain carols had faded away with the Puritan rejection of Christmas. While carols were not new to the Victorians, it was a tradition that they actively revived and popularised. Contrary to the Puritans, the carols when revived were more about feasting and celebration and less about religion.

The Victorians regarded carol singing as a delightful form of musical entertainment— a pleasure well worth cultivating. With a surge in published collections, old words were put to new tunes such as the book ‘A Good Christmas Box’ published in 1847, containing many carols that are still well-known today including: ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ and ‘Hark! The herald angels sing’.

Within a decade carol-singing had become widespread, and by the 1870s pianos were an affordable commodity making it an even more popular family pastime.

Father Christmas

In the 18th century Christmas customs had waned, and Father Christmas’s profile declined. But the Victorian period saw Christmas customs enjoying a significant revival.

Christmas or Old Christmas, started to be represented as a jolly-faced bearded man often surrounded by plentiful food and drink —as the emblem of ‘good cheer.’

He started to appear regularly in illustrated magazines of the 1840s dressed in a variety of costumes and usually with a crown of holly on his head.

The now-familiar rotund belly, red robes and black boots had arrived and ‘Old Father Christmas‘ was now associated with the giving of presents. The 1820s saw his sleigh and reindeer appear, and by 1870 he was wearing the customarily bishop’s red robes.

By the late 1880s Father Christmas, had become part of the home-based, domestic holiday, and a symbol of giving.

The day of celebration had also changed, from 5 December (St Nicholas’s day); to Christmas Eve.

Although it may seem on the surface that the Victorians were concentrated only with the ‘merriment’ of Christmas, there is a strong moral thread that holds all these traditions together; that Christmas is a time to be charitable and loving—to simply be kind to one other.

“Then Bob proposed ‘A Merry Christmas to us all, my dears. God bless us’ Which all his family re-echoed. ‘God bless us every one’ said Tiny Tim, the last of all.”

– Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.

source: tqemagazine

Watch the video and answer the questions.

1. What’s the main course this year?

2. Were the presents wrapped or unwrapped in Victorian times?

3. What do they sometimes use to wrap presents?

4. What do they decorate the live Christmas trees with?

5. What were the latest Christmas hits in Victorian times?

Key

1. boar’s head

2. They were unwrapped.

3. plain brown paper

4. candles

5. Silent Night, Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger

[Verse 1]

Silent night, holy night!

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

[Verse 2]

Silent night, holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ the Saviour is born

Christ the Saviour is born

[Verse 3]

Silent night, holy night!

Son of God, love’s pure light

Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.

“Silent Night” (“Stille Nacht” in its original German) is one of the most well-known traditional Christmas carols sung around the world.

The song was originally a poem written by pastor Joseph Franz Mohr and composed by his friend Franz Xaver Gruber in early 19th century Austria. Pastor Mohr desperately needed a carol for the Christmas Eve midnight mass that was only hours away, and he hoped Gruber – a school teacher as well as the church’s choir master and organist – could set his poem to music; he composed the melody in just a few hours on that Christmas Eve.

The Hungarian lyrics:

Csendes éj! Szentséges éj!

Mindenek nyugta mély;

Nincs más fenn, csak a szent szülepár,

Drága kisdedük álmainál,

Szent Fiú, aludjál, szent Fiú aludjál!

Csendes éj! Szentséges éj!

Angyalok hangja kél;

Halld a mennyei halleluját,

Szerte zengi e drága szavát,

Krisztus megszabadít, Krisztus megszabadít!

Csendes éj! Szentséges éj!

Szív örülj, higgy, remélj!

Isten Szent Fia hinti reád,

Ajka vigaszt adó mosolyát,

Krisztus megszületett, Krisztus megszületett!

Eight things you didn’t know about holly

1. Holly berries are an important food for birds, but you wouldn’t want to snack on them – the berries are toxic to humans, and can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Not such a merry Christmas, then.

2. Although it is closely associated with Christmas, holly was linked to winter traditions before Christianity: Druids considered it a sacred plant, and often wore holly crowns on their heads.

3. Henry VIII wrote a love song called “Green groweth the holly”, which talks of holly and ivy resisting winter blasts – “So I am and ever hath been unto my lady true”. We can’t help but think that Anne Boleyn might have disagreed.

4. In pagan times, holly was thought to be a male plant and ivy a female plant. “The Holly and the Ivy” is a traditional British Christmas carol which refers to these old fertility myths.

5. In Christian tradition, the berries are often said to represent the blood spilt by Christ, and the prickly leaves his crown of thorns.

6. It is considered unlucky to bring holly into the house before Christmas Eve.

7. In heraldry, holly is used to symbolize truth.

8. It used to be believed that a holly tree could not be struck by lightening – making them a safe place to shelter during a storm. But we wouldn’t suggest you tried it.

source: The Telegraph

True or false?

1. Holly berries are toxic to birds.

2. Holy berries represent the blood spilt by Jesus Christ.

3. Holly symbolizes hope in heraldry.

4. A holly tree is a safe shelter in a storm.

5. It’s lucky to bring holly into the house before Christmas Eve.

Key

1. false

2. true

3. false

4. false

5. false

“The Holly & The Ivy”

The holly and the ivy

When they are full grown,

Of all the trees in the wood

The holly bears the crown.

The rising of the sun

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly wears a blossom

As white as any flower,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

To be our Saviour.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a berry

As red as any blood,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

To do sinners good.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a prickle

As sharp as any thorn,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ

On Christmas Day in the morn.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a bark

As bitter as any gall,

And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,

To redeem us all.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly and the ivy,

When they are full grown,

Of all the trees in the wood,

The holly bears the crown.

The rising of the sun,

The running of the deer,

The playing of the organ,

Sweet singing in the choir.

On the first day of Christmas

my true love gave to me

a partridge in a pear tree

On the second day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree

On the fourth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

What’s a partridge?

And what’s a pear tree?

I don’t know so please don’t ask me

But I can bet those are terrible gifts to get.

On the sixth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

What’s a partridge?

And what’s a pear tree?

I don’t know so please don’t ask me

But I can bet those are terrible gifts to get.

On the tenth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Ten lords-a-leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords-a-leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

My true love gave to me,

Twelve drummers drumming,

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords-a-leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids-a-milking,

Seven swans-a-swimming,

Six geese-a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

12 Days of Christmas is a traditional Christmas song, but the meaning is symbolic and is not easy to understand. There are quite a lot of explanations for what the figures of the lyrics might mean. For example:

The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 Turtle Doves = the Old and New Testaments

3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues

4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists

5 Golden Rings = the first Five Books of the Old Testament which give the history of man’s fall from grace

6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation

7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes

9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

10 Lords A-leaping = the Ten Commandments

11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles

12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed

Can you collect the numerals from the lyrics? We give you the cardinal number and you should write the ordinal number next to it.

Key

“Here we go a-wassailing among the leaves so green!” If you’ve ever heard a caroler sing this phrase and thought, “What the heck is a wassail?”, you’re not alone!

From the carol, “Here We Come A-wassailing,” a wassail is “a toast made to wish good health.” And so, in this carol, they seem to be toasting good health quite a lot. More specifically though, this is an Old English toast, adopted from the Old Norse ves heill meaning “be healthy!”

Wenceslaus

“Good King Wenceslaus looked out on the feast of Stephen.” Good King WHO?

Wenceslaus the First was a duke of what is now the Czech Republic. Sainted and dubbed “king” shortly after his death in 935, he was known for his piety and generosity to the poor. The carol “Good King Wenceslaus” is traditionally sung on Saint Stephen’s Day (Dec. 26), which honors one of the earliest Catholic saints. The carol depicts a cold Saint Stephen’s night in which Wenceslaus journeys into the snow to help an old man.

Tidings

If you’ve ever been baffled by a caroler bringing you “tidings of comfort and joy,” (from the carol “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”) your confusion ends here.

Derived from the Old English tidan, meaning “to happen,” a tiding is “a new piece of information or an announcement of an event.” You can think of it as news rolling in on the tide. So, whether your carolers come in on a surfboard or a sleigh, the correct response to tidings is “thank you.”

Figgy pudding

Have carolers ever camped out on your porch demanding figgy pudding, making threats like “we won’t go until we get some!” Don’t be alarmed. You’re not caught in a protest; it’s just another old Christmas carol: “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.”

A distant cousin of the fruit cake, figgy pudding is “a traditional fig-based cake common in England in the 1600s.” The carol re-popularized the dessert in the 1900s, and now countless carolers ask for it every year. (However, there is little known about anyone actually receiving any.)

Holly

Holly is actually a tree with glossy green leaves, whitish flowers, and red berries. From American Holly to English Holly, the boughs or “branches” of this tree are a traditional Christmas decoration.

The word itself is a shortening of the Old English holegn, another name for the same evergreen plant, which has represented rebirth on the European continent for centuries. And now, the decoration and evergreen plant will live on through the lyrics of “Deck the Halls” forever.

Yuletide

“Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la la la la!” Confusing . . . . As is the case with tidings, the yuletide signifies the coming of the holiday season. Yule comes from the Old Norse word jol, relating to the pre-Christian winter feast. After the advent of Christianity, the term was adopted into Old English as a word to represent the Christmas season.

And, what about troll? Well, this type of troll is referring to the way a person walks, so in this case, this song is talking about strolling around singing a Christmas song.

Low

The traditional Christmas carol, “Away in the Manger” starts off pretty straightforward: “Away in a manger no crib for a bed, The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.”

But, as the song continues, there are some words leaving us to scratch our heads . . . like this line: “the cattle are lowing, the baby awakes.” What exactly does lowing mean here? Lowering their heads? Feeling “low?” Well, actually, this term simply means the same as mooing.

Noel

Sure, we all know the song, “The First Noel.” And, chances are most of us sing along to it every time it’s played. But, does anyone know what a noel actually is?

“The First Noel the angel did say / Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;

In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep / On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.”

Does that help at all? Yeah, we didn’t think so. Well, guess what? Noel is actually a very simple word meaning “the Christmas season” or simply “a Christmas carol.”

Bobtails

“Jingle Bells” is one of those happy-go-lucky holiday tunes that everyone knows and loves. And, who wouldn’t with these fun lyrics?

“Dashing through the snow / On a one horse open sleigh

O’er the fields we go / Laughing all the way.”

Nothing about these lyrics has us questioning what we’re singing. We totally get it’s about a sleigh ride in the snow, and we are laughing our butts off in the process. But, what about the next line: “Bells on bobtails ring”?

What now? Bobtail is defined as “an animal that has had its tail cropped.” So, it seems the song is referring to a “horse with bells on its harness.”

Parson Brown

Nothing defines Christmas quite like a fresh blanket of snow. And, the song, “Winter Wonderland” could prepare us for the blizzard of the century with its happy lyrics. Even those who aren’t snow lovers can appreciate how catchy this song is. However, there is a section that tends to trip up a lot of listeners:

“In the meadow we can build a snowman / Then pretend he is Parson Brown”

Who is Parson Brown, and why would anyone want to name a snowman after him? Well, it seems that there is no one famous by that name, but a parson is actually a minister that can perform marriage ceremonies.

Once bitten, twice shy

Although not as happy-go-lucky as other holiday songs, “Last Christmas” is a favorite. Who doesn’t like a sad, down-in-the-dumps love song now and then?

“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart / But the very next day you gave it away

This year, to save me from tears / I’ll give it to someone special.”

That’s right, try, try again! But, many want to know what Wham! is talking about with the lyric: “once bitten, twice shy.” Well, it’s an idiom that refers to getting hurt by someone and not wanting it to happen again. Better to be shy the second time around, for sure.

Heel

Who doesn’t love the Grinch during the holidays? He’s cranky, hairy, and green, but grows a heart so big it’s impossible to hate him. And the song, “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is a fun one to sing no matter how old you are:

“You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch / You really are a heel.”

But we have to ask, what is a heel exactly? This song can’t be talking about the part of a foot, right? Nope, this is an old phrase used to describe a “bad or selfish man.” And, we won’t even go into other lyrics from this song like “You’re a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce.” Yummy.

Gloria Hosanna in excelsis

If you’re staring at these few words completely mystified, you aren’t the only one. “Gloria Hosanna in excelsis” is from the traditional Christmas song, “Ding Dong Merrily On High,” and is pretty darn confusing:

“Ding dong merrily on high / In heav’n the bells are ringing:

Ding dong! verily the sky / Is riv’n with angel singing

Gloria Hosanna in excelsis! / Gloria Hosanna in excelsis!”

Actually, there are plenty of words that look a little strange, including riv’n. Well, after some research riv’n seems to mean “to split,” while the expression, Gloria Hosanna in excelsis, means “Glory! Hosanna in the highest,” with hosanna being “an expression of praise.”

Round yon virgin

“Silent Night” is a favorite to sing, and it’s easy to see why. The lyrics have a certain peacefulness that only this season can bring:

“Silent Night / Holy Night

All is calm / All is bright.”

But, then we slip into a few confusing words like, round yon virgin. Hmm. Well, let’s break it down. The word round seems to mean “to go around,” and the word yon is short for yonder. So (according to Slate), this phrase basically translates to, “Everything is calm and bright around that virgin mother over there and her child.”

source: dictionary.com

What strange word is missing from the carols? Do you remember?

1. “Here we go …… among the leaves so green!”

2. “Good King looked out on the feast of Stephen.”

3. “…… of comfort and joy”

4. “Troll the ancient …… carol, Fa la la la la la la la!”

5. “the cattle are ……, the baby awakes.”

6. “The First …… the angel did say / Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.”

7. “…… through the snow / On a one horse open sleigh.”

8. “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch / You really are a …… .”

9. “Ding dong! verily the sky / Is …… with angel singing.”

10. “Round ……Virgin, Mother, Mother and Child.”

Key

1. a-wassailing

2. Wenceslaus

3. tidings

4. Yuletide

5. lowing

6. Noel

7. Dashing

8. heel                                              

9. riv’n

10. yon

I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas

All I’m dreaming of the whole day long

Is a peaceful world

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year

To those of you who live in fear

And let us hope that very soon

The peace you seek will then resume

I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas

I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas

All I’m dreaming of the whole day long

Is a peaceful peaceful world

(I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas

I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas

All I’m dreaming of the whole day long

Is a peaceful world)

Merry Christmas,…

Can you fill in the gaps in the sentences with a word or expression from the lyrics of the song?

1. If you …… you long for peace.

2. Whatever you …… hope that you will find it.

3. Although I was working …… I couldn’t finish the project in time.

4. Let’s hope we are going to have a …… Christmas.

5. …… fame and wealth I just want to be happy.

Key

1. live in fear

2. seek

3. the whole day long

4. white/peaceful

5. I’m not dreaming of

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the treetops glisten and children listen

To hear sleigh bells in the snow

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,

Just like the ones I used to know

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,

With every Christmas card I write

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

And may all your Christmases be white (all your Christmases be white)

And may all your Christmases be white (all your Christmases be white)

And may all your Christmases be

(All your Christmases be white)

(All your Christmases be white)

“White Christmas” is a 1942 Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the world’s best-selling single with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide. Other versions of the song, along with Crosby’s, have sold over 50 million copies.

Accounts vary as to when and where Berlin wrote the song. One story is that he wrote it in 1940, in La Quinta, California, while staying at the La Quinta Hotel. He often stayed up all night writing—he told his secretary, “Grab your pen and take down this song. I just wrote the best song I’ve ever written—heck, I just wrote the best song that anybody’s ever written!”

The first public performance of the song was by Bing Crosby, on his NBC radio show The Kraft Music Hall on Christmas Day, 1941. At first, Crosby did not see anything special about the song. He just said “I don’t think we have any problems with that one, Irving.”

The song initially performed poorly and was overshadowed by Holiday Inn’s first hit song: “Be Careful, It’s My Heart. By the end of October 1942, “White Christmas” topped the Your Hit Parade chart. It remained in that position until well into the new year. It has often been noted that the mix of melancholy—”just like the ones I used to know”—with comforting images of home—”where the treetops glisten”—resonated especially strongly with listeners during World War II.

Although Crosby dismissed his role in the song’s success, saying later that “a jackdaw with a cleft palate could have sung it successfully,” he was associated with it for the rest of his career.

What rhymes with what? Fill in the rhymes.

1. know – ……

2. glisten – ……

3. white – ……

Key

1. know – snow

2. glisten – listen

3. white – bright – write