Christmas is our most important holiday, and its literature is correspondingly rich for children of all ages, in school and at home, the best lyrics, carols, essays, plays and stories of Christmas, its heritage and holiday travels.
Hushed are the pigeons cooing low
On dusty rafters of the loft;
And mild-eyed oxen, breathing soft,
Sleep on the fragrant hay below.
Dim shadows in the corner hide;
The glimmering lantern’s rays are shed
Where one young lamb just lifts his head,
Then huddles ‘gainst his mother’s side.
Strange silence tingles in the air;
Through the half-open door a bar
Of light from one low-hanging star
Touches a baby’s radiant hair.
No sound: the mother, kneeling, lays
Her cheek against the little face.
Oh human love! Oh heavenly grace
‘Tis yet in silence that she prays!
Ages of silence end to-night;
Then to the long-expectant earth
Glad angels come to greet
His birth In burst of music, love, and light!
God rest ye, merry gentlemen; let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas-day.
The dawn rose red o’er Bethlehem, the stars shone through the gray,
When Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas-day.
God rest ye, little children; let nothing you affright,
For Jesus Christ, your Savior, was born this happy night;
Along the hills of Galilee the white flocks sleeping lay,
When Christ, the child of Nazareth, was born on Christmas-day.
God rest ye, all good Christians; upon this blessed morn,
The Lord of all good Christians was of a woman born:
Now all your sorrows,
He doth heal, your sins,
He takes away;
For Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas-day.
Brightest and best of the Sons of the morning!
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid!
Star of the East, the horizon adorning, Guide where our Infant Redeemer is laid!
Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining, Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining, Maker and Monarch and Savior of all!
Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion, Odors of Edom and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean, Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?
Vainly we offer each ample oblation;
Vainly with gifts would His favor secure:
Richer by far is the heart’s adoration; Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
Brightest and best of the Sons of the morning!
Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid!
Star of the East, the horizon adorning, Guide where our Infant Redeemer is laid!
It was the calm and silent night!
Seven hundred years and fifty-three
Had Rome been growing up to might,
And now was Queen of land and sea.
No sound was heard of clashing wars;
Peace brooded o’er the hush’d domain;
Apollo, Pallas, Jove and Mars,
Held undisturb’d their ancient reign,
In the solemn midnight
Centuries ago.
‘Twas in the calm and silent night!
The senator of haughty Rome
Impatient urged his chariot’s flight,
From lordly revel rolling home.
Triumphal arches gleaming swell
His breast with thoughts of boundless sway;
What reck’d the Roman what befell .
A paltry province far away,
In the solemn midnight
Centuries ago!
Within that province far away
Went plodding home a weary boor:
A streak of light before him lay,
Fall’n through a half-shut stable door
Across his path. He pass’d - for nought
Told what was going on within;
How keen the stars! his only thought;
The air how calm and cold and thin,
In the solemn midnight
Centuries ago!
O strange indifference! - low and high
Drows’d over common joys and cares:
The earth was still - but knew not why;
The world was listening - unawares.
How calm a moment may precede
One that shall thrill the world for ever!
To that still moment none would heed,
Man’s doom was link’d, no more to sever,
In the solemn midnight
Centuries ago.
It is the calm and solemn night!
A thousand bells ring out, and throw
Their joyous peals abroad, and smite
The darkness, charm’d and holy now.
The night that erst no name had worn,
To it a happy name is given;
For in that stable lay new-born
The peaceful Prince of Earth and Heaven,
In the solemn midnight
Centuries ago.
“What means this glory round our feet,”
The Magi mused, “more bright than morn?”
And voices chanted clear and sweet,
“To-day the Prince of Peace is born!”
“What means that star,” the Shepherds said,
“That brightens through the rocky glen?”
And angels, answering overhead,
Sang, “Peace on earth, good-will to men!”
‘Tis eighteen hundred years and more
Since those sweet oracles were dumb;
We wait for Him, like them of yore;
Alas, He seems so slow to come!
But it was said, in words of gold,
No time or sorrow e’er shall dim,
That little children might be bold
In perfect trust to corne to Him.
All round about our feet shall shine
A light like that the wise men saw,
If we our loving wills incline
To that sweet Life which is the Law.
So shall we learn to understand
The simple faith of shepherds then,
And, clasping kindly hand in hand,
Sing, “Peace on earth, good-will to men!”
But they who do their souls no wrong,
But keep at eve the faith of morn,
Shall daily hear the angel-song,
“To-day the Prince of Peace is born!”
When the Child of Nazareth was born, the sun, according to the Bosnian legend, “leaped in the heavens, and the stars around it danced. A peace came over mountain and forest. Even the rotten stump stood straight and healthy on the green hill-side. The grass was beflowered with open blossoms, incense sweet as myrrh pervaded upland and forest, birds sang on the mountain top, and all gave thanks to the great God.”
It is naught but an old folk-tale, but it has truth hidden at its heart, for a strange, subtle force, a spirit of genial good-will, a new-born kindness, seem to animate child and man alike when the world pays its tribute to the” heavensent youngling,” as the poet Drummond calls the infant Christ.
When the Three Wise Men rode from the East into the West on that “first, best Christmas night,” they bore on their saddle-bows three caskets filled with gold and frankincense and myrrh, to be laid at the feet of the manger-cradled babe of Bethlehem. Beginning with this old, old journey, the spirit of giving crept into the world’s heart. As the Magi came bearing gifts, so do we also; gifts that relieve want, gifts that are sweet and fragrant with friendship, gifts that breathe love, gifts that mean service, gifts inspired still by the star that shone over the City of David nearly two thousand years ago.
Then hang the green coronet of the Christmas-tree with glittering baubles and jewels of flame; heap offerings on ‘its emerald branches; bring the Yule log to the firing; deck the house with holly and mistletoe,
“And all the bells on earth shall ring On Christmas day in the morning.”
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight.
For Christ is born of Mary, and, gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep, their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together, proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth.
How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His heaven,
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell;
Oh, come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel!
With the rice of decorating for the holidays, many people have been forced to cut back on the number of decorations they use in their homes. With the presents children look to receive today, many budgets barely survive the cost of providing a good Christmas for their children let alone decorating the house and tree in the way they would like. The key is learning to do as our grandparents did and make do with what we have around the house with a few inexpensive additions.
When decorating for a party or just to add some holiday cheer to your home, you do not have to spend a fortune. Many craft fairs and dollar stores have different items you can pick up quite inexpensively. Small wicker baskets and sleighs are available during the holidays and can be quite useful for making inexpensive hand-made decorations. You can line the baskets and sleighs with cotton to resemble snow, add some pine cones, holly berries, and even small pieces of mistletoe to dress it up. If you have extra Christmas balls, some of the miniatures are perfect for this kind of decorating.
You can take unused gift boxes and wrap them as you would if you were wrapping presents and hang them on your walls to give them a Christmas look. Instead of buying an expensive wreath for the front door, buy some red, green, or blue foil Christmas wrap for the door and let the children color some Christmas pictures that you can seal in plastic to protect them from the outside and glue onto the foil. The foil is available everywhere during the holidays including many of the dollar stores in various cities.
One of the best ways to save money when decorating for the holidays is to shop at the end of the season. While you are attempting to increase the size of your holiday decorations, you should shop after Christmas when stores reduce everything from 25%-75% off the regular price. Many stores even have sales on holiday items beginning in October, and you can also find 25%-50% off some of the items you seek. The key to saving for holiday decorating is to make the most of what you can find rather than buying only those things you feel you absolutely must have.
When you buy for a holiday party you are hosting, choose hostess gifts that are practical and inexpensive. Again, the dollar stores are great choices for small items you can make as well as holiday centerpieces and candles for the table. Look for sales prior to the day of your party in order to get the lowest price for your food and other staples you need. Using the end of year sales can help you keep a stock of those things you always use for parties such as holiday paper plates, napkins, cups, tablecloths, and platters for snacks. By shopping for sales, year end clearance, and discount stores you can decorate your home beautifully for the holidays without wrecking your budget.
Reginald Heber
With the rice of decorating for the holidays, many people have been forced to cut back on the number of decorations they use in their homes. With the presents children look to receive today, many budgets barely survive the cost of providing a good Christmas for their children let alone decorating the house and tree in the way they would like. The key is learning to do as our grandparents did and make do with what we have around the house with a few inexpensive additions.