By Clement Clarke Moore

Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung
by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas
soon would be there;

The children were nestled
all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums
danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief,
and I in my cap,
Had just settled down
for a long winter’s nap,

When out on the lawn
there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed
to see what was the matter.
Away to the window
I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters
and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast
of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day
to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes
should appear,
But a miniature sleigh,
and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver,
so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment
it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles
his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted,
and called them by name;

“Now, DASHER! now, DANCER!
now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID!
on, DONNER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch!
to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away!
dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before
the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet
with an obstacle,
mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top
the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys,
and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling,
I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing
of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand,
and was turning around,
Down the chimney
St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur,
from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished
with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys
he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler
just opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled!
his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses,
his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth
was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin
was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe
he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled
his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face
and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed
like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump,
a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him,
in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye
and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know
I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word,
but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings;
then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger
aside of his nose,
And giving a nod,
up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh,
to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew
like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim,
ere he drove out of sight,
“HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,
AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!”

Can you name the gifts given on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas in this classic Christmas carol?

• I’ve always enjoyed singing the Twelve Days of Christmas in an attempt to see if I could remember each of the symbols, especially when repeating the previous ones in order for the next day. It always seemed like a fun, nonsensical Christmas carol, whereas the gifts from the recipient’s lover are actually Christian symbols.

Do you know when the Twelve Days of Christmas are?

• I always thought they were the 12 days leading up to December 25. But, no they aren’t the 12 days before Christmas - they are the 12 days following Christmas ending with Epiphany on January 6.

Do you know the meaning behind the symbols?

• My granddaughter, Kaitlin, is at the age where she questions things that aren’t clear to her. She asked me why someone would give a partridge in a pear tree as a Christmas present. I didn’t have an answer. So as any good grandmother would do, I “googled” it. This is the site that I found: Twelve Days of Christmas. The website explains the background and controversy surrounding the symbols and then provides meanings for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

I think it’s too sophisticated for a seven-year-old to understand, but I found the essay interesting. If Kaitlin asks again, I’ll keep it simple at a level she might understand. But in the meantime, we’ll continue to enjoy singing the Twelve Days of Christmas. How much of the song can you sing without missing a line?

The first day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

The second day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The third day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The fourth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The fifth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The sixth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The seventh day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The eighth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The ninth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The tenth day of Christmas,
My true love sent to me
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The eleventh day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

The twelfth day of Christmas
My true love sent to me
Twelve fiddlers fiddling,
Eleven ladies dancing,
Ten pipers piping,
Nine drummers drumming,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five gold rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves, and
A partridge in a pear tree.

~ Anonymous ~

Three Kings, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, tells of the Three Wisemen who followed the bright night star to find the baby sleeping in a manger…the baby Jesus whose birth we celebrate on the 25th of December.

Three Kings came riding from far away,
Melchior and Gaspar and Balthazar;
Three Wise Men out of the East were they,
And they travelled by night and they slept by day,
For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.

The star was so beautiful, large and clear,
That all the other stars of the sky
Became a white mist in the atmosphere,
And by this they knew that the coming was near
Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.

Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows,
Three caskets of gold with golden keys;
Their robes were of crimson silk with rows
Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,
Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.

And so the Three Kings rode into the West,
Through the dusk of the night, over hill and dell,
And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast,
And sometimes talked, as they paused to rest,
With the people they met at some wayside well.

“Of the child that is born,” said Balthazar,
“Good people, I pray you, tell us the news;
For we in the East have seen his star,
And have ridden fast, and have ridden far,
To find and worship the King of the Jews.”

And the people answered, “You ask in vain;
We know of no King but Herod the Great!”
They thought the Wise Men were men insane,
As they spurred their horses across the plain,
Like riders in haste, who cannot wait.

And when they came to Jerusalem,
Herod the Great, who had heard this thing,
Sent for the Wise Men and questioned them;
And said, “Go down unto Bethlehem,
And bring me tidings of this new king.”

So they rode away; and the star stood still,
The only one in the grey of morn;
Yes, it stopped –it stood still of its own free will,
Right over Bethlehem on the hill,
The city of David, where Christ was born.

And the Three Kings rode through the gate and the guard,
Through the silent street, till their horses turned
And neighed as they entered the great inn-yard;
But the windows were closed, and the doors were barred,
And only a light in the stable burned.

And cradled there in the scented hay,
In the air made sweet by the breath of kine,
The little child in the manger lay,
The child, that would be king one day
Of a kingdom not human, but divine.

His mother Mary of Nazareth
Sat watching beside his place of rest,
Watching the even flow of his breath,
For the joy of life and the terror of death
Were mingled together in her breast.

They laid their offerings at his feet:
The gold was their tribute to a King,
The frankincense, with its odor sweet,
Was for the Priest, the Paraclete,
The myrrh for the body’s burying.

And the mother wondered and bowed her head,
And sat as still as a statue of stone,
Her heart was troubled yet comforted,
Remembering what the Angel had said
Of an endless reign and of David’s throne.

Then the Kings rode out of the city gate,
With a clatter of hoofs in proud array;
But they went not back to Herod the Great,
For they knew his malice and feared his hate,
And returned to their homes by another way.

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Soon, our inquisitive Kaitlin will be asking the very same question as Virginia. When our children asked about the existence of Santa Claus, I told them even though their friends choose not to believe in Santa Claus, he exists as long as they believe in their hearts.

We are very fortunate to live in a country where we have the freedom to choose to believe or not. Just as we are able to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus, we can also celebrate Santa Claus and the goodness they both represent.

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
The New York Sun - 1897

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
- Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Handprint gifts are so precious to grandparents and parents, alike, for Christmas or any special occasion. They can be used on wall hangings, pillows, plates, and tote bags. The handprint gift possibilities are endless. Unfortunately, our grandchildren and children can’t remain small forever, but painted handprint gifts can capture the years when they were young…and still wanted to spend time with us as in contrast to the years when they become independent teens….

Kaitlin presented us with an early Christmas present this year. It is the Christmas handprint wreath made with fabric paints pictured above which she made in her 2nd grade art class. Included with the Christmas handprint wreath was the following handprint poem:

I miss you when we’re not together
I’m growing up so fast
See how big I’ve gotten
Since you saw me last?

As I grow, I’ll change a lot,
The years will fly right by.
You’ll wonder how I grew so quick
When and where and why?

So look upon this handprint (these handprints)
That’s hanging on your wall.
And memories will come back of me,
When I was very small.

~Author Unknown~

Now every Christmas we’ll be able to hang her Christmas handprint wreath on our wall and remember back when she was so small….and wonder where the years have gone…as we do now with our children’s handmade ornaments from years that have passed, oh so too quickly.

What You Need:

• white material of any kind (old pillowcases are great)
• green and red paint (fabric paint is better but tempera paint will work)
• doll rods
• yarn

What You Do:

1. Have the children place their hands in paint and arrange green hand prints in a wreath pattern on the fabric.
2. Then when the green dries, have them add red fingertips as berries around the wreath.
3. Glue top of fabric to the doll rod. Add yarn to hang wreath.
4. Make two bows and glue to each corner.

• If you’d like, you can write the poem on the fabric in the middle of the wreath. Use a fabric paint pen.
• Remember when doing this craft to place cardboard under the fabric.
• For more ideas and poems, check my Handprint Poems category below.

My granddaughter, Kaitlin, asked me to share some Christmas jokes and riddles with you. Last Saturday we had lunch at Roy Rogers’ Restaurant. The prize included with Kaitlin’s lunch was a puzzle with Snow Jokes underneath and Emily’s was a puzzle with Chilly Chuckles underneath. Emily is a little too young to enjoy them this winter, but Kaitlin really enjoys reading the riddles and jokes to everyone. Sadly, I answered only two correct! How many of these winter jokes and riddles can you correctly guess the answers to? (The answers can be found at the end of each section.)

Snow Jokes

1. What do you call a polar bear wearing earmuffs?
2. What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
3. What did the small Christmas candle say to the large Christmas candle?
4. Why don’t mountains get cold in the winter?
5. What kind of bird can write?
6. Why do polar bears wear fur coats?
7. Why does Santa have 3 gardens?
8. What time is it when a polar bear sits on your igloo?
9. What do you call polar bears when they get caught in the rain?
10. What do you have in December that you don’t have in any other months?

Answers

1. Anything you want - it can’t hear you!
2. Frostbite!
3. I’m going out tonight!
4. Because they wear snow caps!
5. A pen-guin!
6. Because they’d freeze in Hawaiian shirts!
7. So he can Hoe Hoe Hoe!
8. Time to get another igloo!
9. Drizzly Bears
10. “D”!

Chilly Chuckles

1. What do you call a snowman in the summer?
2. What do you give a train driver for Christmas?
3. What did the reindeer say to the polar bear?
4. Where do you find polar bears?
5. What Christmas carol is a parent’s favorite?
6. What does a polar bear like to eat?
7. How does a polar bear stop a VCR?
8. What goes up and down but doesn’t move?
9. Which weighs more, a ton of snow or a ton of ice?
10. What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
11. What do elves learn in school?
12. What do you get when you cross an apple with a Christmas tree?

Answers to Chilly Chuckles

1. A puddle!
2. Platform shoes!
3. Nothing, reindeer can’t talk!
4. It depends on where you lost them!
5. Silent Night!
6. A Brrrr-grrrr!
7. He presses the “paws” button!
8. The temperature!
9. Neither, they both weigh a ton!
10. Frosted flakes!
11. The elfa-bet!
12. A pine-apple!

Do you have a favorite Christmas joke or riddle? If you do, share it with us in the comment box.