God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

‘God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen’ is one of the oldest Christmas carols there is, and one of the most popular.

“God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen” (or “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”) is an English traditional Christmas carol, and is also known as “Tidings of Comfort and Joy”. An early version of this carol is found in an anonymous manuscript, dating from the 1650s.

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The Top Christmas Toys of the Sixties

Which toys would you have asked Santa for?

I was born in 1958 which made me 2 to 11 years old in the sixties, the perfect age for these Christmas toys. Many homes in America had a Sears catalog with pages that had been dog-eared in hopes of receiving a toy from that very page. Barbie was 1 year old in 1960 and all the girls wanted one. The Ken doll was released by Mattel in 1961.

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My Favorite Albums – The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection

What if ribbons and bows didn’t mean a thing?
Would the song still survive without five golden rings?

“The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection”, originally released under the title “Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection”, is a Christmas-special extended play (EP). The album was originally released as a Target exclusive on October 14, 2007, by Big Machine Records. It was released to other retailers on December 2, 2008.

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Newtonmas

Some ideas to help you celebrate the day: Place a Newton ornament on the tree. Discuss the merits of calculus over the dinner table. Use a telescope to view the night sky. Drop some unwanted gifts off the top of a tall building to test the theory of gravity.

If you don’t celebrate Christmas or want an additional holiday, I might suggest Newtonmas. Sir Isaac Newton was born on December 25, 1642. This would be perfect for public schools that don’t allow religion-based ideas. I mean, look at that hair, he looks like he’s ready to start partying!

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My Favorite Albums – A Partridge Family Christmas Card

“A Partridge Family Christmas Card” is the fourth studio album for the Partridge Family. The sitcom stars released this album in November of 1971 with a Christmas card signed by the whole family. It was the best-selling Christmas album in the United States during the Christmas season of 1971 on Billboard magazine’s special Christmas Albums sales chart.

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My Favorite Albums – Christmas with The Chipmunks

Uh Alvin, you were a little flat
Watch it, Alvin—Alvin? Alvin?!
Okay!

Christmas with The Chipmunks was released in 1962 on Liberty Records[1]. Mother bought this record for me, I was 4 years old, and I loved it. It is now referred to as Volume 1 since there have been 3 more releases with the same name, in 1963, 2007, and 2008. The tracks from this and its follow-up album, Christmas with The Chipmunks Vol. 2 have been in continuous circulation since their original releases.

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Artificial Christmas Trees

Most fake trees (85%) in the U.S. are imported from China, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

One of the first artificial Christmas trees was made using goose feathers that were dyed green. The German feather trees were one response by Germans to continued deforestation in Germany in the 1880s. The German feather trees[1] eventually made their way to the United States where they became rather popular as well. In fact, the use of natural Christmas trees in the United States was pre-dated by a type of artificial tree. These first trees were wooden, tree-shaped pyramids lit by candles, they were developed in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, by the German Moravian Church in 1747.

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Why Do We Put Up Christmas Trees?

“We’re kicking off our fun, old-fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols.” — Clark Griswold

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants, and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries, evergreens were believed to keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

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Why Do We Send Christmas Cards?

Obviously to keep the Post office in business!

The tradition had its beginning in early 19th-century England. British students would write home [hopefully] boasting good grades and showing off their penmanship, composition, and artwork. They hoped that these joyful letters would produce good presents and/or money for Christmas.

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