Running With Quills: Suzanne shares a few of her favorites for Christmas

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Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Suzanne shares a few of her favorites for Christmas

Christmas memories are some of my favorite memories, and they include my favorite seasonal music, movies, TV specials, and, of course, books. Here is what I will be reading again this holiday season:

1. The Story of the Other Wise Man written by Henry Van Dyke in 1896, tells the story of Artaban, a priest of the Magi, and how he stopped to help a dying man and was left behind by the other three wise men. Artaban decides to begin his pilgrimage alone. An inspiring and thoughtful fable for the holidays.

"I do not know where this little story came from--out of the air, perhaps. One thing is certain, it is not written in any other book, nor is it to be found among the ancient lore of the East. And yet I have never felt as if it were my own. It was a gift, and it seemed to me as if I knew the Giver." --Henry Van Dyke

2. The Gift of the Magi, a short story written by O. Henry in 1906 for the "New York World." O. Henry spent three years in prison on the charge of embezzlement (his guilt always in question). He changed his name to O. Henry and wrote hundreds of short stories before his death in 1910.

3. Twas the Night Before Christmas is that perennially favorite poem credited to Clement Moore (original title: A Visit From St. Nicholas) published in 1844. I always felt a tiny connection to Moore since he graduated from Columbia College in 1798 and my dad graduated from the much later Columbia University in 1959.

4. An Angel in Time written by our very own Quill Stella Cameron and originally published in 1991 in the Harlequin American line. This is the poignant story of a young woman who discovers she may have been wrong to run away from the one man she's always loved and still loves. It's Christmastime and time for her to find out the truth.

5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas written by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) in 1957 is still one of my very favorite books in the whole wide world. I reread it several times every Christmas season and I watch the video version. (I wrote Dr. Seuss a fan letter when I was eight years old and he wrote me back. What a cherished memory!)

These are a few of my favorite things. Of course Inquiring Minds want to know: What are a few of your favorites at this special time of the year?

Happy Holidays!
Suzanne

16 Comments:

DFender said...: Suzanne,

Whatta wonderful blog topic! Hmmm. A few of my favorite Christmas things...

1. Setting up the Nativity at my Mom's house when we were kids. We'd take turns "finding" the baby Jesus that my parents had hidden for us to find and place in his manger when he was born on Christmas morning. The tradition continues in my own household.

2. Watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Miracle on 34th Street, Charlie Brown's Christmas, A Christmas Story, The Year without a Santa Claus...each and every year.

3. Reading The Night Before Christmas to my kids each year, on Christmas Eve. We still do that, even with the kids at 16 and 19. Ha!

4. Waking up on Christmas morning to watch the joy on the faces of our kids - no matter their ages!

5. Relaxing with the HHP on Christmas Eve, after all the children have been put to sleep, gazing at our Christmas tree, breathing in the wonderful pine scent and watching a roaring fire. We're always so thankful for the blessings we've received during the year. Even though we're tired and semi-cranky from staying up all Christmas Eve wrapping the kids gifts that we'd kept "hidden" in the trunks of our cars! LOL

What terrific memories to continue my day with! Thanks so much, Suzanne and Merry Christmas to YOU!

Deb; 6:40 AM
Anonymous said...: I love to shop for my nieces. They are nearly four and nine. I know they are in the home stretch to adulthood, and I cherish the time we have with their innocence. I know it won't last a lot of years longer.

I saw for the first time, The Polar Express. Somehow, that is a book I didn't read as a child, but I knew of it (again, my sister's girls have it). The movie was a wonderful return to childhood, even watching it as I did with commercials on the network.

For many years, a group of friends and I have adopted a family every Christmas. We have the best time trying to pick the right things to match the needs we are asked to provide for, and to know it is going to a family that really needs our giving is a good feeling.

And to wrap all that up, a song by Reba McIntyre, The Secret of Giving, is a wonderful anthem for the season.
Susan; 7:11 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Oh, wow! You actually got a letter from Dr. Seuss? Way cool!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is definitely my Number One Christmas book.

--Jayne; 9:37 AM
btuda said...: My sisters and I used to always make fun of Mom for pulling the Christmas records out the second after Thanksgiving dinner was finished. I caught myself pulling the CDs out Thanksgiving weekend this year. Music plays a big part of getting us in the holiday spirit.

Family time is becoming more important every year. We try to spend quality time with my step-son and not just in-the-car time driving to this party or that. Sometimes the separate households are tough on him. The joke with my folks is that they got tired of sharing the bathrooms so they moved out of state, leaving my two younger sisters to get their own places, but I suppose you just don't realize how nice it is to have family close by until they're not.

We also bring out the movies of Nestor the Christmas Donkey, the Christmas Story, The Best Christmas Pagent Ever, Miracle on 34th Street, and the Muppets special with "Watch out for the icy patch!"; 10:03 AM
Yasmine Galenorn said...: A Christmas Story has to lead the way, along with the Alister Sim version of A Christmas Carol. Holiday Inn is another of my favorites, Rudolf and the Grinch, too. And Little Women--the Winona Ryder version (though I watch that around Thanksgiving usually). And It's a Wonderful Life and A Charlie Brown Christmas have to also be on the favorites list.

Yasmine; 10:16 AM
Stella said...: Grinchy Grinch is my favorite. My life-size Grinch is already outside my front door (the one I won from Hallmark about six years ago) and I watched the movie twice so far. You haven't lived until you watch that movie and sing along with every song! And speak every line: "Every Who down in Whoville . . ." Luverly

Stella
Welcome Christmas!; 10:53 AM
Anonymous said...: I have a friend with the name of Cindy Lou... and I call her Cindy Lou-Who. Who doesn't love that movie?? It's a classic!; 12:26 PM
Suzanne Simmons said...: In addition to the books I reread every Christmas, we also watch many of the Christmas specials and movies in this household. One of our favorites is the "Grinch," of course, but I also love "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and that poor, little, bedraggled tree CB buys.

We never miss watching "A Christmas Carol" (our favorite version is the old Reginald Owen b/w), "White Christmas" and "Come to the Stable." (We own all on DVD or VHS.) And the Hallmark Channel shows some cute Christmas romances which we've also enjoyed.

Happy Holidays!
Suzanne; 12:41 PM
Anonymous said...: It's good to be reminded of Christmas traditions. When we were children, our family had quite a few--especially in our first own house.

I don't know if it's a general German tradition or something my family did, but we didn't set up our tree as children. My father was the one who set it up behind closed doors and put the gifts under it on Christmas Eve. When he was ready, he called us all to come--not that we were all that far away. We were whispering and wondering about what was going on behind that closed door.

But before we could get in through that door, we had our supper: traditionally a potato salad with herring bits in it. For most of us the salad was preferred without the herring.

Then my father would go back into the "secret" room, plug in the Christmas lights, since we were not allowed to use real candles anymore in wooden houses, open the door and start singing, off key, a cherished Christmas carol:

"Ihr Kinderlein kommet" English translation by Christoph v. Schmid

O come, little children, O come, one and all,
O come to the manger in Bethlehem's stall;
And see what our Father on this holy night,
Has sent us from Heaven for our pure delight.

"O see, in the cradle, this night in the stall,
O see how the light dazzles even us all;
In pure gleaming white lies this Child, heaven's love,
More beauteous and holy than angels above."

Then we read or recited Luke 2:1-20. Only then were we allowed to get at our presents. We'd have whatever relatives were already in Winnipeg over to celebrate with us. For Germans and other Germanic groups, Christmas Eve is more significant than Christmas Day. It is on the Eve that the Christ-child came from Heaven. Santa Claus (St. Nikolaus) is only a minor figure and his special day is Dec. 6th, today in fact. Last evening, German, Dutch and children of other nationalities put their shoes in front of the door of their room. If they were good during the last year, they found candy, chocolates and other goodies in them this morning. If they weren't, they might find a few things like that but also a switch (stick) indicating that they deserved something a little different. Dec. 6th is roughly the equivalent of the old Christmas stocking--not the one with all kinds of small toys, makeup or other small but expensive gifts. Well, actually, that has probably changed as well. I haven't asked anyone lately though I could ask my cousin who's here at my sister's for about 6 months of school.

Our church has no masses but if Christmas Eve/Day falls on a Sunday, we have regular church services. Christmas Day is usually celebrated with family and friends and a big dinner.

Some of that changed when I was 13 and we moved into a more open-concept house. We had no doors to hide the tree under decoration, though I think we still weren't allowed to help. We usually kept our tree for 12 days until Jan. 6 which was my father's birthday.

I had a special advents-calendar that I would read every December. It was a book that could be put up in a holder which revealed two pages, text and picture for each day. I loved that and read it every year. Our Adventscalendars only revealed pictures. It was when they became popular in North America that the little chocolates were added. Or is it vice versa? In fact, my mother wanted to sell the original kind here, but I'm not sure if she ever tried.

Other than that and "The Littlest Angel" mostly a picture book, by ?, not the one by Sherryl Woods, were my special Christmas reading. I've got so many books to read that I try to use even Christmas for my TBR piles.

I'd love to read "The Other Wise Man" by Henry Van Dyke. We have a friend with the same name whom we got to know when he and his wife, then students at Ann Arbor, MI, sent us CARE packages in Germany after the war. We're still friends. I think I've seen a film called "The Fourth Wise Man". Is that the same story?

Thanks Suzanne for the lovely blog. It really brought back 'many' fond memories, as you can see.; 12:45 PM
Ranurgis said...: Oops. In this case I'm Anonymous. Few other people write such long comments. Sorry about that.; 12:47 PM
Suzanne Simmons said...: ranurgis~you wrote about beautiful Christmas memories. They can never be too long, in my humble opinion.

I love hearing about other people's Christmas traditions and joys and special times.

Ho Ho Ho,
Santa Sue; 2:12 PM
Anonymous said...: I always try to find time to re-read "Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus" by Francis P. Church.; 6:55 PM
cate said...: We still read The Night Before Christmas from the oldest copy we have. Another favorite is The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet. Newer holiday stories include: Christmas Every Day by William Dean Howells and Santa's Short Suit Shrunk (tongue twisters) by Nola Buck. Sue Truesdell's illustrations are so comical. I balance the traditional with a zing of the ridiculous. That probably describes me, come to think of it. Now that I've got this on my mind, I'll drag out a couple of stories and find my daughter...it's time to read! Thanks Suzanne!; 7:01 PM
Anonymous said...: ranurgis - my mother is from Germany and we, too, have always celebrated on Christmas eve. Now that I have my own family, my kids love having their extended family over and opening gifts on Christmas eve. We light candles and put on Christmas music - it's a wonderfully cozy, nighttime atmosphere that we all love. It does make it hard for them to sit through early Christmas eve mass first, though!; 12:36 PM
Carrie from Wisconsin said...: Hi all,

I hope St. Nick filled everyone's stockings with goodies.

I urge all of you to keep your traditions or start making them if you don't. It's those traditions that your family will remember when loved ones pass on. It's also those traditions that help keep a family together, even if it is just for the holidays. When the traditions stop and the families stop gathering, the holidays begin to lose their meaning. I have been dealing with a family feud for a few years now. Since my grandmother passed on, that side of the family began to crumble and has continued to crumble until there were so many rifts that I'm not sure if it will ever heal.

So, my wish for all of you is that everyone has a safe, healthy and happy holidays with their loved ones. There are a few families here in Wisconsin that will forever be without their loved ones because of an awful explosion that happened Wednesday at a local plant. My uncle was working 2nd shift the night before - thank heavens - oe he would have been there when it occured. He and many others are suffering a grievous loss this season. So please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers that they may have the strength to make it through this rough time!!

Carrie; 10:50 PM
Jenn said...: Thank you Suzanne the for the tip on The Story of the Other Wise Man, I am always looking for obscure stories and then after I read them (got to protect those little kid eyes right, my boys are only 16 and 13) I pass them on to my sons.; 9:39 AM

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Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Suzanne shares a few of her favorites for Christmas

16 Comments: