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Because I love Christmas
Origins of Santa Claus
Frugal Articles
Recycle Those Old Christmas Decorations
Articles published elsewhere
Funky, Free and Frugal Christmas Decorations
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The Sounds of ChristmasBells, carols, laughter and more. Sounds like Christmas!by Pat Veretto
"Hark! Now hear the angels sing, a new King is born today, Want to know the name of that song? Want to know who wrote it and what the rest of the lyrics are? Read on. If there's one thing better than the colors and smells of Christmas, it's the sounds! You know... the "Merry Christmas!" of the Salvation Army bell ringers and the jingle of bells on ornaments, if not on sleighs and horse collars. Then there are fireplaces snapping and popping with cheery fires, children laughing and people getting together to reminisce about Christmas past... and the one thing you will hear wherever you go is the sound of the old Christmas carols. You'll hear the songs you forgot about and the songs that make you remember Christmas past; the songs that bring a smile born of thanksgiving and a tear born of remembering. Music, like nothing else, speaks to our souls, but Christmas music speaks its own special language. If you want to create a festive mood for your holiday party, play some Christmas carols in the background. Cuddle with your spouse or girl/boy friend? There are carols just made for that! If you enjoy sitting alone watching the Christmas tree in the dark (surely I'm not the only one who does that!) Christmas songs playing softly is the perfect finishing touch. Everybody sings at Christmas time. It was always a family tradition in my home to start singing Christmas carols after dinner on Thanksgiving. It sort of officially welcomed Christmas (and, I believe, relieved indigestion somehow!). Even those who "can't sing" can sing a Christmas carol. You don't have to be great at something to enjoy it and get its full benefit. It's true that singing, like laughing, is good medicine. The sound of a family singing together is beautiful. I doubt there are many reading this who cannot remember a few words to "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" or "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" and fewer more who cannot hum a little of "Silent Night". If you don't remember from year to year, the Caroling Corner will help jump start your memory. It's got all the words to well over two hundred favorite Christmas songs. And then there's internet radio. For a listing of internet radio stations, Web-Radio's Christmas directory is a good place to start. If you'd rather pick and choose which songs to listen to, SantaSearch has hundreds, "edited by elfs" of both audio and text Christmas songs. Besides the music, there are the stories! Talking about Christmas, telling the traditional stories again, watching them on TV or the VCR. Traditional stories like "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" just goes with popcorn and Christmas candy. "A Christmas Carol" and "Christmas on 47th Avenue" share the spotlight with "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". A wonderful kind of Christmas sound is hearing free audio Christmas stories over the internet. Hear "A Christmas Nutcracker," "A Visit From St. Nicholas" ('Twas the Night Before Christmas), "A Christmas Carol" and more. These are in blog format, and "A Christmas Carol" is in three parts. One of the most enduring favorite Christmas classic stories is "A Christmas Carol". Told and retold many ways, from Broadway show to cartoons, the story written by Charles Dickens has brought the word "scrooge" into the English language. You can listen to the original version for free at English Audio Stories. The music, the greetings, the stories and other sounds of Christmas are as traditionally appealing as anything else about this wonderful time of year. The variety of song and story tells a tale of a holiday long in the making - and long in enjoyment, too. Oh, and about that song we started with? They're "Mary's Boy Child." You can listen and watch it here, by Harry Belafonte. Back to Christmas! |
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