How does one get ready for Christmas?
May I suggest some things? First, read Christmas stories. Good ones, I mean. Things like "A Christmas Carol" (or "The Cricket on the Hearth") by Charles Dickens or the book of short stories, Miracle, by Connie Willis. Both are excellent reads. Nobody ever remembers all the wonderful, symbolic details of "Carol", and Willis' writing will make you want to start trimming the tree!
Second, listen to good Christmas music. Personally, I prefer Peter, Paul and Mary and "The Nutcracker", but that's your own choice. (Incidentally, I love Weird Al's Christmas songs, and WOPM's "12 Days of Christmas" is hilarious)
Thirdly, watch Christmas movies. If you like "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th St.", go for it! I enjoy watching "The Nutcracker", and there are plenty of movies of this that you can watch. My personal favorite version is Balanchine's (the Arabian Coffee dance RULES), but that one's up to you. :) And there's always Home Alone, The Grinch, etc.!
Fourth: Decorate! Get that tree up, hang up all the decorations. If you don't like hanging the lights, get somebody else to do it. Always better to not get frustrated with Christmas! And burn candles- bayberry, Christmas eve, vanilla, cinnamon, sugared plum... whatever you like.
Fifthly: Get some friends together and go Christmas caroling. You can go to friends' houses, or just walk down the street singing, pausing occasionally. (If you're really enterprising, you can pass the hat, too... Alms for Christmas pin money!)
And sixth, read this poem!
A Visit from St. Nicholas
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 our brains for a long winter's nap, -
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my 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 a lustre of midday 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 courses 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, Donder 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 head, 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 pedlar 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 on 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 bowl full 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!"
I'm guilty of the naughtiness of: Sarcasm and cynicism when speaking of school. Hee hee!
But other than that, I'm a perfect little angel! 0:P PS:Righ-click!
