Thought for the Octave of Christmas

VIDEO: Remembering Christmases past

Those of us who follow the Julian calendar, the Christmas season is just ending. Things ain't what they used to be. A lot of the old customs and traditions have been lost, or (dare say it?) surpressed for reasons of political correctness. Even the word "Christmas" itself has been effectively banned. Note the title at the end of this video.

Agent 5 has been good enough to send along this vintage video, made by Canada's National Film Board, showing how the great Christian holy day was celebrated by the Ukrainian community in the province of Manitoba, 82 years ago.

   

Makes you wish you could turn back the clock, doesn't it? We hope all our Ukrainian readers, friends and family have had a good and holy holiday. And we send everyone our best wishes for health, peace and prosperity in the New Year.

Christmas greetings from Walt et al.

Best wishes for a Happy and Holy Christmas... 

...and a New Year blessed with Health and Happiness.

VIDEO: Христос раждається! Christ is born!

Kolyada with +Father Roman Galadza: Part 1, The Trombone. 

Коляда з отцем Романом: Тромбонні сеанси. 

A Christmas gift from Father Roman, filmed in 2020, and found only recently on his mobile device. Carol together. May the joy of the Nativity be yours! 

Різдвяний подарунок від отця Романа, знайдено на його мобільному пристрої. Знято в 2020 році. Колядуйте разом. Нехай вам буде радість Різдва Христового!

  

Filmed at St. Elias Church (Ukrainian Catholic), Brampton, ON Canada.

NOTE: All Ukrainians, even in the old country, are now celebrating Christmas according to the western (Gregorian) calendar, to show that we are not Russians.

Слава Україні! Героям слава!

VIDEO: Христос родився! Ukrainian Christmas carols

Христос Раждаєтся! Christ is born!

 

VIDEO: Walt is dreaming of a White Christmas

While we wait to see who's going to win the Georgia Senate run-off -- the dark horse or the darker horse -- here's some nice Christmas music sung by Clyde McPhatter, Bill Pinkney and the Drifters.

Walt assures you there's no political message here. Shame on you if you detected one!

 

If you remember this version of the beloved song, you're at least 68 years old (!) and can remember a time when the disclaimer above wouldn't have been necessary.

Merry Christmas!

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men of good will.

St. Luke 2:14

Walt, Poor Len [and Ed.] wish you a

Happy and Holy Christmas

Madonna with Child, by William Adolphe Bouguereau, 1899

Christmas greeting from President and Mrs Biden

This is real, not made up by the Babylon Bee. Story below.

   

The President of the United States of America was fooled by the father of some children that he called for Christmas to track Santa Claus via NORAD.

Mr Biden spoke with several couples and children during the traditional Santa tracking event with military families, a tradition for the presidents on Christmas Eve. First Lady Jill Biden led the call, while the president chimed in on occasion. 

"Merry Christmas, and let's go, Brandon!" the father named "Jared" said, referring to a phrase popular with readers of WWW, and the President expressed his agreement.

Christmas Eve, A.D. 2021

Ed. here. Our friend Arnie over at Blazing Cat Fur regularly posts photos of beautiful landscapes, but never tells us where those beauty spots are. Bill Gates does the same thing when you boot up Win10. 

Walt has only a handful of pictures taken by his own goodself, right around home. Since it's already Chrismas Eve for our readers in the Antipodes, let us share this one, as we await the coming of the Saviour, Christ the Lord.

SE1/4 L17 Conc 1EHS

Wishing you a Happy and Holy Christmas

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men of good will.

St. Luke 2:14

Walt, Poor Len [and Ed.] wish you

a Happy and Holy Christmas

Your invitiation to join in the "Christmas - Theophany" services streaming online from Saint Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church

This Christmas season, most of the Liturgies and other worship services at Saint Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church in Brampton, Ontario (Eparchy of Toronto) will be streamed online on YouTube. Observed dates are according to the Gregorian calendar, beginning today, Christmas Eve, with the Royal Hours at 0800 EST.

The Vesperal Liturgy is at 1500 EST, and the Vigil (Compline and Matins) at 2000 EST. Click here for links. The pastor of St. Elias, Mitred Archpriest Roman Galadza, is the celebrant. God bless him, and God bless you as you unite yourself in prayer with all who believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, whose nativity we celebrate.

Христос Раждаєтся!

VIDEO: Une carte de Noël pour nos amis francophones

Walt, Poor Len Canayen [et Ed.]

vous souhaite Joyeux Noël et

bonne et heureuse année 2019

VIDEO: "Silent Night" debuted 200 years ago

24 December 1818. HRH George III is still kind of Britain, Ireland and all his realms except the former North American colonies. James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States of America, but was over four years away from announcing his doctrine opposing European colonialism in the Americas. And in Oberndorf-bei-Salzburg, Austria, Father Joseph Mohr led his church choir in singing a new song which he had written especially for Christmas Eve, set to music by the local schoolteacher, Franz Xavier Gruber. It was called "Stille Nacht" (= "Silent Night"), and it sounded like this.



The orioginal manuscript was lost, and over the years Father Mohr's name was forgotten. Although Herr Gruber was known to be the composer, the melody was often mistakenly attributed to Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven. It wasn't until 1995 that a manuscript in Father Mohr's handwriting was discovered and dated by researchers as "c. 1820". It states that the priest wrote the words in 1816 when he was assigned to a pilgrim church in Mariapfarr, Austria, and that the music was composed in 1818. This is the earliest manuscript that exists and the only one in Father Mohr's handwriting.

"Stille Nacht" was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. It has been translated into many languages, and recorded by a large number of singers in nearly every musical style. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the third best-selling single of all-time.

VIDEO: "Cheesy the Christmas Rat", sung by Red Green (and Harold)

Ed. here. Walt had to go all the way into downtown Fort Mudge to do his Christmas shopping -- left it till the last minute as usual -- and has called to say he won't be back until sometime tomorrow, too late to write anything to fill this space. But that's your good luck, because Walt's absence allows me to post a delightful new(ish) song which is bound to become a Christmas classic. It's "Cheesy the Christmas Rat", sung(ish) by Red Green and his nerdy nephew Harold.



Red (Steve Smith) and Harold (Pat McKenna) and the other members of Possum Lodge have been entertaining millions of real men (and a few women) since 1991. Reruns currently air on The Comedy Network and various PBS stations. Click here to visit the official Red Green website.

VIDEO: Politically incorrect CHRISTmas song

Have you gotten sick, sore and tired of all the Christmas music? Or should we say HOLIDAY music? I can't stand it any more. Just make it stop! Except for this one, which Ed. just discovered while browsing YouTube. It's been disliked by over two hundred NPCs and multiculti weenies, so I'm giving it a big thumbs up and sharing it with you, my dear readers.

VIDEO: Speaking of Christmas markets

No, I'm not going to post video clips from yesterday's atrocity at the Strasbourg Christmas Market. I'm tired of videos showing how the "Religion of Peace" celebrates diversity. Besides, in the run-up to the Christmas season, we should have something positive. And merry! So here is the Kassensymphonie (Cashiers Symphony) at an Edeka supermarket in Germany, with their well-orchestrated veersion of Jingle Bells.



This all-time favourite Christmas song was played by 9 cashiers and recorded by 13 different cameras to see shoppers reactions. Edeka is the largest supermarket chain in Germany and it appears that the holiday shoppers enjoyed this musical surprise. But (I don't hear you ask) where and when was this recorded? Where in today's Germany would you find a store full of Germans, with not a Muslim in sight? Thanks to Agent 6 for passing this on.

Answer from Ed.: The text accompanying the YouTube video says this was posted in December 2014, before Angela Merkel flung open the doors.

UPDATED: Strasbourg shooter identity confirmed; sure enough...

It's now the morning after the Strasbourgh Christmas Market shooting, and Walt must admit to being only partly... OK, mostly right about the nationality, ethnicity and religion of the man who shot and killed three people in the French city yesterday. The Paris public prosecutor told the meeja that the assailant "previously known to police" is Chérif Chekatt, born in France of Arab parents. M Chekatt is a Muslim. Walt's lifetime pct .990.

It is also correct (if not politically correct) to call M Chekatt a terrorist... an Islamic terrorist. According to the authorities, he was already in the French government's "S-file" -- a security watchlist that is so big as to make it impossible to monitor all the potential threats. Police had raided M Chekatt's apartment yesterday morning, but, not finding him at home, turned their attention to other things. A few hours later, the follower of the Prophet was heard yelling "Allahu Akbar!" (= "God is great!") as he opened fire on people enjoying an evening out at the Christmas market.

The public prosecutor said two people were killed and one left brain-dead. Twelve were wounded, six seriously. M Chekatt did not return to his apartment, and is still at large. The Deputy Minister of the Interior acknowledged that he may no longer be in France. Where might he have gone? Belgium? Germany? Not-so-great Britain? Or maybe he has gone to claim asylum in Canada... Allah knows!

Further reading: For a complete rundown of M Chekatt's history and criminal record, read "The Strasbourg attack suspect's criminal past in Germany", on the Deutsche Welle website, 12/12/18. It's not until the last sentence that the PC state broadcaster gets around to telling us that "French investigators say Cherif C., who is of North African descent, was radicalized in prison and had been on a watch list as a potential security risk."

UPDATE ADDED 13/12/18: As of this morning (FMT), French authorities are still looking for M Chekatt. Where or where could he be? Meanwhile, Emperor Macron's government has asked the Yellow Vests protesters not to take to the streets again this weekend, because (they say) the security forces are stretched thin and stressed out because of the Strasbourg shooting and the ensuing (and ongoing) manhunt. How convenient!

UPDATED: Uh-oh! Shots ring out in French Christmas market, 4 killed

This is a breaking story. I'll update it as soon as my suspicions (and yours!) are either confirmed or denied.

A report coming in on the mojo wire from Thomson Reuters says that at least two people were killed and another eight wounded today in a shooting near a Christmas market in the eastern French city of Strasbourg. A local shopkeeper told a TV station, "There were gunshots and people running everywhere. It lasted about 10 minutes."

Police say the gunman is still at large. The French Minister of the Interior told the meeja the suspect has been identified and is known to have a criminal record. Thomson Reuters quotes a source at the local prosecutor's office as saying that an investigation is underway, and... wait for it... that the motive behind the shooting was not immediately clear.

A couple of paragraphs later, the wire service adds that France remains on high alert after a wave of attacks commissioned or inspired by Islamic State militants since early 2015, in which about 240 people have been killed. Hm.

They forgot to add that Christmas markets are favourite targets of the jihadis. Not quite two years ago, a follower of the Prophet drove a large truck into a Christmas market in the heart of Berlin, killing nine people and injuring many more, perhaps as many as 50. See "Islamist truck attack in Berlin leaves 9 dead", WWW 19/12/16.

Watch this space to see if we'll be able to substitute the words "Allahu akbar!" for "Uh-oh!" in the headline.

UPDATED ADDED at 1630 FMT: French authorities now confirm that "at least four people" have been killed, with another half dozen wounded, and counting. The dead do not include the suspect, who they are saying is a "common criminal, known to police." While the flics hunt for him, parts of Strasbourg are on lockdown and a major security operation is underway around the city's famed Christmas market.

Walt asks, if the suspect is known to police, why aren't they telling us who he is? Is it possible he's a Muslim immigrant? What they do say is that the police counter-terrorism unit has taken over the investigation. I guess that's all the answer we need. But stay tuned anyway.

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

"Et peperit filium suum primogenitum; 

et pannis eum involvit et reclinavit eum in præsepio" 

(St. Luke 2:7)

Walt, Poor Len [and Ed. Ed.] wish all our readers

a Happy and Holy Christmas,

and for the New Year 2017, peace and prosperity.

VIDEO: Politically incorrect Christmas song

Only two more sleeps until Christmas Day, so it's time for a little seasonal music.



"White Christmas" was sung by The Drifters, featuring Bill Pinkney, lead bass, and Clyde McPhatter, tenor. Cartoon by Joshua Held.