Grandfather Frost
Is what the Communist regime of Russia gave Russians during this time of year. He had no religious affiliation and came on a non-religious holiday, New Year's, to bring gifts. For Christmas they had Father Christmas or Kolyada who came on Christmas Eve and Babouschka came on Epiphany. He is an old man dressed in winter furs and clothes like Santa Claus, or sometimes a bishop's robe like St. Nicholas.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Dickens actually wrote a poem or carol for Christmas and it was published in his famous Christmas chapter of The Pickwick Papers and later set to the tune of "Old King Carol."
I care not for Spring: on his fickle wing
Let the blossoms and buds be borne;
He woos them amain with this treacherous rain,
And he scatters them ere the morn.
An inconstant elf, he knows not himself,
Nor his own changing mind and hour,
He'll smile in your face, and , with wry grimace,
He'll wither your youngest flower.
Let the Summer sun to his bright home run,
He shall never be sought by me;
when he's dimmed by a cloud I can laugh aloud,
And I care not how sulky he be!
For his darling child is the madness wild
That sports in fierce fever's train;
And when love is too strong, it don't last long,
As many have found to their pain.
A mild harvest night, by the tranquil light
Of the modest and gentle moon,
Has afar sweeter sheen, for me, I ween,
Than the broad and unblushing noon.
But every leaf awakes my grief,
As it lieth beneath the tree;
So let Autumn air be never so fair,
It by no means agrees with me.
But my song I troll out, for CHRISTMAS stout,
The hearty, the true, and the bold;
A bumper I drain, and with might and main
Give three cheers for this Christmas old!
We'll usher him in with a merry din
That shall gladden his joyous heart,
And we'll keep him up while, there's bite or sup,
And in fellowship good, we'll part.
In his fine honest pride, he scorns to hide
One jot of his hard-weather scars;
They're no disgrace, for there's much the same trace
On the cheeks of our harvest tars.
Then again I sing till the roof doth ring,
And it echoes from wall to wall-
To the stout old wight, fair welcome to-night,
As the King of the Seasons of all!
*Part of the 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge
*All information from The Christmas Almanack by Gerard and Patricia Del Re
I care not for Spring: on his fickle wingLet the blossoms and buds be borne;
He woos them amain with this treacherous rain,
And he scatters them ere the morn.
An inconstant elf, he knows not himself,
Nor his own changing mind and hour,
He'll smile in your face, and , with wry grimace,
He'll wither your youngest flower.
Let the Summer sun to his bright home run,
He shall never be sought by me;
when he's dimmed by a cloud I can laugh aloud,
And I care not how sulky he be!
For his darling child is the madness wild
That sports in fierce fever's train;
And when love is too strong, it don't last long,
As many have found to their pain.
A mild harvest night, by the tranquil light
Of the modest and gentle moon,
Has afar sweeter sheen, for me, I ween,
Than the broad and unblushing noon.
But every leaf awakes my grief,
As it lieth beneath the tree;
So let Autumn air be never so fair,
It by no means agrees with me.
But my song I troll out, for CHRISTMAS stout,
The hearty, the true, and the bold;
A bumper I drain, and with might and main
Give three cheers for this Christmas old!
We'll usher him in with a merry din
That shall gladden his joyous heart,
And we'll keep him up while, there's bite or sup,
And in fellowship good, we'll part.
In his fine honest pride, he scorns to hide
One jot of his hard-weather scars;
They're no disgrace, for there's much the same trace
On the cheeks of our harvest tars.
Then again I sing till the roof doth ring,
And it echoes from wall to wall-
To the stout old wight, fair welcome to-night,
As the King of the Seasons of all!
*Part of the 2009 Holiday Reading Challenge
*All information from The Christmas Almanack by Gerard and Patricia Del Re
Happy Anniversary! Sounds like it was a good one :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for these interesting Christmas tidbits!
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