054 - A nightmare before Christmas

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 stop motion fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a being from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to "Christmas Town". Danny Elfman wrote the film score and provided the singing voice of Jack, as well as other minor characters. The remaining principal voice cast includes Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Ken Page and Glen Shadix.
The genesis of The Nightmare Before Christmas started with a poem by Tim Burton as a Disney animator in the early-1980s. With the success of Vincent in 1982, Disney started to consider The Nightmare Before Christmas as either a short subject or 30-minute television special. Over the years, Burton's thoughts regularly returned to the project, and in 1990, Burton and Disney made a development deal. Production started in July 1991 in San Francisco. Walt Disney Pictures decided to release the film under their Touchstone Pictures banner because they thought Nightmare would be "too dark and scary for kids".[2] The Nightmare Before Christmas has been viewed with critical and financial success. Disney has reissued the film annually under their Disney Digital 3-D format since 2006.

055 - Trying to scared Santa

056 - Trick or Treat

057 - How Long?

A drunken Irishman gets on a train and asks the conductor how long the trip is between Limerick to Cork.

"About two hours," says the conductor.

"Okay," says the drunkard, "then how long is the trip between Cork to Limerick?"

The irate conductor says to the drunk " It's still about two hours, laddie.

Why'd ya think there'd be a difference?" "Well," says the drunk, "it's only a week between Christmas and New Year's, but it's a helluva long time between New Year's and Christmas!"

058 - The Gift (Guitar)

Thanks for the electric guitar you gave me for Christmas,” little Chris Cody said to his uncle the first time he saw him after the holidays.

“It’s the best present I ever got.”

”That’s great,” said his uncle.

“Do you know how to play it?”

"Oh, I don’t play it,” the little fellow said. “My mom gives me a dollar a day not to play it during the day and my dad gives me five dollars a week not to play it at night.

059 - Six Legged Turkey for Xmas

An industrious turkey farmer was always experimenting with breeding to perfect a better turkey. His family was fond of the leg portion for dinner and there were never enough legs for everyone. After many frustrating attempts, the farmer was relating the results of his efforts to his friends at the general store get together.' Well I finally did it! I bred a turkey that has 6 legs!' They all asked the farmer how it tasted. 'I don't know, 'said the farmer, 'I never could catch it!'

060 - Flying Problem

061 - Shopping for Turkey

It was Christmas Eve in a supermarket and a woman was anxiously picking over the last few remaining turkeys in the hope of finding a large one.

In desperation she called over a shop assistant and said

"Excuse me. Do these turkeys get any bigger?"

"No" he replied, "They're all dead".

062 - Disappointed

Alex was five; all his Christmas presents were always signed, 'from Santa Claus.'

'What's the matter, Al?' asked the mother.

'Ummmm, 'replied Alex slowly, 'I really hoped that you Mommy and Daddy would give me something for Christmas.'

063 - Star Bucks

065 - Advise from Mr. Frosty

066 - Job Evaluation

067 - The Chat Addict

068 - Santa's Eye Check

069 - Santa in trouble

070 - Santa's Credit Card

071 - Christmas 2010 is Cancelled

072 - Our Christmas Memories

Capispisan Clan Christmas Memories 2007 ~ 2009

073 - A message from Santa

074 - First Christmas Tree in White House

The first president to decorate the white house Christmas tree in the United States was Franklin Pierce.

Franklin Pierce, Fourteenth President of the United States - 1853 to 1857

Pierce was born on November 23, 1804 in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. His father was politically active having first fought in the Revolutionary War and then served in various offices in New Hampshire including being Governor of the State. Pierce went to a local school and two academies before attending Bowdoin College in Maine. He studied with both Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He graduated fifth in his class and then studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1827.

075 - Candy Cane

Of all the beautiful traditions of Christmas, few are so ancient in meaning and so rich in symbolism as the Candy Cane.

From the beginning of the tradition of the Christmas Tree, it was customary to decorate the tree with symbols of the newborn Christ. Candles represented the Light of the World, the Star recalled that first Christmas night, and the shepherd's crook symbolized the humble shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem who were first to receive the news, "Unto You is Born a Savior."

Christmas tree decorations in Europe, from which our tradition comes, were customarily made of food, principally cookies and candy. This symbolically expresses thanks for "Our Daily Bread" as well as providing a Christmas treat for the children. Thus, the shepherds crook becomes a candy cane.

As time went on, many ornaments took a more permanent nature but the Candy Cane retains the original use and meaning of Christmas Tree ornaments.

Candy Canes on the Christmas tree symbolize the Shepherds in the fields on that first Christmas night, shepherds who heard the angel chorus and came to worship at the crib of the newborn King. They are also sign of our thanks to God for the food he has given us all during the year, and not least of all, they are an inexpensive and delightful Christmas treat for the family.

076 - Santa's Reindeers

Santa Claus's reindeer are a team of flying reindeer traditionally held to pull the sleigh of Santa Claus and help him deliver Christmas gifts. The commonly cited names of the reindeer are based on those used in the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, arguably the basis of reindeer's popularity as Christmas symbols, where they are called Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen. Dunder was later changed to Donner

The subsequent popularity of the Christmas song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" has led to another reindeer name joining the popular roll-call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The original eight reindeer

The anonymously-published poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "The Night Before Christmas" or "Twas the Night Before Christmas") is largely credited for the contemporary Christmas lore, including the eight flying reindeer and their names.
In the poem, Santa's transport is a "miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer" and the reindeer are "more rapid than eagles." The poem does not describe them, nor their positions in the sleigh-team, but does say they fly.

The relevant segment of the poem reads:

when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,

with a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
"Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer, and Vixen!
"On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!

"To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

"Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

077 - Silent Night

STORIES BEHIND THE SONGS YOU GREW UP WITH


"SILENT NIGHT," Franz Gruber and Joseph Mohr--1818

On Christmas Eve, 1818, the organ broke down in the church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, a town near Salzburg, Austria. Franz Gruber, a temporary organist, saved the day by composing music for a new hymn, "Song of Heaven," which could be sung to the accompaniment of a guitar, the only other instrument available. The assistant priest, Joseph Mohr, wrote the words. That evening, the song was sung to the plaintive and expressive sounds of the guitar.

"Silent Night" might have been lost forever had not Gruber and Mohr given the organ builder who came to fix the organ a special performance of their new song. He was so impressed that he memorized the words and sang them to people everywhere he went. Later, he taught the song to a traveling quartet, and in 1840 it was published.

By 1854 the hymn had become famous, but the name of the composer had been lost. A search was begun, and Franz Gruber was discovered, still an organist but an impoverished one. Fame did not do much for him; he was then 67, and he died nine years later.

The first translation of the hymn was made by Emily E. S. Elliot for the choir of St. Mark's Church in Brighton, England, but it is not the one used today. It was not until 1871 that the opening words "Silent night, holy night" first appeared in print, in The Sunday School Hymnal.

Ernestine Schumann-Heink, the great Austrian-American contralto, recorded the song in the early 1900s, but it did not reach the height of its popularity until Bing Crosby sang it in the movie The Bells of St. Mary's (1945).

078 - Sleigh Ride

“Sleigh Ride” is the only Holiday song written originally as an instrumental piece for a symphony orchestra. The Boston Pops Orchestra gave the first performance in a concert conducted by Arthur Fiedler at Symphony Hall in Boston, May 4, 1948. Mills Music published it that same year. The Boston Pops Orchestra recorded it in June of 1949. Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1949.

079 - Coca Cola (Trivia)

Coca Cola was the first beverage company to use Santa for a winter promotion.

The Coca-Cola Company began its Christmas advertising in the 1920s with shopping-related ads in magazines like The Saturday Evening Post. The first Santa ads used a strict-looking Claus, in the vein of Thomas Nast.

At this time, many people thought of Coca-Cola as a drink only for warm weather. The Coca-Cola Company began a campaign to remind people that Coca-Cola was a great choice in any month. This began with the 1922 slogan "Thirst Knows No Season," and continued with a campaign connecting a true icon of winter -- Santa Claus -- with the beverage.

to read more ....

http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/cokelore_santa.html

080 - Jingle Bells

The Christmas song Jingle Bells was composed in 1857 by James Pierpoint. At that time, it was called One-Horse Open Sleigh.

082 - Red Suit

Where Did That Guy in the Red Suit Come From?


The origin of Santa Claus depends on which country's story you choose to adopt. Santa Claus comes from the Dutch words "Sinter Klaas", which is what they call their favorite saint, St. Nicholas. He is said to have died on December 6, A.D. 342. December 6th is celebrated as his feast day, and in many countries this is the day he arrives with his presents and punishments.

Nicholas lived in what is now called Turkey. He was born about A.D. 280 in the town of Patras. His parents were wealthy and he was well educated. Nicholas seems to have had a remarkable childhood. While still a young boy he was made Bishop of Myra, and because of this he has been known ever since as the Boy Bishop. He was renowned for his extreme kindness and generosity – often going out at night and taking presents to the needy. Santa's rise to fame can be traced to two legends – the three daughters and the children at the Inn.

083 - The Legend of the Poinsettia

The legend of the plant we now associate so strongly with Christmas arose years ago in Mexico, where it was traditional to leave gifts on an altar for Jesus on Christmas Eve. As the story goes, among a group of worshippers one night was a poor boy that had no present. Upset by his inability to provide a gift, the boy knelt outside the church window and prayed. In the spot, where he knelt there sprung a beautiful plant with vibrant red leaves. In Mexico this plant is called "the Flower of the Holy Night."

The first American ambassador to Mexico (1825-1829), Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, was impressed by the vibrant plant Mexicans called "the Flower of the Holy Night." He brought it to America, where it was subsequently renamed in his honor. Today, Encitas, California, is called the poinsettia capital of the world because of the large number of poinsettias found there.

084 - Santa Claus by Thomas Nast

Thomas Nast, a well known and respected painter, found inspiration for his extremely popular painting of today's Santa Claus from Clement C. Moore's world famous poem, The Night Before Christmas ("A Visit from St.Nicholas" ).
Thereafter no one could prevent the inevitable triumph of Moore's lovable Santa.