Countdown to Christmas

The Night Before Christmas

The Night Before Christmas
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 down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the 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 the lustre of mid-day 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 coursers 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, DONNER 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 hand, 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 peddler 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 of 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 bowlful 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!"

Christmas Funnies!

Christmas Crossword

Click on the crossword to make it bigger so that you can print it! Have fun! I'll give you the answers tomorrow!

Sugar Cookies

The dough is easy-to-make, easy-to-use, and the cookies taste delicious. This dough also works wonderfully as spritz cookie dough.

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups flour
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium until smooth. Add sugar. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolk until combined. Add vanilla. Beat until combined.
2. Add flour and salt. Beat until combined, scraping down side of bowl occasionally.
3. Between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap with a rolling pin roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out shapes. Reroll and use scraps until all dough is used.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes,depending on the size of the cookies, or until lightly browned.
5. Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Make-Ahead

These cookies can be made through step 3, wrapped well, and refrigerated up to 1 week, or frozen up to 6 months.

Tips & Tricks

These cookies are also the perfect consistancy for making spritz cookies.

Preparation Time:

25 minutes, not including decorating time

Servings:

About 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cookie cutters

Baking Time: 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies

The Story of Santa's Reindeer

Rudolph wasn't born until more than a century later. In 1939 the Montgomery Ward company wanted to give away a Christmas booklet as a promotional gimmick. The store tapped one of its best copywriters, Robert L. May -- a 34-year old father whose wife was terminally ill -- to author the booklet. With his knack for writing children's limericks, May was the perfect choice.

For many of us, Rudolph and the rest of Santa's reindeer are as much a part of Christmas folklore as the holiday spirit itself. But these classic characters are very much a modern addition to Christmas tradition.

The legend of Santa's reindeer began in the now famous poem, "The Night Before Christmas." The poem, written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822 as a Christmas gift to his children, introduced the notion of Santa's sleigh being magically pulled by eight mythical reindeer:

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 coursers 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!"

But where was Rudolph, the most famous of all the reindeer, in Moore's poem?

Rudolph wasn't born until more than a century later. In 1939 the Montgomery Ward company wanted to give away a Christmas booklet as a promotional gimmick. The store tapped one of its best copywriters, Robert L. May -- a 34-year old father whose wife was terminally ill -- to author the booklet. With his knack for writing children's limericks, May was the perfect choice.

May sought out to create a hero for all children, but especially for those like himself, who were taunted and picked on for being smaller and slower than his peers. His vision led him to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, an underdog champion outcast for his glowing red nose.

Printed in 1939, the booklet reached a distribution of more than 2.4 copies through nationwide Montgomery Ward stores. Paper rationing during World War II curtailed production, but by 1946, more than 6 million copies of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had been given out. But by then, May was a widower and single dad, in deep debt from his wife's medical bills. In 1947, though, May secured his financial future when Montgomery Ward granted him the copyright over Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

May okayed the licensing of the first short animated film version of Rudolph in 1948 and in 1949, Gene Autry recorded the musical version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. That song went on to become the second best-selling song of all time ("White Christmas" is number one.)

The special place of Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer in America's Christmas culture was codified in 1964, when an animated version of the story was telecast for the first time. That beloved show has been aired every year since, making it the top Christmas show of all time.

Clean Christmas Jokes

What do monkeys sing at Christmas ? Jungle Bells, Jungle bells.. !

Why are Christmas trees like bad knitters ? They both drop their needles !

What's Christmas called in England ? Yule Britannia !

What did the bald man say when he got a comb for Christmas ? Thanks, I'll never part with it !

Why is a burning candle like being thirsty ? Beacause a little water ends both of them !

What do you get if you cross an apple with a Christmas tree ? A pineapple !

What do you give a train driver for Christmas ? Platform shoes !

What did the big candle say to the little candle ? I'm going out tonight !

Whats happens to you at Christmas ? Yule be happy !

How long does it take to burn a candle down ? About a wick !

Knock Knock Who's there ? Mary Mary who ? Mary Christmas !

What did one Angel say to the other ? Halo there !

How to cats greet each other at Christmas ? "A furry merry Christmas & Happy mew year" !

What do elephants sing at Christmas ? No-elephants, no elephants !

What does Dracula write on his Christmas cards ? Best vicious of the season

What do angry mice send to each other at Christmas ? Cross mouse cards !

How do sheep greet each other at Christmas ? A merry Christmas to ewe

History of the Christmas Advent Calendar

From the point of view of Christianity, Advent starts 4 Sundays before Christmas. Thus Advent in the religious sense could begin as early as 28th of November or as late as the 3rd of December. It was probably the German Protestants or Lutherans who invented the idea of Advent Calendar as running from December 1 - 25.

As a child, Gerhard Lang's mother had made him a basic advent calendar so that he could count down the days until Christmas. She placed 24 sweets onto a piece of cardboard and each day the young Gerhard would take and eat a sweet. When he grew up Gerhard Lang made the first printed advent calendar in 1908.

Later, in 1946, we see Richard Sellmer producing calendars in Germany. The US authorities had to grant him a license in the now post war Germany which led to his advent calendars becoming known and indeed very popular in the USA.

Sellmer's first advent calendar was called 'The Little Town'. The calendar had pictures of many buildings in the town and you would open the windows and the doors to find nice things underneath for each day of advent. Although these are not funny advent calendars, they are interesting, in particular Sellmer produced a very popular lamp shade advent calendar that would fit any lamp and would revolve under heat with 24 windows to open. These calendars can still be purchased from the Sellmer organisation today.

By the end of the 1950s, chocolate advent calendars had appeared, and by the following decade they had become widespread. People still make or buy advent calendars nowadays, with hundreds of different varieties appearing across the globe. A Carols' Calendar was created with a carol for each day of advent. In 1954 they produced the 'White House calendar' with the scenery of the White House in Washington. They then produced many varieties of pull out advent calendars.

Today, the most typical advent calendar is printed on cardboard with twenty four small doors. These calendars have many themes from religious ones with Mary and Joseph travelling to the stable, nativity scenes, church scenes, Bethlehem, winter wonderland and many more. A Santa stocking advent calendar offers a different idea. The stocking has a picture of a Christmas tree on it and you hang an ornament on the tree on each day of Advent.

Celebrating advent with an advent calendar is an ideal way to prepare for Christmas especially with children. The tradition of the advent calendars adds more meaning to Christmas for families everywhere.

Santas Smelly Socks

This is a quick and fun craft to make with many uses. You can place these smelly socks into shoes or just hanging up in a room.

Materials:
Pair of decorative Christmas Socks
PotPourri
Ribbon
Elastic bands

Start by filling your socks with potpourri. If your socks are new you can stretch them out a little by placing them onto your foot.

Stuff the potpourri into the sock nice and firm. Use elastic bands to close off the top of the sock and attach some ribbon.

You can hang these in pairs or just have one smelly sock hanging up.

These make lovely gifts and fundraiser items.

The time is almost here......

I have mailed off your package. Too bad it won't look as pretty as the package in the picture but I think you'll love what's inside. =) Just a matter of time until you find out who I am!