THE CHRISTMAS STORY

foreign [Music] um thank you the story of Christmas started many years ago when in the brilliant glow of a December Sunset there came to the little town of Bethlehem a caravan somewhere near its end a poorly clad labeler met a donkey with a woman on its back the dusty cloak that covered her body did not cover the fact that her condition was such as to make a trip of this time to Great hardship nonetheless Joseph and Mary were those were their names and journeyed all the way from the Highland Village of Nazareth the time when Mary would have to have privacy being almost at hand however Joseph for shelter of any sort sympathetic Innkeeper LED them through the merry-making crowds to the stable during the night these lonely humble surroundings the Child Jesus was born since the mysterious and glorious celebration of that first Christmas nearly 2 000 years ago the celebration of Christmas has undergone many changes it has lost none of its religious significance in coming down through the centuries but it is gradually attracted to itself the merrier lighter Spirit of other festivals so that today it is a delightfully joyous occasion in which solemn feelings are mixed with an overall sense of excitement Christmas would be almost inconceivable without the presence of Evergreens whose use for decorative purposes first stems from the Pagan belief that garlands carried a blessing into the Hall with its close association with Christmas Fireside and its religious symbolism Holly is looked upon as both beautiful and sacred dark green which leaves makes a brilliant contrast to the Virgin fight of winter snow while it's prickly points and bright red berries resembling drops of blood remind us that Mary's child is born to wear a crowned storm Carly reads with their stars of light and Center call to mind the joyful mysteries of the Incarnation and the sorrowful mysteries of the Cross and fashion la la la mistletoe so full of romance comes down to us from the ancient britons takes place beneath the mistletoe is never complete until a pearly Berry given to the maiden as a token of luck when all the berries are gone kissing must cease at this season of the year nothing is more popular with children than making a Christmas crib to represent the scene of the Nativity or burning candles in the windows to light the way of the child of Jesus who may be out alone cold in the dark one of the oldest of all Christmas traditions is that the blessed mother and her child may knock at the door on Christmas Eve to ask for food and shelter the family prays for this visit from the Holy One if enough is heard means great blessings for the house much as Evergreens and Yule logs contribute to the spirit of the Season Christmas would be incomplete without the sound of bells the bells ring at exactly midnight on Christmas Eve or we like to believe that is when Jesus was born at this happy time of year the ornament Laden fir tree stands a thing of wonder especially to children one Legend tells how on the night Jesus was born all the trees in the forest despite the ice and snow bloomed and bore fruit the transition from trees of natural Bloom to those artificially decorated was first made in Germany today there are almost no parts of the world which the Christmas tree is unknown among its decorations are usually angels and stars the one to remind us of the Heavenly Angel who announced the Shepherds the birth of the Savior and the other to represent the great star that led the three wise men of the Bethlehem Manger when the three wise men rode from the East into the West on that first Christmas night They carried as a gift to the Child Jesus three caskets filled with gold frankincense and myrrh it was beginning with this old old Journey Spirit of giving crept into the world's heart the United States by far the greatest Giver a gift is Santa Claus who's a merry old fellow with eight reindeer a sleigh and a good bit of Mystery fat and jolly with a ruddy complexion he wears a cap and suit of red trimmed with Irma he's the bright and human symbol of the Christmas spirit though nobody ever sees him that's no sign he doesn't exist there's not a child would go to sleep on Christmas Eve without first hanging up his stocking in the hope that Santa Claus will stop it gifts and goodies stockings are used for this purpose because they're supposed to bring good luck to send that once a long long time ago Santa Claus dropped the first down a chimney and that instead of landing on the heart it dropped into a stocking ever since people have been hanging up their stockings on Christmas Eve the beautiful carols which have come down to us through the ages are deeply woven into the romance of Christmas [Music] foreign [Music] expressing common emotions in a language easily understood their music can be shared by all foreign for the world can never become so wise that it failed to be stirred by children's voices singing of the angels and the Shepherds at the end of nearly 2 000 years The Christmas Story shows no signs of getting old because the spirit behind it is eternal it is rather the one story that seems forever new and that its true Spirit can no better be expressed than in the simple words Merry Christmas okay [Music]