In Christmas in the 1950s we looked a first time at the way we and experienced the Winter holidays and enjoyed watching the movies.
When had started sixth grade in Gretna, Louisiana to spend the next three years at the same “Grammar School” his life was common to those of his school mates.
Cover of one of the books of the Robert L. May story by Maxton Publishers, Inc. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Like in our country he had also real Christmas holidays, and had real Christmas programs at school. When we do hear our grand children and see what is done at schools for the Christmas holiday we do not see such nice activities like we had in school. Though, Today there are more people stressing that this is the Season of the Year, and several Christians are shouting that Christmas should be the Reason of the Season. But when they want to celebrate the birth of Christ, not much seems to remind people to that birth of the Jewish rabbi who is our saviour. On the streets and in the shops the so called Christmas songs do not really mention Jesus Christ but go on about reindeer, Santa(s), jingle bells and present, though not that special present or precious gift you could call Jesus Christ. The winter-related songs celebrate the climatic season, with all its snow, dressing up for the cold, sleighing, etc. and with the years all the pagan elements came more and more to the forefront, new mythical characters created, defined, and popularised by these songs; “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” both introduced by Gene Autry a year apart (1949 and 1950 respectively).
In the previous century we gathered and special presentations were offered to sing carols.
remembers
We would sing Christmas carols, which included biblical songs. The school would give the children song sheets that showed the words to those biblical songs. Teachers were free to talk to their classes about their church lives. {120714 – Christmas Of Simpler Times}
Today lots of teachers are not allowed to speak about their religious life. They are not allowed to talk about Jesus Christ being the saviour. church live and talks about God are in many schools not authorised any more.
The kids have also nothing to share about church life, because most of them never go to church or just have some periods of church activity to prepare them for the first and/or second communion. they are not really interested in anything to do with church or with religion. The talk of the day is the new smartphone or any other new electronic gadget, plus laughing with one or the other posting on Facebook. Television lost grace in the hand of our grandchildren. The present generation does not watch so much television as we did or do, but have their eyes focused on the computer screen, watching al sorts of postings or games.
Most of my friends watched the same television programs. {120714 – Christmas Of Simpler Times}
writes
We didn’t have cable tv or dish types, so our selection was limited to traditional network programming. The programs were family oriented and were not restricted to “church and state” limitations.The Cleaver family went to church and Sunday School. Andy, Barney, Aunt Bea, Opie, and Gomer were shown in their church, even when Gomer might fall asleep and snore during the “Reverend’s” sermons.
The Christmas programs that were produced and shown by ABC, NBC, and CBS did not hide the fact that “Jesus was the reason for the season.” Television hosts did not omit “Jesus” from their discussions when they were talking about Christmas. Jesus was truly “God with us” during those programs. {120714 – Christmas Of Simpler Times}
Jesus nor God are the subject of this season. It is time that those who call themselves Christian and find that this should be a time to think about Christ Jesus, perhaps should do better to have others thinking about that special man who was sent by God for a specific reason.
In Belgium we listened, behind frosted windows, to songs like the one of Frank Sinatra who sung about the songs for you and me, but were told that this was all about that heathen character the Americans loved so much, because their country had become slave of consumption. Today we in Europe are not better off. Most people are slave of money and consumption. As in the previous article told, they even get so much stress that we have already time spend in the media about that ‘Christmas stress‘.
Of the time when every one falls in love there is not so much to see. In some American writings we hear that it is now fashionable to have a divorce around Christmas. Many have new years dreams of having some extramarital adventures with some delicious unknown and some even think it can be good fun to have some extra sex with somebody of their own gender. Those same gender relations are also promoted extra in this time of year. This week for example we had on television some gays who prepared meals for each other and talked every episode about the ‘Christmas kitsch’.
Merry Christmas (Bing Crosby album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the 1950ies and 1960ies from the States we got Andy Williams and Bing Crosby who be the must haves and must hears at the Winter holiday season. You may wonder what glow it is when snow would appear these days. But even the snow has given it up and Winter does not want to let see her face. Bing Crosby reminded people about what happened in Bethlehem and asked people to remember it not just in this particular season but the whole year through.
Judi Harbin remarked
Just as we cannot benefit from a wrapped gift under the Christmas tree until we open it, so gratitude can be seen as our way of opening the gift of God’s love intended by all the small and big positive events of our lives
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One of the Biggest Christmas hits in several families for years
“White christmas” by Bing Crosby (1942) Original
Later he made a more fluent, faster version, which I like more
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O Little Town Of Bethlehem – Bing Crosby
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Bing Crosby “The Secret Of Christmas”
“The Secret Of Christmas” was written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn for Bing Crosby, and was first performed by Bing in the 1959 film, ‘Say One For Me’. Bing recorded “The Secret Of Christmas” with an arrangement by Frank DeVol for a single that year released by Columbia Records. Bing recorded the song again in 1964 for the album 12 Songs Of Christmas with Fred Waring and His Orchestra.
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It may well be that after World War II our families had to overcome the shocks of the Great War and the last atrocity which showed the cruelty of man and made it so much more important to focus on the better soul of mankind. Perhaps it was truly a much simpler time of Christmas in our nation’s not too distant history.
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Preceding articles
Solstice, Saturnalia and Christmas-stress
Looking for the consummation of presents
One can buy a lot in the supermarket, but not hope
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Additional reading
- Creator and Blogger God 11 Old and New Blog 1 Aimed at one man
- Objects around the birth and death of Jesus
- Our love for Jesus – A Christian Science perspective
- Isaiah 55-56, Revelation 11
- God’s wrath and sanctification
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Further reading and listening
- Celebrating 365 Days of Legends, Folklore & Spirituality for December 17 – 23 – Saturnalia
- Countdown to Christmas 17: Saturnalia
- War On Christmas Memes: Saturnalia
- Christmas: it’s all about money, not messiahs.
- Why Did He Come?
- What Really Happened?
- He Loves You So
- 10 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy, Happy, Glow Over Christmas and Into the New Year
- Cancer survivor supports others battling the disease with massive Christmas light display
- Giving money for Christmas: When and how to do it right
- Carols by Candlelight
- “Hush, now listen…”
- Hymn, ‘Mary, Did You Know?’
- Carol, ‘I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing on Christmas Day’
- Joy to the World, Not Just Another Christmas Carol
- Christmas Carol Day 17
- Jubilation
- Manifestation
- “For hate is strong and mocks the song”–A Civil war Christmas carol
- Celebrating Christmas as a Family
- Holiday Decoration: Celebrate Christmas in Style
- Dec 18: My somewhere peaceful is Christmas magic
- New trending GIF tagged 80s christmas vhs 1987…
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