14 days till Christmas

14 days till Christmas
December 11th
Movie of the day: The Holiday
I watch this movie throughout the year I love it so much! Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Jude Law and Cameron Diaz play so well off each other. It is a lovely heartwarming film that really gives the message of being a strong woman confident in oneself enough to work through heartache and loss. I just love the part with Jack Black in the Blockbuster. I went out and watched the Mission after seeing this the first time because he said “Promise me you'll rent it and listen to it. It changed my world!”

Christmas Carol of the day:
What child is this?
http://www.christmas-carol-music.org/Lead_Sheets/WhatChildIsThis.html
We usually only sing verses 1 and 3 on this one.

Christmas Trivia
(brought to you by howstuffworks.com)
What is the Origin of the Christmas Tree?
The Christmas tree is thought to have originated in a play often performed in the Middle Ages during the Advent season. Based on the story of Adam and Eve, the play featured a Paradise Tree in the Garden of Eden that was decorated with apples to symbolize Eve's temptation. The tree used in the play was an evergreen tree, which symbolized fertility and a renewal of life.

Later, in 16th century Germany, people would hang apples, gilded candies, colored paper, and roses from tree branches. Martin Luther, inspired by the beauty of stars shining through the branches of a fir tree, is credited with being the first person to add lighted candles to a tree.
Some believe that King George, a native of Germany, brought the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree to England. Others credit Queen Victoria with bringing the tradition to England from Germany where her husband, Prince Albert, was raised.
An etching of the British royal family gathered around a Christmas tree in Windsor Castle in 1848 prompted the spread of this favorite decoration throughout Victorian England. The custom was brought to the United States when German immigrants in Pennsylvania continued to decorate Christmas trees just as they had done in their homeland.
http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/games/christmas-trivia5.htm

We always had a fake tree when I was growing up. Asthma runs in my family so it was never safe to have a real tree in the house. I loved our tree. It was just a pole with branches that you stuck into it but once you got the garland and lights and bajillions of ornaments on, it looked great! We had it for at least 40 years. One year we tried to move it without taking the decorations off and it snapped in half. We made a quick fix that year tying it together, but the next year we bought a new tree with lights all over it. It shone so beautifully in the dark. We were amazed at the number of lights. I learned a hard lesson about pre-lit trees that year. It looked so beautiful that I decorated it with the lights on. I reached into the tree to straighten the top section and I got electrocuted pretty bad. I had a mark like a flower on the back of my left hand for about 2 months. Now I don't plug in the lights till the unveiling when it is all done. It is a little more dramatic that way. Careful around your trees this year everyone and make sure you are not overloading your plug ins. Burning your house down does not make for a happy Christmas. :D