8 days till Christmas

8 days till Christmas
December 17th
Movie of the day: Holiday Inn
This delightful 1942 film with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire just warms the heart to the season! I stumbled upon this movie on netflix last year and was wonderfully surprised at how much I enjoyed it. "At an inn which is only open on holidays, a crooner and a hoofer vie for the affections of a beautiful up-and-coming performer."-Imdb.com

Christmas Carol of the day:
It came upon a midnight clear
http://www.christmas-carol-music.org/SATB/ItCameUpon_Carol.html
I somehow always get the feeling from the title of this one that it should be the name of some Christmas monster movie. This classic tune never fails to get stuck in my head though and is hummed much during this season.

Christmas Trivia
(brought to you by howstuffworks.com)
What is the Origin of the Traditional Mistletoe Kiss?
Who doesn't love hanging mistletoe? Although most mistletoe is parasitic, and, therefore, harmful to the trees on which it grows, the Celts thought it had magical powers for healing wounds and increasing fertility, so they placed it throughout their homes for good luck and to ward off evil spirits.
In ancient Britain, mistletoe was considered so sacred that it could only be cut with a golden sickle. Today, Americans decorate doorframes with this plant in hopes of catching a smooch from a sweetheart while standing under its leaves. This tradition is credited to Frigga, the Scandinavian goddess of love and beauty, and is said to date back to the eighth century.
http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/games/christmas-trivia5.htm


By Francois Vaillancourt, on Flickr

I've never had the pleasure of really being kissed under some mistletoe. My family on my father's side always hung it in the house in some unsuspecting spot, so you would always need to keep an eye out so you don't have to kiss a cousin or uncle or something.
I just love the part in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when the mistletoe appears above Harry and Cho and he says "probably full of nargles...". The scene right after the kiss always make me laugh!