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Dinah Maria Mulock is also here for us and for are sense of good will, It is the Christmas time: And up and down ‘twixt heaven and earth, In glorious grief and solemn mirth, The shining angels climb.
Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, that the Divinest Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is also of Heaven’s making. Thank you Leigh Hunt, that certainly brings the full spirit of Christmas into focus for us.
John Kendrick Bangs sharpens our focus as well, Whose heart doth hold the Christmas glow Hath little need of Mistletoe; Who bears a smiling grace of mien Need waste no time on wreaths of green; Whose lips have words of comfort spread Needs not the holly-berries red. His very presence scatters wide The spirit of the Christmastide.
You may think it was Charlie Brown who said, The perfect Christmas tree? All Christmas trees are perfect! but it was actually Charles N Barnard. Even so, it’s so true.
Let’s give Edgar Guest a chance to get in his two cents worth, At Christmas a man is at his finest towards the finish of the year; He is almost what he should be when the Christmas season’s here; Then he’s thinking more of others than he’s thought the months before, And the laughter of his children is a joy worth toiling for. He is less a selfish creature than at any other time; When the Christmas spirit rules him he comes close to the sublime.
Woops, that pesky author unknown is butting in again with another dose of reality, Christmas is the season when you buy this year’s gifts with next year’s money.
Eric Sevareid puts us back on track though, As long as we know in our hearts what Christmas ought to be, Christmas is.
Bob Hope expands on the point, When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things — not the great occasions — give off the greatest glow of happiness.
D D Monroe is also on board with the sentiment, It is the one season of the year when we can lay aside all gnawing worry, indulge in sentiment without censure, assume the carefree faith of childhood, and just plain “have fun.” Whether they call it Yuletide, Noel, Weinachten, or Christmas, people around the earth thirst for its refreshment as the desert traveller for the oasis.
Okay Benny Hill, go ahead, we know you are itching to remind the rest of us, Roses are reddish, Violets are bluish. If it weren’t for Christmas, We’d all be Jewish.
Joan Winmill Brown is stepping in to keep us on the Christmas track, Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given, when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.
Ada V Hendricks knows about the essence of Christmas too, May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope; The spirit of Christmas which is peace; The heart of Christmas which is love.
Agnes M. Pahro knows as well, What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.
Be merry all, be merry all, With holly dress the festive hall; Prepare the song, the feast, the ball, To welcome merry Christmas. It sounds like William Robert Spencer is ready for the party.
But J T Driscoll reminds us that there is much more to Christmas than the party, The glad greeting of Merry Christmas is a pledge of brotherhood. We are one great family. No wonder that Christmas is above all others the family day. A transfigured atmosphere of peace and love breathes around the home. The gifts and tenders of affection cement more closely the sacred ties of family life. The peace and love of this hallowed time shines like a halo around us; it goes with us as we hasten through the crowded streets; it brightens and cheers those we meet. There are no strangers on Christmas Day.
There is likely no objection to giving Henry Wadsworth Longfellow the last word for this edition of Christmas wisdom, I heard the bells on Christmas Day, Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men!