"There never had been such a Christmas..."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #4

15 days until Christmas

One tradition many cultures all around the world share at Christmas is that of the Christmas stocking. Whether you wait to hang it up until you go to bed on Christmas Eve, or you leave it up all through the season as a decoration, most families hang up stockings that are filled with various kinds of "stuffers" that are taken out on Christmas morning.

The origin of this tradition is not known for sure, except that it comes from some place in Europe. In some places, there is a general legend which is told as to how the practice of hanging Christmas stockings began. This particular legend says that one Christmas Eve night, there was a father and his three daughters who were fretting over what should happen to the girls if their father were to pass away due to ill health, for they did not have enough money to marry respectably. Saint Nicholas was passing by in the street below and he longed to help them. So, legend has it that he stopped and threw 3 bags of gold coins into the window which were safely lodged in the stockings which were hung before the fire to dry. The little family awoke in the morning and they were overjoyed to find the gifts, which were then set aside to use as dowries.

Whether the legend is, in any respect,  true or not, it became a seasonal tradition. In years past, when children did not even expect to receive so many gifts as we do today, it is true that the only gifts they received on Christmas Day were the ones they found in their stockings upon waking. If you were to look at your Christmas stocking now you might note that it is not really that big, and overall, does not hold all that much, so that might not seem like such an agreeable idea to you. However, stockings, which were a mandatory article of clothing for a person's dress back then, were usually much longer, and therefore somewhat bigger, than the stockings we use at Christmas.

There are many different historical accounts or short stories in literature that include the tradition of using Christmas stockings, and that iterate or imply that the stockings were the only means of receiving gifts that some people had. Once such story, which we are going to share with you today, can be found in Laura Ingalls Wilder's book Little House On The Prairie. Published in 1935, it was written by Wilder about her life experiences in the late 1800s, and even includes a chapter about one special Christmas...

Chapter 19

"Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus"

"...Laura was anxious because Christmas was near, and Santa Claus and his reindeer could not travel without snow. Mary was afraid that, even if it snowed, Santa Claus could not find them, so far away in Indian Territory...It did not seem at all like Christmas time. Pa and Ma sat silent by the fire...After a longer while, Ma suddenly stood up. 'I'm going to hang up your stockings, girls,' she said. 'Maybe something will happen.' Laura's heart jumped. But she thought again of the creek and she knew nothing could happen. Ma took one of Mary's clean stockings, and one of Laura's, and she hung them from the mantle shelf, on either side of the fireplace. Laura and Mary watched her over the edge of their bed-covers. 'Now go to sleep,' Ma said, kissing them goodnight. 'Morning will come quicker if you're asleep.'

...Then she heard Jack growl savagely. The door-latch rattled and someone said, 'Ingalls! Ingalls!' Pa was stirring up the fire, and when he opened the door Laura saw that it was morning...Laura saw the stockings limply dangling, and she scrooged her eyes shut into the pillow. She heard Pa piling wood on the fire, and she heard Mr. Edwards say he had carried his clothes on his head when he swam the creek...'It was too big a risk, Edwards,' Pa said. 'We're glad you're here, but that was too big a risk for a Christmas dinner.'

'Your little ones had to have a Christmas,' Mr. Edwards replied. 'No creek could stop me, after I fetched their gifts from Independence'...Ma said she would put the presents in the stockings, as Santa Claus intended. She said they mustn't look...Then Ma said, 'You may look now, girls.' Something was shining bright in the top of Laura's stocking. She squealed and jumped out of bed. So did Mary, but Laura beat her to the fireplace. And the shining thing was a glittering new tin cup. Mary had one exactly like it. These new tin cups were their very own...Then they plunged their hands into the stockings again. And they pulled out two long, long sticks of candy. It was peppermint candy, striped red and white...Those stockings weren't empty yet. Mary and Laura pulled out two small packages. They unwrapped them, and each found a little heart-shaped cake...Laura and Mary never would have looked in their stockings again. The cups and the cakes and the candy were almost too much...But Ma asked if they were sure the stockings were empty. They put their arms down inside them, to make sure. And in the very toe of each stocking was a shining bright, new penny! They had never even thought of such a thing as having a penny. Think of having a whole penny for your very own. Think of having a cup, and a cake, and a stick of candy, and a penny.

There never had been such a Christmas."

-Laura Ingalls Wilder

It was not until after this tradition had been in place many years, long after children such as Mary and Laura were children no more, that people began to use special stockings that were especially made for decorative

purposes, as opposed to their everyday articles of clothing.

In countries with Germanic history, such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands, there is a version of the legend that says that shoes were set out before the fire, and filled with straw so that St. Nicholas would come on his mule, and exchange the straw for his steed with goodies. There is a large number of people in these countries today that still set out their shoes according to that tradition.

Most people set out stockings each year with their Christmas decorations. Perhaps you will do so this year, knowing the interesting history behind them. Or, perhaps you will even try out a different version of the tradition, and set out your shoes instead.

Whatever you may choose to do, we hope with all of our hearts that you have a very merry, and A Very Vintage Christmas!

Please join us this Thursday, December 12th, for a look at another classic Christmas song to add to your holiday playlist.

"May you beautifully rhyme your evetime song, ye singers.."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #2

20 days until Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Thank you so much for joining us again today for A Very Vintage Christmas.

Today, being a Thursday, is a day devoted to Christmas music. We have a beautiful song that you may or may not be familiar with, but will undoubtedly enjoy regardless.

"Ding dong merrily on high,

In heav'n the bells are ringing:

Ding dong! Verily the sky

Is riv'n with angels singing:

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

E'en so here below, below,

Let steeple bells be swungen,

And 'Io, io, io!'

By priest and people sungen.

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!

Pray you dutifully prime

Your matin chime, ye ringers;

May you beautifully rhyme

Your evetime song, ye singers.

Gloria, Hosanna in excelsis!"

Ding Dong Merrily On High is a traditional Christmas carol with a bit of history behind it. Like so many other similar seasonal tunes, the instrumental music has been around much longer than the words that now accompany it. In fact, the tune dates back to 16th century France, when it is believed to have been written by Jehan Tabourot. The song was meant to be used originally as a secular dance melody, which is why it is livelier sounding that some traditional Christmas carols which might have been composed for religious purposes.

The credit for the lyrics which we now associate with the music goes to an Englishman by the name of George Woodward. He wrote the words, in prose style, and they were published in 1924 as a part of a collection entitled The Cambridge Carol Book: Being Fifty-Two Songs for Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons.

For your listening pleasure, here is one of our personal favorite renditions of Ding Dong Merrily On High:

If you enjoyed the version of Ding Dong Merrily On High that we have posted, and you would like to hear or purchase more from the artist Celtic Woman, please click on the following link:

Amazon: Celtic Woman

Please come back again this Sunday, December 8th, for another classic holiday film that is sure to warm your heart.

Best holiday wishes to you, and remember to have A Very Vintage Christmas!

Just a little holiday affair..

A Very Vintage Christmas post #1

25 days until Christmas

Good afternoon, everybody! And welcome to the official kickoff for Think Classic's third annual A Very Vintage Christmas! We are so thrilled that you have decided to join us, and hope that we can do our part to make your days merrier and brighter with our charmingly vintage holiday festivities.

Today is Sunday, which means, according to our schedule, that it is time for a classic Christmas movie post.

Holiday Affair

1949 film

Starring Janet Leigh, Robert Mitchum, Wendell Corey, and Gordon Gebert

Steve Mason (Mitchum) is a war veteran who has no sense of direction in his life, and as a result drifts from place to place, just trying to get along. His wanderings bring him to New York City, and he acquires a job as a sales clerk at Crowley's Department Store for the busy Christmas season. He is working at the counter one day when he is approached by a young woman by the name of Connie Ennis (Leigh). He suspects that she might be a hired comparative shopper for another store, and his suspicions are confirmed when she asks to buy

an extremely expensive and valuable toy train set without hardly looking at it. Later that evening, Connie, who is a recent war widow, returns to her apartment and her waiting son Timmy (Gebert). Connie sets her purchases aside, but Timmy sees the train and becomes ecstatic, believing that it really is his Christmas present. She does her best to explain to her son that it truly isn't his present and that they aren't going to keep it, and Timmy is heartbroken. Connie does indeed go back to Crowley's the next day to return the train set. She is once again assisted by Steve. When she tells him that she needs to return it, but that nothing is wrong with it, he tells her that he knows what she is up to and threatens to report her. Connie panics and tells him that she is truly sorry. She knows it isn't honest, but she is a widow with a young son, who is just trying to make ends meet and get through the holiday season. Steve feels badly for her, so he decides to let her return it and he gives her a full refund. Unfortunately, Steve was being observed by a manager, and since he acted against store policy he loses his job. He follows Connie into another department and helps her as she selects another purchase to do comparative pricing for her

employers. They leave the department store together and walk about the city, talking and getting to know one another.

They then go from one department store to another to buy more things on Connie's list, and as there is so much to carry, he helps her with it until they get separated by a crowd at a bus stop.

Connie heads home on her own, where Timmy and her fiance Carl Davis (Corey) are

decorating a Christmas tree. Unexpectedly, the door bell rings and when Connie goes to answer it she finds Steve standing there with the rest of her packages. Carl is instantly jealous and suspicious of the two of them, while Timmy is instantly smitten with Steve and takes to him naturally. As they are all talking together, Timmy blows up at Carl, who he doesn't really like. When Carl tries to discipline Timmy, Connie gets upset and tells him to "get your hands off my boy!" Carl is very upset by her reaction, feeling that she doesn't trust him with her son, so he promptly leaves, despite Connie's apologies.

Steve believes it is because of his presence in the Ennis home that such trouble was caused, but Connie doesn't agree. He tells her goodbye, and promises not to trouble her anymore for fear that he will fall in love with her. He says goodbye to Timmy and then kisses Connie before he goes, wishing them both a Merry Christmas.

The next day, Connie meets up with Carl at a restaurant and the two of them discuss what happened at the apartment. They forgive one another and make up, and they decide to get married on New Year's Day, to "start the year off right."

On Christmas morning, Timmy is ecstatic and thanks his mother over and over for his present.

She is confused about which present he means, and then he shows her the train set she had returned earlier. Connie catches on quickly, knowing exactly where the train came from.She is honest with Timmy, telling him that the train is a gift from Steve, not from her. After breakfast, Connie goes to Steve's hotel to try and make things right, only to discover that he checked out. She finds him in Central Park and offers to pay him for the train, but he refuses. She gives him a necktie that had been wrapped under the tree to give to Carl. The two are getting along fine when Steve tells Connie that she would be making a mistake if she married Carl. She gets angry and goes home.

Later that afternoon, some police show up at the Ennis household and explain that Steve Mason has been arrested, and he requested that they come down to the station to help straighten everything out, as it is all a misunderstanding. Carl, who is a lawyer, takes on Steve as his client, but what really sets Steve free is the necessary confession from Connie that she had gone to see Steve that morning and had given him a necktie as a present. Everything gets set in order, Steve is released, Timmy invites him over for Christmas dinner, and Carl is very unhappy with everything. Christmas dinner is a little awkward, but fine overall, until Steve announces to everyone, including Connie's former in-laws, that he is in love with her and she should marry him instead of Carl. Connie gets upset and asks him to leave.

The next day dawns dismally with everyone still upset over the night before. Timmy decides to take his train to Crowley's Department Store and return it so that he can give the money to Steve. Connie and Carl then go to Steve's hotel to give him the money from Timmy, but Connie is afraid to see him. Carl realizes that he has no chance against Steve and breaks it off with Connie. She is already distraught when she finally goes into the building to see Steve, and the two of them bicker and she storms out on him.

In the nick of time, Connie realizes that she can't keep walking out on Steve if she really loves him, and she knows that she does. Steve had told her that he was leaving for California, so she takes Timmy and the two of them board the train and find Steve together to ask him to stay.

Holiday Affair is a delightful and lighthearted Christmas romance, which will remind you of the optimism and hope that the Christmas season brings when you endeavor to enjoy it with all of your heart.

If you would like to see this classic Christmas film, you can view it uncut and commercial free on Turner Classic Movies on Sunday, December 15th, at 12:15 pm ET.

Also, if you are interested in buying Holiday Affair as a Christmas gift for yourself or a loved one, you can click the following links to price and buy it online:

TCM Shop: Classic Holiday Collection

Amazon

Barnes and Noble Online

We hope that you have enjoyed this post today, and that you will come back and join us this Thursday, December 5th, to add a classic Christmas tune to your holiday playlist.

Until then, we wish you a very merry, and A Very Vintage Christmas!

Seasonal Specials

Hello followers and readers!

This is just a simple announcement post for things that are coming up over the next couple of months that you might want to mark on your calendars.

First of all, it might not have escaped your notice that the site has a new fall look. This is in honor of Thanksgiving, which is coming up in a few weeks, on November 28th. We will do a couple of posts in honor of the holiday, but other than that, the site is going to be pretty quiet due to preparations for our third annual segment of A Very Vintage Christmas, which will begin, as always, on December 1st.
We will be sticking to the same schedule that we use every year, which means there will be:
Classic Christmas music posts on Thursdays

                                                   12/5

                                                   12/12

                                                   12/19

Classic Christmas movie posts on Sundays

                                                   12/1

                                                   12/8

                                                   12/15

                                                   12/22

Two posts on the history of different Christmas traditions

                                                   12/10

                                                   12/20

And a special post on Christmas Eve.

We are so excited to spend the holiday season with all of you!

Thank you for all of your support,

The Think Classic team

"New Year's Day is every man's birthday."-Charles Lamb

There's a lot of good history and tradition behind New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebrations, and since the new year is in sight, I thought it'd be fun to give a little backgroud.But not in a droll, boring kid of way, of course.

As most people know, even if they don't live in the United States, in America, one of our biggest celebrations for New Year's Eve is the ball drop in Times Square.

The original ball was dropped on New Year's Eve in 1907.

The ball was made of wood and iron, weighed around 700 pounds, and only measured 5 feet in diameter.

Now, if you know anything about the New Year's ball we currently have perched in Times Square, you couldn't help but notice that it has undergone some drastic changes for the better since 1907. It was replaced for the first of several times in 1920.It remained the same size of 5 feet in diameter, but was made only of iron, and weighed around 400 pounds.That ball stayed in use until the 1950s, when it was replaced for a second time with a ball made of aluminum, making it weigh a slight 150 pounds.
The year 1995 brought some interesting changes.Rhinestone and strobe lights were added to the ball.This was also the first year that the ball was lowered with computer technology.
A new ball was designed for the new millenium-radically different from the old ones.
This new ball measured 6 feet in diameter, weighed over 1,000 pounds, was covered in over 500 Waterford Crystal triangles, and was illuminated with 600 bulbs (both internal and external) plus strobe lights and spinning mirrors.
One thing I hadn't known before today, but I think is really neat, is that many of these triangles on the New Millenium ball were inscribed with messages like "Hope for Fellowship," "Hope for Wisdom," "Hope for Unity," etc. The New Millenium ball was used for 7 years.
Then, for the 100th anniversary of the ball drop, yet another ball was made.This ball was 6 feet in diameter, weighs 1,212 pounds, and was lit with LED lights. This fifth Centennial ball was used for only one year (which seems a little extravagant/excessive to me, but what do I know?).
It was then replaced by the ball we will be using tomorrow night.The same design was kept, but it was enlarged so that the current ball sitting in Times Square as I type is 12 feet in diameter, weighs over 11,000 pounds, and has over 9,000 bulbs that light it.This new ball is so much bigger and heavier that the flag pole it sits on had to be rebuilt to support it.

"Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
And old lang syne?
For auld lang syne,my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne."

First verse and chorus to the song Auld Lang Syne, based off of a traditional Scottish poem.
The phrase "auld lang syne" translates to something along the lines of "old times," and is sung at many things that signify the ending of one chapter in life and the beginning of another, but is most widely known today for being sung at midnight on New Year's Eve.
Listen to the song here:

And, with that, I wish you a very safe and happy New Year's Eve tomorrow.
Celebrate it with people you love.
Here's to resolutions
hope for a new year
and hope that the New Year's Eve ball really doesn't get stuck halfway down the flagpole.
;)

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice."-T.S. Eliot

"Some people swear there's no beauty left in the world, no magic. Then how do you explain the whole world coming together to celebrate the hope of a new year?"-New Year's Eve, 2011