"Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to."

A Very Vintage Christmas post #3

17 days until Christmas

Happiest of holidays to one and all! Thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to keep up with us once again, and participate in A Very Vintage Christmas. We hope you are ready to read about another classic Christmas movie, as today is Sunday.

Miracle on 34th Street

1947 film

Starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn

A man by the name of Kris Kringle (Gwenn), a good-natured resident of Brook's Home for Old People in New York City, is shocked when he catches a glimpse of the man who is to portray Santa Claus in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and discovers that the man is drunk. Wishing to file a complaint, Kringle goes directly to the parade's coordinator, Doris Walker (O'Hara). The genial, bearded old gentleman is so passionate in his plea that they find someone else to portray the spirit of Christmas, and it does not escape Doris' attention that he looks the part of Santa Claus, so she hires him on the spot to dress up for the parade.

Later on in the day, once the parade is safely underway and going according to schedule, Doris returns to her apartment. Her young daughter Susan (Wood) is spending the afternoon in their neighbor's apartment watching the parade. When Doris goes to join them, she learns that her neighbor Fred Gailey (Payne) has developed a camaraderie with her daughter in the hopes of meeting Doris, who he knows to be a single mother. His plan works and he finally gets to meet her, and Susan even persuades her mother to invite him to eat Thanksgiving dinner with them.

Meanwhile, once the parade has finished for another year, everyone was so impressed with Kris Kringle that he is hired by Macy's Department Store to portray Santa for the rest of the holiday season. During his training by the manager of the toy department, he is instructed to suggest items from the store to holiday shoppers. Kris, however, believes in telling the truth, and tells shoppers who cannot find what they are looking for that they might be able to find it another store for a better price. The manager is furious at first, until one such customer declares that she will do all of her shopping at Macy's because Kris helped her discover the true spirit of generosity that comes with Christmas.

Eventually, Fred Gailey brings Susan to Macy's to visit Santa. Doris meets them in the store and gets upset

with Fred for filling Susan's head with frivolous nonsense. Susan, however, already believes that Kris Kringle is the real Santa Claus, no matter what her mother says. Doris gets fed up and demands that Kris tell her daughter who he really is, but he insists over and over that he truly is Santa Claus. Losing her patience, Doris asks to see his identification card. When he gives it to her, she sees that his name is listed as "Kris Kringle." She becomes unnerved, thinking that perhaps this new employee is mentally unstable. She wants to fire him on the spot so that he will not be able to influence any other children, but a surprise visit from store owner R.H. Macy prevents her from doing so. Later on, Doris and a store manager decide they will have Mr. Kringle evaluated by a director before they decide to dismiss him. Kriss passes his evaluation. Still believing that something is wrong, Doris contacts the doctor at the senior citizen center where Kris lives, only to be assured that nothing is wrong with the old gentleman, and that he might actually benefit from living closer to his place of employment. Fred Gailey hears of this and offers Kris a place in his apartment, not only because he wishes to help, but also because he thinks that Kris has had a good influence on Susan. The first night that Kris is staying at Fred's apartment, Susan comes to see him. She tells him that what she truly wants for Christmas is a real home to live in, like one she has seen in a magazine. Kris tells her that he will do his best to get it for her.

As time passes, a store employee takes steps to get Kris committed to a psychiatric institution. When Kris finds out what is going on, he believes that Doris had something to do with it as well. Feeling brokenhearted, he deliberately fails his competency test. Fred Gailey, who is not only a lawyer, but has also come to know

Kris as a friend, goes to his aid at once. He promises to try and get him out of the institution. Everything builds up to a trial in court to decide whether Kris is mentally sound or not. Knowing it will cost him his job, Fred represents Kris, determined to prove to he public that he is the real Santa Claus. Doris hears of this and tries to talk Fred out of it, but he refuses. She tells him that he is out of his mind to act on some "idealistic binge" over "lovely intangibles," to which Fred replies that hopefully one day Doris will learn that the "intangibles" are some of the only things worth having in life.

With a lot of hard work, and successful sway of public of opinion, Fred gets the case against Kris dismissed. On Christmas Day, Fred, Doris, and Susan are out and see the house that Susan wanted out of the magazine with a For Sale sign in front of it. Susan rushes into the vacant house, and the other two follow. Doris and Fred decide to get married and buy the house. When they turn to the door, Kris Kringle's old cane is propped up against the wall.

Miracle on 34th Street is a classic holiday gem that helps any viewer get in touch with the genuine spirit of good will and generosity which should accompany Christmas.

If you are interested in pricing or purchasing Miracle on 34th Street for yourself or someone else this holiday season, click on the following links:

Turner Classic Movies Gift Shop

Amazon

Barnes and Noble Online

Thank you so much for joining us again today. Please come back this Tuesday, December 10th, for a post on a Christmas tradition.

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

A Very Vintage Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas!

Well, actually it is Christmas Eve and at this point in time it is officially less than 24 hours until Christmas Day.

I want to keep this post short and sweet, but I also just can't bring myself to do it without providing a little historical background.

A Visit from Saint Nicholas is considered to be one of the best known American poems in history, and is also recognized and well known by people from all around the world. It was first published in the early 1820s, and nobody is completely sure who it was written by. It appeared as an anonymous poem but later on was connected to Clement Clarke Moore, the son of the famous New York bishop, Benjamin Moore.

It became immensely popular very quickly after its original publication, and it has never lost its popularity. Even today, almost 200 years later, it is still traditional in families all around the world to read it on Christmas Eve night. So here it is now, in its entirety, for your enjoyment.

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads,

And Mama in her kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap--

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,

Gave the luster of mid-day to the objects below;

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:

'Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer and Vixen!

On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donder and Blitzen;

To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!

Now, dash away! Dash away! Dash away, all!'

As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,

When the meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;

So up to the house-top the coursers, they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys--and St. Nicholas too:

And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:

He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys was flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack:

His eyes--how they twinkled! His dimples: how merry,

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face, and a little round belly

That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laugh'd when I saw him in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle:

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight--

'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!'"

Who is coming to town?

A Very Vintage Christmas post #2

And, to keep you updated, it is 24 days til Christmas!

The tradition of Santa Claus is one that most cultures around the world share. And I know that especially here in America, the average child grows up reading stories about Santa Claus, singing songs about him, and putting out milk and cookies for him on Christmas Eve. We're all familiar with the big, jolly man in the red suit with his reindeer and elves, passing out toys to good little girls and boys.

But who is he really?

Where did he come from?

The story of the founding of Father Christmas is actually an interesting one if you haven't heard it before. And even if you have, it's good to be reminded.

Saint Nicholas was actually a real person, also known as Nikolaos of Myra. He was a Greek bishop who was born in the modern day area of Turkey during the 300th century A.D.

He was known for his overwhelming generosity that he showed to people less fortunate than himself. There are many accounts of him giving gifts to those in need. He was a devoted orthodox Christian throughout his entire life, which is what he contributed his own spirit of generosity to. Other people of religious backgrounds throughout Europe were greatly inspired by Saint Nicholas, and they respected and revered him, so it was only natural that he would show up in many different artistic portrayals of saints and other religious figures. When he was artistically portrayed, he was usually depicted as an older, bearded man wearing red, canonical robes. You can see where this is going...

The Dutch, in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands, were some of the first to really develop the modern idea of Santa Claus. They referred to Saint Nicholas as Sinterklaas, who was an elderly, graceful, stately man with a long, white beard, and who dressed in a traditional white and red bishop's alb.

In their stories, Sinterklaas had his own book of right and wrong, in which was kept a record of children in the country who have been good and are therefore deserving of a reward, or who have been bad. His special helpers aid him in passing down gifts to good, sleeping children through people's chimneys or fireplaces. His helpers also carry willow canes and bags in order to snatch up naughty children.

Sinterklaas spread fairly quickly throughout other countries such as Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland, but each country tweaked the presentation to better fit their own customs and traditions. While it is easy to see the similarities between Sinterklaas and our modern day portrayal of Santa Claus, another similar character would come to life during the 17th century.

Father Christmas was Great Britain's take on Saint Nicholas. And it is from this redrawing of the traditional figure that we specifically get the temperament of Santa Claus. Father Christmas was a round, jolly, happy man. As far as looks go, one of the best representations of Father Christmas is Charles Dickens' depiction of the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol.

So how did we end up with our version of Santa Claus?

Well, he was/is a combination of all of the above figures--Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, and Father Christmas. The particular elements of Santa Claus and his sleigh, reindeer, etc. were brought about through published short stories and poetry that became very popular. An artist and cartoonist by the name of Thomas Nast drew the Santa Claus that we know today, and he is also largely given credit for coming up with the theory that Santa Claus resides in the North Pole.

And the rest is history. The story of Santa Claus and his generosity has not only been kept alive but has also grown through many pieces of literature, short stories, children's stories, poetry, etc. And of course, marketing and advertising have also helped as the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have progressed, keeping Saint Nicholas a tradition that we still know and love.

I love this video that I'm going to share with you. There is a famous piece of writing entitled Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus that was written as a response to a girl who sent in a letter asking if Santa was real in 1897. In this clip, Virginia herself reads the response to the letter she wrote as a child to a group of children.

That is all until Thursday, December 6.

So, be sure to check back with us then so you can start building your classic Christmas playlist with our first Christmas song choice of the season.

Until then, have a very happy, and A Very Vintage Christmas!