Friday

Dec. 25, 1998

This Holy Night

by Eleanor Farjeon

FRIDAY 12/25

Poem: "This Holy Night," by Eleanor Farjeon (1881-1965), from Poems for Christmas, ed. Neil Philip (St. Martin's Press, 1995).

It's CHRISTMAS DAY. Many modern Christmas traditions are a mixture of pagan and Christian elements, such as the use of evergreen, holly, ivy, and mistletoe as symbols of good luck and peace. Many modern Christmas traditions date from the 19th century, such as sending Christmas cards and the modern version of Santa Claus. The poinsettia comes to us from Mexico, where it is called the "flower of the blessed night" because it resembles the Star of Bethlehem and because it blooms in the winter months. It was introduced into the United States in 1828 by the American ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, after whom it is named.

According to tradition the FIRST NATIVITY SCENE is said to have been created by St. Francis of Assisi in the Umbrian village of Greccio, Italy in 1223. St. Francis is also credited with introducing Christmas carols at this nativity mass.

It was on Christmas in 1914 that soldiers fighting in the trenches of France in World War I began an unofficial CHRISTMAS TRUCE. It started with Christmas carols, in a sort of contest between the two sides, food was thrown back and forth, and then the soldiers climbed out of the trenches, shook hands, and exchanged food, badges, cigarettes, and other items. The war had only been going on for a few months.

It's the birthday of CAB CALLOWAY, born in Rochester, New York, in 1907, the American jazz composer, band-leader and singer, known as the "King of Hi-De-Ho" and the tune "Minne the Moocher."

It's the birthday of LOUIS CHEVROLET, the automobile designer, born in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland, in 1878, who built the first Chevrolet car in 1911.

It's the birthday of the businesswoman HELENA RUBINSTEIN, born in Krakow, Poland in 1870, founder of the cosmetics company that bears her name.

It's the birthday of COSIMA WAGNER, wife of composer Richard Wagner, born in 1837 in Bellagio, in the state of Lombardy.

It's the birthday of CLARA BARTON, born in 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts, founder of the American Red Cross.

It's the birthday of writer DOROTHY WORDSWORTH, born in 1771 in Cockermouth, in the district of Cumberland, England. She wrote journals describing local scenery and life at Dove Cottage as an inspiration to her brother William Wordsworth and the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Her journals, Alfoxden Journal (1798) and the Grasmere Journals (1800-03), were later published after her death.

It was on this day in 1066 that William I—WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR—was crowned King at Westminster Abbey after defeating Harold at the Battle of Hastings.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.®

 

«

»

  • “Writers end up writing stories—or rather, stories' shadows—and they're grateful if they can, but it is not enough. Nothing the writer can do is ever enough” —Joy Williams
  • “I want to live other lives. I've never quite believed that one chance is all I get. Writing is my way of making other chances.” —Anne Tyler
  • “Writing is a performance, like singing an aria or dancing a jig” —Stephen Greenblatt
  • “All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • “Good writing is always about things that are important to you, things that are scary to you, things that eat you up.” —John Edgar Wideman
  • “In certain ways writing is a form of prayer.” —Denise Levertov
  • “Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.” —E.L. Doctorow
  • “Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” —E.L. Doctorow
  • “Let's face it, writing is hell.” —William Styron
  • “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” —Thomas Mann
  • “Writing is 90 percent procrastination: reading magazines, eating cereal out of the box, watching infomercials.” —Paul Rudnick
  • “Writing is a failure. Writing is not only useless, it's spoiled paper.” —Padget Powell
  • “Writing is very hard work and knowing what you're doing the whole time.” —Shelby Foote
  • “I think all writing is a disease. You can't stop it.” —William Carlos Williams
  • “Writing is like getting married. One should never commit oneself until one is amazed at one's luck.” —Iris Murdoch
  • “The less conscious one is of being ‘a writer,’ the better the writing.” —Pico Iyer
  • “Writing is…that oddest of anomalies: an intimate letter to a stranger.” —Pico Iyer
  • “Writing is my dharma.” —Raja Rao
  • “Writing is a combination of intangible creative fantasy and appallingly hard work.” —Anthony Powell
  • “I think writing is, by definition, an optimistic act.” —Michael Cunningham
Current Faves - Learn more about poets featured frequently on the show