Merry Christmas!

Posted December 25, 2007 12:01 AM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Lovely!!! Merry Christmas to all!

Posted December 25, 2007 12:04 AM by xeger

And to all here!

Posted December 25, 2007 12:38 AM by Syd

Mele Kalikimaka!

Posted December 25, 2007 12:48 AM by Linkmeister

"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Posted December 25, 2007 1:08 AM by Alan Hamilton

Merry Christmas!

Posted December 25, 2007 1:14 AM by Alan Braggins

Merry Christmas.

Posted December 25, 2007 1:15 AM by Sylvia Li

Merry Christmas, and much love.

Posted December 25, 2007 1:20 AM by elise

the son is born, the light returns and the year begins anew. Sing Alleluia!

Posted December 25, 2007 3:04 AM by Sisuile

Merry Christmas!

Posted December 25, 2007 3:13 AM by Harry Payne

And here, where it reached 104 degrees fahrenheit during the height of Christmas dinner - ham, turkey, duck, roast vegetables, three kinds of Christmas pudding and brandy sauce. Every Christmas I wonder why we do it, and every Christmas I understand again. A Merry Christmas to all.

Posted December 25, 2007 3:16 AM by Dave Luckett

I have about 10 minutes to go, but who's counting?

Merry Christmas to all, and to all much light.

Posted December 25, 2007 3:48 AM by Tania

A safe and happy Christmas to you all.

Posted December 25, 2007 5:15 AM by Julia Jones

O tidings of comfort and joy!

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate, and peace on earth, good will to all...

Posted December 25, 2007 5:26 AM by Harriet Culver

The presents are opened, the bacon sandwiches eaten. We are now on the long slow slide to turkey and trimmings, champagne and whisky.

Merry Christmas†, dear people. You are, each and every one of you, numbered among the things that I have been thankful for this year*.

-----
† Meaning, depending on reader, anything from "have a happy 25th of December" to more religious wishes.
* On the one hand, that makes me thankful that you exist. On the other, that makes you things. On the gripping hand, SF&F teaches us that things are people too.

Posted December 25, 2007 6:08 AM by abi

Abi # 15 : as long as you're not trapped in a real-life version of Thing.
Merry Christmas!

Posted December 25, 2007 6:49 AM by Sajia Kabir

Merry Christmas!

Posted December 25, 2007 7:33 AM by Jo Walton

Just dropping by to wish you all a Merry Christmas, and to mumble my thanks for another year of good stuff here. Yes, I should post more often. You know how it is: I had this truly wonderful posting but somehow the margin got filled up with mnemonics for the cranial nerves.

Happy New Year, too!

Posted December 25, 2007 8:02 AM by Dave Langford

Merry Christmas to all!

(and in a couple of hours, we make a savory pie! Thank you for that recipe, Teresa!)

Posted December 25, 2007 8:43 AM by P J Evans

Sisuile #9: Sing Alleluia!

k. d. lang. (That's my associative link for that phrase.)

Best wishes to all for safety and freedom in the coming year.

Posted December 25, 2007 9:00 AM by Earl Cooley III

Love, blessings, safety and high quality fruitcake to you all. Merry Christmas.

Posted December 25, 2007 9:32 AM by Claude Muncey

"God bless us, every one!"

Posted December 25, 2007 9:56 AM by Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, and may the rest of you have a lovely, lazy day to spend however you wish.

Posted December 25, 2007 9:57 AM by Hilary Hertzoff

Merry Christmas, ye wave of particles at Making Light!

Bethlehem is said to be having a better Christmas this year than any of the last few. Here's raising my cup (of tea) to wish Bethlehem a turned tide, that it may be a center of a peace radiating out of it like spokes from the hub of a spinning wheel, this year and forever.

Posted December 25, 2007 10:18 AM by Dena Shunra

Glad Yule!

Posted December 25, 2007 10:27 AM by Manny Olds

Good Yule!

It's very interesting that Wycliffe's version is much easier to read than Tyndale's a century and a half later. It's also interesting to see the huge change between Tyndale's and the King James version, in less than a century.

Posted December 25, 2007 10:34 AM by coffeedryad

See also the Cotton Patch version.

Posted December 25, 2007 10:55 AM by Seth Gordon

God Bless Her Majesty!

Posted December 25, 2007 11:07 AM by Dave Bell

Nadolig Llawen to all of you.

William Morgan's bible: the first translation of the whole bible into Welsh, in 1588. That's a page image link, and I can't find the text itself online, so what follows is my transcription from the image. May contain minor errors.

1. Bu hefyd yn y dyddiau hynny fyned gorchymyn allan oddi wrth Augustus Caesar i drethu y holl fyd.
2. (A'r trechiad ymma, a wnaethbwyd gyntaf pan oedd Cyrenius yn rhaglaw ar Syria.)
3. A phawb a aethant i'w trethu bob un i'w ddinas ei hun.
4. Ac aeth Joseph o Galilaea o dref Nazareth i Judaea, i dref Dafydd yr hon a elwir Bethlehem (am ei fod o dy a thylwyth Dafydd)
5. Iw drethu gyd a Mair, yr hon a ddyweddieud yn wraig iddo, yr hon oedd yn feichiog.

Posted December 25, 2007 11:13 AM by Sam Kelly

Peace and light be with you all, and may you enjoy a wonderful winter holiday!

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Happy Solstice! Good Yule!

Posted December 25, 2007 12:01 PM by Nancy C. Mittens

Merry Christmas, everyone. You're an interesting crowd to hang out with.

Posted December 25, 2007 12:27 PM by Rob Rusick

Thank you, Teresa. And Merry Christmas to you and Patrick!

Posted December 25, 2007 12:37 PM by Debbie

*Grumble* Look what happens when you don't pay attention, Fragano. Try again.

Merry Christmas.
Happy Mithras Day.
Happy St Anastasia's Day.

Although I'm not a Xtian, let me contribute this, from John's rather than Luke's gospel:

Inna di bigginin, ben di Wud, an di Wud ben wid Big Massa, and di Wud ben Big Massa. Dat a di case fram di bigginin wid Big Massa. A Him mek ebryting, an nuttin dat Him doh mek exis. Him hab di life; an di life ben de light fi all di piipl-dem. An di light a shine inna di daakness, an di daakness cyaa ovacum i'.

Posted December 25, 2007 12:50 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Joy to the World! Go tell it on the mountain... Merry Christmas, companions.

Posted December 25, 2007 1:24 PM by Lizzy L

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it! (And your own favorite holiday to those who don't do Xmas!)

I worked most of the day yesterday - first day as an employee in several years. In the afternoon I picked up my daughter from her mom's, and the foster daughter from the house where she's staying, and we all exchanged our gifts. As usual the Boy made out like a bandit and that's as it should be. I got John Crowley's Solitudes and Endless Things (and now must start hunting the middle volumes), two Scary-Go-Round T shirts, and from my daughter both the Chris Ware volume of McSweeney's and a lovely merino/angora scarf which will be nice to have in Oregon later this week. Today will be lounging, followed by various chores and packing for the trip. Airplane reading looks to be taken care of.

Posted December 25, 2007 1:51 PM by Clifton Royston

Now hush ye noisy men of strife

And hear the angels sing

Posted December 25, 2007 1:54 PM by Paula Kate Marmor

1 'Roun dis tiyem, Caesar Augustus wuz like, "I can has cenzus?"2 ('Coz while Quirinius was Teh Boz of Syria, is invisible census!)3 And all teh doodz went home for teh saying, "I is heer!"4 So Joseph went from Naz'reth to Judeeah to Bethlehemm whar David wuz bornededed, 'coz David wuz hiz graete-graete gran-daddie,5 An Mary went wif him, 'coz she was gonna be married wif him an she was preggerz.6 When wuz time for teh baybee,7 it wuz a boy, so he wuz wrapd in blanket like burrito an placd him in fud dish, cuz innkeeper wuz liek, no room here kthxbye!
8 Then there wuz sheep-doods in teh field, an they wuz watchin teh sheep in teh dark. Iz vry vry boring. srsly.9 An suddenly, visible angel! An glory! O noez!!10 But teh angel sed, "is ok, you can has gud news for all teh doodz!11 Todai in da city ov David, you can has sayvur! is Christ da Lord! w00t!12 Is sign fer u, find da baybee wrapd like brrito in a big fud dish."13 An suddenly, moar angelz! They sez, 14 "w00t to teh Ceiling Cat! An peace fer doodz he luffs! Kthxbai."

(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Posted December 25, 2007 2:09 PM by sharon

Hee! That's great, sharon.

Amber called her uncle, said "We're up here for the holiday
Jane and I were having Solstice, now we need a place to stay"
And her Christ-loving uncle watched his wife hang Mary on a tree
He watched his son hang candy canes all made with red dye number three
He told his niece, "It's Christmas Eve, I know our life is not your style"
She said, "Christmas is like Solstice, and we miss you and it's been awhile"

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And just before the meal was served, hands were held and prayers were said
Sending hope for peace on earth to all their gods and goddesses.

Traditional song for Secret Satan (a typo with tradition.) Merry Christmas to everyone.

Posted December 25, 2007 2:46 PM by B. Durbin

Göd Yule!

Solstice night we stayed up all night with the Pagans and kindled a new fire in the morning (those firestarters that are basically a lump of magnesium with flint, where you carve off a little heap of magnesium flakes into the rest of the tinder, are COOL.)
Last night, an Italian style seafood dinner for the extended family of choice at our place, followed by the opening of Silly Solstice Stocking Stuffers; visiting with s'more dear friends who stopped by; thence to the Downstairs dearlings and waking to Edna's pecan rolls made by son Kurt this year (Edna's playing in the kitchen with the corn pudding now); piles of goodies were opened up and oohed over (the Girl Genius Goggles for Kurt were an especial hit. Mind you he's the same mid-40s as I, and does the funny Mad Scientist voices just fine).

Blessings of Christmas, Yule, and all the Festivals of Twinkly Lights (and eyes, and hearts).

You all are, individually and collectively, a Treasure in my life. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Posted December 25, 2007 3:09 PM by Ruth Temple

Merry Christmas to all!

I am counting my blessings today.

- My husband and I are having our first Christmas in the house we bought this year (our first house).
- It's snowing!
- And, most of all, I accepted a good job offer yesterday (after having been laid off just before Thanksgiving). I start work on January 2nd.

Posted December 25, 2007 3:16 PM by oliviacw

Pie made, with improvisation as we worked our way through, having put veggies in the pie before mixing with the broth, which then didn't thicken properly, so we had to add more thickener, and then it was leaking a bit in the oven - but it smells wonderful!

Posted December 25, 2007 4:00 PM by P J Evans

oliviacw @40:

Congratulations on accepting the job offer! What a wonderful way to start the new year.

Posted December 25, 2007 4:10 PM by abi

And a very Merry Christmas to all!

Madeleines made, gift wrapped, tiramisu reposing in fridge, and off to the Christmas-Day buffet party in a couple of hours.

Customary observances were observed: watching a version of "A Christmas Carol" (Reginald Owen this year), watching "Holiday Inn," and listening yesterday morning to the live broadcast of the Festival of Lessons and Carols from King's College Chapel, Cambridge.

Posted December 25, 2007 4:14 PM by joann

And a very Merry Christmas to all!

Madeleines made, gift wrapped, tiramisu reposing in fridge, and off to the Christmas-Day buffet party in a couple of hours.

Customary observances were observed: watching a version of "A Christmas Carol" (Reginald Owen this year), watching "Holiday Inn," and listening yesterday morning to the live broadcast of the Festival of Lessons and Carols from King's College Chapel, Cambridge.

Posted December 25, 2007 4:18 PM by joann

Appy-logies for double post--*all* my fault. Bring on the wet noodles.

Posted December 25, 2007 4:19 PM by joann

oliviacw #40: Congratulations on the job!

Posted December 25, 2007 4:29 PM by Fragano Ledgister

Merry Fishes to one and all. We went out last night to Chopschticks, an evening of Jewish comedy and Chinese food, held at Ming's in Palo Alto. Fun evening, and benefits the local JCC. There's a similar event up in SF called Kung-Pao Kosher Comedy.

Born vaguely Christian, dabbled in Paganism, converted to Conservative Judaism, and mostly a quasi-Buddhist animist, what it really boils down to for me is: The *sun* is coming back! It's coming back!! Yaaaaaay!

PS- I still miss mustard-glazed ham with brown-sugar raisin sauce for the holidays, though. Someday again.

Posted December 25, 2007 5:33 PM by Maybear

oliviacw @ 40... Congratulations on all counts. Is there room for dinosaurs in your new house's attic?

Posted December 25, 2007 6:06 PM by Serge

o/~Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me!o/~

Posted December 25, 2007 6:30 PM by Marilee

Hi Teresa and Patrick,

I have been reading your blog regularly but this is the next time I'm commenting on it. Reading your blog has been a ritual for me and I want to thank you for all the happiness you've given to me.

At this time, I want to take the opportunity to give you my heartfelt wishes for Christmas and wish you a great New Year ahead.

May all your dreams come true :-)

--------------------------
My Positivity Blog
http://positivityhub.com/

Posted December 25, 2007 8:54 PM by Seeker

My message today is that family rifts can mend. One that has lasted more than 25% of my darling daughter's life shows signs of narrowing....for which I am deeply thankful.

I hope you & yours have the peace and hopefulness of this season.

Posted December 25, 2007 9:51 PM by Liz D.

Joy to Making Light!

Posted December 25, 2007 10:01 PM by Lindra

merry merry to all, and to all a good night!!

Posted December 25, 2007 10:51 PM by meredith

Merry Christmas, all.

The New American Standard bible renders Luke 2:14 "...to those in whom he is pleased." This rings oddly to those used to "good will towards men" or "peace to men of good will" (the latter being what Jerome said). Be it noted, though, that at Jesus' baptism, when God said "This is my only begotten son, in whom I am well pleased", that "well pleased" is the same verb as the ambiguous one at the end of the Luke verse.

Posted December 25, 2007 11:44 PM by David Goldfarb

Appropriate seasonal well-wishes to all!

Christmas day involved many gifts given and received (best given: part of a new-to-her car to a friend whose old Olds was on its last elbows; best received: The Sandman: Absolute Edition, volume 1), so much food that I had to give up halfway through my dessert(!) (but I recovered in time to finish it off before I went home), and several good movies watched in the company of family (North West Frontier, an Eastern Western complete with marauding Indians and a fist-fight on the roof of a moving train; Porco Rosso, a Miyazaki adventure film about propeller-era fighter pilots in which the hero is, for no adequately explained reason, a talking pig; and Nabbie's Love, a cute Japanese romance set on a small Okinawan island).

Posted December 26, 2007 12:22 AM by Paul A.

God Jul!

(Translation anno 2000)
Vid den tiden utfärdade kejsar Augustus en förordning om att hela världen skulle skattskrivas.
Det var den första skattskrivningen, och den hölls när Quirinius var ståthållare i Syrien.
Alla gick då för att skattskriva sig, var och en till sin stad.
Och Josef, som genom sin härkomst hörde till Davids hus, begav sig från Nasaret i Galileen upp till Judeen, till Davids stad Betlehem,
för att skattskriva sig tillsammans med Maria, sin trolovade, som väntade sitt barn.
Medan de befann sig där var tiden inne för henne att föda,
och hon födde sin son, den förstfödde. Hon lindade honom och lade honom i en krubba, eftersom det inte fanns plats för dem inne i härbärget.
I samma trakt låg några herdar ute och vaktade sin hjord om natten.
Då stod Herrens ängel framför dem och Herrens härlighet lyste omkring dem, och de greps av stor förfäran.
Men ängeln sade till dem: "Var inte rädda. Jag bär bud till er om en stor glädje, en glädje för hela folket.
I dag har en frälsare fötts åt er i Davids stad, han är Messias, Herren.
Och detta är tecknet för er: ni skall finna ett nyfött barn som är lindat och ligger i en krubba."
Och plötsligt var där tillsammans med ängeln en stor himmelsk här som prisade Gud:
"Ära i höjden åt Gud
och på jorden fred åt dem han har utvalt."

(Translation anno 1917)
Och det hände sig vid den tiden att från kejsar Augustus utgick ett påbud att hela världen skulle skattskrivas.
Detta var den första skattskrivningen, och den hölls, när Kvirinius var landshövding över Syrien.
Då färdades alla var och en till sin stad, för att låta skattskriva sig.
Så gjorde ock Josef; och eftersom han var av Davids hus och släkt, for han från staden Nasaret i Galileen upp till Davids stad, som heter Betlehem, i Judeen,
för att låta skattskriva sig jämte Maria, sin trolovade, som var havande.
Medan de voro där, hände sig att tiden var inne, då hon skulle föda.
Och hon födde sin förstfödde son och lindade honom och lade honom i en krubba, ty det fanns icke rum för dem i härbärget.
I samma nejd voro då några herdar ute på marken och höllo vakt om natten över sin hjord.
Då stod en Herrens ängel framför dem, och Herrens härlighet kringstrålade dem; och de blevo mycket förskräckta.
Men ängeln sade till dem: »Varen icke förskräckta. Se, jag bådar eder en stor glädje, som skall vederfaras allt folket.
Ty i dag har en Frälsare blivit född åt eder i Davids stad, och han är Messias, Herren.
Och detta skall för eder vara tecknet: I skolen finna ett nyfött barn, som ligger lindat i en krubba.»
I detsamma sågs där jämte ängeln en stor hop av den himmelska härskaran, och de lovade Gud och sade:
»Ära vare Gud i höjden, och frid på jorden,
bland människor till vilka han har behag!»

(Translation anno 1541 - Gustavus Vasa's bible, translated from Martin Luther's bible)

Thet begaff sigh j then tijdhen, at aff Keysar Augusto vthgick itt bodh, at all werlden skulle beskattas. Och thenna beskatning war then första, och skeedde vnder then Höffdingen offuer Syrien, Kyrenio. Och the gingo alle hwar vthi sin stadh, til at läta beskatta sigh. Så foor ock Joseph vp aff Galilea, aff then stadhen Nazareth in vthi Judeska landet, til Dauidz stadh, som heter Bethlehem, Ty han war aff Dauidz hws och slecht, på thet han skulle låta beskatta sigh medh Maria sijn troloffuadha hustru, hwilken haffuandes war.

Så begaff sigh medhan the woro ther, wordo daghanar fulbordadhe, at hon skulle födha. Och hon födde sin förstfödda Son, och swepte honom j lindaklädher, och ladhe honom nedher j een krubbo, Ty them war icke rwm j herberghena.

Och j then samma egnden woro någhre Heerdar, the ther wakadhe och höllo wård om nattena offuer sin hiord.
Och sij, Herrans Ängel stoodh när them, och Herrans klarheet kringskeen them, och the wordo stoorligha förfäradhe. Och sadhe Ängelen til them, Warer icke förfäradhe, Sij, iagh bodhar idher stoor glädhi, hwilken allo folckena widerfaras skal, Ty jdagh är idher födder Frelsaren, som är Christus Herren, j Dauidz stadh. Och thetta skal wara idher för tekn. J skole finna Barnet swept j lindaklädher, nedherlagdt j een krubbo. Och strax wardt medh Ängelen itt stoort taal aff then himmelska häärskaran, the ther loffuadhe Gudh, och sadhe, Ära ware Gudh j högden, Och på jordenne fridh, Och menniskiomen en godh wilie.

Posted December 26, 2007 5:41 AM by Mikael Johansson

We had John 1:1-14:

In the bigynnyng was the word, and the word was at God, and God was the word. This was in the bigynnyng at God. Alle thingis weren maad bi hym, and withouten hym was maad no thing, that thing that was maad. In hym was lijf, and the lijf was the liyt of men; and the liyt schyneth in derknessis, and derknessis comprehendiden not it. A man was sent fro God, to whom the name was Joon. This man cam in to witnessyng, that he schulde bere witnessing of the liyt, that alle men schulden bileue bi hym. He was not the liyt, but that he schulde bere witnessing of the liyt. There was a very liyt, which liytneth ech man that cometh in to this world. He was in the world, and the world was maad bi hym, and the world knew hym not. He cam in to his owne thingis, and hise resseyueden hym not. But hou many euer resseyueden hym, he yaf to hem power to be maad the sones of God, to hem that bileueden in his name; the whiche not of bloodis, nether of the wille of fleische, nether of the wille of man, but ben borun of God. And the word was maad man, and dwellyde among vs, and we han seyn the glorie of hym, as the glorie of the `oon bigetun sone of the fadir, ful of grace and of treuthe.

(btw, the entirety of Wycliffe's translation can be found here.)

Merry Christmas and a happy Boxing Day.

Posted December 26, 2007 9:44 AM by C. Wingate

This will teach me to doubt the ecumenism of Making Light. I stayed away from this thread, thinking it would be a place for Christians to exchange Christmas greetings and lore. That seemed a good idea to me, on a par with having a Harry Potter spoiler thread. But I finally did look, and found a much wider definition of "season".

Good Yule to you all, each and every one. You're the best people I know.

Posted December 26, 2007 9:50 AM by Bruce Cohen (SpeakerToManagers)

Merry Christmas and a happy solstice to all of you, and thanks for being here.

Our favorite Christmas present this year: blessed, blessed rain. Not an end to the drought, not by a long shot, but something to help the trees and shrubs hang on a little longer.

Posted December 26, 2007 9:53 AM by Lila

Beloved husband had to work a nine-hour shift on Xmas (with tons of frantic customers at Walgreen's, since none of the grocery stores were open), so we had our gift opening and pleasant little store-bought dinner on the Eve. But yesterday I indulged in my new goodies: wore the lovely moss-colored suede boots on the two-block walk over to Mom's, and my feet were the only thing that *didn't* freeze in a howling wind. Then -- after finishing one review book -- spent the whole afternoon wallowing in nostalgia, listing to all four CDs in the "Love Is the Song We Sing" collection of San Francisco Sixties Psychedelia. (More fun than carols, almost being a teenager again.)

Best wishes for the holidays and the New Year, to all the folks who gather at "Making Light"!

Posted December 26, 2007 9:59 AM by Faren Miller

Merry everything, everyone, belated as it may be.

Though Xmas with the parents was delightful, and though they live less than half an hour from me, it's good to be home (and in regular contact with the internet) again.

Posted December 26, 2007 10:27 AM by ethan

One of the things I picked up this season was a book (I know y'all are shocked), " A History of English, in it's Own Words". Which is an, abbreviated, history of the language by etymology.

So the first passage was much more readable than it would have been a week ago.

And a merry Christmas, happy yule, new year, and every other sort of holiday it may please you to celebrate.

Posted December 26, 2007 10:51 AM by Terry Karney

Thanks for the congrats on the new job! I am quite hopeful for it.

Serge @48 - I'm not sure about dinosaurs in the attic. It's a 1970's ranch type house, so a velociraptor or other such upright beasties would bonk their heads, or worse. Maybe baby dinos, or some of those little bird-like types.

Posted December 26, 2007 12:21 PM by oliviacw

Here's part of the Transplanted Irish version, which TNH has seen thanks to Tom Whitmore:

*

And there went out a decree in those days from the British, that all the world should report themselves to the Post Offices in the major cities, to receive Identification Papers. (This was first done about the time they were having their other troubles with Archbishop Makarios in Cyprus, as you will no doubt recall.) And they all went to get their Papers and have them stamped, each of them going to the designated city in the county where we were born.

And Joseph found himself traveling from Killarmin in the Derry, all the way down to Newry in County Down, because that was the place where he was born -- and bringing his betrothed, Maire, with him.

And she was still with child. While they were there, she came into labor and delivered herself of her first born son, and wrapped him in something warm, and sat with him in the waiting room at the station because the hotels were full of tourists and other car-driving visitors, and the pubs and boarding houses were all packed to the rafters with relatives from the villages round about those parts.

And the way that I heard it, there were shepherds out in the fields in some village not too far from there, quite late in the day -- after dusk, in fact -- looking after their sheep. I can't think why, and the story itself doesn't mention the reason. A fox, perhaps -- although you would think the shepherds would have had sense enough to steer their sheep back into the pen well before nightfall. In any case, it's a fine story, you'll agree, and the details need not bother us here.

An angel appears, another one this time, right there in the open, and whether it was some kind of summer lightning -- or even the Northern Lights -- I suppose I shall never know. But the shepherds swore up and down afterwards that the glory of God Almighty himself shone out in that field like it was double-daytime. And they were terrified, to a man -- not to speak of what the unfortunate sheep must have thought of it all.

This angel spoke to them.

"Do not panic," he said. And that must be something of a cliche by now among angels. "I have good news for you, something that should bring a little cheer into your cold and rainy lives -- and to many another man and his good wife hereabouts.

"For a child has been born among you in the city of Newry, in this very County Down with its age-old oaks and its druids, its churches and priests -- and he shall bring you freedom. Now you'll very probably be wanting some sort of a sign or other, and the way you will know him for certain is this: you will find him is town, at the railway station, wrapped up in something warm and sleeping on one of the benches in the waiting room, right next to the fire."

And there was suddenly a whole outbreak of angels, thousands of them, stretching away into the distance like so many pilgrims at Lourdes with their candles -- being English yourself, Christopher, and a man who has traveled in foreign parts, you will have in mind just what I mean -- and every last one of them singing:

"Let there be glory to good God in his Heaven,
let there be peace to good men here on their earth."

Poetry again, I can hear you muttering to yourself. But we are a people of poetry, a bardic people. Remember that, Christopher: we are more like your Welshmen with their Dylan Thomases than your fancy London gentlemen. All the events that took place, took place in and among a nation of poets.

*

A merry and blessed Christmas or close equivalent festival of your choice to each and all.

Posted December 26, 2007 12:27 PM by Charles Cameron (hipbone)

That's lovely, Charles. But if she was named Máire, shouldn't her husband have been Seósebh?

(I'd've been tempted to say "there was a whole slew [Ir. slua, 'host'] of angels," but that's a matter of style.)

Posted December 26, 2007 1:22 PM by Xopher

Btw, does it occur to anyone else that Luke doesn't say that there were lots of angels? It says "there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host..." It strongly implies that the multitude are not angels, because it could have said "suddenly there was not one angel, but thousands of angels" or something.

So who are they? The blesséd dead? That'd be my guess, but I'm not sure.

Posted December 26, 2007 1:26 PM by Xopher

Merry Christmas to all!

May all have as joyous (and less difficult) season as we have. Todat we celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary, my new brown belt - and last, but in no way least - my first book contract!

Posted December 26, 2007 1:29 PM by Cynthia Wood

Cynthia Wood.. I take it that your wedding and getting a brown belt didn't happen on the same day of the same year. No matter what, my best wishes to you for even more good things in your life.

Posted December 26, 2007 1:36 PM by Serge

oliviacw @ 63... No roosting pteranodons in the rafters?

Posted December 26, 2007 1:39 PM by Serge

Cynthia Wood - congratulations on the new book contract. An auspicious beginning to the new year?

Posted December 26, 2007 1:55 PM by Tania

Serge#68 No,no. The brown belt is shiny new, while the marriage is beginning to feel nicely broken in.

My thanks for the good wishes. May there be many good things in your life as well.

Tania #70 A very auspicious beginning, though I'm still feeling distinctly startled. I never set out to do non-fiction, but it looks like my knock-them-off-in-my-spare-time articles for a friend will be the first thing I ever get paid for writing.

Posted December 26, 2007 2:04 PM by Cynthia Wood

Cynthia Wood @ 71... Thanks.

Posted December 26, 2007 2:12 PM by Serge

Xopher writes:

That's lovely, Charles. But if she was named Máire, shouldn't her husband have been Seósebh?

Excellent! Absolutely. That comment alone moves high on my list of Christmas gifts.

Posted December 26, 2007 2:16 PM by Charles Cameron (hipbone)

*beams happily*

Posted December 26, 2007 3:14 PM by Xopher

Xopher @ 74... beams happily

Is that a side-effect of using the latest transporter model?

Posted December 26, 2007 3:24 PM by Serge

Sounds like Xopher's beside himself.

Posted December 26, 2007 3:28 PM by Debbie

Merry Christmas, all.

Posted December 26, 2007 3:49 PM by Dave Hutchinson

Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, Happy Boxing Day and Happy New Year to all!

I have no translation of the bible into Yiddish, so I thought I would share this instead:

"Three proofs that Jesus was Jewish
1. He went into his father's business
2. He lived at home until the age of 33
3. He was sure his mother was a virgin, and his mother was sure he was God."

Posted December 26, 2007 3:50 PM by Ginger

A few years ago, my boss gave birth on Christmas day. That's right--the child was born in a manager . . .

Posted December 26, 2007 4:57 PM by rea

Xopher @66:

As I understand it, the term heavenly host is traditionally understood to be the good angels gathered together and organized as an army. One of the titles of God is Lord of Hosts. I would interpret this passage as indicating that only one messanger angel appeared at first, with the rest of the party appearing at the end of the proclamation. This is confirmed by Luke 2:15, which starts, "When the angels left . . ."

Maybe they found parking difficult on Christmas Eve and showed up late.

Posted December 26, 2007 6:01 PM by Claude Muncey

Lovely to see you here, Charles!

Posted December 26, 2007 7:39 PM by Tom Whitmore

rea @ #79, that's just awful.

Posted December 26, 2007 8:37 PM by Linkmeister

oliviacw @ 40

Congratulations on all counts.

Hope my job search is as quick (got laid off 12/13, on payroll until today plus vacation=end of month, then 10 weeks severance paid as a paycheck).

Belated blessings everyone, we had a wonderful day with the family yesterday Including overexposure to four great-nephews oliviacw @ 40

Congratulations on all counts.

Hope my job search is as quick (got laid off 12/13, on payroll until today plus vacation=end of month, then 10 weeks severance paid as a paycheck).

Belated blessings everyone, we had a wonderful day with the family yesterday Including overexposure to four great-nephews

Posted December 26, 2007 9:12 PM by Paula Helm Murray

rea @ 79... I love it!

Posted December 26, 2007 9:54 PM by Serge

Xopher @ #66:

The thing I noticed this year, as the text was read out, was that - notwithstanding the opinions of generations of hymn-writers - it says nothing about the angels being airborne.

Posted December 26, 2007 11:34 PM by Paul A.

Charles Cameron @ #64:

A thing of beauty, that. Is there more?

Posted December 26, 2007 11:36 PM by Paul A.

olivia, I forgot to mention it earlier - congratulations!!

Posted December 27, 2007 12:04 AM by Tania

Liz D. @ 51:

My message today is that family rifts can mend. One that has lasted more than 25% of my darling daughter's life shows signs of narrowing....for which I am deeply thankful.

This is the sort of news that I love to hear! Thank you for the holiday cheer.

Posted December 27, 2007 11:01 AM by John A Arkansawyer

Merry Christmas to all! (better late than never)

As Teresa knows, I collect foreign language Bibles. As a side effect of this, I also know a few online sites where Bible translations can be found.
One good resource for online Bible translations is the SWORD Project (at http://www.crosswire.org/sword/index.jsp). This has a set of open-source Bible-study programs for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, and includes translations in 48 languages.
For PalmOS, many of the same translations are available for UniBible, which is a unicode-based Palm application (also open-source) (available at http://unbound.biola.edu/unibible/).

Posted January 2, 2008 2:16 PM by Dean Gahlon