December 20, 2016
The Neatest Little Paper Ever Read®
Issue 00301
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TIDBITS® SINGS ALONG WITH SOME
HOLIDAY MUSIC
by Kathy Wolfe ‘Tis the season to sing! This week, Tidbits delves into the history of some of the season’s most timeless melodies.
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• In 1857, James Lord Pierpont was the music director at a Savannah, Georgia church when he composed a happy little winter tune he entitled “One-Horse Open Sleigh,” later known as “Jingle Bells.” Just a few years later, he was composing “We Conquer or Die” and “Strike for the South,” Civil War marching songs. Pierpont wasn’t a native Southerner, and was in fact the son of a staunch abolitionist from Boston. • “Jingle Bells” was used as a part of a practical joke played by Gemini 6 astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford during their December, 1965 spaceflight. They radioed back to Mission Control that they had sighted some type of flying object that looked “like a satellite…a command module and eight smaller modules in front” with a pilot “wearing a red suit.” This was followed up by their rendition of “Jingle Bells,” accompanied by a harmonica and sleigh bells they had smuggled aboard the craft. That Hohner’s harmonica and those bells can be seen at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, displayed as the first musical instruments played in space. turn the page for more!
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• Two record producers from Denmark came up with the idea of splicing together recordings of dogs barking into the pattern of songs. In 1955, the two used five dogs – Dolly, Pearl, Pussy, Caesar, and King – to create The Singing Dogs performing “Jingle Bells,” a rendition that has become a well-known holiday favorite of most radio stations. • Written in 1864, “Up on the Housetop” is the second-oldest secular Christmas song, after “Jingle Bells.” It was composed by Benjamin Hanby, who wrote 80 other songs, before perishing from tuberculosis at age 33. It seems that Hanby was inspired by Clement Moore’s poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” the first piece of writing that spoke of Santa’s sleigh and his reindeer landing on rooftops. The most well-known recording of this song was by cowboy singer Gene Autry in 1953. • “Silent Night” comes to us from the German language, from words written by Father Josef Mohn, a priest in a tiny Austrian village. “Stille Nacht” was set to music in 1818 by the church organist Franz Gruber, who wrote the music for guitar, since the church’s pipe organ was in disrepair. • Written in 1943 in the midst of World War II, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was written to honor GI’s serving overseas and their families. Composer Kimball Gannon sang the song for singer Bing Crosby while the two were playing golf to get his opinion. Crosby recorded the tune, which was a chart-topper for eleven weeks and became Crosby’s fifth gold record. When Gannon died in 1974, he bequeathed the rights to the song to the American Heart Association, which has benefited from the gift since that time. • A 34-year-old copyrighter working for the department store chain Montgomery Ward
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in 1939 was the creator of one of the season’s most beloved characters, Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer. Robert May was given the assignment of coming up with a story for a holiday promotional booklet for distribution to customers to replace the coloring books they had circulated in previous years. May, who had been teased as a child for his shyness and short stature, used the same theme for his red-nosed reindeer, who was made fun of for being different. Montgomery Ward sold nearly 2.5 million copies that year. When they reissued it in 1946, sales were 3.5 million copies. Unfortunately, because May was an employee of the store, Ward’s owned the copyright, and it was several years before May convinced them to allow him the rights. In 1949, May’s brother-in-law penned one of the most loved holiday tunes of all time, based on the story. Cowboy singer Gene Autry recorded the song and sold over two million copies the first year.
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1. What 14th-century carol has the French word for “Christmas” in its title? 2. How many times is the word “Christmas” mentioned in the song “Frosty the Snowman”? 3. What holiday song was originally titled “Tinkle Bell”? 4. Name the song that begins “Oh, the weather outside is frightful.” 5. What song, written by Mel Torme, was made famous byNat King Cole?
• The name Johnny Marks might not be familiar to you, but you’ve certainly heard his compositions hundreds of times. Johnny Marks was the brother-in-law of Robert May, and the one who set “Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” to music. But that wasn’t his only Christmas song by any means. Marks also gave us “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “The Night Before Christmas Song,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” and “When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter,” among many others. • The English melody “Greensleeves” was composed in 1580, but it wasn’t until 1865 that William Dix wrote the poem “The Manger Throne,” which was fitted into the “Greensleeves” tune. We know this Christmas carol as “What Child Is This?”. • Composed by Irving Berlin in 1940, “White Christmas” made its debut in 1941 on the NBC radio program “Kraft Music Hall,” sung by Bing Crosby. Crosby didn’t record the song until the following May, and the song was used in the movie “Holiday Inn” later that year. The song was given the Oscar for the Best Song of 1942. It’s the most-recorded holiday song, with more than 500 versions over the years, selling more than 100 million copies around the world. • “Carol of the Bells” is a Ukrainian folk song originally titled “Shchedryk.” It tells the story of a swallow flying into a home to sing of a bountiful year that will follow. It was first performed in Ukraine on New Year’s Eve, 1915, and in the United States, at Carnegie Hall in 1921. In January, 1921, the composer of the song, Mykola Leontovych, was murdered by a Soviet state security agent for his participation in the Ukrainian independence movement. • “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” was written in 1966 as part of the Dr. Seuss TV special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Dr. Seuss wrote the lyrics to this classic. Thurl Ravenscroft was the vocalist for the song. You may not remember Ravenscroft’s name, but his voice is most recognizable as Tony the Tiger in ads for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, when he growls, “They’re g-r-reat!”
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“The Little Drummer Boy” was written by an American classical music teacher named Katherine Davis in 1941. It’s the story of a poor young boy who has no gift for the infant Jesus, but rather plays his drum for the baby. The song was first recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family singers, of “The Sound of Music” fame.
• “O Little Town of Bethlehem” was composed by an Episcopal clergyman, Phillips Brooks, who visited the Holy Land in 1865. He was so inspired by his surroundings that he penned a poem of his thoughts in 1867, words that were set to music by the organist at his Philadelphia church.
STRANGE CHRISTMAS • Mafia fugitive Francesco Farina had been wanted by the Sicilian police since 1996. He’d been on the run, fleeing from charges of robbery and drug dealing. When police suspected they had
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tracked him down to a particular flat in Sicily, they staked the place out with a succession of cops dressed as Santa standing on the street corner outside the building. They arrested Farina shortly before Christmas, 2001, and then turned in their Santa suits. Just before Christmas, a Reno, Nevada newspaper asked for volunteers to come forward to help in some less-than-scientific experiments to find out how to destroy unwanted fruitcakes. The assembled group then devised a number of methods. They discovered over the course of the day that dropping a fruitcake from a second floor had little impact. One team shot it with a sub-machine gun (sub-machine guns are legal in Nevada) but also found the fruitcake survived relatively intact. Football player Damon Fine drop-kicked one, with very satisfying explosive results. However, the best method was running over the fruitcake with a truck. Fundraisers in London raise money for cancer research by hosting the Great Christmas Pudding race each December. The event pits teams of celebrities in fancy dress in a relay race. Each team carries a Christmas pudding on a platter, waiter-style. The racecourse is full of obstacles. The team that wins is awarded Christmas puddings as a prize. In December of 2001, over 500 Santa’s participated in a four-mile (6.4 km) run for charity. The event, held in Wales, was open to both male and female Santa’s in full costume. Tim Davies, a farmer, was the first male Santa to cross the finish line, with of time of 21 minutes, 16 seconds. Annie Lander was the first female Santa and she ran the course in 26 minutes. In December of 2001, organizers at Guinness World Records sponsored the first ever “Santathon” to find out who the world’s best Santa is. The event, held in England, included a field of eight top contenders in full beards, red suits, and black boots, battling it out for the title. Competitive events included sack-hauling, pie eating, chimney climbing, stocking filling, and ho-ho-hoing. In the end, David BroughtonDavis from Croydon, a professional Santa for Selfridges, (a department store in London) was awarded the title of Britain’s Ultimate Santa. “I just wish that the pie-eating hadn’t taken place
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before the chimney climb,” he said after being awarded the Golden Boots trophy. • The TeePee Garden Center in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania had a Christmas display set up which included Donner and Blitzen, two tame reindeer rented from a nearby farm. When a gate was left open during feeding time shortly before Christmas, the reindeer wandered away. Donner was captured, but Blitzen ran off. Everyone’s worst fears were realized the next day when a local man grabbed his gun and shot what he thought was a really large deer about a half mile away from the garden center. Law enforcement officials were reluctant to file charges because reindeer are
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Q: What’s a hairdressers’s favorite Christmas song? A: “O Comb All Ye Faithful’ Q: Name this Christmas song: Singular Yearning for the Twin Anterior Incisors A: “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth”
* If you are chopping a lot of tomatoes and need to remove seeds, this tip will leave you spinning. Get out your salad spinner, add chopped tomatoes and give it a whirl! * “When you are slicing flank steak or chicken breasts (anything you need to cut thin that has a lot of skin pieces or fat that make it hard to cut), try partially freezing the meat first. It defrosts quickly when it is cut thin, and it is much easier to slice.” -- C.O. in Indiana * Baby bottle drying racks can find a new life airing out reusable water bottles, many of which are better suited to hand-washing. * Need to hang something on a wall? Here’s a trick to get your nails in just the right place. Use a dab of toothpaste on the back where the nails should go. Press against the wall. The toothpaste will leave behind a superb guide, which can be wiped right off the wall after the nail is in. Hang and admire! * Make an eraser for your whiteboard marker by gluing a pompom on the end with a drop of hot glue. Use giftwrap tape to secure a small magnet to the side of the marker, and it’s ready to go up on the fridge with your dry-erase board. * Use a Bundt pan to roast a chicken. Season and prepare your bird, then slip the bird upright on the center of the greased pan, cavity down. Fill the pan with veggies for a complete meal. * “I store my loose charging cables in an eyeglass case in my purse. It all stays together, and the cords don’t get damaged or crimped.” -- E. in Massachusetts Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.
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not covered under local hunting regulations. • Dunsley Hall Country House Hotel in England once offered just the thing for people who were sick and tired of Christmas: a 3-night, 4-day “Bah Humbug!” Christmas get-away. For about $500 per person, kill-joys heard carols sung out of tune, ate cold sandwiches for Christmas dinner, received gifts of socks, underwear, ties, and bath salts, threw decorations into a bonfire, and joined in a toast to Ebenezer Scrooge. “Some people just want to get away from the normal festivities and don’t feel like celebrating Christmas,” said a spokeswoman for the hotel.
BOXING DAY
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1. What Christmas tune was Brenda Lee’s big hit in 1958? 2. What singer debuted “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas”?
is an annual Boxing Day event. Established in 1945, this is one of the world’s top three offshore yacht races and is one of the most difficult. The record setting time for the 630 nautical miles (1,170 km) distance from Sydney to Hobart, Tasmania, was set in 2012, with the winner crossing the finish line in 1 day, 18 hours, 23 minutes, and 12 seconds. • Prior to 2004, Britain’s main Boxing Day activity was fox hunting. That year, the Hunting Act
December 26 is known as Boxing Day in England, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. No, it’s not a day devoted to the sport of prizefighting, but rather a day of goodwill. Read along and learn the facts about this British holiday. • There are differing theories as to the purpose and date of the origin of Boxing Day. Some historians believe the holiday developed during the Middle Ages. Servants, who were required to work on Christmas Day, were given December 26 as a day off. As they were leaving to visit their families, employees traditionally presented them with gift boxes. According to tradition, the Christmas box was made of clay. • Another theory of the origin of this holiday is related to the Feast of St. Stephen. This feast day also falls on December 26, and is named for one of the seven original deacons of the early Christian Church. Stephen was ordained by the Apostles to care for widows, orphans, and the poor. (He was later stoned to death by an angry mob.) Metal boxes were placed in churches for attendees to place coins for the poor, and on December 26, the funds were distributed among those in need. • The Boxing Day gift giving has expanded to include all those who provide a service during the year, such as doormen, mail carriers, tradesmen, and porters. • Since 1871, Boxing Day has been recognized as a bank holiday on which banks, government offices, and the post office are closed. • The British engage in several types of entertainment and activities on Boxing Day. Some swim the icy waters of the English Channel, while others participate in charity events and fun runs. Several prestigious horse races are held that day, along with football games featuring top-rated teams. • In Australia, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
prohibited the pursuit of foxes with hounds in England and Wales. Although an estimated 80% of citizens supposedly oppose hunting with dogs for sport, 250 different hunts with more than 250,000 people in attendance are still held. However, the protocol has changed since 2004, with hunters in traditional red hunting coats astride their steeds still following the sound of the horn, but with the dogs following artificiallylaid trails. A fox may be flushed out, but killing it
is prohibited. • In the retail world, Boxing Day is similar to the U.S. “Black Friday” day after Thanksgiving, when retailers have gigantic sales with huge price reductions. However, in some areas of eastern Canada, retailers are prohibited from opening on Boxing Day by provincial law, with the intention of providing a day of rest following Christmas Day.
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Sweet Potatoes With Raisin-Nut Sauce What would your holiday ham be without a sweet potato side dish? Here’s one with great flavor without all the fats and sugars. 1 (17-ounce) can vacuum-packed sweet potatoes, drained 1 (4-serving) package Jell-O sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix 1 cup water 3/4 cup seedless raisins 3 tablespoons chopped pecans 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1. Heat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter-flavored cooking spray. Evenly arrange sweet potatoes in prepared baking dish. 2. In a medium saucepan, combine dry pudding mix, water and raisins. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and starts to boil, stirring often. Add pecans and cinnamon. Mix well to combine. Spoon raisin mixture evenly over sweet potatoes. 3. Bake for 30 minutes. Place baking dish on a wire rack and let set for 5 minutes. Divide into 6 servings. * Each serving equals: 171 calories, 3g fat, 2g protein, 34g carb., 121mg sodium, 30mg calcium, 2g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Fruit, 1/2 Fat. (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.
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by Samantha Weaver * It was notoriously prolific American author and academic Isaac Asimov, who died in 1992, who made the following sage observation: “There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’” * If you’re like 10 to 20 percent of the U.S. population, you suffer from “coulrophobia,” a fear of clowns. * In Linden, California, a man saw a rabbit scurry into an irrigation pipe. Worried about the animal’s safety, he got two other men to help him lift the 44-foot-long pipe and urge the rabbit out. Their kindly behavior wasn’t rewarded, however; while the men were lifting it, the pipe touched a 12,000-volt electrical wire, electrocuting all three of the Good Samaritans. * Those who suffer from Moebius syndrome are incapable of showing expressions on their faces -- not a frown or a smile or a quizzical lift of an eyebrow. They often are found sleeping with their eyes open. * Between 1976 and 1987, no red M&M candies were produced. * A collection of items that belonged to Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler’s longtime companion (and, very briefly, his wife), recently went up for auction. Among the items was a pair of her underwear, lilac with white lace and ribbon trim, embroidered with her initials. An unnamed collector bought the undergarment for more than $3,500. * If you want to get a karat’s worth of diamond, you’ll have to mine, on average, 23 tons of ore.
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V.J.H. Auxiliary Gift Shop has lots of great Christmas gift ideas. All Christmas Decor and ornaments are 30% off. Also, lovely floral arrangements at very reasonable prices, made fresh weekly by auxiliary members. Donations of small and medium vases would be gratefully accepted. Just drop them off at the Gift Shop. All money made in the • Mobile Home in Gift Shop goes to the hospital for needed desireable park, 14x70 equipment and patient with a large addition, appliances included, comfort. The auxiliary really deck & double carport, appreciates your workshops & garden. • Also, Travelaire support.
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Thought for the Day: “Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats.” -- H.L. Mencken (c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.
“Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it ‘white’.” -- Bing Crosby
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1. “The First Noel” 2. None 3. “Silver Bells” 4. “Let It Snow” 5.“Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”
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1.“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” 2.Burl Ives
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