A nostalgic conversation with my brother, John, about our favorite Christmas music, movies, television shows, and traditions led him to request that I write this post. Our earliest memories are the songs on the annual Christmas record album our parents purchased from the local Goodyear tire shop for years (who knew there is an entire site devoted to these recordings now?). We played them over and over again on the hi-fi stereo my father had assembled from a Heath kit (remember those?). The strains of Henry Mancini and the velvet voices of Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis wafted throughout the house, along with the charming vintage tones of Rita Ford’s A Music Box Christmas .
As we reminisced, I was transported back to our small town childhood. Last year, when Pete and I visited Michigan, we all went to church one last time in the old building where my parents were married, and where my family attended weekly. While there is a new sanctuary under construction outside of town, this building still remains the standard by which I judge all I have subsequently entered: elegant in its spare New England white clapboard simplicity, frosted windows and brass chandeliers, and a towering spire that our tiny hands mimicked in play: “this is the church, this is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people.” More opulent interiors discomfit me by comparison. It was in this place that we learned to sing and love traditional carols and hymns.
During Advent, we were treated to a wealth of music, and while we each called up our memories, we realized we loved so many of the same carols: Still, Still, Still – which Pete and I used on a Christmas card (with this photo in blog post form: For All Is Hushed); Lo, How a Rose ‘Ere Blooming; O Come, O Come Emmanuel; O Holy Night; and, of course, just about any selection from Handel’s Messiah.
The Winter Solstice collections from Windham Hill are favorites of mine. The third in the series has simple and beautiful renditions of ancient carols and melodies: Veni Emmanuel, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (an unexpected, yet better, melody than the traditional one you may recall), Lullay Lulli, and In the Bleak Midwinter. Highly recommended.
John insists that the 1984 version of A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott as Scrooge is the best – superior acting, special effects and everything. My favorite is still the one with Basil Rathbone and Fredric March from the 1930′s. I can remember watching it on our black and white television and being frightened to death of the hooded Ghost of Christmas Future.
We were in agreement on the classic TV movie specials: Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory, narrated by the author, with Geraldine Page winning an Emmy for her performance. The Homecoming: A Christmas Story , with Patricia Neal, which was the pilot episode for the long-running series, The Waltons.
The Gift of the Magi, from the short story by O. Henry. “One dollar and eightyseven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.” John brought up cartoon favorites: A Charlie Brown Christmas with the classic piano riff. He still laughs at the character who dances just by moving his chin up and down from his chest. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with the Yukon Cornelius character Johnny loved as a boy.
Amahl and the Night Visitors was one of my favorites – it’s a one act opera which was commissioned by NBC especially for television beginning in 1951, and it was presented live for nine years. The story of the poor boy with a disability who is visited by the three Kings is very moving. Perhaps being influenced by this performance so early in life led me to my very favorite Christmas CD: Luciano Pavarotti’s O Holy Night, recorded at a service in Montreal with a children’s choir.
John favors choral music, too. He said he still catches himself singing the first verse of Silent Night in German, reminding him of the Christmas Eve he spent in Germany back in 1976. We’re just not ones for all these modern improvisations. I still prefer the King James language of the Gospel, too.
I love classic Christmas movies, so I was delighted to see this post from Hooked on Houses: Vote for Your Favorite Christmas Movie House! I voted for #7, the stone farmhouse from Christmas in Connecticut, a favorite movie of mine. My all time favorite Christmas house, though, was the one Claudette Colbert lived in with Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple while the father of their family was off to World War II in Since You Went Away. They were just so plucky in that movie, taking in a boarder and doubling up on rations and all! And the house is gorgeous.
Other great vintage movie photos of Christmas trees and wintry activities can be found on the SixMartinis site archives: here’s a sample.
An entirely different post would have to be devoted to our favorite recipes. Pete still raves about John’s Cranberry Glaze from last year. For years, I made Baked Ziti in honor of an Italian restaurant that served an incomparable meal to my ex-husband and me one Christmas Eve when we were between homes. This year I modified it to this: Four Mushroom-Cheese Baked Penne, and served it for Pete’s birthday dinner with Stuffed Pork Loin with Roasted Apples.
We spent a wonderful day with the kids and Pete’s sisters on Sunday. This year our donation in the children’s names was made to someone who cooks, as well. Narayanan Krishnan, of the Akshaya Trust, was featured in our December newsletter as Someone You Should Know.
We’ll be traveling over Christmas, so we’ll see you in the New Year. Until then, we’ll leave you with this, our Christmas greeting:
May there be hope in your heart, and angels in your midst during this Season of Light and throughout the coming New Year.
We’d love to know what your Christmas favorites are in the comments, too! Merry Christmas!
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Peter and Betsy Wuebker are location-independent professionals who share what they know about travel, simplicity and integrating work with life. 
Hi Betsy and Pete .. thank you for your memories .. aren’t they wonderful .. those old days – black and white telly, gatherings round the open grate, home-made decorations .. the smell of delicious spices coming from the Aga ..
The pork loin recipe looks delicious .. and I love your words
“May there be hope in your heart, and angels in your midst during this Season of Light and throughout the coming New Year.”
I wish you both the same .. such wise words – thank you .. with thoughts and enjoy your family visits .. Hilary
Hilary has an awesome blog post here: Christmas Past and Christmas Present
Thanks for sharing this Betsy.
We have to consider ourselves fortunate for having seen,or heard these things. I, at least, do.
Beautiful memories. Enjoy your time off. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
vered | Blogger for Hire has an awesome blog post here: In Memory of Wesley Bronez
Lovely memories indeed.
One of Jim and my’s favorite Christmas albums is The Four Freshman. Takes us back to our earlier days indeed.
Hope your travels were safe and happy.
Happy New Year!!
xo
Jannie Funster has an awesome blog post here: Funny Typos- 19 — Triple Sin Edition
I remember Heath Kit, my hubby got his HAM Radio license in 1977 and his first radio was a Heath Kit, I don’t remember the model, he put it together in the dining room. We’ve come a long way technology-wise.
Debbie has an awesome blog post here: Nazi-Era Graves Found Near Austrian Psych Ward
I did several Heath Kit projects. Great fun and learning plus got to play with a hot soldering iron. One was a metal detector and by golly it worked! Had fun with that for many years finding old money on Florida beaches. Another was a “flasher” which is an old fashioned fish finder. Lastly, a water temperature electronic thingy also for fishing.
We had a neighbor when I was a kid and he worked for Heath Kit. Are they still around?
I don’t think Heath Kit is around anymore. I also made a short wave radio from Heath Kit.