I've decided to start my own Christmas Eve tradition here on the blog, and it involves my very favorite Christmas Eve poem.
I know a lot of people will be reciting 'Twas the Night Before Christmas tonight, but a few years ago I found myself enchanted by some lesser-known holiday verses that warm my heart each and every year.
For the handful of readers that were with me last year at this time, you already know about "Christmas Eve" by Bill Watterson, creator of the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip.
This year I've managed to find a scan of the original page with the drawing to go with it:
Gah! I just love it!
If you can't read that, here's the text:
If you can't read that, here's the text:
Christmas Eve
On window panes, the icy frost
Leaves feathered patterns, crissed & crossed,
But in our house the Christmas tree
Is decorated festively
With tiny dots of colored light
That cozy up this winter night.
Christmas songs, familiar, slow,
Play softly on the radio.
Pops and hisses from the fire
Whistle with the bells and choir.
My tiger is now fast asleep
On his back and dreaming deep.
When the fire makes him hot,
He turns to warm whatever's not.
Propped against him on the rug,
I give my friend a gentle hug.
Tomorrow's what I'm waiting for,
But I can wait a little more.
I hope you're snuggled up and warm this Christmas Eve too!
Do you have something you read every year at this time?
Do you have something you read every year at this time?
Labels: holidays
23 Comments:
No poems to read but will be reading a few blogs and wrapping gifts after our dinner guests leave.
Merry Christmas to you, P, the hounds and the rest of your family.
*Thanks Gil! Same to you and yours! Just love those last-minute wrapping sessions :)
Thanks for the poem :) Buon Natale to you, P, Luna & Stella (and any little ones you still have around). And thanks for the e-card :)
*Erin, thanks so much! And just so you know, we have one little one left...one I thought was a boy but now seems to have lost the, ahem, equipment. Further investigation is necessary, but anyway...buon natale anche a te!
Merry Chirstmas! I re-read Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales" every year. When my children were younger, I'd read this story aloud to them on Christmas Day.
Aw, I love that!
My favourite though remains, Twas the Night before Christmas :-)
Wishing you and yours a happy, blessed and wonderful Christmas, Sognatrice.
*Greg, ooh I haven't read that--I'm off to find it! Thanks for the recommendation :)
*Absolute, 'Twas is certainly a wonderful classic; can't argue there :) Thank you for the lovely wishes and I wish you and yours a fabulous holiday as well!
I miss Calvin and Hobbes. Thanks for sharing this.
Hope you and P. have a merry, merry Christmas.
Buon Natale!!
yes, we do!! D. wrote it for the children when they were just babies...but i have to see if i can get permission from the author before i share...
merry, merry christmas to y'all!!
When Alex was little, we always read "Merry Christmas Strega Nona.A great introduction to his Calabrian roots and a fond reminder of all of our nonne! (Wonder why daPaola spelled it with only one *n* )
Buon Natale a tutti.
*BLC, weren't they just the best? Thanks for the good wishes--same to you and yours :)
*NYC, auguri anche a te!
*Qualcosa, oh what a wonderful idea; if it can't be shared, no worries...all the more reason to work on my own for future children ;)
*Alexmom, I've often wondered that myself. You're in charge of reminding me to stock up on Strega Nona if/when bambini arrive, OK? Buon Natale :)
Merry Christmas Sognatrice! There's nothing that I read in particular, but I like to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" with my family or another Christmas classic.
Sognatrice,
I am usually so busy wrapping (I am a last minute kinda girl) so I don't read anything. We usually watch Christmas Vacation or Christmas Story and the *Honeymooners* reruns on New Years Eve!!
thanks so much for posting this! Calvin is one of my all-time favorite comics, and every day I receive a Calvin comic in my email. Altho the larger, colored strips do arrive on Sundays, I've never received this one, and it has to be one of the better holiday comics!
Buon Natale!
Ha ha, yes, great minds DO think alike!
Calvin and Hobbes is one of my favorite comics (well, obviously, considering my little icon) and I use C&H stuff in my blog frequently, though I feel a little guilty about copyright infringement, considering all Watterson has suffered with little Calvin peeing on Ford symbols and other such tacky exploitation of his work. Still, I think he'd approve of having his work respectfully shared in someone's blog far more than someone selling altered images of Calvin.
Merry Christmas!
Hi This is a GREAT POEM!!!
You are very talented bt the message is the most important, very gentle and sweet! Thanks!
I wish you a good and merry Christmas with your Partner, friends or family, and I show you some Christmas "decorations and music/habits' on my blog come and see my blog, thanks for being such a good blogvisiter,
Your blog is a real inspiration to me too THANKS!!
Christmas greetings from JoAnn
Always best to start new traditions I'd say. Compliments of the season from me and mine to you and yours.
Cheers
This is my calling card or link"Whittereronautism"which takes you straight to my new blog.
*Anali, classic Christmas movies are the best!
*Robin, you'll shoot your eye out kid!
*Barb, glad you liked it. I have the old, original clipped from the newspaper many years ago at home somewhere but this is also in one of the C & H books (I linked to it in my post from last year). Isn't it the best?!
*Dewey, if you use something to spark discussion or to comment on it, for example, is usually considered "fair use," which means there's no copyright infringement. That's a really simplified version of copyright law, but in my opinion, we're OK ;)
*JoAnn thanks for continuing to come and visit me even when I disappear for a bit from your comments :)
*Maddy, thanks, and I, too, love new and old traditions alike :)
That poem is absolutely beautiful. I'm going to keep a copy to read to the family next Christmas Eve. Thanks for sharing :-) Hope you, P and the pups had a wonderful Christmas!
What a sweet, sweet poem! makes me think of my tiger-cat! :)
I'm finally catching up on my blog reading; I love this!
*Gill, yeah! I'm glad you like it :)
*Lara, makes me think of my pooches even though they have nothing to do with felines ;)
*Janet, I know what you mean about catching up...I'm trying to get there myself :)
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