Saturday, December 25, 2010

With Thankful Heart and Joyful Mind

No Happy Holidays!Merry Christmas to Gates of Vienna readers!

Make sure not to have any happy holidays. In fact, my advice is to ban the word “holidays” from your thoughts this Christmas.

If someone is offended by the dreaded C-word, hand him a cup of thoroughly enhanced eggnog, and all offense will soon be forgotten.

Something to enhance your Christmas listening enjoyment: Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss — The Wexford Carol.


(Hat tip: Prospero)

Our email is still down, so bear with us if you’ve sent a message in the last 24 hours and received no reply.

For our readers Down Under: Happy Boxing Day! Or do you have Boxing Day in Australia?

20 comments:

Luddite said... 1

Beautiful song. Thank you for posting that, and have a Merry and a Blessed Christmas.

Hesperado said... 2

"Make sure not to have any happy holidays. In fact, my advice is to ban the word “holidays” from your thoughts this Christmas."

In his emails to all his readers, supporters and subscribers, the quasi-anti-Islam "geopolitician" from France, Alexandre Del Valle, wishes Bonnes fêtes -- which is the French equivalent of "Happy Holidays". That's in the subject header of the email. Once inside, the reader sees the more traditional --

Je vous souhaite un Joyeux Noël

-- "I wish you a Merry Christmas".

(He also wishes his Italian readers Buon natale e buon capodanno a tutti -- literally, "Happy Birth (to Jesus) and Happy Start of the Year to all".)

Anonymous said... 3

My god, what a voice! Thank you for posting and may God bless us all.

Richard said... 4

She has a marvelous voice. Thanks for the post.

Zenster said... 5

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone at Gates of Vienna. May good fortune visit each of us in turn.

KGS said... 6

Thank you Baron for that. Simply beautiful. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Findalis said... 7

Merry Christmas to you too.

1389 said... 8

Merry Christmas to Baron Bodissey, Dymphna, and the GoV community. Thanks for everything that you do!

We ask your prayers for those who have been put out of work by the current political situation, who cannot support their families at Christmas time, and who, barring a miracle, may never find meaningful work again. Please see: Who Are The 99ers? and please pass this information along to everyone you know.

Nilk said... 9

Indeed we do have Boxing Day here in Oz, although it's not as much of a religious institution as Christmas Eve and Day are.

It's a public holiday, and traditionally the most important day of the year in the cricket calendar.

The Test for the Ashes between England and Australia begins at the MCG, and that is the start of up to five days of cricket.

What a wonderful way to finish off the year.

1389, I'll add you to my prayers this morning at Mass.

God be with you, with the Baron and lovely Dymphna, and to all our international community here at GoV.

Nilk said... 10

We even have our own Christmas carols!

Three Drovers.

Enjoy :)

Call Me Mom said... 11

Merry Christmas and may God continue to allow you to serve Him.

Yorkshireminer said... 12

Brilliant baron and Dymphna, Christmas this year has been very subdued, the grim reaper has been busy this year and has cut a broad swath, through the family, many empty chairs. I am not religious but I certainly warm too the Christian part of the festival. I was trying to explain too the wife after an excellent diner, what it meant emotionally too me to attend a midnight service where the only illumination was candles in a thousand year old church. I think I failed miserable. This caught the mood perfectly, thank you.

Deep Regards

FAIRFACTS MEDIA said... 13

Merry Christmas from Yorkshire (where I am currently visiting) and New Zealand.
Keep up the greatwork Dymphna, Baron Bodissey and everyone else at GOV.

Anonymous said... 14

Greetings from Down Under, and Merry Christmas (which goes, after all, until Epiphany or even Candelmas). Yes, it's Boxing Day in Australia, the day of the Boxing Day Sales in the shops and the Boxing Day Test Match at the MCG--where we're playing the Old Enemy, England, for The Ashes.

I gave three anti-Jihad books for Christmas presents, and all were well received. It's one way to spread the word.

My favourite Christmas card was one received in my professional capacity, so it 'correctly' read 'Seasons Greetings' on the inside. Since the illustration was the Adoration of the Magi, I can only interpret 'Seasons' as including Epiphany.

Baron and Dymphna--I pray that God blesses you in the coming year and that you enjoy good health, safety and freedom.

rickl said... 15

Merry Christmas.

Professor L said... 16

Yes indeed, Merry Christmas Baron and Dymphna. Even the weather was nice to us yesterday, as I hope it is nice to you.

And a happy New Year to you all as well - I'll be off for a few weeks. I can catch up on the massive piles of fiction I've built up.

Anne-Kit said... 17

Beautiful song, Baron! Ah, Wexford: A bit of Christmas cracker trivia - I'm just reading a great history - "The Vikings" by Robert Ferguson. Apparently the town was founded by the Vikings in about 800AD. They named it Veisafjǫrðr, inlet of the mud flats and the name has changed only slightly into its present form.

A belated and blessed Merry Christmas to everyone at Gates of Vienna! 'twas also my birthday on Christmas Day so didn't get to go on the net at all ...

Anonymous said... 18

The Light of Christmas.

"May it be a light for us, in dark places, when all other lights go out."

Merry Christmas to all commenters and readers, Baron, Dymphna for your great work, and in 2011: Certa bonum certamen!

Kind regs from Amsterdam,
Sag.

Anonymous said... 19

Hey this thread is only a mere 19 posts long..
Why not summon our noted logorrhistic friend from Israel and see if he's willing to post a gross of merry Christmas wishes to us at GoV?

Yoo-hoo Adam, where are you? [ sorry @Zenster ;-) ]

Sag.

EscapeVelocity said... 20

Merry Christmas everyone. May we unite Europe under a Christian banner once again.