Symbol:  Advent Wreath

Carol:  Angels from the Realms of Glory

Movie:  Bells of St. Mary's - 1945

Literature and Poetry:  Poem:  An Old Christmas Greeting, author unknown and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, (Stave 2)

Christmas Around the World:  Belgium

Sophia:  Today's reading was the second part when Scrooge is visited by the first ghost.  The ghost takes him into Christmas past to show him the Christmasas he had as a boy.  Scrooge doesn't like some of the things the ghost shows him.  I wonder what the next ghost will do.  Today's Christmas in other countries was about Belgium.  In Belgium they have two Santa figures.  In the north, he's called St. Nicholas and in the south he's called Pere Noel.  St. Nicholas comes on Dec. 6 to deliver gifts to those that speak Flemish and Pere Noel comes on Dec. 6 to those who speak Walloon (which is French).  The carol "Angels from the Realms of Glory" is also known as "Angels We Have Heard on HIgh".  The words were written by a Scotsman and it was composed by an Englishman.  Today's movie, "The Bells of St. Mary's", is about a school run by nuns that is in a bad way.  It is costing them a fortune to keep it running.  When Sister Superior is found with a stage of TB, she was sent away because it was contagious.  The Latin version of "O Come All Ye Faithful" was sung in the movie "The Bells of St. Mary's".

Pamela