December 25: Longfellow

MERRY CHRISTMAS! For our final day in 25 Days of Christmas, I've saved the poem that is the basis of my favorite Christmas hymn:

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play;

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had roll’d along th’ unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bower my head:

“There is no peace on earth, “ I said,

“For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men.”

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This is my favorite Christmas hymn because of the hope it conveys. Also because of the story behind it. I invite you to watch this beautiful performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir telling Longfellow's story and singing the hymn. How sweet to experience his own personal realization of peace and hope through the words he penned! May your hearts and homes be full of this joy and the blessings of our Savior Jesus Christ on this day and always. Merry Christmas!

December 24: Luke

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
Luke 2:6

It's Christmas Eve! A wonderful day, but also a busy one! For today, I invite you to read Luke Chapter 2. If you have time and want to study more, check out the Bible Dictionary about Luke. Have a wonderful day!

December 23: Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The Holy Night
We sate among the stalls at Bethlehem;
The dumb kine fro their fodder turning them,
     Softened their horned faces
     To almost human gazes
     Toward the newly Born:
The simple shepherds from the star-lit brooks
     Brought visionary looks,
As yet in their astonied hearing rung
     The strange sweet angel-tongue:
The magi of the East, in sandals worn,
     Knelt reverent, sweeping round,
     With long pale beards, their gifts upon the ground,
     The incense, myrrh, and gold
These baby hands were impotent to hold:
So let all earthlies and celestials wait
     Upon thy royal state
     Sleep, sleep, my kingly One!
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was an English poet in the early 1800s. You probably know her Sonnet 43: "How Do I Love Thee?" She led an interesting life! And had a well-documented courtship (574 letters!) with Robert Browning. Much of her writing conveyed Christian beliefs through a variety of literary forms. Read more about her here!

December 22: Isaiah and Handel

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
~ Isaiah 9:6

Isaiah and Handel... What a powerful combination these two make! Handel's Messiah is an English-language oratorio (kind of like an opera but with different structure to the lyrics and melodic lines) and is perhaps one of the crown jewels in the greats of Christmas. The libretto (words) were drawn primarily from the King James version of the Bible and were put together by Charles Jennens. Much of the text in the first part of Messiah comes from the writings of Isaiah. Handel composed the music. Interestingly enough, he would usually tweak the score at each performance to suit the exact ensemble he was working with, so there are many different versions. Mozart also made an arrangement changing some of the instrumentation. Bottom line, this is a great one! Click here to listen to "For Unto Us a Child is Born." Or here to listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing the Hallelujah chorus!

December 21: Christina Rossetti

Love came down at Christmas;
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Stars and angels gave the sign.
~ Christina Rossetti

I love these sweet words as they remind me of the pure love of Christ. How much we have to celebrate at Christmastime! Christina Rossetti was the author of many children's works and other Victorian novels and poems. You may not know, however, that she was the original author of the words to the song "In the Bleak Midwinter." To read a brief summary of her life, click here.

And here's a video of the University of Utah Singers performing three Christmas Carols. It's about nine minutes long. "Love Came Down at Christmas" arranged by John Rutter is the last one, starting at 6:17. Enjoy all three! (The first, "Baby, What You Goin' To Be?," is another one of my favorites!)

December 20: Martin Luther

Good news from heaven the angels bring,
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:
To us this day a child is given,
To crown us with the joy of heaven.
~ Martin Luther

Many of us know Martin Luther as the leader of the Protestant Reformation but he was also a prolific writer and hymnologist. The Friend published a great summary of his life and efforts. Click here to learn more!

December 19: President Thomas S. Monson

Today I invite you to read an article by President Thomas S. Monson entitled The Best Christmas Ever. This wouldn't be 25 Days of Christmas with the Greats if we didn't include President Monson! Check it out and enjoy! Click here.

December 18: Sir Walter Scott

Heap on more wood!
The wind is chill;
But let it whistle as it will
We’ll keep our Christmas merry still.
~Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish-born author and poet. He is said to have been one of the first English-language authors to experience international influence in his lifetime. He is known for his works Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, and The Lady of the Lake. He is credited with starting the concept of the historical novel and was very popular in America in the 19th century (though some American authors did not appreciate it -- Mark Twain among them!) To read more about him, click here.

December 17: Robert Louis Stevenson

A Christmas Prayer
Help us rightly to remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the Wise Men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift, and good desire with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessings that Christ brings, and teach us t be merry with clean hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts; forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson was a prolific Scottish author, best known for his novels Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He now ranks in the top thirty most translated authors in the world. Wow! To explore an entire site dedicated to his life and works, click here.

December 16: Thomas Hardy

The Oxen
Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
Thet dwelt in their stray pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I fell,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
“Come; see the oxen kneel,

“In the lonely barton by yonder comb,
Our childhood used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.”
~Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was another Victorian poet and novelist. I first came to know his works when I read Tess of the d'Urbervilles. He is also author of Far from the Madding Crowd, among others. He is considered to be part of the naturalist movement, a movement which used realism to depict social conditions and other environmental factors that were thought to shape human nature. Hardy tried to deal with several difficult social norms in his books (morality being a big one), and though he is considered highly now, he met with heavy criticism when he first began writing. To learn more about him, click here.

December 15: Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber

Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace; sleep in heavenly peace.
Hymn No. 204

Says Karen Lynn Davidson in her description of this hymn, "As we sing [this hymn], our hearts and memories fill in what is missing, and our sense of that sacred night is complete." How right she is! She goes on to tell the story of this hymn:

It is amazing to realize that this best-known of all Christmas carols was virtually an "instant hymn." The words were written, set to music, and first performed all in a single day.... On December 24, 1818, Father Joseph Mohr, the assistant parish priest at the st. Nikolaus Catholic Church in Oberndorf, Austria, decided to write a new hymn for the evening service. Because the church organ could not be repaired in time, he needed a Christmas hymn that the organist, Franz Gruber, could accompany on his guitar. He took the words to Franz Gruber, who wrote the music, and the two of them sang the hymn at the evening service, with the choir joining in on the last two lines.
--Karen Lynn Davidson, Our Latter-day Hymns: The Stories and Messages, 216

The hymn went on to instant fame and success and was eventually translated into English by John Freeman Young. The verses we sing now were the 1st, 6th, and 2nd of the original.

December 14: Alexander Smith

Christmas is the day that holds all time together.
~Alexander Smith

Alexander Smith was a Scottish essayist and poet. He lived only a short life from 1830-1867. While his work received varied praise, he is quoted extensively. Check out this link to read some more of his statements.

December 13: Henry Van Dyke

I must confess, this is one of my favorite Christmas quotes of all. It's long, but it's worth it! Keep reading!

Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world; to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance, and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground; to see that your fellowmen are just as real as you are; and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy; to own that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going tog et out of life, but what you are going to give to life; to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness – are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.


Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desire of the little children; to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old; to stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough; to bear in mind the things that other people have to near on their hearts; to try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you; to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you; to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open – are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest ting in the world – stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death – and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love? Then you can keep Christmas.

And if you keep it for a day, why not always?

But you can never keep it alone.

~Henry Van Dyke

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) was a poet and storyteller that lived through many of our nation's pivotal events. He was known for several famous Christmas stories, among them The Other Wise Man and The First Christmas Tree. He also authored The Lost Word, a book my family enjoyed reading at Christmas time while I was growing up. To access a collection of his works online, go here.

December 12: President Uchtdorf

Today I invite you to take the time to read President Uchtdorf's Christmas Message in December's issue of the Ensign / Liahona. I love this thought he shares:

Do you remember what the angel told the shepherds? “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” And they said to themselves, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass” (Luke 2:11, 15).


Like the shepherds of old, we need to say in our hearts, “Let us see this thing which is come to pass.” We need to desire it in our hearts. Let us see the Holy One of Israel in the manger, in the temple, on the mount, and on the cross. Like the shepherds, let us glorify and praise God for these tidings of great joy!

~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Ensign, December 2010

December 11: Shakespeare

Ever 'gainst That Season
Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes
Wherein our Savior's birth is celebrated,
The bird of dawning singeth all night long;
And then, they say, no spirit can walk abroad;
The nights are wholesome; then no planets strike,
No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.
~Shakespeare

We have all probably had to read some or much of Shakespeare's works in school, but have you ever taken the time to go back and try it again as an adult? Maybe you can start with his sonnets, or if you're feeling bold, try one of his longer works. But don't be scared away... check them out!

December 10: Marjorie Holmes

It comes every year and will go on forever. And along with Christmas belong the keepsakes and the customs. Those humble, everyday things a mother clings to, and ponders, like Mary in the secret spaces of her heart.

~Marjorie Holmes

Marjorie Holmes was the author of several fictional books based on Christ and the Christmas story. Her first work, Two from Galilee, has been featured in our evening book group! To read a short biogrpahy of her life, click here.

December 9: O. Henry

The story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry tells the tale of a young husband and wife who sacrifice their most prized possessions to buy a Christmas gift for the other. I encourage you to read the entire story here. But enjoy this quote in the meantime:

The magi, as you know, were wise men – wonderfully wise men who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days, let is be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.
From The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

December 8: John Rutter

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the MUSIC! And one of my favorite composers of our current age is John Rutter. Rutter was born in London in 1945 and studied music at Clare College in Cambridge. He is the founder and conductor of the Cambridge Singers and composer of a vast body of works. Many of my favorites are his Christmas carols. Click here to watch a beautiful recording of his composition "What Sweeter Music" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Enjoy!

About Christmas, Rutter said the following:

"For me, first and foremost, Christmas is happy memories of the way it was celebrated when I was a kid. As everyone would probably say, it revolves around the family and gatherings. But it also revolves around my school chapel. I was at a school in north London that happened to have a chapel with a fine choir. And our Christmas carol service was the high point of our singing year. So I actually developed a love of the whole music of Christmas, along with the message of Christmas, from when I was a kid. With music, your Christmas can always be perfect. With real-Iife Christmas, there's always something that's going to go a bit wrong. You're hoping it's going to snow on Christmas day, but it doesn't. Or your turkey smells absolutely gorgeous, but it turns out that it's a bit burned when you come to eat it. But the music of Christmas is always perfect, and so I love to remember and celebrate Christmas in music and song."
--John Rutter

December 7: Washington Irving

I love Christmas because it gives us all an excuse to reach out to friends and neighbors we may not usually take the time to connect with. Here's what Washington Irving had to say on the subject:

Now Christmas is come,
Let's beat up the drum
And call all our neighbors together,
And when they appear,
Let us make them such cheer
As will keep out the wind and the weather.
--Washington Irving

Perhaps most famous for his tales "The Legend of Sleep Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle,"  Washington Irving was a famous American writer and historian of the early 19th century. Read more about his life here.

December 6: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. 
~Laura Ingalls Wilder

One of my favorite authors growing up was Laura Ingalls Wilder. As I read the "Little House" books, I especially loved picturing the scenes of her family enjoying special traditions and holidays, so this quote was one we had to include in our 25 Days of Christmas!

Full of fun information, games, and illustrations, be sure to visit this fun website about her books and her life. (And share this one with your kids!)

December 5: The First Presidency

Tonight we will have the opportunity to enjoy the Christmas Devotional from the First Presidency! So in lieu of a quote, I invite you to enjoy hearing from them: men who are not only wonderful speakers and writers, but also inspired leaders! Click here to go to the Broadcast page on lds.org. Enjoy!

December 4: Benjamin Franklin

Let no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure three, no ambition corrupt thee, to do anything which thou knowest to be evil; so shalt thou always live jollily; for a good conscience is a continual Christmas.
-- Benjamin Franklin

Who doesn't have a soft spot for Benjamin Franklin? Involved in the founding of our nation, author of Poor Richard's Almanack, a great inventor, and so much else. I've recently gained a new appreciation for his accomplishments as my son has been learning about him in school. To learn more about his life and work, click here and explore a great compilation of background and facts put together by PBS. Also, try this site for some of his best aphorisms!

December 3: Helen Keller

Today features two beautiful quotes from Helen Keller. Although there has been some debate about her life history, you can visit this website to explore her birthplace, look at photos, and read about her story. Enjoy!

Blessed by the Christmas sunshine, our natures, perhaps long leafless, bring forth new love, new kindness, new mercy, new compassion.

~Helen Keller

The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart.
~Helen Keller

December 2

Day 2! Today let's enjoy a lovely little poem by John Greenleaf Whittier....

Somehow, not only for Christmas
But all the long year through,
The joy that you give to others
Is the joy that comes back to you.

And the more you spend in blessing
The poor and lonely and sad,
The more of your heart's possessing
Returns to you glad.

- John Greenleaf Whittier

How true it is! It's always been better to give than to receive. Let's try to make this a reality this year!

For Your Information...
Whittier was an American poet of the 19th century. Born in the Quaker tradition in Massachussetts, he was also known for his involvement in the abolitionist movement. He was considered to be one of the Fireside Poets, a group which also included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Oliver Wendell Holmes. To learn more about his life and view a collection of some of his other poems, click here!