Sunday, December 14, 2008

December Stories and Songs, Part 14


With only a little over a week left until Christmas, readers and listeners may be looking for a good laugh right about now, especially if they are working in retail, in the church, or are students. So the story I've chosen for today is The Peterkins' Christmas Tree by Lucretia P. Hale. The link will take you to the whole story, which was written at a time when Christmas trees were not as commonly found in homes as they are now, particularly in New England. If you are not familiar with the hapless Peterkin family, you are in for a treat. The word "over-thinking" was invented for them. But somehow, with the help of the Lady from Philadelphia, things always turn out all right for them. (The photo is our 1988 Christmas tree, so tall in our then-new-to-us 1905 house that you can't see the angel on top).

Of course the first song most people think of when they think of Christmas trees is O Tannenbaum. The Vienna Choirboys (Wiener Sängerknaben) have some very nice versions, but I found this one by the Tölzer Knabenchor on YouTube, AND they're wearing lederhosen! I also enjoyed the instrumental accompaniment on this one.

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