Soon... The Magic of Christmas!

[jo]

I responded to a tweet on "X" which said that even Mickey Mouse (Disney) would approve of Hugh Jackman in the movie "Deadpool & Wolverine"... thus triggering memories of a time when Hugh Jackman used to be M.C. for Christmas celebrations in Australia.

[jo]

This is Hugh singing the classic carol - HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING!



It has not been a very happy time for Hugh in the last few years ( death of his Dad, the emotional impact of The Son, his recent marital problem) -- I wish that this Christmas will bring back the joy in his life!


Jo

[jo]

The beautiful BETHLEHEM MORNING!

[jo]

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS --

Hugh singing the song at SNL

[jo]

WE THREE KINGS OF ORIENT ARE!

[jo]

Change of pace -- Hugh is a backup singer at Russell Crowe's concert at Joe's Pub --






Lyrics :


It was Christmas Eve, babe
In the drunk tank
An old man said to me, "Won't see another one"
And then he sang a song
"The Rare Old Mountain Dew"
I turned my face away
And dreamed about you

Got on a lucky one
Came in 18 to one
I've got a feeling
This year's for me and you
So happy Christmas
I love you, baby
I can see a better time
When all our dreams come true

They've got cars big as bars, they've got rivers of gold
But the wind goes right through you, it's no place for the old
When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve
You promised me Broadway was waiting for me

You were handsome
You were pretty, Queen of New York City
When the band finished playing
They howled out for more
Sinatra was swinging, all the drunks they were singing
We kissed on a corner then danced through the night

The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day

You're a bum, you're a punk
You're an old slut on junk
Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed
You scumbag, you maggot
You cheap lousy faggot
Happy Christmas your arse
I pray God it's our last

The boys of the NYPD choir
Still singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells were ringing out
For Christmas day

I could have been someone
Well, so could anyone
You took my dreams from me
When I first found you

I kept them with me, babe
I put them with my own
Can't make it all alone
I've built my dreams around you

The boys of the NYPD choir
Still singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas day

[jo]

Michael Ball & Alfie Boe --

[jo]

[jo]

Unusual... and some do not agree with the use of the song...on such an occasion.

Singing "The Greatest Show" to highlight in church the coming of Christmas!


x.com/AWJB7/status/1734043426339819715?s=20


Let's look at the lyrics --

Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for (woah)
Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor (woah)
And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore
Taking your breath, stealing your mind
And all that was real is left behind

Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after
Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer
Just surrender 'cause you feel the feeling taking over

It's fire, it's freedom, it's flooding open
It's a preacher in the pulpit and you'll find devotion
There's something breaking at the brick of every wall
It's holding all that you know, so tell me do you wanna go?
Where it's covered in all the colored lights
Where the runaways are running the night
Impossible comes true, it's taking over you

Oh, this is the greatest show
We light it up, we won't come down
And the sun can't stop us now
Watching it come true, it's taking over you
Oh, this is the greatest show"




Maybe a little over the top...
but the season of advent is that waiting, exciting waiting time, for the coming of Christmas!


Jo

[jo]

A super-oldie...but now ranked # 1 on Billboard 100


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It's Brenda Lee!

[jo]

A Britain's Got Talent find, Malakai Bayoh ( who sings in "God's note frequency")

sings O Holy Night with former boy singer now mature Aled Jones.

[jo]

The Gingerbread House Cake was sent to the Jackman Family, maybe to their Chelsea place ( the windows look like it - remember last year's tree where a cutout of Ryan Reynolds was supposed to be hiding?)

Hugh says it is intricate and delicious. Presumably he is still in England before their holiday break for 15 days or so happens? Maybe either Deb or Ava or Oscar sent him a photo?

But do you ever eat a Gingerbread House cake?


I was once gifted a huge Gingerbread House cake and because we are in the tropics, the ants started crowding near it. I had to put the cake on stilts in a water-full container to avoid the ants from reaching it.

Jo

[jo]

Ryan pitches in with his holiday commercial --

[jo]

One of the most loved Christmas songs - O Holy Night, with Hugh Jackman!




O Holy Night is originally a French Christmas hymn, called MINUIT CHRETIEN.

www.frenchlearner.com/songs/minuit-chretien-o-holy-night-french-lyrics/


I remember we learned this at Alliance Francaise in one of the courses.





But I remember being more enchanted ( at that time) with the French carol that was much easier to memorize.

"Il est ne...le divin enfant"


Il est né le Divin Enfant

Il est né le divin Enfant
Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes
Il est né le divin Enfant
Chantons tous son avènement

Depuis plus de quatre mille ans
Nous le promettaient les prophètes
Depuis plus de quatre mille ans
Nous attendions cet heureux temps

Il est né le divin Enfant
Chantons tous son avènement




Jo

[jo]

www.threads.net/@rockefellercenter/post/C1D7CCSsEli





Also, always a treat to watch the skaters from the glass window of the restaurants next to the rink.

[jo]

Arguably the world's most famous Christmas tree --

http://instagram.com/p/C0EulWyN3hS

[jo]

My favorite Christmas tree is at the Met Museum of New York.

The Angel Tree!

(the scene is a nativity, with 18th century Neapolitan figures. It’s the legacy of a woman named Loretta Hines Howard, a passionate collector of creche figures whose collection was first exhibited at the Met in 1957)

[jo]

Nobleteeshirt Store
@nobleteshirt
·
1h
Official What if deadpool 3 was a Christmas movie best Christmas ever poster movie ryan reynolds x hugh jackman T-shirt

[jo]

When snow weather comes...

I found this photo of the lake at Central Park with surrounding trees covered with snow...is that the old Plaza Hotel in the foreground?

[JH4HJ]

Dec 22, 2023 22:39:10 GMT -5 jo said:

When snow weather comes...

I found this photo of the lake at Central Park with surrounding trees covered with snow...is that the old Plaza Hotel in the foreground?

Yes, The Plaza is on 5th Avenue between 58St and Central Park South.
This is the Central Park South(W 59St) side of the building.

[jo]

Thanks!

What a beautiful contrast the 2 photos of different seasons show!


Jo

[jo]

www.threads.net/@therealhoarse/post/C1OP_6uumuk

therealhoarse

There’s something extra special about New York City over the holidays. People in town on trips of a lifetime, agog at the tree at Rockefeller Center, pulling their little ones along to Radio City and St. Patrick’s and the clock at Saks. Great time to be in NYC.

[jo]

Can you share Christmas traditions in your place - maybe your town or city or state or even the USA and elsewhere in the world?

Here in the Philippines, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, we have our novena of nine daily masses before Christmas. They used to be dawn masses in the past and observed in many places whether cities or provinces. After the dawn mass, the courtyard is filled with people having an early breakfast of rice cakes and ginger tea.

Today, one can go to a number of masses ( including online) which celebrate the tradition. I just finished the novena for nine days and ended it with the Christmas Eve mass close to midnight.

Of course there is the commercial side and celebratory side of Christmas - but this tradition is still observed heavily everywhere.

Merry Christmas to all!

Jo

[jo]

Remember when Hugh Jackman sang at a concert in Washington DC whose special guests were President Obama and his family?

[njr]

Dec 23, 2023 20:35:07 GMT -5 jo said:

Thanks!

What a beautiful contrast the 2 photos of different seasons show!


Jo

The Plaza is where The Beatles stayed when they first came to America Feb. 7th and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show Feb. 9, 1964! I was glued to the TV and have been a fan ever since! (I was 8 years old)

Nancy