Bob Smith and Marcia Smith delved into the history and customs of Christmas, exploring diverse origins and traditions. Bob shared insights on the invention of Christmas cards, Grinch, and gingerbread houses, while Marcia discussed the darker side of Christmas and her own tradition of placing candles in the windows. They also examined the origins and evolution of Santa Claus, from a historical figure to the legendary gift-giver known as Santa Claus. Both agreed that Santa Claus represents a timeless and universal aspect of human experience, transcending time and space.
Outline
Christmas traditions and history.
* Bob and Marcia Smith discuss the origins of the Christmas card, invented by Henry Cole in 1843 as a labor-saving device to reach a large circle of friends through newspaper ads.
* In the classic Christmas movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch was described in three words: “a nasty, mean, old Grinch.”
* Marcia and Bob discuss Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, including its origins and popularity.
* They also talk about mistletoe, a parasitic plant often used as a Christmas decoration.
* Bob and Marcia discuss the high percentage of Americans who celebrate Christmas (7 out of 10) and how it has become more of a cultural celebration rather than a religious one.
* They also discuss the 19th century Christmas Eve tradition of telling ghost stories, as reflected in the works of authors like Charles Dickens.
Christmas traditions and candy history.
* Marcia Smith explains the origins of the tradition of putting candles in windows during Christmas, tracing it back to Colonial Williamsburg and a historian who wanted to indicate which buildings were open for business during the holiday season.
* Bob Smith is skeptical of the tradition and its origins, but Marcia convinces him to continue the practice for its charm and nostalgic value.
St. Nicholas and the origins of Santa Claus.
* Marcia and Bob discuss Hanukkah traditions, including the menorah display and the significance of the middle candle, chamas.
* St. Nicholas was a real Christian bishop in Turkey in 3rd century AD, known for secret gift giving and evolving into Santa Claus legend.
Christmas traditions and history.
* Marcia and Bob discuss New Year’s Eve traditions, including the first time the ball was dropped in Times Square in 1908.
* Marcia Smith explains the origins of the Time Square ball drop, which was brought to New York City by a British Royal Navy officer named Robert.
* Bob Smith discusses the history of mistletoe and holly bush, including their pagan and Christian symbolism, and how they became associated with Christmas kisses.
* Bob Smith shares interesting facts about Christmas traditions and history, including the origins of Santa Claus and the significance of myrrh in the story of the Three Wise Men.
* Marcia Smith joins in the conversation, adding her own trivia and insights, and the two of them engage in a lighthearted and entertaining discussion.
Christmas traditions and history.
* Bob Smith and Marcia Smith discuss the origins of the Yule Log tradition, which originated in Scandinavia as a way to do away with old years’ evil and rekindle the hearth fire.
* Twas the Night Before Christmas was originally published under the name A Visit from St. Nicholas, and the first line of the first verse is often referred to as the name of the poem.
* Bob Smith and Marcia Smith discuss a holiday movie sequel featuring a cameo by Donald Trump.
* Bob Smith reads from the New York Sun, expressing the importance of childhood belief in Santa Claus.
What charming, colorful Christmas tradition was actually invented for efficiency. Okay,
Marcia Smith 0:07
in the classic movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch was described with three words what were they bob
Bob Smith 0:15
answers to those and other questions as we head for the holidays in this edition of the off ramp with Bob and Marsha Smith
Welcome to the off ramp a chance to slow down, steer clear of crazy take a side road to Saturday and get some perspective on life. Well, the holidays really do tend to give you some good perspective on the things that really matter. And I have a question for you, Marcia about the holidays. And what charming, colorful Christmas tradition was actually invented, for efficiency for
Marcia Smith 1:03
trying to think the fruitcake. Very well makes absolutely no sense. I don’t know. The
Bob Smith 1:09
Christmas card. Oh, okay. It was invented by a man named Henry Cole. He was a very distinguished British civil servant, very busy man. Very busy man. He actually organized the British postal service and designed the first postage stamp. So he knew a lot about mail. And he was very busy. And in those days, people wrote long holiday letters
Marcia Smith 1:29
to throw i Okay, yeah. Now I remember this guy. Yeah. So it
Bob Smith 1:33
was 1843. He had no time for that. So he came up with a solution. To reach out to his large circle of friends. He hired an illustrator John Kelly Scott Horsley and they invented the Christmas card. They were so popular. He actually set up a little company to sell them. And they took England by storm from the beginning of 1000 Christmas cards, which were hand colored. Wow. To an industry we
Marcia Smith 1:56
have today. And he signed 1000 Christmas cards. Wow.
Bob Smith 1:59
Yeah, yeah. 1000 you think you gotta at least it’s big? Yeah. Yeah, really how we started selling them was through newspaper ads to sell people for the Christmas season. So we invented a whole new industry, a labor saving device, the Christmas card. Most of us don’t think of it being a labor saving device. It’s
Marcia Smith 2:16
like, tell you what’s Christmas. Sending out Christmas email. That’s what’s Labor’s labor.
Bob Smith 2:24
So Marsha Smith invented the Christmas email.
Marcia Smith 2:27
That’s right. And who I didn’t even have time for that. Okay, this is short and sweet Bob in the classic Christmas movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. A perennial favorite. The Grinch was described in three words. What were they? You know,
Bob Smith 2:42
I never really watched that show. I mean, I’ve heard of it. I’ve heard the songs but I never watch it tonight. So tell me what the three words were.
Marcia Smith 2:49
Stink stank stunk.
Bob Smith 2:51
Oh. Well, that is fast. Yes, it is. That is fast. Well, I got a few fast wins too. Okay, give me a bunch in the early 1800s. The first gingerbread houses were reportedly inspired by what famous fairy tale The first gingerbread houses.
Marcia Smith 3:11
Was it the German fairy I was gonna say? Was it a Mother Goose thing, but it’s one of those was though. Not the lady in the cupboard or the Hubbard or whatever? No, no, not Mother Hubbard. Yeah. Hansel and Gretel. Oh, of course, they had a gingerbread house. Yes. That’s how
Bob Smith 3:26
that’s where most people think that gingerbread houses were came a tradition fired by Okay. How many reindeer are featured in the poem? Twas the Night Before
Marcia Smith 3:33
Christmas. Okay, all of them which that’s where Rudolph was introduced nine of them.
Bob Smith 3:38
No, just the opposite. Eight of them. Rudolph wasn’t there.
Marcia Smith 3:43
When did he come? Where did Rudolph come from?
Bob Smith 3:45
I just happen to have some information on that horse you. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer came from a song that Johnny marks wrote. It was based on a book by a man named Robert Mae. And of course, Gene Autry is remembered for the first recording. Oh, that’s right.
Marcia Smith 4:00
Yeah, I had a little red record that he sang.
Bob Smith 4:04
How long ago? Do you think that was? When did he record it? That’s my question. Oh,
Marcia Smith 4:09
but when he
Bob Smith 4:10
introduced the song at Madison Square Garden in December 1949, the Christmas season high 49.
Marcia Smith 4:17
So it had been around by the time you and I were kids. Yeah. And his
Bob Smith 4:21
recording of the song sold over 8 million records. Well, it’s probably gone well beyond that. That was the first 30 years and the total record sales by all artists amount to well over 110 million copies second only to White Christmas. Really? Yeah. So Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer came from a song based on a little book. Yeah, it’s not from the original Dasher and Dancer, Prancer, I’ll be darned. Okay, what traditional Christmas decoration is actually a parasitic plant. Oh,
Marcia Smith 4:50
that sounds so sweet. parasitic plant Christmas decoration. It’s not Holly is it? No, not mistletoe? Yes.
Bob Smith 4:58
Real ISIL toe is a parasitic plant. Oh, that’s it, I
Marcia Smith 5:04
kiss you I do that. Okay, but what is it parasitical to?
Bob Smith 5:08
I don’t know, I think it’s just one of those. It’s like a weed, I guess. I don’t know. I have to look into that. But
Marcia Smith 5:13
you should google that later. Yeah. Well, let’s get our facts down. Okay. How many Americans celebrate Christmas? How many out of 10? Just
Bob Smith 5:21
okay. So you’d have to be from the Christian tradition loosely, at least in some way. I would say. Seven out of 10.
Marcia Smith 5:30
That’s pretty high. I was stunned at this number. Nine out of 10. Oh, you’re kidding. 55% considered a religious holiday. And 33% Think of it as more of a cultural celebration.
Bob Smith 5:44
I think it’s become more of a cultural celebration. Yeah.
Marcia Smith 5:47
Even the Jewish in our families celebrate Christmas. It is a great celebration for merchants
Bob Smith 5:53
who think of it as a commercial celebration. That has to be some of those nine of those eight, it’s gotta be gotta be some of those people. Yeah, I
Marcia Smith 6:02
just found that. That’s from country living that car. Oh, that’s funny. Nine out of 10. Okay. All
Bob Smith 6:07
right. What was one of the great Christmas Eve traditions of the 19th century? I didn’t know about this until I read it in an article in the Wall Street Journal. So you can see this great tradition in the works of literature. What was one of the great Christmas Eve traditions of the 19th century?
Marcia Smith 6:26
18th century Christmas Eve tradition sa making time and cherries?
Bob Smith 6:33
No. There you go again, with the Tom and Jerry’s? I don’t know. favorite drink? No, it’s telling ghost stories. Oh, really? Yeah. And this comes from a Wall Street Journal story, the darker side of Christmas by Regina Hansen. So apparently, in the 19th century, one of the big things people did, especially in America and Britain was tell ghost stories at Christmas time. And you can see that in the works of authors by Henry James. For instance, the most famous example is Scrooge Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol he was visited by three ghosts. That’s right. That’s right. But Charles Dickens didn’t just write one ghost story. For Christmas Eve, he wrote a series of ghost stories published yearly at Christmas. I didn’t either. Another one was called the signal man in which a railway worker received ghostly warnings of impending accidents. So ghost stories on Christmas Eve were a thing. They weren’t invented by artists like Charles Dickens, they were reflected in their work. I’ll be doing that little Dickens. I had no idea. This is there’s some really other sad things about Chris Bowie, dark things when you think about
Marcia Smith 7:36
let’s not go there. Okay. So much dark things right now, Bob. Okay. You know how the day after Thanksgiving every year, I put our little cat electric candles in the windows in the front of our house? Yes, I do that and they stay there until they till they just burn out, which is usually around Easter. They I just never turn them off. It’s just a lovely glow in our early night. That’s the way I look at it. But the question is, where did the tradition of putting candles in the Windows Start?
Bob Smith 8:11
No, I have never thought of that as an A Christmas tradition. Is that what you mean? I don’t know. Well,
Marcia Smith 8:18
I was thinking this is another one of those things that goes back to Victorian times. And you know, all this and that no Nene farther than that. No, no. 1930 Tell me about that. Yeah, it was from Colonial Williamsburg. You’ve been there, right? Yes, yes. Okay. So, Williamsburg historian put lit candles in the window of historical buildings that were open for business during Christmas. He wanted the shoppers to know where they could shop during Christmas. So that’s how he did that. And people who visited thought it looked charming. It took the idea home with them. And that’s why Marcia Drew and Smith has done it. You know how many years later? Two years later, a commercial thing that started on Christmas, but I thought it was some charming ancient tradition. I had
Bob Smith 9:09
no idea me no idea. I’m still gonna do it. It still
Marcia Smith 9:14
means people can come over here and shop. It’s very Yes.
Bob Smith 9:18
By any of the toys. We haven’t heard that. So you know the story of the sleeping children in Clement Moore’s poem The Night Before Christmas. Yes. Remember, there’s this line visions of sugar plums danced in their head. So what are sugar plums? Well, they’re
Marcia Smith 9:33
plums with sugar on them, Bob. No, they’re not okay. I knew that was too easy. Okay, sugar plums. Raisins. Well,
Bob Smith 9:44
they are no actually a fruitless candy. Believe it or no? Range? Yeah, yeah. So they were long forgotten candy. Very labor intensive. This comes from Michelle. Deb Zach writing for Mental Floss. So according to the Atlantic, the sugar plus as English speakers aid from the 17th through the 19th century contain mostly sugar and no plums. They were made by pouring liquid sugar over a caraway seed or an almond, allowing it to harden and then repeating the process. This candy making technique was called panning and it created layers of hard sugar shells. And the final product was roughly the size and shape of a plum, which is how it became associated with real fruit. What year was this? 17th century Okay,
Marcia Smith 10:27
yeah, so that was a thing. So this
Bob Smith 10:29
was before the day of candy factory. So these sweets could take several days to make and that’s why they’re labor intensive production explains why they were a luxury good for special occasion. So children would be dreaming. May we’ll get sugar plums.
Marcia Smith 10:42
That’s sweet. Have you ever made candy of any kind?
Bob Smith 10:45
I don’t know. Yeah, I’m sure he did when I was a kid.
Marcia Smith 10:48
I don’t remember ever making candy. But it’s my mom
Bob Smith 10:50
used to make fudge and all those kinds of things. So yeah, and cookies and Okay.
Marcia Smith 10:54
Well, that’s I had no idea. That’s very interesting. All right, Bob. Although Shabbat is the most important holiday in the Jewish faith, many of us are more familiar with Hanukkah. Because it falls near Christmas. So we’re aware of it. Yes. The eight days of Hanukkah has just passed. And the menorah displays nine candles with four candles on each side of the middlemen. Why? Why are there nine instead of eight to celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah?
Bob Smith 11:23
I never thought of that. I’m just used to seeing that the beautiful symmetry of those candles. Yeah. And that one in the middle being the biggest one.
Marcia Smith 11:29
Actually. It’s just taller. It’s just up taller. Okay. It’s the same size as the others
Bob Smith 11:34
placed higher. Yeah, okay.
Marcia Smith 11:36
Oh, you don’t know. Do you know? I
Bob Smith 11:37
don’t know the answer when it gets Yes. What’s the
Marcia Smith 11:41
middle candle is called chamas. You light it first. And it’s used to light the other candles. It’s just the helper candle. You know, I
Bob Smith 11:50
wonder if the Advent candle tradition came from that Jewish tradition?
Marcia Smith 11:53
Well, me too. I was just thinking about that. And our church. They have that big candle in the middle. That’s for Christmas Day. And then you light all the weeks around it right?
Bob Smith 12:02
Yeah. Yeah. The Sundays prior to that. Yeah. Interesting.
Marcia Smith 12:05
So but I bet it did. I bet they did. A lot of Christian things came from the Jewish traditions, I think.
Bob Smith 12:11
All right. I have two questions. It’s one question and then a follow up question. Oh, I’m all ears. What modern day country in what modern day country was St Nicholas born?
Marcia Smith 12:23
That was Germany, Austria, Germany. Which one? Germany? Wrong. Austria wrong.
Bob Smith 12:32
They’re both wrong. Okay. I’m toying with like a cat toying with Turkey. Turkey. Yes. St. Nicholas was a Christian St. He was called St. Nicholas of Myra. He’s also known as Nicholas of Barry. He was an early Christian bishop from the maritime city of Myra, which is the modern day city of demre in Turkey, and it was during the time of the Roman Empire. It’s believed he lived from 270 to 343. Ad now, how did he come to be known as St. Nick or St. Nicholas? Wasn’t he
Marcia Smith 13:04
really benevolent he was always giving out toys to kids and food and treats. He was
Bob Smith 13:11
a gift giver. Yeah, he was. Many miracles are attributed to him. He was known as Nicholas the wonderworker. Did he come down the chimney? Not that I know. Okay, but he was a patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, prostitutes, prostitutes. Okay. Children, brewers pawnbroker’s, unmarried people and students in various cities and countries. They almost covered everything, everybody but the retired people. Yeah, that’s a cross section. Is that interesting? Wow. And his reputation evolved among the faithful because he had a legendary habit of secret gift giving. So that gave rise to the model of Santa Claus St. Nick or Sinterklaas. So that I thought that was kind of interesting that but there was actually a person named St. Nicholas. He was a bishop in the Christian church to 70 ad to 343 ad was his lifespan.
Marcia Smith 14:00
Wow, the Khatlon go that Turkey. Yeah. Yeah, you probably wouldn’t think of that. No, no, I’ll be talking
Bob Smith 14:07
a little add on to that one. Whoa, what does St Nicholas or Santa Claus and pawnbrokers have in common? Well,
Marcia Smith 14:14
that’s not where a Santa gets all his toys. Doesn’t he? Get him from the pawn shop? No, he
Bob Smith 14:18
doesn’t get his toys from Good lord. They’re made in the workshop. Not the pawn shop. No workshop, I
Marcia Smith 14:29
Will Ferrell and friends
Bob Smith 14:30
and apparently legend has it that the bishop Nicholas once brought a poor man three bags of gold as a dowry for his daughters. And those three bags of gold can be seen today symbolized as the three golden balls hanging outside punch ups in the sign.
Marcia Smith 14:45
Come on. Now. pawnshops have three golden balls. Well, that’s the
Bob Smith 14:50
traditional sign. Yes, maybe not the ones you go to. What do you pawn off your things but just
Marcia Smith 14:56
the things you give me
Bob Smith 14:59
why All right, we’ll be back with more of the off ramp and just a moment with Bob
Marcia Smith 15:03
and Marsha Smith.
Bob Smith 15:07
You’re listening to the off ramp with Bob
Marcia Smith 15:09
and Marsha Smith. Okay, now let’s talk New Year’s Eve. Okay, in 1908 What classic New Year’s Eve tradition was begun
Bob Smith 15:19
1908 One classic dude. Oh, that must have been when the ball first was dropped from Time Square you know you
Marcia Smith 15:25
really get on my nerves. Oh okay course there aren’t that many New Year’s Eve traditions. Raw beef noisemaker Yeah. And I’ll midnight but yes, you got it. The first time that it’s called time ball the first time ball in Times Square New York City was dropped in 1908. It was all made possible by the invention of a Victorian contraption in England, called the chronometer the chronometer, which helps sailors at sea navigate, and a British Royal Navy officer named Robert wash halt. Brought it our way for a New Year’s celebration that continues to this day. What did the chronometer do? It helped them navigate.
Bob Smith 16:13
So what did that have to do with the ball dropping from Time Square,
Marcia Smith 16:16
it comes down for an hour right? ticks off. If you saw a picture of this contraption, you’d see oh, yeah, I guess you could do time ball drop to the chronometer depth. Interesting. Just just take my word. It came from England, Victorian England, and the sea. Okay, all Navy, and he brought it over here. And the New York City had already started celebrating Times Square in Times Square, but they didn’t have any big thing that happened at midnight. So that was
Bob Smith 16:46
it. Yeah, well over 100 years ago, cheese, and everything of it being that long ago. I think of the 20s or something. Yeah. Okay, I’ve got some more on mistletoe. Okay. Did you know mistletoe was considered sacred in the pagan rights of the Druids? Not the Druids, your family but the Druids. They thought it had magical powers of healing. And in ancient Roman legend, when enemies met under the mistletoe, they were forced to lay down their weapons kiss and declare a truce until the next day. So that’s when Christianity arrived in Britain. The bishops outlawed mistletoe from church decorations, mistletoe and Christmas kisses but this whole idea of kissing under the mistletoe became kind of a Christmas thing. Really? Yeah. Even though it was not bad. The hollybush Where do you think that came from?
Marcia Smith 17:32
What what country to hollybush What country? Well, was it Scandinavia,
Bob Smith 17:37
it may have been but in medieval England is where they trace it back to and superstition had it that the hollybush had special powers against witchcraft. So unmarried women fasten Sprague’s hollybush
Marcia Smith 17:50
It’s always on married married women
Bob Smith 17:52
always waiting for the guy and men never worried about it. But unmarried women fasten sprigs of the holly bush to their beds at Christmas time to keep themselves from being hexed. Yeah. And to early Christians. The holly bush symbolizes the burning bush of Moses, and its prickly points and red berries reminded the faithful of the infant born on Christmas Day would someday wear a crown of thorns again going back to the darkness of Christmas. This is another one you think of the three wise men. They came to the Bethlehem Baby Jesus and gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh. What’s the darkness of that story? There’s a darkness there. Well,
Marcia Smith 18:35
are one of those things to ward off evil.
Bob Smith 18:39
One of those things is used in embalming. Oh, murmur? Yeah, so that was considered like a foretelling of what was to come? Oh, really? Yeah. Isn’t that interesting? I didn’t know that. For instance, one of the verses of the hem We Three Kings, you they start talking to me through kings of orange. They’re almost marching slowly. But there is one verse that says Myrrh is mine. It’s bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering doom. Suffering sighing bleeding dying, sealed in a stone cold tomb.
Marcia Smith 19:12
Oh that is cheery
Bob Smith 19:14
well again, darkness of you know Christmas or some darkness here’s
Marcia Smith 19:17
some lightness Bob. Okay, how many Santos reindeer Can you name?
Bob Smith 19:22
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer victim, Donner victim. fixin. Sorry. Fixing that that’s a name for sexy young ladies. Cupid donner. Blitzen and Rudolph
Marcia Smith 19:34
comet,
Bob Smith 19:35
you forgot. Oh, comets in there, too.
Marcia Smith 19:37
Yeah, yeah, very good. Well, but one that Yeah. See, it stays with you,
Bob Smith 19:42
even when you’re a senior citizen.
Marcia Smith 19:44
So who created the jolly fat man that we think is we as we see Santa Claus today?
Bob Smith 19:50
Who created him? Yeah. Oh, that was a cartoon was No, he’s a
Marcia Smith 19:55
drawing of the fat Santa with a red suit and a wide Bell and a white beard. Was
Bob Smith 19:59
that a Thomason. Nast cartoon. Very good.
Marcia Smith 20:02
I’m impressed. This is why I married you. This arcane useless information. Yes.
Bob Smith 20:07
I have plenty of it. I know a lot of it never fails. He also did Uncle Sam. So that’s, he’s a cartoonist who did that too.
Marcia Smith 20:15
Yeah. And I think I think, actually, and he had first I think it came out through Coca Cola and was the first time we saw that vision.
Bob Smith 20:27
Well, that’s one of one of the modern visions. Yeah, yeah. That was one of my was going to be one of my questions to you. What beverage brands been using Santa and his advertising for 90 years? Yeah, that was that was Coca Cola. Coca Cola. They started in 1931. Okay, here’s I got a few more here. You
Marcia Smith 20:43
know, the birthday of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?
Bob Smith 20:46
No, take a guess. Oh, he was born on Christmas Day. Yes.
Marcia Smith 20:51
Very good. Okay. I figured that makes deduction. Bob. Good for you.
Bob Smith 20:54
Thank you. Now let’s talk about the Yule Log. Where does that come from?
Marcia Smith 20:58
Ah, you will, and
Bob Smith 21:02
it’s a pre Christian tradition. Yeah, it comes from Scandinavia, okay. Where a log was burned at the end of each year as a way of doing away with the old years evil and to rekindle the hearth fire, which was the center of family life. The Vikings carried the custom to Europe, where firewood that burned during the holy night on Christmas Day took on special significance. So with great ceremony, families chose the biggest blog they could find sometimes the whole trunk of a tree and brought it into the house.
Marcia Smith 21:31
Oh, those Vikings if they’re not slaughtering there, they’re making they’re bringing entire
Bob Smith 21:36
trees into the house. And each year a part of the Yule Log was saved to light the the next season’s fire edits, ashes were scattered to bring good luck. So that was the tradition of the Yule Log came from Scandinavia. That’s a all those traditions come from all over the world have
Marcia Smith 21:52
a whole Christmas file over there. Yes, I do. Good Lord,
Bob Smith 21:55
any good trivia experts would have. Okay. According to legend, what holiday goodies were shaped to resemble a shepherd’s staff. As a way candy canes. That’s exactly right. As a way to remind children of the shepherds who visited Baby Jesus because candy canes go back centuries and centuries and centuries. All right. What well known Christmas Carol became the first song ever broadcast from space in 1965.
Marcia Smith 22:19
And space the first Oh, we talked about it last week on the show. Yeah. So why are we talking about again,
Bob Smith 22:26
because this is the first Christmas carol broadcast from space space. Okay,
Marcia Smith 22:31
I think I can remember last week. Was it our religious or holiday issues?
Bob Smith 22:38
Holiday ish? Jingle bells, jingle bells? Yeah. Which doesn’t mention Christmas. And our friend Steven short, who was listening to the show in San Francisco said it doesn’t mention Thanksgiving either,
Marcia Smith 22:49
Bob. Yeah, yeah, it was just written for Thanks. It was
Bob Smith 22:51
written for Thanksgiving, but it’s just about Jingle Bells. Let’s go to grandma’s house and have a good time and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Marcia Smith 22:57
Let’s hang out with the bells. Now. Here’s
Bob Smith 22:58
another question. Twas the Night Before Christmas. We talked about that. That was originally published under what name? What was the original name of that poem? Why would I know that? Because you are married to me. We made this clear a while ago. I have no idea. Okay. Twas the Night Before Christmas was originally published as A Visit from St. Nicholas. That’s the name of the poem. Okay.
Marcia Smith 23:22
That makes sense. We take the first verse,
Bob Smith 23:25
the first line of the first verse and we say, well, that’s what it’s called. Right? Because the night before Christmas. Well, okay, and here’s my question. My last question for you on the Rapid Round of Christmas. Okay,
Marcia Smith 23:36
this happened. Wow.
Bob Smith 23:39
Oh, wow, bird world of Christmas questions to go. Oh, this is the final. Are you ready? Thank you. Are you ready? What holiday movie sequel includes a cameo by a future president?
Marcia Smith 23:55
Oh, actually, it was Donald Trump.
Bob Smith 23:57
And what was the movie?
Marcia Smith 24:00
Home Alone home alone too.
Bob Smith 24:01
Okay, yeah. featured a cameo by Donald Trump.
Marcia Smith 24:04
All right, I
Bob Smith 24:05
got it. All right. Now you’ve got something to wrap it up Marsh.
Marcia Smith 24:08
I do. My My final question. Bob is can you tell me who was Virginia? Oh, Hanlon.
Bob Smith 24:14
That must have been the Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.
Marcia Smith 24:18
Boy. You just went right there, didn’t you? Well, Virginia,
Bob Smith 24:23
Christmas Santa Claus. Of course. I believe in Santa Claus. Well, so do I believe in Virginia. She
Marcia Smith 24:29
is. She is the eight year old girl who in 1897 wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Sun. And she asked him to please tell the truth. Is there really a Santa Claus? And I read his response. Every Christmas every year. I just do. Yeah, it was a long, lengthy, wonderful response. But I’d like to have just the first two paragraphs. And that’s how I’d like to end the show. And because I know I’ll cry. I want you to read it. Oh, really? Yeah. Okay, I got it. Here it’s just those first two paragraphs with the parenthesis, Virginia,
Bob Smith 25:04
your little friends are wrong. They’ve been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little mines. All mines Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant in his intellect as compared with the boundless world around him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas, how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginia’s, there would be no childlike faith, then no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment except incense and sight, the Eternal Light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. No Santa Claus. Thank God he lives and he lives forever. 1000 years from now, Virginia, May 10 times 10,000 years from now. He will continue to make glad the hearts
Marcia Smith 26:30
of childhood. Amen. Okay, Bob,
Bob Smith 26:33
some letter and that’s only an excerpt from it.
Marcia Smith 26:36
I know. Thanks for reading that.
Bob Smith 26:37
That’s from the New York Sun. September 21 1897
Marcia Smith 26:42
As I sit here weeping
Bob Smith 26:45
Well, that’s it for this Christmas edition of the off ramp. We hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday if you celebrate it, and we hope you’ll join us again when we come back for another episode. I’m Bob Smith.
Marcia Smith 26:57
I’m Marcia Smith.
Bob Smith 26:58
Happy holidays everyone.
Marcia Smith 27:00
Bye bye.
Bob Smith 27:08
The off ramp is produced in association with CPL radio and the Cedarbrook Public Library Cedarburg, Wisconsin.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
