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Bob Dylan has at various times revolutionized folk, rock, country and gospel music. However, any Dylan fan who says he was not surprised that Bob has released an album of traditional Christmas songs is pulling your leg. Christmas In The Heart is another surprising move by an artist famous for surprises. Yet when you hear Dylan’s direct and obviously sincere readings of “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Little Town Of Bethlehem,” and “The First Noel,” this unlikely exercise seems of a piece with the rest of Dylan’s work. From the very first, this was an artist who made us look...

As Christmas rapidly approaches I am reminded of those long Christmas Eve’s of trying to assemble various bikes, trikes, hot wheels and any number of other toys or small furnishings for my little tikes after they had all gone off to bed. Of course like most Dads I never even glanced at the instructions until all else had failed. After all, how hard could it possibly be to put together something when you have a picture of it right there on the box and supposedly all you are going to need is a screwdriver and a hammer! They never seem...

Christians around the world, join hands and hearts, stand up and show that we are not a silent minority and that we serve a mighty God who will not be thwarted as we unite against all who would come against us! The ACLU is one such entity in the United States.

There are only 35 shopping days left until Christmas. I'm keenly aware of this primarily because of those overcaffeinated Glee-show-choir-in-red-white-and-blue-alpine-sweaters-and-ear-flaps-making-high school-cheerleading-pyramids Gap ads that started running about a week ago. You know, the ones where they chant a little ditty titled, annoyingly, "Happy Dowhateveryouwannukah." "Go Christmas! Go Hannukah! Go Kwanzaa! Go Solstice!" the exceptionally good-looking, multicultural, skinny-jeans-clad cheerbots shout. "You 86 the rules, you do what just feels right," they cheer, before entreating us to "do whatever [we] wannukkah" this ambiguous winter holiday season. Their jangly dance number ends by wishing us "a cheery night." How festive, you say? Meh....

Kansas City, Mo., Nov 21, 2009 / 02:14 pm (CNA).- A community of Benedictine sisters living in the Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph have released a Christmas CD titled “Christmas at Ephesus.” Proceeds from their new CD, comprised of traditional carols as well as the sisters' compositions, will go toward the building of a new monastery. The Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles are still new to the Kansas City Catholic community, invited by Bishop Robert W. Finn in 2006. A traditional monastic community of women who desire to emulate the Blessed Virgin Mary by living in quiet...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Wide-eyed children around the world will be hearing from Santa's "elves" at the North Pole after all. During Christmas seasons for decades, these dedicated elves responded to thousands of letters addressed to "Santa Claus, North Pole." All that was ending with a U.S. Postal Service decision to discontinue the program based in the small Alaskan town amid privacy concerns. The elves from Santa's Mailbag vowed to fight the decision, while North Pole residents voiced outrage. A reversal of the Postal Service move was announced Friday. "We never wanted to spoil people's Christmas," said agency spokesman Ernie...

If you want to send a holiday card to one of our troops, please send it to Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capital Heights, MD 20791-5456, but it must be postmarked no later than Dec. 7th.

The mayor of North Pole, Alaska is calling a recent postal service decision an assault on Christmas. For years, the U.S. Postal Service has delivered thousands of letters to Santa Claus in North Pole, Alaska. Now, in the interest of efficiency and security, the post office has changed its policy. It will no longer deliver letters to Santa here, and requests for a North Pole postmark will be filled through its Anchorage office. The decision has angered many residents, most notably the owner of the area’s primary attraction, the Santa Claus house.

Pirouette on over, Baryshnikov. There’s a new interpretation of Tchaikovski’s Nutcracker coming out! (Crazy-funny video)

Neither did I. And that's why this article in today's Daily Mail online caught my eye and raised my eyebrows. This insidious effort on the part of the Nazis to superimpose their own atheistic symbols and thought categories onto Christendom's ancient Christian symbols associated with the celebration of the Nativity of Christ was ultimately a failure, mainly because the Nazis were beaten by the Allies before this program of "re-education" could gain traction and take effect. But it is a good reminder that one of Hitler's prime directives was to do everything in his power to neutralize the Catholic Church,...

FORT HUACHUCA — With the handout of turkeys and food vouchers Wednesday, a major holiday problem for some military families has been answered. But with Thanksgiving needs met, still ahead for the fort’s outreach ministries program is Christmas. Before noon, employees of Sundt Construction purchased and delivered 300 turkeys to the main post chapel administrative offices. The turkeys — with a total weight of more than 2 tons — will be handed out with $50 in food coupons for the post commissary. Josephine Moore, who heads the outreach ministries, said the needs of 300 military families, ranging in size from...

It’s heartwarming that the US Postal Service has a national program, “Operation Letter to Santa,” where they amass volunteers to open and respond to the thousands of letters addressed to Santa Claus each year. Eager children everywhere can correspond with Jolly Old St. Nick, complete with a North Pole postmark. That, my friends, is The Christmas Spirit on a grand scale. Or it was anyway. Because they’re canceling the program. Yes Virginia, you were right the first time. Starting this year, I imagine starry-eyed children will start get their letters to Santa marked: “Return to Sender. No Such Addressee.” A...

Holiday Mail for Heroes is back! In this season of hope and giving the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes, Inc. have joined forces to invite Americans to “send a touch of home” to United States service members and veterans across the country and abroad. In its third year, the Holiday Mail for Heroes program is an opportunity to share joy and thanks with our service members throughout the holiday season by way of a greeting card.Today over 1.4 million men and women serve in the U.S. armed forces and over 24 million veterans have served in the past....

Who's got a beard that's long and white? http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1599922023?bctid=50273075001

Springfield Nativity Scene To Stand In Illinois State Capitol Rotunda Building For Second Year: ACLU Says It Supports Constitutional Rights To Express Religious Liberty In the Public Square by Daniel T. Zanoza, Executive Director of RFFM.org and Chairman of the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee For the second year a row, a Nativity Scene will stand in the state Capitol Rotunda Building in Springfield, Illinois. Last Christmas season, the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee (SNSC) made history with the financial and legal assistance of the Chicago-based Thomas More Society (TMS) and the support of private donations. An article written by Kurt Erickson...

Nazi Germany celebrated Christmas without Christ with the help of swastika tree baubles, 'Germanic' cookies and a host of manufactured traditions, a new exhibition has shown. The way the celebration was gradually taken over and exploited for propaganda purposes by Hitler's Nazis is detailed in a new exhibition. Rita Breuer has spent years scouring flea markets for old German Christmas ornaments. She and her daughter Judith developed a fascination with the way Christmas was used by the atheist Nazis, who tried to turn it into a pagan winter solstice celebration.

A lot of organizations have cashed in on the new president's image with kitschy trinkets, so why not the Navy? The Navy Secretariat Staff Officers Recreation Association, a service group run by Navy personnel and civilians at the Pentagon, has produced Obama Christmas ornaments for $15 a pop, limited to two per person. The normal Navy image has been replaced for the first time with that of the president. A gold frame surrounds a photo of Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as he takes the oath of office on Inauguration Day. Too much cheerleading? Some think so—and have...

Every time I listen to this I am in tears laughing...Welcome to Christmas 2009. Play it loud!!!

How the Nazis tried to take Christ out of Christmas Nazi Christmas tree ornaments rest on swastika-decorated wrapping paper Roger Boyes in Berlin For the perfect Nazi Christmas you had to hang glittering swastikas and toy grenades from the pine tree in the living room and, in your freshly pressed uniform, belt out carols urging German women to make babies for the Führer rather than worship the Jewish Baby Jesus. Then came the moment to light the pagan candle-holders — hand-made by labourers at Dachau. Hitler’s dream of a 1,000-year Reich came to an end long before the world was...

It’s that most wonderful time of the year. The malls are filled with snowflakes, the oldies radio stations are Christmas music 24/7 and in Chelmsford they’re preparing for the annual arrival of everyone’s favorite holiday Aryan: Swasti-Claus! Byam Elementary School in Chelmsford is one of several area schools that raises money by setting up holiday gift shops. Parents donate trinkets and tchotchkes, which are then put on sale for a few days in December so the little kiddies can buy gifts for mom, dad and the sibs. According to organizers in the Byam PTO, it’s one of their biggest fundraisers....

Swastika Christmas tree ornaments, "Germanic" cookies and made-up traditions: A new exhibition highlights how the Nazis tried to take Christ out of Christmas. But their attempts to hijack a festival that began with the birth of a Jewish child weren't entirely successful.

see link !

The sound of carol singers at the door at Christmas is as traditional as mince pies, mulled wine and roast turkey. But one town could be dispiritingly silent this festive season after householders were urged to turn Scrooge and ban carollers.The sound of carol singers at the door at Christmas is as traditional as mince pies, mulled wine and roast turkey. But one town could be dispiritingly silent this festive season after householders were urged to turn Scrooge and ban carollers.Householders are being handed postcards that warn carol singers will not be welcome this Christmas because many residents are 'uncomfortable'...

www.catholicnewsagency.com German diocese creates ‘Santa-free zone’ Related articles: Santa ClausAdvent Christmas Tree BlessingHail to Thee, True BodyChristmas Tree Speyer, Germany, Nov 11, 2009 / 05:09 pm (CNA).- In an effort to encourage people to replace the commercialization of the Christmas season with a true devotion to Advent, Christmas and the “true Santa Claus,” several groups within the German Diocese of Speyer have initiated a “Santa-free campaign.” The Federation of German Catholic Youth (BDKJ) of Speyer has partnered with other organizations to champion the cause of St. Nicholas of Myra, a friend and helper of children and those in trouble....

They bring a message of “peace on Earth and goodwill to all men” but carol singers are to be warned away from doorsteps this Christmas in case they appear threatening. Police and neighbourhood watch organisers in one area of Lancashire have produced official notices for nervous residents to place in their windows telling the festive singers not to call. The yellow postcard-sized signs, which are also being handed out at libraries and GPs’ surgeries, read: “Sorry no carol singers, I won't open my door to you.”

Not many debut recording artists have the courage to make a concept album. But it would be fair to say that Pope Benedict XVI has ideological weight behind his Alma Mater, formed around the chants that have been intoned in St Peter’s Basilica for centuries. The Pope’s Christmas album, released on November 29, is the first record to feature a singing pontiff and is likely to give the likes of Bob Dylan, Sting and Tori Amos — all hoping for seasonal success this year — a run for their money. Alma Mater could be an even bigger hit than Abba...

Meadowman performs his song Government Santa

Many of us parents just learned that ONE teacher complained that it offended her and they nixed the tradition. We are HOPPING mad and plan to do something about it. Any EFFECTIVE ideas????

With the economy in sad shape I have heard reports of people changing their gift giving habits this year. As the owner of a company that produces custom gifts, I would like to hear from Freepers what plans they have for gifts - both personal and business - this season. Are you planning on giving more, less, or the same? Are you cutting back on who you are giving to or are you giving to the same number of people, but changing the value of the gifts? Are you planning on giving more "home made" gifts? If so, what kind?

Memories of children crying over confiscated Christmas toys still upset the Rev. Tom Hill. Hill, a former Giving Tree volunteer, also remains baffled by the diapers. There were boxes and boxes in storage, he said, and yet Giving Tree Director Libby Wright resisted handing them out to mothers in her program. Wright often said food was in short supply when she sought donations, Hill said, even after he discovered Wright was storing large amounts in one of her organization's homes. Wright declined an interview request for this story. Hill, who now runs his own food program for the homeless, said...

I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late ! ! The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary. My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting...

As the kids display symptoms of post-Halloween MSIH (Massive Sugar Intake High) on this first night of November, I thought I'd take the opportunity to get a head start on this years Christmas list.

It is high time Brad Paisley and Tim McGraw were taken to task for their support of Barrack Husein Obama. I first must admit that I have been a fan of Brad and Tim for a long time. I love the way they put to tune and words of how it is to be a man is in the world. After all, how can you not enjoy listening to the way Brad strings together the words in his song titled, “I'm Still A guy”, or how he seems to lay his heart out in the tune titled, “I'm Gonna Miss...

John Satawa's family has displayed a nativity scene on a street median in Warren, Mich., virtually every Christmas season since 1945, but following an intimidating letter sent by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, Satawa's county has put stop to the 63-year-old tradition. The Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation proclaims its purpose in the letter to the Road Commission of Macomb County was to "protect the fundamental constitutional principle of separation of church and state." But Satawa contends there's nothing unconstitutional about his privately owned and maintained Christmas display. With the help of the Thomas More Law Center, Satawa has filed...

As we enter the holiday season I would like to encourage you to consider starting a new tradition in your family. Seeing as how Christmas is all about the birth of Christ and not any of us I have been a little baffled as to why we get the gifts. Now I am not trying to take away from the childrens excitement. However, this could be the year to start a new tradition that teaches and encourages missions and giving...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2009 – The American Red Cross again will sponsor a national “Holiday Mail for Heroes” campaign to receive and distribute holiday cards to servicemembers, veterans and their families in the United States and abroad. The card campaign includes those working and receiving care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here. A special P.O. Box address will be published the first week of November online at http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail. In the meantime, people shouldn’t send cards to Walter Reed unless they are addressed to a specific wounded warrior. Due to security restrictions, Walter Reed cannot accept generic mail addressed to...

Research Firms Predict Sad Christmas David BodamerOct. 20, 2009, 3:09 PM Most of the major predictions are now in for the holiday shopping season. Here we’ve put together a roundup of what various trade associations and research outlets are predicting. Projections range a bit this year. Some groups are calling for a slight decline, other say sales will be flat and some say sales will show a slight uptick. In part, the differences stem from the different way the groups look at the numbers. ICSC and Retail Forward, for example, looks at same-store sales while the National Retail Federation looks...

Hmmm. I could have sworn Nancy Pelosi had the votes for this thing back in July. Then last week they were almost to 218. Now it appears that Steny Hoyer may be punting the House bill into late December or, worse (for the Democrats), into the legislative graveyard of 2010.

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh and girlfriend Kathryn Rogers have promised the town $100,000 toward the cost of new holiday decorations. The gift is part of $350,000 in private donations pledged by a few town residents, Town Council President David Rosow said at Tuesday's council meeting. Limbaugh wanted to help bring "brightness and cheer" to a town he dearly loves, said Rosow, who is a friend of Limbaugh's. Rosow solicited the donations to cover the entire cost of the new lights and garlands, and installation of wiring to support them. "No one I called said 'no,' " Rosow said....

I received this in an email today. All I could do is check it through Snopes and it was not mentioned. The originator's name, address and phone numbers were on the email, but for obvious reasons I'm leaving them off this post. The email: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thought you might be interested in this information from the White House. This isn't a rumor; this is a fact. We have a friend at church who is a very talented artist. For several years she, among many others, has painted ornaments to be hung on the various White House Christmas trees. The WH sends...

A Celebration Of Christmas & 1st Amendment Rights Regarding Religious Expression In The Public Square On December 1st, 2009, the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee (SNSC) will again sponsor a display depicting the birth of Jesus Christ. For the second year in a row, the crèche--with figurines representing Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus--will stand in the State Capitol Rotunda Building in Springfield, Illinois. In 2008, the SNSC made history when the Secretary of State's office provided a permit to the group, allowing the Nativity Scene to go on display. The crèche and manger scene stood in the State Capitol Building,...

Feds lift ban on 'Jesus' on Capitol Christmas tree: This hit the net yesterday, and after the conservative net went a little ballistic and fired off some emails, letters, and phone calls, then this morning ..voila.....word comes from Chairman MaoBama's Central Government that the Jesus ban has been lifted. The people have spoken.....Happy Birthday JESUS!!!!! Although a victory for Christmas lovers, this is a sign this years' war on the birthday of Jesus is getting ready to fire up earlier than ever. Just one day after WND reported that rules for the 2009 Capitol Christmas Tree program prevented children from...

Reporting from Shepherdstown, W.Va. - Still growing somewhere here on Eric and Gloria Sundback's 100-acre tree farm is the two-story fir that will stand resplendent in the Blue Room of the White House this Christmas. This is because the Sundbacks -- he's 82, she's 83 -- have just turned out a grand champion Christmas tree for a record fourth time, a feat they once mistakenly assumed they were too old to pull off. Now the Sundbacks will once again watch a tree they nurtured from seed, fed and pruned, cast as the glittery showstopper at almost nightly holiday parties, then...

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Retail Federation today released its 2009 holiday forecast, projecting holiday retail industry sales to decline one percent this year to $437.6 billion.*

PHOENIX, Arizona, September 30, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) called on Arizona state and federal officials on Monday to stop enforcing a requirement prohibiting the state's schoolchildren from expressing religious viewpoints through Christmas themes while decorating ornaments for the 2009 Capitol Christmas Tree. Arizona was chosen this year to present 4,000 handcrafted ornaments made by elementary, middle-school, and high-school students to decorate Washington, D.C.'s annual Christmas tree. Guidelines for the ornaments include specifications for their size, weight, composition, and the directive that "Ornaments cannot reflect a religious or political theme… Instead share your interpretation of...

The debate over Christmas continues in Texas. As OneNewsNow recently reported, the Texas State Board of Education will decide whether to keep Christmas and Rosh Hashanah in their approved social studies curriculum or replace it with the Hindu holiday of Diwali. But Dave Welch of the Texas Pastor Council believes the board will decide to keep the Christian and Jewish holidays. "I don't think there is any doubt we have a strong resolve by [a majority of] the board members...to retain the mention of Christmas," Welch says. "I think the outcry from the public was very significant." Welch notes one...

MORE THAN 4 MILLION MEALS TO BE PROVIDED DURING HOLIDAYS Bob Dylan will release a brand new album of holiday songs, Christmas In The Heart, on Tuesday, October 13, it was announced today by Columbia Records. All of the artist’s U.S. royalties from sales of these recordings will be donated to Feeding America, guaranteeing that more than four million meals will be provided to more than 1.4 million people in need in this country during this year’s holiday season. Bob Dylan is also donating all of his future U.S. royalties from this album to Feeding America in perpetuity. snip Christmas...

Today, it was discovered that Christmas and Santa Claus are really racist metaphors for white Christian people and shall henceforth be banned. The giving of presents obviously favors white children whose parents are more affluent than the “oppressed” non-white proletariat and so the choice was either to redistribute the toys or cancel the whole thing all together. In the end, the White House opted to avoid straight out redistribution affecting toddlers and instead, for purposes of “equal treatment,” ban the whole holiday all together. However, reparations will be deferred on these little tikes until they reach 18 at which time...

Arguments are scheduled Monday in the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia on a school district's decision to censor Christmas carols – even holiday melodies without words. Attorneys with the Thomas More Law Center say they will argue to reverse a lower court ruling affirming a policy in the South Orange-Maplewood School District that banned the music after someone complained. The law firm says the school's ban was specifically aimed at preventing Christmas music, including simple instrumentals without words, during holiday concernts. The district had allowed the performance of traditional Christmas music for more than 60 years but...

The economy is putting a squeeze on the nation's biggest arts complex. The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is canceling its holiday tree lighting ceremony in December. The decorated tree erected in the center's main plaza has become an annual tradition, with a live televised ceremony drawing both New Yorkers and tourists. Lincoln Center blames the cancellation on what it calls "the challenging economic climate" -- and also construction at the entrance to the plaza. “[Construction] will be completed by next year, but it is in no shape to hold the group that the tree attracts," Kate Merlino, a...