Thanks Mike! Ah, and lest we not forget the 12 days of Tipsmas (courtesy of Nancy Melucci):
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg01595.html Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 619-260-4006 [email protected] ---- Original message ---- >Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:30:32 -0500 >From: "Mike Palij" <[email protected]> >Subject: [tips] Have Yourself A Merry New York Christmas >To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> >Cc: "Mike Palij" <[email protected]> > >As you probably know (which by way of speaking implies that >most of you don't know), Christmas as celebrated in the U.S. >is mostly a New York invention. For one history of Christmas, >see: >http://www.benbest.com/history/xmas.html >(interesting factoid: Christmas was banned in Massachusetts >in 1659-1681 [War on Christmas INDEED!]; certain >Christian sects still don't recognize Christmas for a variety >of reasons, including claiming that it is a pagan sun-worshipping >holiday). >For an abbreviated and somewhat British view, see: >http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-big-question- whats-behind-christmas-traditions-ndash-and-just-how-traditional-are- they-1209965.html >or >http://tinyurl.com/8ykn2a >And another view: >http://www.thehistoryofchristmas.com/ch/in_america.htm >For a more detailed account see Nissenbaum's "The Battle for >Christmas" which is available in "snippet view" on Google books: >http://books.google.com/books? id=QYqzrnM2NH4C&q=%22The+battle+for+Christmas%22&dq=%22The+battle +for+Christmas%22&lr=&pgis=1 >or >http://tinyurl.com/a892jg > >So, in keeping with a "New York State of Christmas", why >don't we spend some time with one of the classic poems >about Christmas which is, of course, a New York product: > > "A Visit From St. Nicholas" ("The Night Before Christmas"): > >'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house >Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; >The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, >In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; >The children were nestled all snug in their beds, >While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; >And Mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, >Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap; >When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, >I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. >Away to the window I flew like a flash, >Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. >The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow, >Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, >When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, >But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, >With a little old driver so lively and quick, >I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. >More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, >And he whistled and shouted and called them by name; >"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! >On, Comet! on Cupid! on Donder and Blitzen! >To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! >Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!" >As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, >When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; >So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, >With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too. >And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof >The prancing and pawing of each little hoof- >As I drew in my head, and was turning around, >Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. >He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, >And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot >A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, >And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack >His eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! >His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! >His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, >And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; >The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, >And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; >He had a broad face and a little round belly >That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. >He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, >And I laughed, when I saw him, in spite of myself; >A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, >Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; >He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, >And fill'd all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, >And laying his finger aside of his nose, >And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; >He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, >And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. >But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, >"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" >- CLEMENT CLARK MOORE > >Then again, with relevance to TiPS, Moore's authorship of the >poem has been disputed as an act of PLAGIARISM!!! See: >http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20001027friday.html? searchpv=learning_lessons >or >http://tinyurl.com/7mdhv6 >New Yorkers are not unfamiliar with such misdeeds (indeed, >some say the current economic downturn has been orchestrated >by New Yorkers but I digress) but in our defense it can be >said that we are not as bad as, say, Illinois where it is rumored >that the governor says "Merry *BLEEPING* Christmas!!!" > >However, plagiarism aside, there have been a number of >variations/parodies of "A Visit from St. Nicholas". See: >http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historical/a/twas_the_night.htm > >Another New York contribution is the following article, >Yes, Virginia, There is a Michael Sylvester, er, Santa Claus >(with some info on Virginia O'Hanlon which makes it TiPS relevant): >http://beebo.org/smackerels/yes-virginia.html >A scan of the original article: >http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/clipping.htm > >But let us not forget a classic that did not originate in New York, >namely, Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol". >http://www.literature.org/authors/dickens-charles/christmas- carol/index.html > >And even TiPS has made an occasional contribution to Christmas >reading. For those with short memories: >http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg15558.html > >Merry Christmas to All, Sun-worshipping Pagan or Not! > >-Mike Palij >New York University >[email protected] > > > >--- >To make changes to your subscription contact: > >Bill Southerly ([email protected]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
