'Tis the Season to be Jolly

Awakenings touched on the Sights and Smells of Christmas so it is logical to follow up with the sounds of Christmas. Jolliness naturally accompanies Christmas Time mainly because of the music ever present on the scene...along the sidewalks, down the city streets, ringing from church steeples, within the comfort of our own homes, permeating the air like the aroma of freshly baked bread or cinnamon-laced apple pies.

As you listen to some of the ageless Christmas songs of the past, see how many you recognize and perhaps include in your own Christmas music collection. Then, compare the classics with the more modern Christmas tunes and decide which of the newer ones you think will be remembered in future decades. Will they last through the century?

Vintage Christmas Songs from the 1900s & 1910s

 Vintage Christmas Songs from the 1920s & 1930s

Vintage Christmas Songs from the 1930s & 1940s

12 Vintage Christmas Songs from the 1950s

1950s Rock 'n' Roll Christmas Songs

1960s Swingin' Christmas Songs

An All-Time Christmas Favorite from 1965

 5 Best Christmas Songs For A Kid Of The '70s
 

Christmas Songs From The 70's

A Very 80s Christmas - Christmas Music from the 80s

Studio album by NSYNC

12 Very ’90s Christmas Songs

Top Ten MODERN Christmas Songs

MORE Christmas songs of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s


Last but by all means NOT least...

Top Ten Christmas Songs of All Time

Is it Winter yet?

For many parts of the country, it appears Ol' Man Winter and Jack Frost have delayed their normal visits. Warmer temperatures for the season make the winter seem more like an early spring. Of course, some will still experience a white Christmas...somewhere in the nation! 

Regardless of the weather, however, Winter Solstice is here! This is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, the day with the least amount of sunlight in declaration of the first day of winter. It marks a pivotal point in the earth's rotation around the sun. The time may vary, the country different and different names...Yule, Midwinter, Jól...but the meaning is still the same.
  

Wednesday, December 21

Winter Solstice 2016

First day of Winter: everything you need to know about today's Solstice 

Along with the shortest day comes the longest night! Okay, all you nocturnal creatures get ready to romp and play - parta-a-a-ay -  a few hours longer while you day dreamers must dream a bit less during the shortest hours of sunlight. Get those bonfires burning in preparation for singing, dancing and feasting to generate new light and merriment in the midst of winter.

And, don't forget the 'zoup' for warmth and nourishment!   

 

Sun King Soup

Celebrate this festival of light with a nice rich bowl of Sun King Soup -- the bright sun colors and smooth texture are just the thing for either an appetizer, or a light meal at Yule.

 

Forgo Tacos For a Slow-Cooked Taco Soup

Let it simmer away as you go about your day, and then, as if magic, you'll return home to a powerfully intoxicating, hearty-as-hell taco soup. Try garnishing a bowl with crumbled tortilla chips, sliced avocado, chives, or cilantro for added flavor and texture.

 

 Tang Yuan (湯圓), or Chinese Dumpling Soup

Not into soup? What about a savory pie?

 

Savory Winter Solstice Pie

Topped with golden crust or creamy mashed potatoes, Savory Winter Solstice Pie is bursting with tender winter vegetables, a nourishing celebration of the return of longer days after the shortest night of the year.

Need a special brew?

 

Winter Solstice Brew + Yule Wine Brew

What a truly magical + blessed gift to bring to any holiday party and/or family get-together!

 AND, don't forget the dessert...

Winter Solstice Cake

Bring some rays of sunshine to your table with this Winter Solstice Cake. This dessert will brighten up any dreary winter's night.