Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for December 26, 2021

The spirit moved her.

Longfellow wrote this shortly after receiving the news that his son had been killed in the Civil War.

Cast in Bronze – Carol of the Bells

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGR4Lj8cpYs

Claymation Christmas: Carol of the Bells(Original Version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SOvfher8Dg

We Three Kings – Claymation Christmas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnIFTtW1pko

Joy To The World Claymation Christmas Classics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veX0HNgkkZw

It’s only the second day of Christmas, Arlo.

Who has the energy to undecorate the day after Christmas?

Thank you for this. I never realized the song was a Longfellow poem.

This is one of my wife’s favorite poems. But there is one verse (stanza, or strophe, however folks anywhere may call it) I never knew before. Thank you very much indeed, Mr. Johnson!

The 12 days of Christmas start the day after Christmas.

Christmas in the trenches.

The words of this poem/carol are true 24/7/365. Peace on Earth. I can only imagine what that would be like!

I think many are missing the the intent of JJ for this beautiful comic.

Yes Janis is in a hurry to remove decorations. Time to get on with life. But the hauntingly accurate song depicting our world causes Janis to pause, prior to completely removing the decorations. Allowing the Star and tree to stand, as a symbol, and as a stalwart beacon, a shout out into this dark world the truth of that last stanza!

And Arlo is clueless of this special moment.

Can’t believe Arlo would say that.

The thought process is “peace on earth, goodwill towards men”…..As long as you agree with ME

NEVER through with this one…!

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall – think of it – always.” – Mahatma Gandhi

the last verses are the most poignant…

Good Jimmy.

December ain’t over yet, sheesh. Why are some people so eager put Christmas away?

Oh, we’re through, alright…

This is my Father’s worldO let me ne’er forgetThat though the wrongSeems oft so strongGod is the Ruler yet

@mywifeslover thank you for the closer thoughtful look, the star still shines over a pensive Janis. Arlo not clueless perhaps but frustrated that in fact the bells toll on and on. too often they seem to stop at the penultimate verse, we must keep the hope alive that the last verse does in the end ring true. and thanks Jimmy for the poignant coda to the season.

Music by Casting Crowns.

https://youtu.be/oop10JOO9bU

The issue of modern times is that if Longfellow were alive today, he would be branded a socialist and scorned for his intellect. Longfellow was anti-slavery.

https://faithmatters.org/more-beautiful-and-strange-the-christmas-story/

Wow. What powerful verse.

It’s an important message Arlo; it bears hearing again.

That’s one of the sad things about American Christmas – Canada, Europe – they shut up shop on Christmas EVE and the holiday runs through to January 2nd.

USA – completely done on the 26th…

Listen to Coventry Carol. The Light still has some darkness to overcome…

I would like to make this into a Christmas card for next year. Jimmy?

He wanted to take advantage of the larger Sunday strip.

Amen! Thank you, Jimmy!

You made me cry, big heavy sobs. Thank you,it’s the appropriate way to end this year. I have lost my son and brother to covid, friends have lost businesses and jobs to covid. Homes and businesses near me have blown away from the tornodos due to global warming. I have needed a good cry for a few months now. Please, everyone pray for a better year next year. NO, pray for a good year— it pretty much would have to be a better year.

War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death ride on.

Sometimes, in the deep brain-baking heat of summer, I listen to Christmas carols. It helps.

I was just reading that poem yesterday. Thanks, Jimmy Johnson, for reminding us that it is a Civil War poem, and an acknowledgement of the horrors of friend fighting against friend.

I love that song sung by Frank Sinatra. It’s a rare recording which was only available on a demo LP back in the 60’s.

I first heard this about 60 years ago on my parents. Hi Fi, it was on a Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians Christmas album.

“Longfellow wrote the poem on Christmas Day in 1863.” “‘Christmas Bells’ was first published in February 1865, in Our Young Folks, a juvenile magazine published by Ticknor and Fields. References to the Civil War are prevalent in some of the verses that are not commonly sung. The refrain ‘peace on Earth, goodwill to men’ is a reference to the King James Version of Luke 2:14.” – Wikipedia

We will never be through singing God’s Praises.

Arlo must be the Grinch!

Verses I had not known and another still unshown.

Thank you for this!

I hadn’t heard the fourth and fifth verses before. Thank you.

Jimmy: Thank you for this strip and for the reminder that certain things should be with us the entire year.

That one’s worth the addition. Quite a story behind it, too.

Jimmy: One final comment.

As Paul said to Stilgar, “You’re a deep one, aren’t you?”

A bad year with much time needed to be directed otherwise. I did not get to start putting up inside decorations until Dec 23. (Outside lights go up just after Thanksgiving as warmer then usually.) Did not finish until yesterday (Dec 26). Tree up in time & most inside decorations decorations but Teddy Village I stored away Nov setup on Dec 25 & put out Christmas bears in village on 26th (& did not setup auto on and off lights until today). The village will stay set up through most of January and then be changed to Valentine’s Day. The rest of the decorations inside will come down started January 7. The outside ones come down after that – pending weather.

We lost our main holiday event – we normally volunteer with our 18th c reenacting unit at a restored village in our area. We interpret the only house in the village which is set in same (others are set in 19th c). We treat it as if we are friends of the family who own the house and we are welcoming their guests to their party (variety of reasons they are not there) for them. Husband and I and a couple of others do “first person”. We are each a (fictional) person of then and know nothing after the matching day in 1775 (if Dec 23 it is Dec 23 1775 to us). We managed to do one day before they canceled it for this year and with only 5 members in the house we had to work different areas of the house than usual and do so with the front and rear doors open (in 30F weather, we were both freezing) so no one had to touch the doors. Normally only the front door is open and we get CROWDS through the house and they have double back to leave. Had back door open to leave due to Covid and were given someone from village to control number of people coming in. If we had gone back it would been with our period cloaks and with gloves to keep warm. I was unable to stay as “Anne” as no one to give info about house, so I had to do so.

Decorating for Christmas & the event are almost all of our holiday.

Love this song.