Christmas Magic and Memories

I'm no Jean Shepherd however I do have my own memories of this time of year.

I remember the radiator making that clicking and hissing sound when the heat would come up at night.

I remember as the day would come closer I would come home from school and notice the days getting darker and shorter.

I remember the front of the newspaper counting down how many shopping days there were til Christmas.

And of course, most of all, that magical night when I knew he was on his way with all those glorious surprises he would be leaving under the tree the next morning.

I'm going to add different memories hopefully each week or so to keep this fresh. I hope what I tell about here will bring back some memories for everyone reading. Thanks for stopping by and as always on this site: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

When it first comes on it is announced with "Joy to the World" by Percy Faith. It then continues with holiday music for up to 4 hours on TV's all across the tri-state area. All while a blazing fireplace is shown on the screen.

This for me is one of the centerpieces of my Christmas Eve memories. The WPIX Yule Log would come on TV at 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve and run till midnight. The music would also be simulcast on WPIX FM radio. It was when the Yule Log came on that Christmas Eve had REALLY arrived for me. The world had finally fully delved into the magic world of Christmas and it seemed like even the laws of nature changed for the rest of that magical night. Especially since it ran (and still does) without commercials. Talk about laws of nature changing!

The Yule Log on television first ran in 1966 on WPIX channel 11 in New York. A man named Fred Thrower came up with the idea and once it was aired it just took off. In fact it was pulled I believe in 1989 but there was such an outcry from folks that it was put back on!

The actual fireplace that the log is burning in on the film is the fireplace at Gracie Mansion in New York. There was a second filming of the Yule Log for WPIX that was filmed in Los Angeles in 1970. The film of the log burning is actually only about 7 minutes in length. It is simply looped again and again with the different songs and instrumentals playing in the background.

The electronic history of the Yule Log isn't nearly as old as the actual history of the log. It can be traced back to BEFORE Christianity when the Winter Solstice was celebrated by peasants who would burn the log to keep away evil spirits. The thought was that since the Solstice was the shortest day of the year with the least amount of daylight that the evil spirits were more prevalent. Burning the log was supposed to help keep the evil away. The word "Yule" itself comes from Norse words "Yul" or "Jul".

As the centuries have gone by the Yule Log has become intertwined with Christmas. Note the Winter Solstice connection with December 25th. Almost the same day. In parts of Europe the ashes of the Log would be kept because they were thought to be protection against such things as lightning and evil.

It's the electronic Yule Log that I know though and the success and popularity of this one has grown over the years. Stations in different parts of the country have put on their own Yule Logs including one I saw a few years ago on WGN where at midnight instead of playing Christmas music they had old time radio Christmas broadcasts playing while showing their own log. Pretty neat but they only aired it one year.

There is a great website that tells all about the WPIX Yule Log along with a forum. The site is called The Yule Log.com. The site has some really nice stuff about the history of the Yule Log (the electronic WPIX one) along with some other audio and video goodies to get you in the Christmas spirit. Even in June.

I'll probably never grow up especially when it comes to Christmas and the Yule Log will always be a part of that. It is now aired in the morning instead of Christmas Eve here locally on channel 11 but maybe someday they'll go back to the "Eve" showing. Either way the Yule Log is back and stronger then ever along with so many other enduring Christmas traditions.

May it burn on TV screens for another 35 years! Long live the Yule Log!

That moping kid sitting under the silver Christmas Tree is myself on Christmas morning in 1965. I have no idea why I looked so glum. After all this was the Christmas I received my Gaylord Bloodhound that moved by himself. I was probably being told to sit still which on Christmas morning for a 3 year old is not easy.

I doubt it was the silver tree that did it. The silver tree was my first tree and I still have it in my attic even though it hasn't been used in years.

The tree I have now is the tree we bought about 5 years after this photo was taken. It's the usual green and is now over 35 yrs old itself. The decorations on this silver tree consisted of some red balls, some blue balls and Candy Canes. It wasn't the most elegant tree ever but it was ours. And it was the tree I first connected Christmas with.

We had Christmas decorations all through the downstairs portion of the house. That was my mother at work. She always made sure we kids had a magical kingdom to come home to from school at Christmastime.

But back to the tree and the fact that it was silver. Does a tree become less festive if it isn't green? And of course the question that many folks ask when Christmas comes around is whether the tree should be real or not. The artificial tree doesn't do it for some folks.

Remember him? He had to have a REAL Christmas Tree. Even if there was a squirrel in it!

Or how about these artificial trees? A white tree could be made up nice but a purple one?

And of course the always popular.....upside down tree....hanging from the ceiling??????



I guess that is all right as long as none of the balls fall in your soup if you decide to eat under it. And if you are "different" enough to put a tree on your ceiling you'll probably be eating under it.

I just wonder what Santa thinks when he comes down the chimney and sees it. Never fear. I'm sure with all his magical powers he'll figure out what to do. (WINK)

Well we all have our own preferences when it comes to Christmas trees. The important thing is that it is put up with the spirit of giving happiness to others and lets face it, to ourselves. Christmas to me wouldn't be the same without the tree and it certainly wouldn't be the same without the children looking at it and wondering what will be under it come Christmas morning.

Just make sure you can fit more then one ball on it before "killing" it.

Come to think of it, Lucy and company were even able to make that one look great.

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Ever since I can remember I have never been comfortable being on a stage or speaking in front of alot of people. I figured sooner or later I would mess up and be laughed at. That is one thing I'm sure I'm not alone in.

Anyway it was Christmas time, I was about 5 yrs old and in Sunday school they were going to have a Nativity play. I was one of the younger kids so I figured I'd be a donkey, stableboy, or maybe a shepherd. To be honest thinking back now I probably wasn't even thinking that. Most likely I was probably hoping not to be in it.

Well I would be in it all right. I don't know if it was because I was one of the youngest or what. I do know this, I was quiet. I was usually a very quiet child. They decided (the people running the play) despite my being quiet to give me a central role. Not just "a" central role. THE central role. Not one of the three wise men, not even Joseph. No. I was going to play HIM. Yep. Little, shy me was going to play as great a role as could ever be played.

My mother obviously couldn't believe it or then again maybe she could. I didn't at age 5 really realize what a glorious honor this was. I still don't know why I was picked but it was what it was.

In this play He would be a baby but would speak. They would basically from what I can remember stand everyone in a line across the stage and have each of us say a line or two. When my turn came I of course messed it up (gulp). It was something to do with "daily tasks". I remember a guy named Bartholomew (I have no idea if I'm spelling that right) whispering me the right phrase from the side of the stage. Come to think of it there may have been more then one line. When you play Him though one mistake is too much.

I really don't remember much more from that time. Of course I was about 5 so how much could I. But just thinking about it is humbling. It is an ironic twist that me, someone who to this day is not comfortable in front of a group was on a stage playing the greatest part I could possibly play. No one can ever take it away from me. I was about 5 years old but on that night, I was chosen to play my own Savior. Not fully realizing then what an honor it was.

I'm no better then anybody else in the grand scope of things but come to think of it, that may have been the greatest night of my life. Getting to represent the one who gave me eternal life on a little stage in Sunday school.

In this life I could never play a greater part .