The False Notion of Christmas Creep

Jeff Westover Christmas News October 7, 2019October 7, 2019 0 Comment

A new survey is making the rounds on news media today that declares a large percentage of people begin holiday activities much earlier than thought. According to Minted, 43 percent of Americans think it’s suitable to put up holiday decorations before November 1. The poll of 2,000 Americans discovered people start their holiday preparations pretty early in the year. In fact, over half (57 percent) of those studied revealed they start their holiday shopping before the first day of November. And eight in 10 begin preparing for the holidays well before the autumn leaves begin to change — between JanuaryRead more

The Best of Scrooge

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Movies, Christmas News October 2, 2019October 2, 2019Caine, Dickens, Finney, Scott, Scrooge, Stewart 3 Comments

Just weeks ago it was announced that a new musical version of A Christmas Carol is being produced to star Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds. Not much is known about the project, including a release date, but speculation is buzzing about just who will play Scrooge. It is an interesting question. If there is any too-often attempted re-telling of any Christmas tale it is A Christmas Carol. It’s not that we don’t love the story. And it isn’t like we don’t want to see new versions of it. But can you really see Will Ferrell or Ryan Reynolds as Scrooge?Read more

The Christmas Music of John Denver

Jeff Westover Christmas Music July 6, 2019Christmas music, John Denver 0 Comment

Each decade seems to produce a dominant performer in the popular music of Christmas. In the 1970s that performer was John Denver. Born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr in 1943, John Denver first rose to fame as the lead of The Mitchell Trio. As a late sixties folk-singing anti-government group The Mitchell Trio was slightly out of step with the times because they were clean-cut and wholesome. By 1969 Denver set out on his solo career. For Christmas Denver gave friends and family a demo recording of songs, some which he wrote himself. One he titled, “Babe, I Hate to Go”.Read more

Christmas 1945: The Biggest Celebration of Christmas Ever

Jeff Westover Christmas at War, Christmas History, Christmas Memories, Merry Podcast June 23, 2019June 23, 2019Christmas 1945, World War 2 0 Comment

As peace broke out in 1945 a literal race began to get the world at war back home for Christmas. Historians have called the Christmas of 1945 the biggest celebration of Christmas ever. In the below edition of the Merry Little Podcast we discuss how the years of 1941-1944 changed Christmas. It was an unprecedented period of Christmas withheld. Families separated for the first time in generations as many sent their sons and daughters off to fight a war in far-flung parts of the globe. They went not knowing when – if ever – they would return. (Many did not).Read more

Great Ways to Celebrate Leon Day

B. Francis Morlan Christmas News, Christmas Online June 19, 2019June 19, 2019Leon Day 0 Comment

The celebration of Leon Day is a real thing. Every June 24-25th Leon Day comes around to remind that the year, at last, has turned the corner on Christmas. It’s the halfway mark to Christmas, a kind of merry hump day for those who love the countdown to Christmas. Don’t laugh. Counting down to Christmas is not only a popular thing it’s an ancient thing. Ask any advent calendar follower. There are many days and reasons to countdown to the season. But how do you do it? What possibly could be done to mark this very merry un-birthday? Here areRead more

Remaking Scrooged

William Werner Christmas Movies, Christmas News June 9, 2019June 9, 2019Bill Murray, Kevin Hart, Scrooged 3 Comments

For the second time in less than a month a bad idea for a Christmas movie has been announced. Paramount has declared that Kevin Hart will produce and likely star in a remake of 1988’s dark comedic disaster called Scrooged, which originally starred Bill Murray. Scrooged is just one of many inexplicable takes on Dicken’s A Christmas Carol that ultimately underwhelmed both at the box office and with traditional Christmas audiences. Murray’s manic performance in what can only be called a joyless take on Christmas remains one of the most bizarre depictions ever of Ebenezer Scrooge. Unlike A Christmas Story,Read more

The Next Horrible Santa

B. Francis Morlan Christmas Movies, Christmas News May 13, 2019May 13, 2019Mel Gibson, Santa Claus 0 Comment

Hollywood just won’t quit. They just cannot wait to showcase Santa Claus again in a horrible way. Just announced is an all new Santa film to be called Fatman that will star Mel Gibson as Santa Claus. Fatman will showcase Gibson as a rowdy, unorthodox Santa who is fighting the decline of his business. If that’s not a weak enough premise they mix in a 12 year old character who is so displeased with Santa Mel that he hires a hitman to knock off The Jolly Old Elf. Yeah. Can you believe they think this is a good idea? I’llRead more

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