The Christmas Music of John Denver

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

If You Have the Post Christmas Blues You’re Doing Christmas Wrong

B. Francis Morlan Christmas News, Christmas Opinion December 27, 2018December 27, 2018Christmas blues 6 Comments

The post-Christmas blues are a very real thing. Once the date of December 25th has passed the specter of December 26th is an ominous marker to many. It sits there on the calendar like the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come. Silent and foreboding, the very image of the hooded Angel of Death it seems to be. And why not? Just about anywhere you look Americans are tossing trees to the curb, ripping down lights from rooftops and radio stations are flipping back to everyday music. What took months to build gets deconstructed in a matter of a couple of days. ItRead more

The Gift of Meeting My Father

Special to My Merry Christmas Christmas Memories December 22, 2018DNA testing 0 Comment

Editors Note: This Christmas memory was shared with us willingly but the author of this story has asked that we keep her name confidential. Thus, the names in the story below have been changed. I was adopted 51 years ago. It was my fortunate lot to be given to a family who loved me. My parents, who could not bear children, were thrilled when they adopted me. I wanted for nothing. I have known nothing but love all the days of my life. When I learned at about age 7 that I was adopted it created a hole in meRead more

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