CHRISTMAS CANDLES

(Sung to the tune of Sixteen Candles)

 

Christmas Candles, make a lovely light

But not as bright as the light of Christ
(as the light of Christ) (Oh)
Light up the candles, for all the world to view

For every candle says, Happy Christmas to you

(Happy Christmas to you)

 

THE FEAST OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS

 

St. Martin's Day,

Or the Feast of St. Martin,

Martinstag, Martinmas

Or Martin le Miséricordieux

The Feast of St Martin of Tours,

Is a time for feasting celebrations

On November the 11^th

When the autumn wheat fields

Were sown for the following year

And the annual slaughter

Of well fattened cattle

To produce "Martinmas beef"

And it was also the time

When hiring fairs were held

Where farm unemployed labourer’s

Could find new work

 

Feast Day November 11^th

ST MARTIN OF TOURS

 

Started out as a Roman soldier

But was baptized as an adult

And then became a monk

It is understood that he was a kind man

Who led a quiet and simple life

The most famous legend of his life,

Was when he was still a soldier,

It is the story about the time

That he cut his cloak in half

To share with a beggar

To protect him during a snowstorm,

Which saved the beggars life

That same night he dreamed that Jesus

Was wearing the half-cloak

Martin heard Jesus say to the angels,

"Here is Martin, the Roman soldier

Who is not baptised; he has clothed me"

CS LEWIS CAME TO GOD

 

CS Lewis came to God

The long way round

But because of this

His faith was sound

 

And he knew the truth,

He called Christ’s birth

The central event

In the history of the earth

A WINTER’S TALE

 

It was in sixteenth century Germany, or so the legend has it, in a town called Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt.

That the founder of the protestant church, Martin Luther, was the first to decorate a Christmas tree with lighted candles.

Apparently when he was walking home through the forest one dark and frosty winter’s night, his attention was drawn to the myriad of bright stars that he could see sparkling and twinkling through the branches of the fir trees.

The beauty of the nights display had a great effect on him and he proceeded home very excited.

When he arrived home, he relayed to his family what he had seen and what had excited him so and almost immediately he set about decorating his Christmas tree with candles and then to his families surprise he lit them.

Goodness only knows what his family thought that he was possessed possibly.

And what of the other people in the town what did they think of him and his antics.

It probably caused more consternation than the reformation.

THE FIRST NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through Bethlehem,

Joseph was searching for a room for them

He searched and he searched all-round the town

But nowhere to stay for them could be found

So, they went to a stable and in a bed made of hay

The Christ child was born on the first Christmas Day

SING IN PRAISE

We stand around the Christmas tree

And sing to the Christmas melodies

We thank the lord for what we are

Standing beneath the Christmas star

To celebrate the Christ child's birth

When he came to us to save the earth