By Request, ‘Mistletoe and Wine’

I’m sure if you asked me “What’s Christmas all about?”, you’d wait all day and still never hear “mistletoe and wine.”

I have problems with this song. The video’s got all these Christmas things–men done up as wooden soldiers, for instance–but what is their connection to Christmas? What are all these things about? To me it seems they’re just floating around… in aid of? I just can’t see it.

Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Word of God made flesh. Yes, the tree and the music and the presents are nice. And probably for most of us it’s also a celebration of our families. We feel it deeply.

But without the birth of Jesus it is nothing.

We must take care not to cross that line into territory where “Christmas” becomes a meaningless generic “holiday.” We get that all year long and it’s not good for us.

By Request, ‘Mistletoe and Wine’

I’d never heard this one before: requested by Ina, Mistletoe and Wine, by Cliff Richard. I missed it when it was a hit in 1988.

Would you believe it? The carol contest is almost two weeks old, and the lead has yet to change hands.

By Request, ‘Mistletoe and Wine’

This request (not the other one!) comes from our friend Ina, in Scotland–Mistletoe and Wine, by Cliff Richard.

This is the last day of the carol contest, so get your entries in now.

But of course we can keep on playing Christmas hymns after the contest is over.