Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
December 22, 2023
December 24, 2022
December 21, 2018
December 14, 2018
December 21, 2012
December 23, 2011
December 24, 2010
The Gift
The day had arrived,
the family had gathered,
gifts were brought for the child.
With great gusto and delight
the child tore at the wrapping
revealing the gifts one by one.
Toys that talked, toys that moved,
toys with lights and sound,
wonderful things had been bought.
And so the time came
when the last gift was unwrapped
and the new toys sat all about.
The child chose the one
that thrilled him the most
and was his greatest delight.
From all that was given
the child chose to play
with an empty box.
— Dan Hardison
Image by Dan Hardison
mixed media
the family had gathered,
gifts were brought for the child.
With great gusto and delight
the child tore at the wrapping
revealing the gifts one by one.
Toys that talked, toys that moved,
toys with lights and sound,
wonderful things had been bought.
And so the time came
when the last gift was unwrapped
and the new toys sat all about.
The child chose the one
that thrilled him the most
and was his greatest delight.
From all that was given
the child chose to play
with an empty box.
— Dan Hardison
Image by Dan Hardison
mixed media
December 17, 2010
Deep Peace
Deep peace of Christ
the light of the world to you
Words from a Gaelic blessing Image, mixed media artwork by Dan Hardison
December 25, 2009
December 19, 2009
The Star's Song
God sings to man through all my rays
That wreathe the brow of night,
And walks with me thro' all my ways –
The everlasting light.
— Abram J. Ryan
Digitally Enhanced Photo
by Dan Hardison
Also available:
Read or print PDF
December 11, 2009
The Christmas Card
It seems the decorations
go up earlier each year –
gaudier than ever.
And the madhouse they call
seasonal shopping –
is it really worth it?
Somewhere among
the hustle and bustle,
the fake greenery,
the electronic greetings,
the materialism of getting
rather than giving,
I fear the spirit of Christmas
is being lost.
So nice to receive
a card of paper
with a simple message
of good cheer.
go up earlier each year –
gaudier than ever.
And the madhouse they call
seasonal shopping –
is it really worth it?
Somewhere among
the hustle and bustle,
the fake greenery,
the electronic greetings,
the materialism of getting
rather than giving,
I fear the spirit of Christmas
is being lost.
So nice to receive
a card of paper
with a simple message
of good cheer.
— Dan Hardison
Image: Christmas postcard
(Used - postmark 1913)
Message on back:
“Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a bright and Happy New Year.”
Also available:
Read or print PDF
December 20, 2008
The Christ Child's Lullaby
My love my treasured one are you
My sweet and lovely son are you
You are my love my darling you
Unworthy I of you
Your mild and gentle eyes proclaim
The loving heart with which you came
A tender helpless tiny babe
With boundless gifts of grace
King of kings most holy one
God a son eternal one
You are my God and helpless son
My ruler of mankind
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
My sweet and lovely son are you
You are my love my darling you
Unworthy I of you
Your mild and gentle eyes proclaim
The loving heart with which you came
A tender helpless tiny babe
With boundless gifts of grace
King of kings most holy one
God a son eternal one
You are my God and helpless son
My ruler of mankind
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
— Traditional lyrics from the Hebrides Islands,
Scotland, as sung by Sheena Wellington
Image by Dan Hardison
Digitally Enhanced Photograph
(Used for my 2008 Christmas card)
Also available:
Read or print PDF
View Christmas cards of the past
December 12, 2008
The Parthenon Nativity Scene
There are always wonderful memories of Christmases past even though time has rendered the details a little less clear. Some are traditions that were celebrated at Christmas year after year. There are many from Middle Tennessee that will recall visiting the Nativity Scene at the Parthenon in Centennial Park in Nashville.
The Nativity Scene at the Parthenon was first installed for Christmas 1954. Donated by Fred Harvey of Harvey's Department Store in Nashville, it was 280 feet long, 75 feet deep and filled with colorful lights. The scene could be viewed by driving around the Parthenon along the park road. The Nativity Scene was a regular feature every Christmas through 1967 when age and disrepair forced the Christmas tradition to end.
The Parthenon – a full-scale replica of the ancient Parthenon in Athens, Greece – was built as the Fine Arts Building for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897. The exposition celebrated 100 years of Tennessee's statehood. Centennial Park with the Parthenon as its centerpiece was created in 1902 from the 200 acres that served as the Centennial grounds. On December 31, 2001, a celebration was held to mark the completion of the Parthenon's seven-year restoration.
It has been many years since the Nativity scene at the Parthenon was a welcomed visit, but it will remain a memory to be cherished.
The Nativity Scene at the Parthenon was first installed for Christmas 1954. Donated by Fred Harvey of Harvey's Department Store in Nashville, it was 280 feet long, 75 feet deep and filled with colorful lights. The scene could be viewed by driving around the Parthenon along the park road. The Nativity Scene was a regular feature every Christmas through 1967 when age and disrepair forced the Christmas tradition to end.
The Parthenon – a full-scale replica of the ancient Parthenon in Athens, Greece – was built as the Fine Arts Building for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition of 1897. The exposition celebrated 100 years of Tennessee's statehood. Centennial Park with the Parthenon as its centerpiece was created in 1902 from the 200 acres that served as the Centennial grounds. On December 31, 2001, a celebration was held to mark the completion of the Parthenon's seven-year restoration.
It has been many years since the Nativity scene at the Parthenon was a welcomed visit, but it will remain a memory to be cherished.
— Dan Hardison
Image: 8 3/4" panoramic postcard of the Nativity scene at the Parthenon, Nashville, Tennessee, c. 1950s.
Also available:
Read or print PDF
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