A Family Christmas

by Kennedy, Caroline

• ISBN13: 9781401322274
• ISBN10: 1401322271
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-10-30
• Publisher: Hachette Books

Summary

"When I began assembling [this] collection, I was skeptical that I would learn anything new about Christmas, but reading and reflecting on the history and spirit of Christmas brought back many memories, and taught me a great deal ... The literature of Christmas ranges from the miraculous to the tragic, the profound to the ridiculous, but always represents the connection to something larger than ourselves." -Caroline Kennedy In A Family Christmas, Caroline shares the Christmas poetry, prose, scriptural readings, and lyrics that are most dear to her, drawing on authors as diverse as Harper Lee, Nikki Giovanni, Martin Luther King Jr., Billy Collins, John and Yoko, and Charles Dickens. There are also many lesser-known gems throughout and personal treasures from her own family -- including a young Caroline's Christmas list to Santa Claus and a letter from her father as President to a child concerned about Santa's well-being. This diverse and unique anthology will become a timeless keepsake, and will enrich your heart and mind with the spirit of Christmas. A Family Christmas includes selections from: Groucho Marx, Emma Lazarus, Mark Twain, Sandra Cisneros, Pearl S. Buck, Truman Capote, Gabriela Mistral, Ogden Nash, Clement Clarke Moore, Vladimir Nabokov, Marianne Moore, Calvin Trillin, E. B. White, and many more.

Author Biography

Caroline Kennedy is the author and editor of twelve New York Times bestselling books on American history, politics and poetry. She is also an attorney and diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017, and the only surviving child of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, Kennedy is active in the efforts to improve New York City public schools and serves as President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Table of Contents

We Need a Little Christmas	p. v
Letter to Santa	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
The Gracious Time	p. 1
The Gracious Time (from Hamlet)	p. 3
Psalm 8	p. 4
Credo	p. 5
Letter to Fred Allen	p. 6
Relative Pronouns	p. 7
Keeping Christmas	p. 10
White Christmas	p. 12
Deck the Halls	p. 13
Deck the Halls	p. 15
Under the Mistletoe	p. 17
Messiah (Christmas Portions)	p. 19
Little tree	p. 23
The Christmas Tree	p. 25
Christmas Trees: A Christmas Circular Letter	p. 28
A Christmas Tree	p. 31
Christmas Party at the South Danbury Church	p. 37
The Loudest Voice	p. 38
Peace and Goodwill to Managers	p. 45
The Old Scout: The Season of Letter-Perfect Families	p. 47
The Computer's First Christmas Card	p. 50
Lynch v. Donnelly, 465 U.S. 668 (1984)	p. 51
The Holly and the Ivy	p. 54
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town	p. 57
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town	p. 59
A Visit from St. Nicholas	p. 60
Is There a Santa Claus? ("Yes, Virginia")	p. 63
Letter to Michelle Rochon	p. 65
Letter from Santa Claus	p. 66
Santa's Stocking	p. 69
Mr. Edwards Meets Santa Claus (from Little House on the Prairie)	p. 71
A Chaparral Christmas Gift	p. 78
Santa Claus	p. 84
Saint Nicholas	p. 86
Saint Nicholas (from The Christmas Encyclopedia)	p. 88
Six to Eight Black Men	p. 92
Santaland 2006 (from Santa Guide for the Macy's Santa)	p. 97
Children of the World v. Santa Claus	p. 104
The Deadweight Loss of Christmas (from American Economic Review)	p. 106
NORAD Tracks Santa: www.noradsanta.org	p. 112
Father Christmas Executed	p. 116
Christmas in Hollis: Run-D.M.C.	p. 125
Away in a Manger	p. 127
Away in a Manger	p. 129
Isaiah 9: 2-6	p. 130
Luke 2: 1-20	p. 131
Pedida de la Posada: Asking for Lodging	p. 133
The Stable	p. 136
The Barn	p. 138
Presepio	p. 140
The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy	p. 142
Christmas Superstitions (from Christmas in the Mountains)	p. 146
Christmas Eve-Nochebuena	p. 149
Carol of the Birds-El Cant dels Ocells	p. 150
Silent Night	p. 153
Joy to the World	p. 155
Joy to the World!	p. 157
Christmas Sparrow	p. 158
Christmas Day in the Morning	p. 160
Christmas Day at Sea	p. 165
Christmas	p. 169
A Christmas Memory	p. 176
Blond	p. 188
All I Want for Christmas Is You	p. 190
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing-Hail the Heav'n Born Prince of Peace: Christmas in Wartime	p. 193
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing	p. 195
Peace	p. 197
Letter to John Hancock	p. 198
Christmas Bells	p. 201
The Christmas Truce, World War I (from The London Times)	p. 203
Letter to Tommy, World War II	p. 206
Telegram to the U.S. Ambassador, Moscow	p. 208
A Christmas Sermon on Peace	p. 209
Christmas E-mails from Iraq	p. 216
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)	p. 220
We Wish You a Merry Christmas: The Christmas Feast	p. 221
We Wish You a Merry Christmas: Traditional	p. 223
All you that to feasting and mirth are inclined Anonymous English (Medieval)	p. 224
"Amos 'n' Andy" Christmas Show Fails Test of Time (from The New York Times)	p. 225
Christmas in Qatar	p. 230
Christmas Laughter	p. 232
Penalty for Keeping Christmas	p. 234
Grace Defended	p. 235
From Martha Washington's Kitchen	p. 237
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl	p. 240
Christmas in the Olden Time	p. 244
The Second of the Three Spirits (from A Christmas Carol)	p. 246
Salvation Army's Bounty (from The New York Times)	p. 258
Christmas Every Day	p. 262
Christmas in the Tenements	p. 267
Un Poquito de Tu Amor	p. 273
Here We Come a-Wassailing: Traditional	p. 278
O Come, All Ye Faithful	p. 279
O Come, All Ye Faithful	p. 281
Matthew 2: 1-12	p. 282
The Oxen	p. 284
A Christmas Carol	p. 285
Carol of the Brown King	p. 287
Christmas Morning	p. 288
The Gift of the Magi	p. 290
The Real Gifts Parents Can Give to Children	p. 296
Dreams of a Black Christmas	p. 299
Christmas	p. 306
The First Nowell: Traditional	p. 308
Winter Wonderland	p. 311
Winter Wonderland	p. 313
All's Noel That Ends Noel	p. 315
Christ Climbed Down	p. 317
Remembrance Is Sufficient	p. 320
For the Time Being	p. 322
Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind (from As You Like It)	p. 324
Acknowledgments	p. 327
Credits	p. 329
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