The Christmas period brings to my mind a story that my grandmother used to tell me every Christmas when I was a child.
Long ago, a group of friends decided to share some of the joy of Christmas.
They had heard of the existence of several children who had to spend their Christmas in hospital. So one of the group of friends dressed up as Santa Claus, then they bought several gifts and accompanied by their guitars appeared by surprise in the hospital on Christmas Day. The kids were very happy with the visit from Santa Claus and his group of friends who distributed gifts and sang carols. Because of the fantastic reaction of the kids, the friends decided to repeat the role of Santa Claus every Christmas.
The following Christmas, after performing the usual round, Santa Claus checked his sack and discovered that toys were let over. The group decided to go to an area of the city where some poor families lived. They thought that there would be a small number of children living there.
When Santa arrived, hundreds of kids were waiting for their gifts. Santa knew that he didn´t have gifts for everyone. Overcome with fear he inserted his hand into his sack and began to distribute gifts. Whenever he looked for a gift he feared to find an empty sack, but miraculously there were gifts for everyone.
The group of friends never forgot this Christmas miracle.
In his childhood, every year just before Christmas, Peter used to make a crib in a barn next to his parents´ cottage. However, when he grew up, he changed his preferences, lost his interest in this arrangement and gave up laying it out. After a lot of years, when he and his sister were spending Christmas at their parents´ house, he suggested to his little nephew and niece setting up a Nativity scene. They accepted at once and were glad to help him. First of all, a large old table was placed by him in the barn. Second, some moss was gathered in a close forest and laid and spread on the top of this piece of furniture to simulate meadows. Then, several old bags were crumpled into balls, put on the same surface and covered with some more moss to imitate hills. Afterwards, a few paths were drawn by a trail of sawdust and a false brook was made of some aluminium foil. Finally, the little figures were set out: the Holy Family, the stable, the small houses, the sheep, the shepherds and shepherdess, the Three Wise Men... The two children were really amazed by the display resulting from their work. Their enthusiasm made Peter feel that the Christmases of his own childhood were still fairly recent and he was pleased with it.
Last day of school before Christmas break. In one of the clases, students are talking about traditions related to Christmas and what they are going to do during this holidays. Most of them said the same because they are going to spend Christmas there, in London. However, Nico, a Greek boy who was spending that year in London, decided to tell them all customs that take place in Greece. He said: - In my country, Christmas customs are a little different. On the 24th December all children wake up to carry our calandas from house to house. We call "calandas" the songs and sounds which are typical in this period of the year. At home, the typical fruits and desserts are popular sugar cookies called "kourabiedes". We don´t have Christmas trees. Greek people make models of wooden sailboats in which we hang all balls. Apart from this, we don´t have Santa Claus. We received all the gifts by the hands of St. Basil on 1st January. Suddenly, all were very surprised to hear that Santa Claus doesn´t spread gifts in all parts of the world, but when they came home, they were asking their parents during the whole day to go to Greece to meet St. Basil.
A long time ago, in a galaxy faaaar, far, away... - Everything ready, Brrp? Have you oiled the invisibility cloak? – Yeap. It still creaks a bit but it works fine, and I'd rather be in the plasma pools of Winclarion but I'm ready to kick the ass of that barbarian gang. – I'll talk to the big shots, then. – Pfff to mothership, in a few seconds we will take contact with the atmosphere of the planet called Earth, OVER – Right, Pfff. You must land near the place called New York. You're alone now. No more communications 'til you`ve finished the mission. OVER AND OUT – Well, a couple of days to plant the chemical bombs, say “take me to your leader” and it´s done! – Here says they use their own chindren as soldiers, and that the ten per cent of the population owns the ninety per cent of the richness. – You can't believe all they say in the reports, you know, spies always tend to overdo things. Taking land in four, three, two...Here we go! - What a thump!Are you sure you have an astrogation licence? Let's put on the nanotechnological impersonations and have a look at the place! - What an enormous quantity of light!They must have a very cheap and safe kind of energy to spend it this way. – Have you read something about some kind of tree cult in those reports you have? – No, but I guess is the only explanation for all those lightning trees with people singing around. – Hey, look, over there. What are all those screens? – Oh, thats what they call tv, you know the typical propaganda vehicle to keep the hive mind hipnotize. – What my son Gnfl doing in tv pointing up with his claw...with his forefinger???!!! Let me see...E.T. Oh, and he is naked! What kind of dirty things would they do with his poor finger? Nasty deviants! And there are baby toys everywhere. And they're naked too!Naked , with a crown. It doesn't make sense, this planet's hemisphere is damn cold this time of the year. And everybody around him is dressed. – Except the animals. Those are a cow and a donkey, if I remember the academy lessons. It must be some kind of religion. But then, the trees? They don't look so agressive, anyway. In fact, they seem to be very happy. Look inside the houses, all the families having dinner together... – Perhaps they're eating babies – ...and giving presents to each other... – My poor Gnfl... – ...by the way, giving a lot of your son's toys as a present, the kids are playing with them.. I told you, didn't I? You can't trust all that goverment stuff. All I see around is love and understanding... and fat guys dressed in red and white. – I don't know what to think, I'm so confused...but perhaps we're on time to arrive to Winclarion before they close the plasma pools. – Well, I do know what to do. Let's go back to the old crock! LOGBOOK- Me, Pffff gn Thhhp, commander-in-chief resign today. I refuse to destroy this noble and gentle race. After seen how they adore trees and children we are not able to start the invassion of this lovely planet. We're sure these innocent and nice people will develop a new civilitation to rule the universe in a better way. Two thousand years ago, a child was born in a stable to save humanity... from what?
Every Christmas Eve, three penguins called Bob, Rob and Toby sing in front of the inhabitants of the ice park in the Arctic Ocean. In return, they get a Golden Star to attach to their Christmas tree. However, in the morning of this Christmas Eve, Toby gets up and starts to sneeze. “You will have to sing without me tonight”, he said with his husky voice. “Oh, no!”, replied his friends, “We can’t do that!” It would be terribly sad for the inhabitants of the ice cap if they couldn’t have their Christmas carols this year. They had to find a solution to cure Toby, and quickly. The three penguins went to see Doctor Johnson. He sighed, “There is only one way we can cure this in such a short time….” “How?”, shouted Rob and Bob while Toby gave yet another sneeze burying his beak in his handkerchief. “The only thing that could cure this cold in a few hours is the Golden Seaweed to be found in the Indian Ocean” explained the doctor. “But we are miles away from the Indian Ocean!” little penguins said despairingly “ so no Christmas carols this year!” sniffed Bob, letting a tear fall. Travis, a blue whale, was so surprised by what was heard and he popped his head out of the sea. “What’s going on?”, he asked. Rob and Bob told him Toby was ill and the only thing that could make him better was the Golden Seaweed from Indian Ocean. “The Indian Ocean….”exclaimed Travis, “Hang on! I have got an idea, give me a moment.” And with that information, Travis left missing in the ice-cold water. In the depths of the Arctic Ocean, Travis explained his plan with his family, there wasn’t a second to lose. The big whale set signals out to all his friends all to over the ocean. They passed on the message, and in a few minutes, the message crossed the Arctic Ocean, then the Pacific Ocean and finally arriving in the Indian Ocean. The butterfly fish were quick to spot the Golden Seaweed and they made their way to the Arctic Ocean. It was midday when Travis handed over the Golden Seaweed to little penguins. Toby drank a cup of seaweed herbal tea and his voice was back. Rob and Bob were grateful and happy because they could sing Christmas carols. Travis was the hero of the moment and our friends got a huge round of applause. They were proud to have the honor of attaching the beautiful Golden Star to the top of the Christmas tree once again.
A MIRACLE FOR CHRISTMAS
ResponderEliminarThe Christmas period brings to my mind a story that my grandmother used to tell me every Christmas when I was a child.
Long ago, a group of friends decided to share some of the joy of Christmas.
They had heard of the existence of several children who had to spend their Christmas in hospital. So one of the group of friends dressed up as Santa Claus, then they bought several gifts and accompanied by their guitars appeared by surprise in the hospital on Christmas Day.
The kids were very happy with the visit from Santa Claus and his group of friends who distributed gifts and sang carols. Because of the fantastic reaction of the kids, the friends decided to repeat the role of Santa Claus every Christmas.
The following Christmas, after performing the usual round, Santa Claus checked his sack and discovered that toys were let over.
The group decided to go to an area of the city where some poor families lived. They thought that there would be a small number of children living there.
When Santa arrived, hundreds of kids were waiting for their gifts. Santa knew that he didn´t have gifts for everyone. Overcome with fear he inserted his hand into his sack and began to distribute gifts. Whenever he looked for a gift he feared to find an empty sack, but miraculously there were gifts for everyone.
The group of friends never forgot this Christmas miracle.
Verónica Peláez Álvarez
Thank you very much for your Christmas story.
ResponderEliminarA Christmas Story
ResponderEliminarIn his childhood, every year just before Christmas, Peter used to make a crib in a barn next to his parents´ cottage. However, when he grew up, he changed his preferences, lost his interest in this arrangement and gave up laying it out.
After a lot of years, when he and his sister were spending Christmas at their parents´ house, he suggested to his little nephew and niece setting up a Nativity scene. They accepted at once and were glad to help him. First of all, a large old table was placed by him in the barn. Second, some moss was gathered in a close forest and laid and spread on the top of this piece of furniture to simulate meadows. Then, several old bags were crumpled into balls, put on the same surface and covered with some more moss to imitate hills. Afterwards, a few paths were drawn by a trail of sawdust and a false brook was made of some aluminium foil. Finally, the little figures were set out: the Holy Family, the stable, the small houses, the sheep, the shepherds and shepherdess, the Three Wise Men...
The two children were really amazed by the display resulting from their work. Their enthusiasm made Peter feel that the Christmases of his own childhood were still fairly recent and he was pleased with it.
Last day of school before Christmas break. In one of the clases, students are talking about traditions related to Christmas and what they are going to do during this holidays. Most of them said the same because they are going to spend Christmas there, in London. However, Nico, a Greek boy who was spending that year in London, decided to tell them all customs that take place in Greece. He said:
ResponderEliminar- In my country, Christmas customs are a little different. On the 24th December all children wake up to carry our calandas from house to house. We call "calandas" the songs and sounds which are typical in this period of the year. At home, the typical fruits and desserts are popular sugar cookies called "kourabiedes". We don´t have Christmas trees. Greek people make models of wooden sailboats in which we hang all balls. Apart from this, we don´t have Santa Claus. We received all the gifts by the hands of St. Basil on 1st January.
Suddenly, all were very surprised to hear that Santa Claus doesn´t spread gifts in all parts of the world, but when they came home, they were asking their parents during the whole day to go to Greece to meet St. Basil.
Ana Isabel García Méndez
Rosa Calvo
ResponderEliminarBEYOND THE STARS
A long time ago, in a galaxy faaaar, far, away...
- Everything ready, Brrp? Have you oiled the invisibility cloak?
– Yeap. It still creaks a bit but it works fine, and I'd rather be in the plasma pools of
Winclarion but I'm ready to kick the ass of that barbarian gang.
– I'll talk to the big shots, then.
– Pfff to mothership, in a few seconds we will take contact with the atmosphere of the
planet called Earth, OVER
– Right, Pfff. You must land near the place called New York. You're alone now. No more
communications 'til you`ve finished the mission. OVER AND OUT
– Well, a couple of days to plant the chemical bombs, say “take me to your leader” and it´s
done!
– Here says they use their own chindren as soldiers, and that the ten per cent of the population
owns the ninety per cent of the richness.
– You can't believe all they say in the reports, you know, spies always tend to overdo things.
Taking land in four, three, two...Here we go!
- What a thump!Are you sure you have an astrogation licence? Let's put on the
nanotechnological impersonations and have a look at the place!
- What an enormous quantity of light!They must have a very cheap and safe kind of energy to
spend it this way.
– Have you read something about some kind of tree cult in those reports you have?
– No, but I guess is the only explanation for all those lightning trees with people singing
around.
– Hey, look, over there. What are all those screens?
– Oh, thats what they call tv, you know the typical propaganda vehicle to keep the hive mind
hipnotize.
– What my son Gnfl doing in tv pointing up with his claw...with his forefinger???!!! Let me
see...E.T. Oh, and he is naked! What kind of dirty things would they do with his poor finger?
Nasty deviants! And there are baby toys everywhere. And they're naked too!Naked , with a
crown. It doesn't make sense, this planet's hemisphere is damn cold this time of the year.
And everybody around him is dressed.
– Except the animals. Those are a cow and a donkey, if I remember the academy lessons.
It must be some kind of religion. But then, the trees?
They don't look so agressive, anyway. In fact, they seem to be very happy. Look inside the
houses, all the families having dinner together...
– Perhaps they're eating babies
– ...and giving presents to each other...
– My poor Gnfl...
– ...by the way, giving a lot of your son's toys as a present, the kids are playing with them.. I
told you, didn't I? You can't trust all that goverment stuff. All I see around is love and
understanding... and fat guys dressed in red and white.
– I don't know what to think, I'm so confused...but perhaps we're on time to arrive to
Winclarion before they close the plasma pools.
– Well, I do know what to do. Let's go back to the old crock!
LOGBOOK- Me, Pffff gn Thhhp, commander-in-chief resign today. I refuse to destroy this
noble and gentle race. After seen how they adore trees and children we are not able to start
the invassion of this lovely planet. We're sure these innocent and nice people will develop a
new civilitation to rule the universe in a better way.
Two thousand years ago, a child was born in a stable to save humanity... from what?
Miriam Suárez
ResponderEliminarThe Golden Seaweed
Every Christmas Eve, three penguins called Bob, Rob and Toby sing in front of the inhabitants of the ice park in the Arctic Ocean. In return, they get a Golden Star to attach to their Christmas tree.
However, in the morning of this Christmas Eve, Toby gets up and starts to sneeze. “You will have to sing without me tonight”, he said with his husky voice. “Oh, no!”, replied his friends, “We can’t do that!” It would be terribly sad for the inhabitants of the ice cap if they couldn’t have their Christmas carols this year. They had to find a solution to cure Toby, and quickly. The three penguins went to see Doctor Johnson. He sighed, “There is only one way we can cure this in such a short time….” “How?”, shouted Rob and Bob while Toby gave yet another sneeze burying his beak in his handkerchief. “The only thing that could cure this cold in a few hours is the Golden Seaweed to be found in the Indian Ocean” explained the doctor. “But we are miles away from the Indian Ocean!” little penguins said despairingly “ so no Christmas carols this year!” sniffed Bob, letting a tear fall.
Travis, a blue whale, was so surprised by what was heard and he popped his head out of the sea. “What’s going on?”, he asked. Rob and Bob told him Toby was ill and the only thing that could make him better was the Golden Seaweed from Indian Ocean. “The Indian Ocean….”exclaimed Travis, “Hang on! I have got an idea, give me a moment.” And with that information, Travis left missing in the ice-cold water. In the depths of the Arctic Ocean, Travis explained his plan with his family, there wasn’t a second to lose. The big whale set signals out to all his friends all to over the ocean. They passed on the message, and in a few minutes, the message crossed the Arctic Ocean, then the Pacific Ocean and finally arriving in the Indian Ocean. The butterfly fish were quick to spot the Golden Seaweed and they made their way to the Arctic Ocean. It was midday when Travis handed over the Golden Seaweed to little penguins. Toby drank a cup of seaweed herbal tea and his voice was back. Rob and Bob were grateful and happy because they could sing Christmas carols. Travis was the hero of the moment and our friends got a huge round of applause. They were proud to have the honor of attaching the beautiful Golden Star to the top of the Christmas tree once again.