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Copyright BBC
Nobody is really sure why it’s called Boxing Day. Leon likes the explanation that it was the day that the servants at the big old houses could go home and see their own families. That left the rich families at home, with no cooks, butler etc., so they ate picnic food from hampers, hence “Boxing Day”. Another explanation is that the servants could use the boxes and wrapping from the family to take their own gifts home and that could be an origin of the word too. Either way, the British and many commonwealth countries celebrate it and it’s a big day for outdoor sports of all kinds. The most popular hobby in the United Kingdom is walking, which I can testify to from first hand experience. Families and people in their eighties and nineties clamber all over the place, enjoying every minute of it. They might drop into a pub or two on the way.
Like most people, we’ve been sent a lot of Christmas or holiday videos this year, many of them from Youtube. Some are thoughtful and others are fun. We’ve bought a few together here for your enjoyment. Merry Christmas Everyone!
BBC Breathing Places Christmas Song
This is a promotional video for a BBC site that attempts to get people nearer to nature, with an eye on improving our planet. The animal musicians and singers are fun. It’s a catchy tune too. It mentions David Bellamy, who, although he’s not well known here, is an immensely popular British biologist, following in the footsteps of David Attenborough.
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“Hushabye Mountain” – from “Nightmare Before Christmas”
if you haven’t seen Tim Burton‘s classic “Nightmare Before Christmas” you’ve missed a unique piece of cinematography. The hero, Jack, who should be in charge of Halloween, tries to highjack Christmas. The song on this clip is actually from “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang“, but I really don’t remember it from there.
Bing Crosby and David Bowie Sing Together
A highly unlikely combination of Bing and English rock star David Bowie that actually works. It was filmed just weeks before Bing died in October 1977 and was aired that Christmas in his memory.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
A strange choice for Christmas, perhaps, but we’ve included it for its end titles – backed by the eerily beautiful “Nunc Dimittis”.
“Walking In The Air” from “The Snowman”
Our favorite Christmas video, the beautifully rendered animation transfixes children of all ages. Like the previous singer, this kid knows what “diction” means.
Many, many thanks. Wonderful video clips. “The Snowman” was one of our favourite movies when our son was young. I never knew that Bing Crosby and Dave Bowie had sung together. Again, many thanks and best wishes to you all for the New Year.