The earnest innocence with which an entirely impractical gift was offered has long made The Little Drummer Boy a favorite of mine. I can imagine it going something like this:
He had the look of every boy who’s been roused from play and made ‘presentable’, his hair hastily tamed with limited success. He carried with him a small drum – a scrap of sheepskin on a simple wooden frame.… Read the rest
I’m told that one of my paternal grandmother’s favorite Christmas carols was O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem. It was also a favorite of my mom. Why did they like it so much? That’s a question I’ve added to my file of things it’s too late to ask since both have passed.
In any case, it’s become somewhat customary to sing it at family Christmas gatherings, and has become one of my favorite carols, but not only for sentimental reasons.… Read the rest