Bonus! Christmas Song o' the Day

Vigil of the Baptism of the Lord
Real Can of Yams, "Christmas Should Be Lasting All Year Long" (live) from Real Can of Yams Live 12/30/04 (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: It was such a blessing, seeing far-flung kith & kin this Christmas. Damn the culture that encourages us to leave our loved ones behind in pursuit of professional success instead of recognizing those loved ones as our second-greatest treasure!

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 17th Day o' Christmas

Saturday after Epiphany
Séan McCann, "Merry Christmas, Everyone" from the Happy Holidays, from Séan! single (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"A Child is born, forever!
A Child is born, for everyone!
Lift up your hearts
And hear His laughter,
A New Year has begun…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 16th Day o' Christmas

Friday after Epiphany
Barenaked Ladies, "I Saw Three Ships" from Barenaked for the Holidays (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 15th Day o' Christmas

Thursday after Epiphany
London Brass, "The First Nowell" from Christmas with London Brass (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I cherish the old-fashioned spelling "nowell," while also liking the modernized (French) spelling "noël." Today's R.B.D.S.O.T.D. is an instrumental rendition of "The First Nowell."

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Christmas | Please Stand By

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 14th Day o' Christmas

Wednesday after Epiphany | Optional Memorial of Saint Raymond of Peñafort
Duvall, "O Come All Ye Faithful" from O Holy Night (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: "Adeste Fideles" was likely written by John Francis Wade (1711-1786), an English Catholic exiled in France, & translated into English as "O Come, All Ye Faithful" by Frederick Oakeley (1802-1880), who was later ordained a Catholic priest. It's sad how Duvall, who are Evangelicals, deleted the second verse so as to avoid any reference to the Virgin & changed the third verse to avoid mentioning "all ye citizens of Heaven above!" Apparently, Evangelicals object to Scripture, which makes clear both the virgin birth of the Lord & that all Christians' citizenship is in Heaven.

"O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumpant,
O come ye, o come ye, to Bethlehem,
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of angels:
O come, let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him,
Ocome, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord!…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 13th Day o' Christmas

Tuesday after Epiphany | Memorial of Saint André Bessette
Toby Keith, "We Three Kings" from the iTunes Holiday Sampler compilation (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

"Born a Babe on Bethlehem's plain,
Gold we bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

"O star of wonder, star of might,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

"Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship Him, God on high.

"O star of wonder, star of might,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

"We three kings of Orient are."

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 12th Day o' Christmas

Monday after Epiphany | Optional Memorial of Saint John Neumann
Mexicani Marimba Band, "Twelve Days of Christmas" from the iTunes Holiday Sampler compilation (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Twelve Days-link & Twelfth Night-link.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Epiphany o' the Lord

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
The Klezmonauts, "We Three Kings of Orient Are" from Oy to the World: A Klezmer Christmas (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The traditional observance of the Epiphany falls on 6 January, the twelfth day of the Nativity of the Lord (the famous though little-understood Twelve Days of Christmas), but in the dioceses of these United States the observance has been moved to a proximal Sunday.

It doesn't hurt that "We Three Kings of Orient Are" (or, "We Three Kings") is one of my favorite Christmas carols.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 10th Day o' Christmas

Christmas Weekday | Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings" from Barenaked for the Holidays (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light!

"Born a King of Bethlehem's plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign!…

"Glorious now, behold Him arise,
King and God and sacrifice,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Worship Him, God Most High!…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 9th Day o' Christmas

Christmas Weekday | Memorial of Saints Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen
The Klezmonauts, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" from Oy to the World: A Klezmer Christmas (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Christmas isn't over yet.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 8th Day o' Christmas

The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God | The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord
The Daughters of Mary, "Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest" from De Profundis (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 7th Day o' Christmas

The Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas
MU330, "Angels We Have Heard on High" from Winter Wonderland (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Christmas | Please Stand By

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

Bonus! Christmas Song o' Yesterday

Christmastide
Reel Big Fish, "Carol of the Beers" from the Happy Skalidays E.P. (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: We ordered pizza last night, the last night all the out-of-town kin would be in town. RECADTED & I went to pick it up. Before we left, knowing we only had a couple beers in the fridge, I asked how many wanted a beer with the pizza. Based on those replies, we stopped on the way to the pizza place for a six-pack of bottles. I went into the green grocer for the beer, REDACTED stayed in the Shuttlecraft Odysseus. As I left the van, he sang, "Carol of the Beers." Back home with the pizza & beer, the whole family sat down to enjoy Uncle Buck, followed by all seven mini-episodes of Two Loser Cops.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 6th Day o' Christmas

The Sixth Day within the Octave of Christmas
The Klezmonauts, "Joy to the World" from Oy to the World: A Klezmer Christmas (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: An instrumental rendition with a driving, madcap beat!

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 5th Day o' Christmas

The Fifth Day within Octave of Christmas
The Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" from the Toys for Tots: 25 All-Time Christmas Favorites compilation (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: This is an instrumental rendition of "O Little Town of Bethlehem," but let us not forget the marquee lyrics:

"The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Holy Family

The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, & Joseph
Daniel Schmit, "Joseph's Song" from Christmas Hope (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The Feast of the Holy Family is observed on the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, this year superseding the Feast of the Holy Innocents (28 December). So, no haunting "Coventry Carol" this year.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 3rd Day o' Christmas

The Feast of Saint John, Apostle & Evangelist
Bing Crosby, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/It Came upon a Midnight Clear" from the Christmas with Bing Crosby, Nate King Cole, [&] Dean Martin compilation (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the 2nd Day o' Christmas

The Feast of Saint Stephen, the First Martyr
The Irish Rovers, "Good King Wenceslaus" from An Irish Christmas (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: "Good King Wenceslaus" needn't be performed by The Irish Rovers, but there really is no other choice for the R.B.D.S.O.T.D. on the Feast of Saint Stephen.

"Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even,
Brightly shone the Moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel…"