Christmas Every Week: In Between
Arnold Kellett's poem reminds us that we used to celebrate Christmas on a modest scale.
To purchase a copy of Kellett's Christmas, in which this poem appeares, please click on http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kellets-Christmas-Arnold-Kellett/dp/1858521157/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231273574&sr=1-4
Christmas in the olden days,
If we but knew our history,
Was mostly on a modest scale,
A deep religious mystery;
Folk of old would be amazed
To see the way we celebrate:
All the finest food and drink
That stomachs can accommodate;
And kindness shown to all around,
Effusive in our charity ...
And yet our ancestors might claim
To see with stringent clarity,
That modern Nowells stand alone,
Quite freakish things, once-yearly seen,
One generous gush - and little left
For Christmas kindness in-between.
