Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

While the price of a partridge is unchanged, continued growth in the cost of its tree, due in part to higher fertilizer costs, means an overall price increase for the first gift in the 2022 index (at $280.18, or plus 25.8 percent).

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The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, and into the dawn of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but here at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

Twelve Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Eleven Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles

Ten Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments

Nine Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Eight Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes

Seven Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and/or the seven sacraments

Six Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation

Five Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.

Four Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists.

Three French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues.

Two Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments.

One Partridge in a Pear Tree refers to Christ on Earth being crucified upon a tree.

True Love refers to God, who sent his only son to us.

[NOTA BENE: The use of this song as a "secret catechism" for children, employed by Catholics persecuted in post-Reformation England, is a matter of some dispute, as pointed out in this article from Snopes.com. Leave it to them to bring the party down, especially when they're actually wrong some of the time.]

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Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For thirty-nine years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage on video. For now, you can get this year's short version from Canada's CTV "Your Morning" show -- which appears to measure the results in American dollars and not Canadian ... eh?

Even with its small basket of goods and services, the PNC Christmas Price Index is not immune to the rising costs in the broader U.S. economy, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, at $45,523.27, or plus 10.5 percent.

In the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Meanwhile, from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

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See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2022-2023" label.

(The illustrations for the PNC Christmas Price Index are from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and are used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my damn money.)

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

The price of the Partridge and Pear Tree has grown this year, entirely due to rising cost of this tree (at $222.68, or plus 6.0 percent).

+    +    +

The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, and into the dawn of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but here at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

Twelve Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Eleven Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles

Ten Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments

Nine Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Eight Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes

Seven Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and/or the seven sacraments

Six Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation

Five Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.

Four Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists.

Three French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues.

Two Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments.

One Partridge in a Pear Tree refers to Christ on Earth being crucified upon a tree.

True Love refers to God, who sent his only son to us.

[NOTA BENE: The use of this song as a "secret catechism" for children, employed by Catholics persecuted in post-Reformation England, is a matter of some dispute, as pointed out in this article from Snopes.com. Leave it to them to bring the party down, especially when they're actually wrong some of the time.]

+    +    +

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For thirty-eight years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage on video. For now, you can get this year's short version from the Toronto-based CityNews (which hopefully measures American dollars and not Canadian). According to PNC: "Comparing 2019 data is a better gauge of the impacts of inflation, before the pandemic’s effects took hold of the global economy. We are trying to normalize the comparison by excluding a-once-in-a-century pandemic that had an outsized impact on last year’s data."

Be that as it may, in the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Meanwhile, from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2021-2022" label.

(The illustrations for the PNC Christmas Price Index are from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and are used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my damn money.)

Christmastide: Day 1 (Nativity)

“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.”

While 2020 was anything but predictable, the Partridge sheltered in place, as the price for him and his Pear Tree remains unchanged from 2019 at $210.18.

+    +    +

The period known as Christmastide begins with the Feast of the Nativity itself; specifically, with the evening of this first day, and into the dawn of the Feast of the Epiphany. And so the first day of Christmastide is 25-26 December, ending with Twelfth Night on 5-6 January.

By tomorrow, you will stop hearing Christmas music on some radio stations, but here at Chez Alexandre, whether here or on the road, as well as here at man with black hat, the Christmas season is just beginning. Most of us are familiar with the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the significance of the symbolism therein. But for those who are not ...

Twelve Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

Eleven Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles

Ten Lords A-leaping refers to the ten commandments

Nine Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Eight Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes

Seven Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and/or the seven sacraments

Six Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation

Five Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.

Four Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists.

Three French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues.

Two Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments.

One Partridge in a Pear Tree refers to Christ on Earth being crucified upon a tree.

True Love refers to God, who sent his only son to us.

[NOTA BENE: The use of this song as a "secret catechism" for children, employed by Catholics persecuted in post-Reformation England, is a matter of some dispute, as pointed out in this article from Snopes.com. Leave it to them to bring the party down, especially when they're actually wrong some of the time.]

+    +    +

Now then (and this should be a treat for those of you new to us), we present the continuation of a venerable man with black hat tradition.

For thirty-seven years, PNC Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the United States, has calculated the prices of the twelve gifts from the classic carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” The result is the PNC Christmas Price Index, originally the brainchild of Jim Dunigan, the former managing executive of investments with PNC Wealth Management. The result is a unique and whimsical holiday tradition that makes learning about the economy fun.

For many years, Mr Dunigan himself presented the complete rundown of the cost of the entire entourage on video. For now, you can get this year's short version from the FOX affiliate in Indianapolis. The effect of the pandemic on various service industries brought the cost way down from last year, by a whopping 58.5 percent (from $38,993), to a mere $16,168.14 this year, what with all the drummers drumming, pipers piping, lords leaping, and ladies dancing, being out of work.

Be that as it may, in the years following his departure, Mr Dunigan's legacy presses on.

Meanwhile, from all of us at Chez Alexandre, we wish you "Maligayang Pasko at Makabagong Bagong Taon!"

You get the idea. Now, dear minions, go forth and spread joy!

See all twelve days in progress at the "xmas12days2020-2021" label.

(The illustration for the PNC Christmas Price Index is from the website of PNC Bank, NA, and is used here without permission or shame. It's the least they can do for charging me twenty-five bucks a month to earn interest off my damn money.)

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 9 (The Vigil)

The whole world awaits the coming of the Savior. No amount of early turmoil or political shananigans will prevent the arrival of the King. Yes, he is King. It is a sign of wonder, a sign of contradiction, one that is lost on those whose thoughts are confined to the world.

Take, for example, the Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam. Two weeks ago today, in light of restrictions imposed for the coronavirus pandemic, he took people of faith to task for daring to insist, that occupying a church building was no more dangerous than doing the same at Walmart.

“But this year we need to think about what is truly the most important thing. Is it the worship or the building. For me, God is wherever you are. You don’t have to sit in the church pew for God to hear your prayers,” Northam said. “Worship with a mask on is still worship. Worship outside or worship online is still worship.”

You know you've been had when the likes of His Eminence Wilton Cardinal Gregory, Archbishop of Washington and former McCarrick protege, in a rare moment of testicular fortitude, had to be the one to school the Powers That Be on what matters.

"The right of the faithful to assemble for religious services is one of our most cherished constitutional legacies, and we maintain it should be treated as an “essential” activity — just as D.C. regards shopping and so many other activities as essential. We simply ask that religious worship be treated in the same way so that we may continue to worship together and serve those in need."

Of course, in the face of legal action, the Mayor of DC backed down. (See, Your Immenseness, was that so hard?)

Closer to home (and yours truly), Father Daniel Gee, pastor of Saint Rita's in Alexandria, was more to the point.

"The sacraments are not a luxury. The sacraments are life!"

We have watched our leaders make rules for everyone but themselves. But they will not prevail. What government official, what empty-suited script-reader of the Fake News networks, what health official who can't make up his mind whether or not masks are safe, can presume to tell the rest of us to stay home and pretend the Coming of the Savior would be ignored, even for one year?

Their cause is lost, for the King is coming, to comfort the afflicted with the Good News. We will take prudential measures to protect ourselves, but we will not take no for an answer.

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government will be upon his shoulder,
and his name will be called
"Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom,
to establish it, and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and for evermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7)

So it is written. And so it goes.

This novena can be found in its entirety at the "xmasnovena2020" label.