Saturday 9: The Christmas Song

Saturday 9: The Christmas Song (1961)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) The lyrics mention "chestnuts roasting on an open fire." Do you often eat chestnuts?

A. I haven't had any in a long time. I never see them in the store.

2) There's a reference to Jack Frost, too. Does cold weather help you get into the holiday spirit?

A. A little snow on the ground (not ice) helps, if it is the kind that covers the grass, is pretty long enough for a photo, and then goes away.

3) Nat sings that turkey helps to make the season bright. We just had it last month for Thanksgiving. Do you enjoy turkey all year around? Or do you consider it primarily a holiday dish?

A. We generally only eat it around the holidays.

4) This song was published as "The Christmas Song," but people often refer to it as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or "Merry Christmas to You." When you think of this song, which title comes to mind?

A. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

5) Nat King Cole had a big hit in the 1950s with "Mona Lisa." The ballad compares an enigmatic woman to the da Vinci painting, which hangs in the Louvre. The Mona Lisa has been called the most instantly identifiable painting in the world. Can you think of another famous painting that you recognize on sight? (Extra points if you include a picture!)

A. A Van Gogh is easily recognized. Most people know The Starry Night, but I have The Starry Night Over the Rhone hanging in my office. A copy, of course.

6) Best remembered today as a singer, Cole was also an accomplished composer and jazz pianist. Do you like jazz?

A. I don't listen to it often. I appreciate its influence over other forms of music.

7) The only Christmas card Sam has received so far this year is from her dentist. She never sees Dr. Douglas socially. In fact, she hasn't seen him since her annual check-up last March. Have you received many cards this year?

A. I think we have received maybe 10 so far. I sent out about 55. I used to send out over 100, but the list has grown smaller and smaller as we've aged.

8) When did/will you start holiday shopping this year: Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving/Black Friday, Halloween? Earlier than that?

A. I started a wee bit earlier than Thanksgiving, but not by much. We've had a lot going on.

9) This time of year is big for charitable fundraising. Here's your chance to plug a cause or organization that's near and dear to you.

A. I think people should give to local charities that they know do good things. We have something here called The Rescue Mission which houses many homeless folks on cold nights, and feeds them, too. I usually give to that. I also donate to larger organizations that do things like fight cancer, but I prefer donations to organizations that remain local.

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