I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day Mini Kit!

My SAS-Y carol is:



You can get that mini kit HERE

(this mini kit will be available for free until December 22nd 2008)

Here is the list of blogs to hop to to participate in this years 'caroling' fun! :-)

Ambowife - http://tazmanianshe-devil.blogspot.com/
Aneczka - http://aneczkaw.blogspot.com/
Booland - http://boolanddesigns.blogspot.com/
Brenda - http://www.digitalcreationsfrommills....blogspot.com/
CanDesigns - http://mermaidshaven.blogspot.com/
Cathy - http://www.scrapsationalscraps.blogspot.com/
Charlie - http://charliesdigiscraps.blogspot.com/
Darlene - http://darlenedesigns.blogspot.com/
digiMom - http://digimomdesigns.com/
Enaideel Scraps - http://thescrappytimes.wordpress.com/
Jeanette - http://www.acmommy28.blogspot.com/
JulieC - http://scrappinhappens.blogspot.com/
Mamrotka - http://www.mamrotka.blogspot.com/
mISTYBELLE - http://mitsybelle.blogspot.com/
Monika - http://monikadigitaldesigns.blogspot.com/
PiggyScraps - http://piggyscraps.blogspot.com/
Scrappin Diva - http://scrappindivaz.blogspot.com/
Ellen - http://www.scrapsationalscraps.blogspot.com/
Skrapper Digitals - http://skrapperdigitals.blogspot.com/
Terrell - http://waititgetsbetter.blogspot.com/

A little story behind this kit......

As part of the SAS (www.stoneaccentsstudio.com) blog hop caroling party this year I decided to use the carol 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' for my contribution. I usually research before I create an item so naturally, I researched the origins of this beautiful carol.
I thought you might be interested to see it too....

This beautiful and inspirational carol was derived from the heartwrenching personal hardship that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow endured in in the early 1860's

Tragedy struck both the nation and the Longfellow family in 1861.Fanny Longfellow, Henry's wife, was trimming some of their seven year old daughter Edith's beautiful curls, Fanny decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. Melting a bar of sealing wax with a candle, a few drops fell unnoticed upon her dress. A breeze gusted through the window, igniting the light material of Fanny's dress-- immediately wrapping her in flames. In her attempt to protect Edith and Allegra, she ran to Henry's study in the next room, where Henry frantically attempted to extinguish the flames with a nearby, but undersized throw rug. Failing to stop the fire with the rug, he tried to smother the flames by throwing his arms around Frances-- severely burning his face, arms, and hands. Fanny Longfellow died the next morning. Too ill from his burns and grief, Henry did not attend her funeral. (Incidentally, the trademark full beard of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow arose from his inability to shave after this tragedy.)

The first Christmas after Fanny's death, Longfellow wrote, "How inexpressibly sad are all holidays." A year after the incident, he wrote, "I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace." Longfellow's journal entry for December 25th 1862 reads: "'A merry Christmas' say the children, but that is no more for me." Almost a year later, Longfellow received word that his oldest son Charles, a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac, had been severely wounded with a bullet passing under his shoulder blades and taking off one of the spinal processes. The Christmas of 1863 was silent in Longfellow's journal.

Finally, on Christmas Day of 1864, he wrote the words of the poem, "Christmas Bells." It is not clear what prompted the writing of the poem.
Some believe it was possibly the re-election of Abraham Lincoln or the end of the Civil War. Contrary to popular belief, Lt. Charles Longfellow, Henry's Son , did not die that Christmas, but lived. Whatever the cause for it's writing, the touching and inspirational poem, written during a time of such sadness lives on to this day warming the hearts of many who hear it. Whatever your circumstances today, be blessed knowing that ‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Christmas Bells
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’




** footnote: the previous information was obtained on the following website visit this website for even more in depth information on the subject: HERE