KILGOROUND

AT LAST, the day of Orien Tar, Traver Safar and Round John Virgin is upon us.

+++

A TEST of your Christmas carol knowledge, with answers at the bottom:

AS WITH the packages under your tree, no peeking allowed.

+++

TRANSLATE each of the following statements into a common holiday song or saying. For example, “The Christmas preceding all others” would be “The First Noel.”

+++

1) Move hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal to their belief.

2) Listen, the celestial messengers produce harmonious sounds.

3) Nocturnal timespan of unbroken quietness.

4) The emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good given to the terrestrial sphere.

5) Embellish the interior passageways.

6) Exalted heavenly beings to whom harkened.

7) Twelve o’clock on a clement night witnessed its arrival.

8) Small municipality in Judea southwest of Jerusalem.

9) Diminutive masculine master of skin-covered percussionistic cylinders.

10) Omnipotent supreme being who elicits respite to ecstatic distinguished males.

11) Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals.

12) Expectation of arrival to populated area by mythical, masculine perennial gift-giver.

13) Natal-celebration devoid of color.

14) The first person nominative plural of a triumvirate of far eastern heads of state.

15) Tintinnabulation of vacillating pendulums in inverted, metallic, resonant cups.

16) Proceed forth declaring upon a specific geologic alpine formation.

17) Jovial yuletide desired for the second person singular or plural by us.

+++

To all of you who brought goodies to the newspaper office over the holidays, thank you.

To David Hedrick, thanks for allowing us to share your Christmas joy.

To Suzanne Howard of Homestar Mortgage, thanks for your work during the Holiday Trail of Lights. The entertainment schedule was terrific.

To the folks at city hall, the chamber of commerce, Kenny Mobbs and the corporate sponsors who helped cover the cost of the ice: thanks for the snow hill. What a delightful evening you provided.

To those of you who have been such staunch friends to the News Herald staff this year: Merry Christmas.

To Edgar Rachel: Did your wife approve of that haircut?

To the thousands of families who welcome us into your home five days a week, week after week, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

+++

ANSWERS:

1) O come, all ye faithful

2) Hark, the herald angels sing

3) Silent Night 4) Joy to the world

5) Deck the Halls

6) Angels we have heard on high

7) It came upon a midnight clear

8) O little town of Bethlehem

9) Little drummer boy

10) God rest ye merry gentlemen

11) Frosty the snowman

12) Here comes Santa Claus

13) White Christmas 14) We three kings

15) Jingle Bells

16) Go tell it on the mountain

17) We wish you a Merry Christmas

+++

CHRISTMAS BIRTHDAYS include Penny Pike, John Paul, Cliff Hill, Cindy Watson, Jamie Poland, Tammy Reynolds, Trecia Reynolds, Cindy Patterson, Imo Gene Haynes, Branton Bell, Mrs. Barton Daniels, Mrs. J.M. Taylor, Paul Bendel, Theresa Ann Young, Dashielle Graves, Carl D. Harris Jr., Norma Barrilleaux, Jean Mumphrey, Marilyn Pilz, Kim Souza.

ANOTHER YEAR of wedded bliss Sunday to Debra and Ray Linthicum. BLOWING OUT CANDLES Monday, Dec. 26, are Alex Tyra, Caroline Ross, Ken Kruelskie, Belinda Spurgin, Lillie Moss, Maurice Collins, Dennis Harris, James H. Gunn Jr., Susan Whittington, Matthew D. Herrington, Debbie Chustz, Eric Bradford, Emily Madison, Alice Russell, Bessie Lomax, Brenda Jones, Holly Mobley, Laquita Goodacre, Holly Lee, Troy Watt, Camden Hinton, Rebecca McCreary, Jose Alfredo Canchola Jr.

CELEBRATING WEDDING anniversaries Monday are Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Holcombe, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Collins.