Wraparound
Reverend Lovejoy and Ned Flanders are both unable to give a sermon, so Homer
decides to give his version of the first Christmas. When they get
home, Grampa tells him about his meeting with Santa, and then while
Christmas shopping everything happens to the tune of the Nutcracker
Tales
-The First Christmas
Homer and a pregnant Marge are travelling and come at an inn, held by Moe.
When Moe finds out Marge is going to give labour he sends them to stay in
the barn, where little Bart is born. A lot of people come to have a
look at Bart, and Chief Wiggum and his soldiers then come to kill him, but
they can be fought off and all end up hanging in a huge pine tree, adorned
with their torches as lights
-Abe's meeting with Santa Clause
A long time ago during the war, Abe lost his brother (who will never be
mentioned after this) in an air-fight, and in the same fight ends up trapped
on a desert island with Mr. Burns. When they see something fly by they
shoot their flair gun, and it turns out they hit Santa Clause's slay.
They help Santa Clause get on his way, and as a reward, Abe would be
reunited with his brother. Years later, in the present, Santa Clause
comes to get Abe and they all spend Christmas on a nice warm island, Abe,
his brother, and Santa.
-A Simpsons version of the Nutcracker
When Homer and Marge want to exchange their gifts, Homer finds that he has
forgotten to buy Marge something so he goes running around town to get a
last minute present. However, all the stores are already closed and he
couldn't find anything, so he goes home, very saddened. There Marge
gives him her present, which is in fact a present for Homer to give to
Marge, as she knew he would forget.
Extra Info:
Jesus Christ's
Birth:
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was
pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was
found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband
was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he
had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as
your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She
will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he
will save his people from their sins."
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will
call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and
took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave
birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,
Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has
been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to
worship him."
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of
the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in
Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: "'But you,
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of
Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my
people Israel.'" Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them
the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report
to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had
seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where
the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they
bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented
him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned
in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by
another route.
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get
up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there
until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for
Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what
the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious,
and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who
were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned
from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was
fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel
weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no
more."
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in
Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of
Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his
father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he
withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called
Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be
called a Nazarene."
The Nutcracker
Suite
The Nutcracker Suite (Music by Tchaikovsky) is based on the story "The
Nutcracker and the King of Mice" written by E.T.A. Hoffman. Although what is
seen on the stage today is different in detail from the original story, the
basic plot remains the same; The story of a young German girl who dreams of
a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven
heads.
It is Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum house -- A large and grand house with
the most beautiful tree imaginable. The Stahlbaums are hosting their annual
Christmas party, welcoming the arrival of their family and friends. The
children, Clara and Fritz, are dancing and playing as they welcome their
friends too.
The party grows festive with music and dance as godfather Drosselmeyer
arrives. He is a skilled clock and toy maker and always full of surprises.
Drosselmeyer draws everyone's attention as he presents two life-size dolls.
They are the delight of the party, each taking a turn to dance.
The children begin to open gifts when Drosselmeyer presents his to Clara and
Fritz. Although his gift to Fritz is quite nice, he gives Clara a beautiful
Nutcracker that becomes the hit of the party. Fritz becomes jealous and,
having a bit more spunk than a boy should have, grabs the nutcracker from
Clara and promptly breaks it. Clara is heartbroken looking on as
Drosselmeyer quickly repairs the Nutcracker with a handkerchief he magically
draws from the air.
As the evening grows late, the guests depart and the Stahlbaum family
retires for the evening. Clara, worried about her beloved Nutcracker, sneaks
back to the tree to check on him, falling asleep with him in her arms.
As the clock strikes midnight strange things begin to happen. Clara begins
shrinking as her beautiful Christmas tree grows high above her. The toys
around the tree come to life while the room fills with an army of mice, lead
by the fierce Mouse King. As the Nutcracker awakens, he leads his army of
toy soldiers into battle with the mice. The Mouse King corners the
Nutcracker and battles him one-on-one. The Nutcracker seems to be no match
for the Mouse King.
The Nutcracker and his army can go on no longer and are captured by the mice
and their King. Clara makes a final daring charge throwing her slipper at
the Mouse King, hitting him square on the head. The Mouse King drops to the
floor and the mice run away, carrying off their leader's lifeless body.
The Nutcracker turns into a Prince and takes Clara on a journey to the Land
of Snow, an enchanted forest wonderland where they are welcomed by dancing
snowflakes.
The Prince escorts Clara to the Land of Sweets where they are greeted by the
Sugar Plum Fairy. The Prince tells her about their daring battle with the
army of mice and she rewards them with a celebration of dances.
Clara awakens from her dream and finds herself by her Christmas tree with
her beloved Nutcracker. |