Last January, yet another version of Emma was released.  While shopping with a friend, I found the DVD. Although I had not planned on buying it right away, there it was calling my name.  It's a very good version, incidentally.  But the point is that Emma takes a Christmas present over to Harriet in this adaptation.  I was a little surprised, because this doesn't happen in other Ms. Austen movies, or in the books.  So I researched Christmas customs at the time, (mostly Jane Austen's World and the Jane Austen Centre), and found out that in addition to usual customs such as the Yule log, gifts would have been exchanged, usually on the 12th day of Christmas. 

Ever wonder why there is a song about the 12 days of Christmas?  Turns out people did actually celebrate it that way at one time.  Usually, the 12 days were used to party and visit friends and family.  The Christmas party where Mr. Elton proposes to Emma is an example of the parties during this season.  However, I did find a letter by Ms. Austen's favorite niece, Fanny Austen, where she thanks a friend for the purse she sent, showing that presents were exchanged. According to the two sites listed above, all the parties culminated in the twelfth day, which was the day for presents.

Here are some ideas for your 12th day of Christmas:

For significant others of either sex, consider stocking stuffers such as the frankincense or peppermint scented nice and naughty bars or any product from Indigowild.com (all natural ingredients, and the company donates to the Kansas City Sheltie rescue as well as fostering dogs from that organization)

For guys, there are the recycled windshield beer glasses found at uncommon goods.com. Or for the bachelor who needs a hint about the state of his place, there's the fir needle-peppermint scented candle from indigowild.com.

For women, consider flowers from organicbouquet.com or a Maggie bag (made from recycled seatbelts).

I found these on theultimategreenstore.com, but they are likely in your neighborhood eco store (like the one in Winter Park, FL).  I know I'd like one. They're gorgeous.

For the dog, check out planetdog.com toys.  Made from recycled stuff, and some of the proceeds go to the planet dog foundation, which donates to service dog organizations. 

For the person who has everything, donate a future to someone through Heifer International. 

For everyone else, there are the many reusable products on reusit.com, such as this fit & fresh lunch bag with ice pack, or SOHO double walled mug. They also have plenty of reusable gift wrap.

For the kids, better ask someone else.  Really.

Christmas, Actually

My favorite holiday movie= Love, Actually.  Hey, I like the kind of movie that just happens to be referred to as chick flicks.  I get it every year from Netflix during the holidays, then I don't watch it again til the next year.

Six degrees of Jane Austen:  Love, Actually is produced by Working Title Films, which also produced Bridget Jones' Diary, which is based on a book by Helen Fielding, who based it on Jane Austen books, particularly Pride and Prejudice.



One of my favorite moments is the Christmas concert, featuring the character Sam on drums and the girl he has a crush on, played by Olivia Olson, singing All I Want for Christmas is You.  All the Youtube videos of the clip were disabled, so I couldn't put it here.  She's 10 years old, and her voice was so amazing they had to rough it up to make it sound believable as a 10 year old. It's worth watching the clip, if you haven't seen the whole movie.  Since I couldn't include it here, here is Mariah Carey instead.

It's the holidays again.  Which means, for me, finishing up finals and focusing on scholarship applications and studying for the GRE instead.  Goody.  But the sparkly lights always make me happy. Hopefully they're energy efficient!

For the next several holidays and birthdays, until I finish school, the only gifts I would want would be gift cards for things such as groceries, gas, and pet stuff.

However, I did discover (with the help of the Rachael Ray gift guide) a website called outofprintclothing.com.  With each T-shirt purchased, a book is donated to a community in need.  And the shirts are printed with book covers that have gone out of print.  I eagerly went to the site, holding my breath in hopes of a Jane Austen cover.  Sadly, my wishes did not come true. However, there are some cool prints, like this:

Oh, and forget the silly Barbie convertible for your kids.  Now, they can ride around in a Smart Car. Really.  It has an Energy Star rated long life battery. 

This time of year always reminds me why I wou ld like to win the lottery: I could buy the bag of groceries for a needy family that's on display in the grocery store without even thinking twice.  And I could buy several gifts for the kids listed on the tags hanging on the Christmas tree in the mall.  Everyone deserves a little Christmas.

Here's something from my favorite holiday album when I was a kid.  Whoever and wherever you are, have a peaceful, joyful holiday.