King Arthur Movie Tristan

Well it's late December, that time known as silly season, when Christmas trees become "Holiday Trees" and school teachers decide better the kids should say the grammatically disastrous Festive Day instead of Christmas Day.

A few stories to brighten up your silly season:

A 33-year-old woman who posed for a picture with Santa Claus at Danbury Fair Mall over the weekend wanted more than a photo, police said.

Sandrama Lamy inappropriately touched a 65-year-old worker dressed as Santa on Saturday while sitting on his lap, police said. She is charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and breach of peace, both misdemeanors.

According to police, Santa Claus reported an incident to them. Although the woman had left the area, she apparently was "easy to spot because she was on crutches, police said."

Which begs the question, if Sandrama was, oh I don't know, supermodel Heidi Klum, and not hobbling about the mall on crutches, does Santa complain about his Charmin being squeezed?

Silver bells mean soon it will be Christmas Day — to some people.

But a choir at Elmdale Public School in Ottawa is breaking from tradition with its version of the Christmas classic Silver Bells during a singalong assembly outside the school Thursday afternoon, and that has upset at least one parent.

Rhoda Boyde said she had a "bit of an issue" when she found out the words "Christmas Day" would be replaced by "a festive day" in the chorus of the 1951 Christmas song by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston.

"They're changing something that's traditional. It's something that a lot of people in this country identify with," said Boyde, whose daughter is in the school's second and third grade choir. "And it begs the question: why has it been changed?"

Silver Bells, silver bells.
It's a festive time in the city.
Ring a ling, hear them sing
Soon it will be a festive day?

Is that right? Or will they keep the Christmas in the second line (and in the first verse)? Terrible abuse of melody, if you ask me. And speaking of that, a song written in 1951 is under copyright, and you can't go changing the words without permission.

Wonder if, with all the fuss, the re-writers wish they had been more careful about doing quality work (insert your own teacher joke here)?

My favourite silly season story, just because, like Wendy, I love the song:

Fairytale of New York, the raucous Christmas classic from the Pogues, is to be restored to its full, vulgar glory on Radio 1.

The station was derided for bleeping out the words 'slut' and 'faggot' from the 20-year-old song, saying they could be offensive to listeners.

But last night station controller Andy Parfitt said: "After careful consideration, I have decided the decision to edit the Pogues song Fairytale of New York was wrong."...

The decision to edit the song, a duet between Pogues singer Shane MacGowan and the late Kirsty MacColl, baffled listeners because Radio 1 has played it uncensored since its release in 1987....

MacColl's mother Jean said earlier yesterday: "I think it's pathetic...absolute nonsense."

She added: "Shane has written the most beautiful song and these characters live, they really live, and you have such sympathy for them.

"These are a couple of characters who are not in the first flush of youth. They are what they are - this is the way they speak.

"Today we have a lot of gratuitous vulgarity and effing and whatever from people all over, which I think is quite unnecessary. But these are characters and they speak like that.

"It's like a play and it's very amusing and sad."

And thanks again to Wendy, for finding the video for me:

Silly Seasons Greetings one and all