Have a Heart, Share a Gift

Lets start this blog with a Christmas song.

There are many, many Christmas songs, "oldies but goodies"  for us to listen to every year.  My favorite, this evergreen song I love is "White Christmas" which  I had forgotten I first heard the song when I was young.

"White Christmas" is an Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. According to Guinness World Records, Crosby's recording of "White Christmas" has "sold over 100 million copies around the world, with at least 50 million sales as singles".  Bing Crosby passed away on October 14, 1977.

Accounts vary as to when and where Berlin wrote the song. One story is that he wrote it in 1940, in warm La Quinta, California, while staying at the La Quinta Hotel, a frequent Hollywood retreat also favored by writer-producer Frank Capra, although the Arizona Biltmore also claims the song was written there. He often stayed up all night writing — he told his secretary, "Grab your pen and take down this song. I just wrote the best song I've ever written — heck, I just wrote the best song that anybody's ever written!"

Please share with me the original song sung by Bing Crosby here .  Incidentally, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope were shown in the movie "Road to Singapore".

Christmas…

A time of giving, sharing and just reflecting on those that we love, treasure and adore.

Thanksgiving is a time to share Christmas joy not only for ourselves but also for everyone in the family, neighbors and the community.  The "Spirit of Christmas" is not confined to Christians in Singapore.  Christmas Day is an universal celebration on the birth of Jesus Christ for mankind ... to bring joy, peace, friendship and love regardless of race or religion everywhere in the world.

The "Have a Heart, Share a Gift" Project initiated by the Boys' Brigade Singapore .  The project was formerly known as "Sharity".

For decades and Christmas past in Singapore, I am pleased to post the related archived photos on this blog with the courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore.

Christmas Party by the British Army in 1967 at Great World Park

During December around Christmas year after year for decades, generous Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans offer their time, money and energy willingly to volunteer at these events in the community centers, charitable organisations, private business companies in Singapore.

 An elderly grandmother as a volunteer said:  “I want my grandchildren to learn the importance of giving,” she said about their involvement with Christmas party for children in Singapore. “In this country, we are so blessed, but I want them to understand that, in some countries, there are children who can’t go to school because they don’t have even basic school supplies. I want my grandchildren to understand that they can do something about it.”

It is wonderful that the Singaporeans today with benevolence,charity and compassion and continue the tradition of the British army to spread the joy of the spirit of Christmas to everyone, mostly the less priviledged and the poor.  Like the volunteers of the Boys' Brigade and other organizations, Christmas parties for children and the elders are organized everywhere in Singapore.