Silent Night (Stille Nacht in German, Silens Nox in Latin) is perhaps the most beloved Christmas Carol. It was composed in 1818 by Franz Guber, an organist and schoolmaster, to lyrics by Father Joseph Mohr of the St. Nicholas parish in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 and since the organ was broken, the only musical accompaniment was the guitar. The popularity of the song spread and the version commonly used today comes from a translation in 1859. John Freeman Young, serving as an Episcopal priest at Trinity Church in New York City, translated and changed the tempo of the song. The original rendition by Gruber was more like a dance tune and sung faster. Young made into a slower lullaby style that is the most common version today. Because it has been so widely translated, it is the one Christmas carol that is known worldwide. In Austria it is not played on radio until Christmas Eve,
=
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Christmas is coming,
The geese are getting fat,
Please put a penny
In the old man’s hat.
If you haven’t got a penny,
A ha’penny will do,
If you haven’t got a ha’penny,
Then God bless you!
(19th Century British nursery rhyme)
Christmas is almost here! Here are some Titanic news stories for the Christmas holiday.
Whittingham, Stewart. “Titanic Hero Who Kept the Lights on as Doomed Liner Sank.” Last modified December 22, 2025. Accessed December 23, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93nyz9k0l2o.
He was given the ominous task of keeping the lights on and the lifeboats working as the doomed Titanic began to sink. Wigan electrician William Parr bravely kept working in the engine room even as the liner broke in two in April 1912, after it had hit an iceberg. Parr’s little-known story can now be told after Titanic enthusiast Caroline Heaven uncovered details of his last moments alive. Mrs. Heaven, a retired nurse, found a letter by an engine room worker who told the electrician’s family that he was seen still working below deck to keep the generators working moments before the Titanic sank.
=
Morvai, Bence. “The Tragedy of the Titanic: Where Exactly Did the Famous Ocean Liner Sink?” DailyNewsHungary, December 19, 2025. https://dailynewshungary.com/tragedy-of-the-titanic/.
For decades, many imagined that the tragedy of the Titanic happened somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, far from any land. In reality, the location is far more astonishing. The accident occurred roughly 640 kilometres from Newfoundland, in the eastern Canadian province, meaning the ship was already relatively close to North America, having completed a significant portion of its journey – over 3,200 kilometres across the ocean. That the ship was so close to America has only become widely recognised in recent years, with maps showing the precise location of the wreck becoming more accessible to the public.
=
Bloodworth, Adam. “Why People Are Flocking to Experience the Titanic Disaster.” Last modified December 19, 2025. Accessed December 23, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20251217-why-people-are-flocking-to-experience-the-titanic.
The multiple VR segments, which allow you to stride along the deck in the sunshine and wander through the boat’s opulent interiors, as well as venture in a submersible to the wreck, are genuinely transportative. But the aforementioned part of the experience in which you are surrounded by 360-degree video projections of the ship filling up with water, feels distasteful, and more voyeuristic than educational or emotional. There’s certainly a big audience wanting to set sail: more than 45,000 people have donned a headset to experience Echoes of the Past since it opened in February, organisers tell the BBC. But some say these immersive experiences specifically centred on disasters are exploitative because they turn real-life historical tragedy into entertainment.
=
Thompson, Holly. “‘A Story That Unites Generations’: Why Do Titanic Artefacts Draw Crowds Halfway Across the World?” WAtoday, December 13, 2025. https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/a-story-that-unites-generations-why-do-titanic-artefacts-draw-crowds-halfway-across-the-world-20251210-p5nmhr.html.
If you ask anyone across the world to name a ship, including children, almost all of them would say the Titanic. That is a statement Swedish historian Claes-Goran Wetterholm makes with pride. Wetterholm says it’s the human element of the 1912 disaster – the stories of those on board and their families – that keeps people’s attention. He has dedicated his entire life to studying the Titanic, spending time in archives, reaching out to shipyards, and writing to authors and newspapers starting from when he was a teenager back in the 1960s. “It’s really the drive behind everything, to meet people, to talk to people – stories keep coming up all the time,” he said. “You come to know people, and then you have a connection with other Titanic buffs – it connects people all around the world.”
Suggested Titanic Reading
Behe, George TITANIC: SAFETY, SPEED AND SACRIFICE, Transportation Trails, Polo, IL 1997
Behe, G. (2012). On board RMS Titanic: Memories of the Maiden Voyage. The History Press.
Ballard, Robert D. Exploring the Titanic. Reprint. Madison Press Books, 2014.
Ballard, Robert D., and Rick Archbold. The Discovery of the Titanic. New York, N.Y.?: Warner Books, 1987.
Ballard, Robert D., Lost Liners: From the Titanic to the Andrea Doria the Ocean Floor Reveals Its Greatest Lost Ships(Hyperion, 1998).
Brewster, H. (2013). Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic’s First-Class Passengers and Their World. National Geographic Books.
Eaton John P. & Haas Charles, TITANIC TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY, SECOND EDITION, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, New York, 1995 First American Edition
Fitch, Tad, J. Kent Layton, and Bill Wormstedt. On a Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the RMS Titanic. Reprint. Amberley Publishing, 2015.
Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)
Lord, Walter, THE NIGHT LIVES ON, Willian Morrow and Company, New York, New York, 1986 (First Edition)
Lynch, Don & Marshall Ken, TITANIC AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY, Madison Press Books, Toronto, Ontario Canada, 1992
Marshall, L. (2019). Sinking of the Titanic: The Greatest Disaster At Sea – Special Edition with Additional Photographs. Independently Published.
Rossignol, K. (2012). Titanic 1912: The Original News Reporting of the Sinking of the Titanic. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.
Wilson, A. (2012). Shadow of the Titanic: The Extraordinary Stories of Those Who Survived. Simon and Schuster.
Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Today Christians celebrate the fourth and final Sunday in Advent. The liturgy will often include Old Testament readings from Micah (5:1-4) or Isaiah (7:10) that contain the prophecies about how God will send Jesus to come among the people and stop the enemies that are plaguing his people. A second reading, such as from Hebrews (10:5-10), will be used to show how Jesus came to fulfill God’s will and defeating the enemy that separates us from him. Finally, the Gospel, often from Luke about Mary visiting Elizabeth, will be read to show a parallel to the Ark of the Covenant. As the Ark contained the Ten Commandments-the word of God-Mary contains the son of God in her body. Elizabeth exclaims she is full of grace for the child she bears-the future John the Baptist-jumped with joy inside her when she greeted Mary.
The final days of Advent are thus to prepare for the great celebration of Christmas. Christians are asked to not only reflect on this great day of joy to come, but to also find Jesus in a very real way during this time. Perhaps it will come from service to others, donating food for families in need, or spending time with those who have no one close to be with during this time of year.
Sources
Advent: Dates, Traditions, and History,” InfoPlease, last modified November 18, 2021, accessed November 29, 2025, https://www.infoplease.com/culture-entertainment/holidays/advent-dates-traditions-and-history.
Holcomb, Justin. “What Is Advent? The Season’s History, Meaning and Traditions.” Christianity.Com. Last modified October 29, 2025. Accessed November 29, 2025. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-advent.html.
“What Is Advent?,” USCCB, accessed November 29, 2025, https://www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/advent.
Suggested Reading
Ave Maria Press, Away in a Manger: Daily Prayers for Advent and Christmas 2025, 2025.
Ferguson, Sinclair B. Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent. Good Book Company, 2018.
Kohn, Harold E. Advent Devotional for Christmas: 25 Illustrated Daily Reflections to Prepare Your Heart for the Season. Independently published, 2025.
Grabill, Rebecca, and Stephen Grabill. The Joy of Advent: Family Celebrations for Advent and the Twelve Days of Christmas, 2024.
Santa, Thomas M. The Essential Advent and Christmas Handbook: A Daily Companion, 2000.
Saunders, William P. Celebrating a Merry Catholic Christmas: A Guide to the Customs and Feast Days of Advent and Christmas. Tan Books, 2018.
Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
The Winter Solstice occurs between December 20-23 with the sun directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn. This results in the North Pole being tilted the furthest away making it the shortest day of the year followed by the longest night. The further north you live during winter means less daylight during the winter. Some areas in Alaska or Scandinavia can be nearly dark or near dark during this period. By contrast, those in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate the Summer Solstice, as it marks the beginning of summer. Which is why while people shiver in Philadelphia and New York for Christmas but down in Australia, Christmas is celebrated outdoors with a barbeque.
For the exact time of the Winter Solstice where you are, please go to https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/seasons.html.
Many cultures observed the Winter Solstice as it marked an important time in the agricultural cycle. By this time all crops and livestock had been prepared for winter. Important foodstuffs were stored for the months when virtually nothing grew. Wine and beer, which had been fermenting during the year, was ready. Cattle and pigs would often be killed at the start of winter so they would not have to be fed during this time. The early months of winter were tough in many places and often called the “famine months” since little food was to be found. Many cultures observed the Winter Solstice as a renewal or that the year was reborn. For out of the seeming withdrawal of the sun, it would come back just as strong and powerful as before. Thus, the Winter Solstice was seen by many as the start of a new year such as the old Roman Feast of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) which happened around the 25th of December.
Sources
———. “Winter Solstice – Date, Definition & Traditions | HISTORY.” HISTORY. Last modified May 28, 2025. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/winter-solstice.
“Winter Solstice.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified December 20, 2025. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/science/winter-solstice.
Boeckmann, Catherine. “The First Day of Winter: Winter Solstice 2025.” Almanac.Com. Last modified December 15, 2025. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-winter-winter-solstice.
Donvito, Tina. “15 Fascinating Winter Solstice Traditions Around the World.” Reader’s Digest, August 6, 2025. https://www.rd.com/list/winter-solstice-traditions/.
Osen, Frode. “Sol Invictus: The Unconquered Sun in Roman Religion – Roman Empire.” Roman Empire – for Those Thinking About the Roman Empire. Last modified November 23, 2023. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://romanempirehistory.com/roman-gods/sol-invictus/.
By December 1944 it had become clear to the German military and civilian leadership that that they would not be able to thwart a Soviet invasion without first ending the war in the West. Hitler, who had assumed direct control of the military in 1941, ordered a winter offensive that would deny the Allies the use of Antwerp’s port and to split the Allied lines. It was believed that if they achieved these aims it would force the British and Americans to seek a cease fire and a peace treaty. This then would free up the Wehrmacht to concentrate all its forces to defeat the expected Soviet invasion.
The Germans used 250,000 soldiers, 14 infantry divisions, and five panzer divisions in its initial assault on 16 December 1944. They attacked early in the morning on the weakest part of the Allied line, an 80 mile poorly defended stretch that was mainly hilly and a woody forest as well. The Allied leadership believed the Germans would not be able to traverse the Ardennes and therefore did not consider it a location for a German offensive. This was the same unfortunate thinking that doomed Singapore. The British concentrated all their forces to repel a frontal assault and left the rear-mainly jungle-lightly protected since they did not believe the Japanese would traverse that difficult terrain to attack. Unfortunately for the British, that is what the Japanese did and captured Singapore.
The Germans threw 250,000 soldiers into the initial assault, 14 German infantry divisions guarded by five panzer divisions-against a mere 80,000 Americans. Their assault came in early morning at the weakest part of the Allied line, an 80-mile poorly protected stretch of hilly, woody forest (the Allies simply believed the Ardennes too difficult to traverse, and therefore an unlikely location for a German offensive). Between the vulnerability of the thin, isolated American units and the thick fog that prevented Allied air cover from discovering German movement, the Germans were able to push the Americans into retreat. While some Allied troops were taken prisoner, some were not so fortunate. The following day in Malmedy, Belgium, a group of Americans from the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion were captured and rounded up in a field. They had been captured by the 1st SS Leibstandarte “Adolf Hitler” Division under SS Obersturmbahnführer (Lieutenant Colonel) Joachim “Jochen” Peiper.
The American troops were not front- line troops but were in a convoy when captured. They were taken to a field and with their arms raised, were fired on by German machine gunners. After that was over, SS soldiers shot the wounded and those groaning. Of the 113 Americans captured, 84 were dead. Those that survived feigned death. A Belgian widow, who witnessed the massacre, was also killed. Other Belgians in the area also saw it as well. Since the SS routinely did this, they had no reason to conceal it and moved on. News of the atrocity would spread fast from the survivors to the fighting troops in the area.
Six weeks of battle would result and the besieged troops in the surrounded town of Bastogne refused to give in. When asked to surrender, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe answered with famous “NUTS” reply. The U.S. 3rd Army drive to relieve Bastogne has become legend. Over 600,00o troops were involved making it the largest battle ever fought by the US Army in history.
Despite the intense cold, the Allied lines did not break and ultimately the Germans were forced back to Germany. Hitler’s gamble failed but it did upset the Allied war preparations causing a lot of damage. However tactically the German counteroffensive failed. Germany lost 120,000 men and material stores it could not replace easily. The Allies suffered 75,000 casualties but Germany no longer had the ability to put up a prolonged resistance to the renewed Allied offensive. German troops and their leaders knew that they lacked the ability to turn the tide and hopes for an end to the war were dashed for good. When the combat casualties of American troops was counted after the war, ten percent of the total casualties came to American troops at the Battle of the Bulge.
Sources
“Battle of the Bulge.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified December 9, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-the-Bulge.
The-Battle-Of-The-Bulge. “Battle of the Bulge: The Largest WW2 Battle.” Last modified March 13, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://the-battle-of-the-bulge.com/.
“Battle of the Bulge | the United States Army.” Battle of the Bulge | the United States Army. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.army.mil/botb/.
“Battle of the Bulge – Definition, Dates & Who Won.” HISTORY. Last modified May 27, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-16/battle-of-the-bulge.
Huxen, Keith. “The Battle of the Bulge.” The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. Last modified December 17, 2019. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-of-the-bulge.
Suggested Reading
Ambrose, Stephen E. Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. Simon and Schuster, 2017.
Ambrose, Stephen, and C. L. Sulzberger. American Heritage History of World War II. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.
———. Citizen Soldiers: The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany June 7, 1944, to May 7, 1945. Simon and Schuster, 2013.
———. D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II. Simon & Schuster, 1994.
Gilbert, Martin The Second World War: A Complete History (Elsevier, 2004).
Hanson, Victor Davis. The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won. Basic Books, 2017.
Keegan, John. The Second World War. Penguin Books, 2005.
Toland, John. The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945. Modern Library, 2003.
Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
On December 16, 1773, a hundred men dressed in Indian garb boarded ships in Boston harbor. Angry over the Tea Tax imposed on the American colonies by the British government, they tossed the tea into the water. The event and the British response would become a major point that would lead to the American revolution.
The British Parliament enacted the Tea Act in 1773 to protect the East India Company. The East India Company, ostensibly private, had become important to the British in dominating India and gave the company a monopoly. Tea could now only be sold through authorized agents in the American colonies cutting out the colonial merchants who sold the tea. Ships carrying tea could now sail directly to the American c0lonies where the tea would be sold and taxed by authorized agents. Both the government and the company assumed that since people liked tea, they would pay the higher prices. They were wrong.
By this time considerable resentment existed in the colonies owing to both the Sugar Tax (1764) and the Stamp Act (1765). The Sugar Tax put taxes on various items that included tea and the Stamp Act required a fee for the stamp affixed to official documents. These laws, enacted to recoup money lost in a recent war, were strongly opposed and made many question the lack of representation they had. Demonstrations, both peaceful and violent, took place. The Townshend Acts (1767) repealed the Stamp Tax but added new duties essential goods. By the time the Tea Act was enacted, many had enough. People on both sides of the Atlantic were angered at the tax resulting in smuggled tea (done by the Dutch) becoming popular. British tea sales dropped as result despite attempts to stop the smuggling. When that did not work, they dropped the price so low that smuggled tea was more expensive. British ships bringing tea into New York and Philadelphia were forced to turn back owing to colonists not allowing them to dock.
When ships bearing tea arrived in Boston on November 29, 1773, dock workers refused to unload. Royal governor Thomas Hutchinson demanded the workers unload the tea and refused sending the ships back to England. Attempts to mollify the situation were not fruitful, so many decided to take the matter into their own hands. Numbers vary but it is believed 100 men mostly from the Sons of Liberty group, boarded the ships that night. Dressed in Indian garb (meaning what was worn for the French and Indian war but not dressed as Indians) and bearing hatchets, axes, and pistols and moving in three groups, boarded the ships. They boarded the ships and proceeded to toss the tea, 100,000 pounds worth about £9,000, into Boston harbor. It was the most expensive tea dump in history.
Aftermath
The British were enraged and passed the Coercive Acts of 1774, a series of four laws that became known as the Intolerable Acts. The Boston Port Act closed the Boston port to commercial traffic until restitution for the tea was paid. The Massachusetts Government Act rescinded the colonial charter allowing for representation in the Massachusetts Council. Representatives would be appointed by the crown. It also gave the royal governor the power to choose judges, sheriffs, and jurors without Council approval. Additionally, town meetings were annual, and any other meetings had to be approved by the governor. The Administration of Justice Act allowed the governor to move trials to another colony or to Britain eliminating a jury of one’s peers abrogating a judicial principle held since the Magna Carta.
The final act, the Quartering Act, applied to all the American colonies. This law allowed military officers to demand quarters for themselves and troops in uninhabited houses, barns, and other buildings but colonists bore the expense (they had to provide food and other necessities). They could not occupy private homes under this act, despite a common misperception that it did. The acts were designed to crush both Massachusetts and the colonies into submission. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Until the Coercive Acts, many had stayed neutral or on the sidelines to see how it played out. However, the Coercive Acts convinced many that their rights as British subjects were being infringed. Sovereignty became the issue, and Britain was now seen as a tyranny that had to be opposed. Colonial resistance was made stronger and would led to the American Revolution.
Sources
“The Boston Tea Party | Key Facts, Information & History.” Revolutionary War. Last modified March 4, 2020. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.revolutionary-war.net/the-boston-tea-party/.
———. “The Boston Tea Party | December 16, 1773 | HISTORY.” HISTORY. Last modified May 28, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/December-16/the-boston-tea-party.
———. “Tea Act – Definition, Timeline & Facts | HISTORY.” HISTORY. Last modified May 28, 2025. Accessed December 16, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/tea-act.
The first two Sundays of Advent are times of penance and reflection. On the third Sunday, it is time to remember both the joy to come with the birth of Jesus and his return. The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday or Rejoice Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for Rejoice so is commonly called that on traditional Christian liturgical calendars. The third Sunday is the joyful midpoint on our way towards Christmas, so we spend time reflecting on joy and hope.
Back in the Middle Ages, church leaders realized that if you have an entire season of repentance, you need to also celebrate joy and hope. Without that, its whole purpose would be lost. So, on Gaudete Sunday we take time to step back from the somber nature of the season and celebrate the joy and hope that is to come. Rather than the somber purple of penance, the liturgical color is rose or pink (priests or ministers can wear either one). And the advent candle for this day is one of those colors as well. Since we are lighting this candle on Gaudete Sunday, it is the candle of joy.
The scripture readings will also reflect this as well. Often St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians is read in particular verses 4:4-7:
“Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
On this particular Sunday, you will see more joyful decorations in church with emphasis on joy. Colorful flowers, decorations, and banners may be displayed. Music will be joyful as well along with special prayers offered during the service. Families are encouraged to get together for a special meal on this Gaudete Sunday (often a brunch).
Sources
Advent: Dates, Traditions, and History,” InfoPlease, last modified November 18, 2021, accessed November 29, 2025, https://www.infoplease.com/culture-entertainment/holidays/advent-dates-traditions-and-history.
Holcomb, Justin. “What Is Advent? The Season’s History, Meaning and Traditions.” Christianity.Com. Last modified October 29, 2025. Accessed November 29, 2025. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/what-is-advent.html.
“What Is Advent?,” USCCB, accessed November 29, 2025, https://www.usccb.org/prayer-worship/liturgical-year/advent.
Suggested Reading
Ave Maria Press, Away in a Manger: Daily Prayers for Advent and Christmas 2025, 2025.
Ferguson, Sinclair B. Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent. Good Book Company, 2018.
Kohn, Harold E. Advent Devotional for Christmas: 25 Illustrated Daily Reflections to Prepare Your Heart for the Season. Independently published, 2025.
Grabill, Rebecca, and Stephen Grabill. The Joy of Advent: Family Celebrations for Advent and the Twelve Days of Christmas, 2024.
Santa, Thomas M. The Essential Advent and Christmas Handbook: A Daily Companion, 2000.
Saunders, William P. Celebrating a Merry Catholic Christmas: A Guide to the Customs and Feast Days of Advent and Christmas. Tan Books, 2018.
Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Saint Lucy of Syracuse (Santa Lucia) is observed as the bringer of light in the darkest times. Born in Syracuse possibly in 283 into a noble family, she devoted herself to God after her father’s death. Her mother suffering from an illness, set up an arranged marriage for her so her future would be secure. She prayed at the shrine of Saint Agatha and received a vision that her mother would be healed. When she was, she encouraged her and the family to give their wealth to the poor. However, the man she was betrothed to was angry and informed the authorities that she was a Christian.
Emperor Diocletian was intolerant of Christianity and led one the most severe persecutions against them. Lucy was asked to renounce her faith and refused. She was tortured and lost her eyes (though some sources say she did that herself) since the Roman governor did not want her seeing any more visions. Refusing to surrender her faith, she initially was to burn to death. However, the fire would not light, and she was killed by the sword steadfast in her faith till the end. She died in 303 AD.
Her devotion and martyrdom became well known. While many legends abound, it is clear she was a martyr for the faith and never wavered. Her feast day was set on December 13. On the old Julian calendar, that was the shortest day of the year when light was needed. Her day became symbol to mean return of the light. Although that day shifted when a new calendar was adopted, her feast day remains the same. Her feast day is celebrated in Scandinavian countries as a festival of light during the long winter night. A young girl in a white dress and red sash carries palms and wears a wreath of candles on head. Special rolls or cookies are made for the day and often handed out to the elderly. It is also celebrated in parts of Italy particularly in Sicily and in many places of the world today. There are many churches dedicated to her and the island of Santa Lucia in the Caribbean is named for her.
Saint Lucy is the patron saint of the blind, visually impaired, eye health, spiritual vision and discernment, protection during periods of hopelessness, and for those seeking clarity or guidance.
“O St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr, you who sacrificed your life for Christ, intercede for us who seek your guidance. May your example of faith inspire us to walk in the light of Christ, and may your patronage bring healing to those who suffer from blindness, both physical and spiritual. Amen.” (Prayer of Saint Lucy)
Sources
“Saint Lucy,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified November 12, 2025, accessed December 2, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Lucy.
Catholic Online, “St. Lucy – Saints & Angels – Catholic Online,” Catholic Online, accessed December 2, 2025, https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=75.
“The Story of Saint Lucy: Her Life, Her Light, and Her Martyrdom,” Original Botanica, last modified December 1, 2025, accessed December 2, 2025, https://originalbotanica.com/blog/saint-lucy-story-martyrdom-light-prayer.
Rodriguez, Jaime. “Saint Lucia or Saint Lucy of Syracuse: History, Miracles and Much More.” Un Lugar Para Hablar De Religiones, Biblia, Jesucristo, Dios, Y Mas… Last modified February 14, 2024. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://hablemosdereligion.com/en/saint-lucia-or-saint-lucy-of-syracuse-history-miracles-and-much-more/.
Before and after the wreck was found in 1985, various people proposed interesting and sometimes bizarre ways to bring it to the surface. Before its discovery, it was assumed to be in one piece; although 1912 testimony claimed it had split in two, this was not believed at the time. Here are some notable ideas, most from Slashgear:
1) Vaseline
After discovery but before realizing the bow was embedded in the seabed, one plan was to place 180,000 tons of Vaseline in polyester bags around the wreck. The cold-hardened Vaseline would lift it to about 200 feet below the surface.
2) Liquid Nitrogen
Wire mesh would enclose the wreck, then liquid nitrogen pumped in to freeze the water inside, turning the ship into a giant iceberg that would float up—ironically fitting, given the original iceberg collision.
3) Ping-Pong Balls
One idea was to inject millions of ping-pong balls for buoyancy. Cool in theory, but hard science shows they would crush under the immense pressure at Titanic’s depth.
4) Glass Spheres
A variation used hollow glass spheres instead. The concept looked impressive in art, but the estimated cost was around $240 million.
5) Balloons (1960s, not from Slashgear)
Douglas Woolley proposed attaching gas-filled balloons to float the ship. He founded the Titanic Salvage Company, raised funding, and planned to tow it to Liverpool as a museum. The main problem was filling the balloons with gas at depth—impossible with 1960s diving technology. The idea likely inspired Clive Cussler’s novel Raise the Titanic!, an excellent book (though the movie is forgettable except for the raising scene), where compressed air and other buoyancy aids are used.
Sources
Shayotovich, Eli. “Is It Possible to Raise the Titanic?” SlashGear. Last modified November 28, 2025. https://www.slashgear.com/2035479/is-it-possible-raise-titanic/.
“The Most Outrageous Schemes to Raise the Titanic.” Sky HISTORY TV Channel. Accessed December 10, 2025. https://www.history.co.uk/articles/outrageous-schemes-to-raise-the-titanic.
Video
Goji98. “Raise the Titanic.” Video. YouTube, April 3, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAl8dO9tdlE.