Tag Archives: Christmas

Local Life

Focus: Moonlighting the Murky Way into 2024

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With the New Year on the horizon, sometimes it takes some moon glow to light the way.

The murky skies may mask the stars, but the moon tells us they’re there and always within a dreamer’s reach. And what’s not to reach for when the fuzzy picture becomes perfect with a moon waxing full standing in for the hidden star atop the evergreen.

Evergreen. It’s not just the live tree’s forever color that has a bright meaning. It’s what the murky sky masks — that evergreen riverfront scene. Always there. Always lit by the moon and stars behind the sky’s dank weather veil. Always attainable as we reach for the light, dazed into the New Year.

** Thanks to Fair Havenite Susan Culbert for the misty weather pics! She spotted the spectacular moon-topped tree on a trek down River Road before Christmas and the rest by the river. **

Here’s the weather forecast for the days ahead, courtesy of the National Weather Service …

Local Life

Retro ‘Ho No’ Santa Trauma

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The Harris twins in 2010 with scary Santa at Monmouth Mall
Photo/courtesy of Bernadette Harris

We’re bringing this scary Santa gem back from the 2018 archives. Originally posted on Dec. 12, 2018, this is the stuff priceless scary Santa pics are made of … This one was from 2010. We wish these older now twins a very happy holiday and thanks for the bowl full of jello belly laugh!

Sometimes you just win a trifecta when asking for a winning photo of children’s miserable experiences on the lap of Ol’ Saint Nick during the holidays. 

Continue reading Retro ‘Ho No’ Santa Trauma →
Local Life

Rewind: For Crying Out Santa!

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George Clark shuns Santa with tears in 2012
Photo/courtesy of Ann Clark

A reprise, just because … this solitary Santa trauma was just too classic not to repeat. ‘Tis the season, after all. And, with this reprise, we kick off our Santa trauma series … just for fun. Really. Send us your most classic “happy Santa/miserable child” pics. There’s one in every photo album! Email yours to [email protected] … We have mounted quite a collection, so don’t be left out!

Ho, ho, hoooooo and here we go again with a classic misery-doesn’t-love- Santa’s-company shot. 

Continue reading Rewind: For Crying Out Santa! →
Local Life

Retro Fair Haven Reindeer Games

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Reindeer games with the girls and a guy at Fair Haven's tree lighting 2015 Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Reindeer games with the girls and a guy at Fair Haven’s tree lighting 2015
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

With the end of Thanksgiving gatherings comes the start of not only the holiday shopping season, but festivities galore.

So, the Retro Pic of the Day offers one cute glimpse back to 2015 and some young ones playing reindeer games of their own sort at the Fair Haven tree lighting, which is coming up on Friday.

This little gaggle of giddy girls, and a guy, was quite wide-eyed and waiting to take in some seasonal magic.

The truth is that the magic was all in their eyes.

Recognize these little reindeer?

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Local Life

Scene Around: RFH Tower Singers’ Holiday High Note

The holidays. They’re something to sing about. And that’s exactly what the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Tower Singers did over the weekend.

All festively dressed up with somewhere to go, the singers took their songs to the streets and other places in the area to serenade many and spread some holiday cheer. They do it every year.

This year, the Santa-hatted Tower Singers strolled and sang starting in the morning at St. George’s-by-the-River Episcopal Church in Rumson at the church’s Canterbury Christmas event. By about 11 a.m., they singers were on their way to Ce La Vi on Monmouth Street in Red Bank. No, they didn’t stroll all the way there, but … they did have some brunch — and a little bonding.

After brunch the Tower Singers did a caroling kind of stroll from the restaurant to Riverside Gardens Park on Front Street where they sang for the Red Bank Holiday Harmonies program at 1 p.m. And finally, the singers strolled to Broad Street to sing in front of the Red Bank Artists’ Collective, also for the Red Bank program.

Now that’s some holiday cheer with a song — or several! Cheers to the Tower Singers!

** Click on one photo in the above gallery to enlarge and scroll. Enjoy! **

— Photos/RFH PAS

Local Life

Scene Around: Christmas Crawling for Cheer & Warmth

There’s a Santa in every crowd.

Well, there was at least an elf- or Santa-hatted, ugly sweatered, light and garland-draped bunch of festive fiends on a holiday cheer-missioned pub crawl on Thursday afternoon into the night.

Yes, the cheer-filled crew of revelers in all things holiday set out on a their 19-year traditional 12 Bars of Christmas crawl for a good cause — the sub-title, Caroling for Coats. Revelers were asked to bring a coat and join in. Christmas trees were donated to Lunch Break, too.

The crawling, though, that’s another Christmas story …

The crawl started and ended at Val’s in Rumson with a finale of song by Jerry Hat Trick and the Flatliners. All showed up with their selves, not halls, appropriately decked and hopped on the trolley from Val’s to the first stop at Bahr’s Landing in Highlands.

With an invite to all to catch up with them at whichever stop you wanted, the die hard crawlers went, after Bahr’s, to Chubby Pickle, Off the Hook, Rum Runner, Rory’s Pub, Woody’s, Ocean House, Tommy’s Tavern & Tap, Barnacle Bill’s, Victory Park Tavern, Salt Creek Grille, Murphy’s, and, again, Val’s.

We’re not sure exactly how many coats were collected this year, but the group boasts a 19-year tradition of “spreading Christmas cheer and the warmth of over 10,000 coats …”

Cheers!

** Thanks to RFH grad and longtime Rumsonite Doug Borden for the glimpse into the evening with the photos! **

DoNATE Coffee Today. THanks!
Local Life

Scene Around: Where’s the Fire, Santa?

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Where’s the fire, Santa? Or were you just out for a joy ride on the big white truck? Prospective answers are questionable in the face of the Santa sighting on Friday in Fair Haven.

The answers? Well, they say that once a year, Santa parks his reindeer-drawn sleigh at the Fair Haven Firehouse and hitches a ride on the flashing, blaring firetruck to greet all the good boys and girls in town and kick off holiday festivities and a tree lighting.

Everyone accepts it as fact. And considering the joyous holiday mayhem overriding usual inquiring little minds that won’t quit, no kid ever really wondered why he couldn’t just ride that sleigh a few blocks down the street. I mean, he had already made it all the way from that North Pole. What’s a few blocks more? Something’s elfin-like mysterious about this firehouse/fire truck affinity of ol’ Saint Nick’s.

Then there’s his obvious friendship with the firefighters (ahem, as witnessed in the featured photo). Hmmmmm …

Yeah, yeah, he sees and knows all. But, what’s the Santa deal with being sleighed by all things fire company?

OK. Suspicions of decades’ long Santa and his magic firefighter connection pretty much point to one thing: In his spare time, Santa’s a fireman. Well, he’s at least a firemen groupie.

My mother always told me that the firehouse and firetruck Santa we saw around town before Christmas was an elf subbing for the real deal. Na. Sorry, Mom. I think the other deduction is more on target. Ho, no? Ho, yes!

And, hey, kids, should the suspicion be true, it’s a double the Santa pleasure for you. Let’s face it, between the trucks, the firehouse, the reindeer, the suits (fire and red) and the lights, sirens and action, there’s nothing more magical.

Oh, right. There’s the volunteer spirit and smile. Wait. Does Santa stay at the firehouse until it’s time for more of those traditional photos there? Molly Pitcher? Hmmmm …

Cheers to the Santa spirit! And thanks to the fire company elves for capturing the moments.

— Photos/FHFD media

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Local Life, Schools Scene

Scene Around: Caroling with RFH’s Tower Singers

RFH Tower Singers breaking from caroling on Saturday
Photo/RFH PAS

They were unmasked, on key and merrily singing their way into the holiday season.

Donning school signature purple and season-appropriate Santa hats, the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Tower Singers caroled their way from Rumson to Red Bank, with four stopping points along the way and high-pitch Christmas spirit to spread.

Continue reading Scene Around: Caroling with RFH’s Tower Singers →
Local Life

Retro Rumson ‘That 70s’ Kinda Holidaze

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A Rumson 1970s Christmas at the Hoey house
Photo/Tom Hoey

Nothing says 70s quite like a first (or second) Christmas snapshot of a Rumson family rockin’ the look around the tree.

His birthday today, of let’s say decades later, prompted Tom Hoey to post this time warp shot. From the tinsel, to the ornaments, to the hair and outfits and, especially, that TV, nothing could be more “that 70s” of a holiday pose.

Continue reading Retro Rumson ‘That 70s’ Kinda Holidaze →