“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!”

Well what did you expect from the Macedonian campaign? A ‘sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too’ was hardly likely, was it? Sorry, but the best I could come up with for this Christmas post was this official photograph showing four sturdy draught mules, their ASC drivers and what is quaintly described as a ‘sleigh’ for traversing the mud!

Anyway, the point of all this is to wish our members, friends and all visitors to this website a peaceful, healthy and happy Christmas. We also wish you all the very best for the new year and hope you will continue to join us for more occasional Macedonian musings in 2023.

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!”

Extracts from ‘A Visit from St Nicholas’ – better known as ‘Twas ‘The Night Before Christmas’ – by Clement Clarke Moore (1823).