Celebrating a Life in Naples Christmas by Lois Bolin, Ph.D., Old Naples Historian

Over 2,000 Christmases have occurred since the birth of Jesus Christ, but few saw the future of humanity hanging so precariously in the balance as did the Christmas of 1941 and now 2024. In 1941, Christmas came only weeks after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7. By December 24, there was little guarantee that the Allied Powers — anchored by the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union — would be able to defeat the
Axis Powers of Nazi Germany, the Empire of Japan, and Italy (The Hill, 2019).

Yet, fifteen days after the bombing, the Prime Minister of England, Winston Churchill, surprised Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States, with an unparalleled trip to Washington to jointly light the White House Christmas tree and discuss the fate of the Free World.

In 2024, Christmas will come 8 weeks after the November 5th election for President of the United States and weeks before the inauguration of the new leader of the “free” world. The question for me today as of this writing is: how free will we be?

Action for Life
For my birthday, my hubby gave me one of the best gifts I have received to date in my 59.999+ years of life. My once in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with renowned author, broadcaster, and political commentator Glenn Beck, who was interviewed by a Naples’ treasure, Father Michael Orsi, Senior Advisor to the Action for Life Board. For more information, look up ActionforLife.org

In my front and center seats, we could clearly see the attaché case Glenn brought onstage that housed the archives from Roe vs Wade, which were purchased at a handsome price, to be stored in Beck’s new museum, the American Journey Experience. The American Journey Experience features a myriad of American history antiquities, including Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wheelchair, the second electric chair ever built, the original script for Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds,” and original letters written by George Washington.

The American Journey Museum is not just a museum, the new climate controlled American Journey Vault stores rare documents that chronicle this nation’s legendary past including one of the rarest books in the world, an Aitken Bible from 1782, the first and only edition of the Bible ever authorized by Congress. Only 10,000 copies were originally made, and just 30-40 copies exist today.

Not His First
In 2012, Glenn Beck appeared at the Naples Town Hall Distinguished Speaker Series where he addressed a crowd of approximately 1,100 and spoke of his endeavors since leaving Fox News. He said the world is about to change and we are on the precipice of something as exciting and full of opportunity as the Industrial Revolution. Boy, was he spot on — and still is. In his newest book, Propaganda Wars: How the Global Elite Control What You See, Think, and Feel, he uncovers the secrets behind the system of manipulation and gives readers a step-by-step guide to identifying and deconstructing past, present, and future propaganda efforts as well as the research tools required to become warriors for truth in the years ahead.

The Innocence of Childhood
While there was plenty of uncertainty in World War II, one thing Churchill and Roosevelt understood, as do Glenn Beck and Father Orsi, is the need to celebrate Christmas and most importantly, preserve and protect the innocence of childhood.

While many think that the modern American Christmas is a media phenomenon, I invite you to come to downtown Naples on December 3 at 6:30 p.m. to experience The City’s Christmas Parade to recall what a magical place the world was when you were a child. Veterans and their families are invited to Cambier Park where the city has reserved bleacher seating.

And if you can’t join us in person, then watch on the City Channel (Comcast 98) Facebook or the City’s website, hosted by Matt Moen and Lois Bolin. This is not a media phenomenon –it is a way we connect our community to the magic in this place we call home.

Additional events for you and your children are as follows:
The 35th Annual Marine Industries Christmas Boat Parade. Saturday, December 14 beginning at 6:15 p.m. Tickets to view the parade from the Naples City Dock can be purchased at MIACC.org Candlelight Christmas Carols at Cambier Park. Friday, Dec 20, 5:30 p.m. Pre-Caroling Food and Beverages;
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Caroling.

Oh, and may you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve.