It's been a tough year. And frankly, the holiday season can be stressful even in the best of times. So here's a light-hearted, whimsical, stop-motion Christmas Carol video from Czech Republic, and Tomáš Kočko & Orchestra.  Enjoy.

Christmas Carol Stop Motion from SEEACH on Vimeo.

There now. Feeling better?

With six other albums to his credit, Tomáš Kočko (pronounced Kotch-ko) has been fusing Czech and Slovak music with many other elements for years, while remaining true to its core spirit. On the website of his label, Indies, we find this intriguing statement: "The carol is a very old tradition. Its history goes back to the pre-Christian era of ancient Rome where they celebrated the holiday of winter solstice called Calendae [kalende]…. It’s not a coincidence that the Catholic Christmas is very close to the winter solstice holiday. Both traditions celebrate the birth of a little baby God who puts an end to the reign of evil on Earth and new solar year begins, which is a cause for happiness and joy! Both traditions are merging and both are, in their original form and in their pagan-Christian merging as well, part
of our history."

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Kwanzaa, and a Spectacular Solstice.