Christmas is described as a festive season therefore we should all engage in activities during the season that provide entertainment, merriment and which give pleasure. Because Christmas is about celebration, many types of festivities can be found to suit all preferences to make the season a joyful one. Read the rest of this entry »
A lot of what is widely regarded as true about Christmas or held as a tradition cannot or has not been verified, or, has changed through the years. Even Christmas Day itself, Dec. 25, has been questioned about whether that is theexact day on which Jesus was born. Skeptics have asked why would shepherds be out in the cold watching their flocks by night during the winter. Those skeptics have put forward the thought that Jesus may really have been born in the spring instead. It is therefore little wonder that there are many fancy stories and tales that are told about Christmas and the Christmas season. Read the rest of this entry »
Christmas as a holiday period was instituted and celebrated at about the same time as other winter solstice festivities because church leaders at the time believed that would make more people participate in the new holiday period. That objective was achieved, but people also carried over some pagan celebrations and traditions into the religious Christmas celebrations.
As an example, people would attend church and then take part in a raucous, drunken and carnival-like celebration, that has some similarities to Mardi Gras. During this celebration every year, there would be a crowning of a beggar or student as the ‘lord of misrule.’ Those taking part in the activities would pretend to be loyal subjects to the ‘lord of misrule,’ During this time some of the poor would also visit the rich in their houses and ask for some of their best food and drink. Those among the rich who didn’t cooperate would be subject to rowdy behavior and mischief by the poor. For their part, the rich used Christmas as the time when they would reach out to the poorer members of society by tolerating them in such visits or by leaving out food and clothing for them.
For many centuries before the birth of Christ and the recognition of Christmas, there had always been celebrations in many countries during the middle of winter. During the darkest days of winter for example, the early Europeans were said to celebrate light and birth. The winter solstice was a period of rejoicing for many people because it meant that the worst part of winter was over and they could therefore look forward to having days that were longer with more hours of sunlight.
In that tradition, the Norse peoples in Scandinavia would celebrate a period of Yule from Dec. 21, which was the winter solstice or start of winter, through January. To recognize the re-emergence of the sun, fathers and their sons would take large logs home and set them on fire. There would then be a big feast until the log was completely burned out. That could take as much as 12 days to happen. The custom also was one of hope for the Norse because there was the belief among them that every spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born in the New Year.
Many parts of Europe also thought that the end of December was a perfect time to celebrate because during that time, a lot of cattle would be killed to avoid having to feed them during winter. For many people, the end of December was the only time during the year when they had a significant amount of fresh meat. By that time of year also, wine and beer that was made earlier in the year would have fermented and be finally ready for drinking.
The tradition of Santa Claus has also been an ancient legend with slight differences or variations in olden days from the 1700s in some countries. In German and Switzerland, children who were well behaved would receive a Christmas present from Christkind or Kris Kringle. Christkind, which means Christ child, was believed to be an angel-like figure that went along with St. Nicholas on his holiday journeys to deliver gifts. A jolly elf by the name of Jultomten was believed to deliver presents in Scandinavia in a sleigh that was pulled by goats. And in France, Pere Noel is the one who fills the shoes of French children with Christmas gifts, sweets or treats at Christmas time.
In Russia, there’s a legend that Babouschka was an elderly woman who gave incorrect directions to Bethlehem to the three Wise Men so that they wouldn’t find Jesus. She later felt sorry for doing so but couldn’t find the Wise Men to tell them about the error. Today in Russia, it is believed that on Jan. 5, the day before the Epiphany or Three Kings Day, Babouschka visits Russian children and leaves presents by their bedsides in the hope that one of the children will be Baby Jesus and will forgive her.
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite
The idea of celebrating Jesus’ birth was done to counteract pagan holidays celebrated in Rome during the Winter Solstice. Church leaders thought Christmas celebrations were more likely to be popular if they coincided with the traditional festivals and merrymaking during the Winter Solstice.
Although some Christmas celebrations are secular, the religious aspect of Christmas remains central to celebrations. This is evident in church services such as Midnight Mass and primarily in the many forms of the Nativity, or Christmas Story, presented wherever people celebrate e.
That story started in Nazareth in Galilee about two thousand years ago. Mary, a young woman, was engaged to a carpenter named Joseph. An angel appeared to her one day and told her she was with child. She couldn’t understand how that could happen because due to her circumspect nature, she had not laid in bed with Joseph. The angel explained however, that the child would be special as he would be the Son of God and his name was to be Jesus. Mary and Joseph then got married soon after the angel’s appearance.. But about the time when Mary was to have the baby, the couple had to travel far away to Bethlehem, Joseph’s birthplace, to pay a special tax.
It was difficult for them to find a place to stay because many other people were in Bethlehem to pay their taxes. After many rejections, one innkeeper offered a room in his stable where they could spend the night. That’s where Jesus, the Holy Child and Son of God was born and then wrapped in bundles of cloth and placed in a manger for a cradle.
In the same hours that Mary was giving birth, shepherds who were in a field that overlooked Bethlehem saw an extremely bright star over the sky in Bethlehem. They had never seen anything like it and had feelings of curiosity and scariness. An angel appeared and told them the ‘good news’ that the Son of God had been born in Bethlehem.
The shepherds left their flocks to go to Bethlehem to find the baby. When they reached the stable, they were filled with immense joy at seeing Jesus. They fell to their knees and worshipped Him. They also told Mary and Joseph about the bright star and the angel appearing to say Jesus would be the Savior of the world.
The bright star was also seen by Wise Men in the east. The Wise Men, who studied the stars, learned that a new and great ruler would appear whenever an extraordinarily bright star appeared in the sky. Three of them therefore set out to find the new ruler. They first visited King Herod in Jerusalem because they thought the child would be born in the palace. But when they asked to see the child who would be the new ruler, King Herod was very worried as he thought he would be removed from the throne. King Herod told the Wise Men that when they found the baby, they should return and tell him so that he could also worship the baby.
The Wise Men used the star as a guide to go to Bethlehem where they found Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus who they worshipped and offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Wise Men are celebrated in some Christmas celebrations on Jan. 6, known as the Epiphany to mark the date when they found Jesus. Later in the night the three Wise Men had a dream in which an angel told them that King Herod wanted to kill Baby Jesus. They left Bethlehem to return to the East but didn’t return to Jerusalem to tell King Herod where they had found the child. Joseph also had a dream soon after the Wise Men left in which an angel appeared and told him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt because Herod had ordered that Jesus be killed. In an effort to kill Jesus after the Wise Men did not return to inform him of the baby’s whereabouts, Herod later ordered that all baby boys in Bethlehem should be killed. But by then Mary and Joseph had left with Baby Jesus.
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite
Christians celebrate Christmas to observe the birth of Jesus Christ, which is an event and not a tradition. But many other activities related to celebrating the Christmas season evolved from certain traditions, many of which are from other countries, particularly from peoples in Europe. Read the rest of this entry »
Since so much time and effort is put into selecting the perfect Christmas tree, it follows that similar consideration should also be given to giving the tree the best possible care. Otherwise, there will be disappointment if needles start to brown or turn yellow, or branches begin to break with days or weeks to go before the season is over. Safety is also an important reason to take proper care of your Christmas tree because a drying Christmas tree also presents a grave danger as a fire hazard. The average Christmas tree should last for about five to six weeks if the proper care is given to it. Read the rest of this entry »
- Image via Wikipedia
If you are planning a New Years Eve party, you might be considering offering party favors to your guests. This is an excellent idea and can offer your guests a lovely memento of the party. Hosts of a New Years Eve party have a lot of options for favors. Read the rest of this entry »
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite
Image via Wikipedia
For many people New Years Eve and alcohol are synonymous. Many people simply cannot image a New Years Eve party without alcohol but each year many people opt to host a non alcoholic New Years Eve party. There are number of reasons why an individual or group might decide to host a non alcoholic New Years Eve party. These reasons might include a large number of minors at the party, religious preferences, previous tragedies involving alcohol or simply lifestyle preferences. Whatever the reason for hosting a non alcoholic New Years Eve party, it is important to plan your party carefully to ensure it is a great deal of fun for everyone who attends. Read the rest of this entry »
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite
When most people think of a New Years Eve party, they picture a party with mostly adults and do not usually think of children when considering these types of parties. However, each year many New Years Eve parties either include kids or are planned specifically for kids. Whether you are planning to throw a New Years Eve party for your children or your friends or are simply planning to allow your adult guests to bring their children to the party, there are some considerations which must be taken when planning a New Years Eve party.
One of the most obvious considerations is alcohol consumption. Obviously it is inappropriate to allow minors to consume alcohol so the party host should plan on other beverages for the children at the party. They might want to consider serving mocktails which are non alcoholic versions of cocktails. These mocktails are a lot of fun and will help to prevent the children from being envious of the drinks the adults are enjoying because they will have their own fun and colorful drinks. When creating mocktails for children it is important to focus on the presentation. Creating colorful drinks and serving them in festive glasses is a good idea. The host should also give some consideration for alcohol consumption for adults and might consider placing a drink limitation to prevent the adult guests from becoming inebriated during the party.
Food should also be carefully considered when planning a New Years Eve party which will include children. This is important because children can be rather picky about their food. Fortunately appetizers are perfect for New Years Eve celebrations and most kids enjoy appetizers. Foods such as mini pizzas, hot dogs and hamburgers are particularly popular with kids. Similarly, simple foods such as cut up pieces of fruit or cheese or also popular with kids. The host may wish to plan on having an assortment of kid friendly appetizers as well as more sophisticated appetizers for the adults. One example of a cute food idea is to have sushi for the adults and to make an appetizer resembling sushi for the kids. This can be done by cutting the crusts of pieces of white bread, spreading peanut butter on the bread and layering pieces of strawberry on the peanut butter. The bread can then be rolled up and cut to resemble pieces of sushi. The kids will enjoy having an appetizer that looks like what the adults are eating but will also enjoy the taste of their own unique snack.
Another factor to consider when planning a New Years Eve party for kids is the lateness of the party. Depending on the age of the children, the kids might have difficulty staying up until midnight and may become cranky in the late evening hours. If the children are particularly young and staying up would be difficult for everyone, the host can consider making the event a sleepover party and staging an early celebration for the kids. The adults can set the clocks ahead and orchestrate a mock New Years celebration at a more kid friendly hour such as 9:00 pm. After a brief celebration the kids can all retire to an out of the way location, with an adult chaperone, such as a finished basement or an upstairs bedroom. The chaperone can stay with the children until they all fall asleep and then use a baby monitor to return to the party while continuing to monitor the children. The adults can then continue the party and celebrate the real New Year at midnight.
- Image via Wikipedia
Most people enjoy planning and attending New Year’s Eve parties but cleaning up after a New Year’s Eve party isn’t always high on most people’s lists of favorite activities. However, if you plan to host a New Year’s Eve party in your home you have to consider how you will clean up after the big event. This article will provide a few tips for cleaning up after a New Year’s Eve party and will offer some ways in which cleaning up after the party can be avoided. Read the rest of this entry »
Start Slide Show with PicLens Lite
- Animal - Ke$ha
- Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
- Hope for Haiti Now - Various Artists
- Dear John (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Various Artists
- Play On - Carrie Underwood
- The Who: Greatest Hits - The Who
- The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies) - Black Eyed Peas
- Funhouse (Deluxe Version) - P!nk
- The Fame Monster (Deluxe Version) - Lady GaGa
- Them Crooked Vultures (Bonus Track Version) - Them Crooked Vultures
