Merry Christmas

Archive for the ‘Christmas Shopping’ Category

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.

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Christmas shopping for close relatives can be extremely easy in some aspects but it can also be extremely difficult in other aspects. One the one hand shopping for close relatives is simple and a great deal of fun because they are people you really care about and people you know really well. However, on the other hand shopping for close relatives can also be extremely difficult and stressful because there is the added pressure to select Christmas gifts your relatives will really cherish and enjoy. This article will discuss some of the aspects of this Christmas shopping situation to help shoppers find the perfect gift for their loved ones. Read the rest of this entry »

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If you are like most people you do the majority of your Christmas shopping at the last minute. Visit any mall or shopping center in the final days before Christmas and you are likely to find parking lots that are filled to capacity and stores that are literally filled with shoppers who are still searching for the perfect Christmas gift for their friends or family members. As it gets closer and closer to Christmas the crowds tend to get more and more restless and the search for the perfect gift becomes a search for an acceptable gift. Although Christmas falls at the end of the year and people have a whole year to prepare for this joyous occasion, most people leave their shopping until the last minute every year despite New Year’s resolutions to get the Christmas shopping done early. This article will discuss a few different types of last minute Christmas shoppers. There are those who do their Christmas shopping at the last minute out of necessity, those who do it because they have procrastinated and those who do it because they find it to be exciting. Read the rest of this entry »

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The day before Christmas is one that is filled with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. There’s anxiety at putting all the final plans and finishing decoration touches in place and getting all the necessary shopping done. There’s also much anticipation about all the merriment and excitement of Christmas day. Children are usually hardly able to control themselves as they think about the Christmas gifts they hope to get the next day. They may try to stay up through the night to catch Santa Claus, or they may just be too excited to sleep. Read the rest of this entry »

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Christmas is a time of hustle and bustle.  There’s so much to do and organize.  If there is anyway you can cut down on what you have to do and relieve your stress without the quality of your Christmas suffering you want to at least look into it. Read the rest of this entry »

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Woodstock Chimes Feng Shui Amber

When you find yourself with someone on your holiday gift list who is difficult to buy for, sometimes your best bet is to go for something out of the ordinary.  Gifts that work to bring about harmony and peace in the environment are sure to please.  From simple gifts of  candles, crystals, and CD’s that play the soothing sounds of wind, rain and babbling brooks, to salt lamps, singing bowls and Zen sand gardens, the choices are plentiful. Read the rest of this entry »

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There are dozens of fun office gift exchange games people can play during the Christmas season. Officemates might have a “secret Santa” gift exchange or a popular “white elephant” gift exchange. All are popular and always fun, provided the rules are clear and everyone understands them. Read the rest of this entry »

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Many people adore Santa Claus because he brings them the perfect that often produces squeals of joy. Individuals, especially children, are often thrilled to get what they want and need from Santa. To bring joy to others, you also need to not only give a Christmas gift but to also try to get an item that will be a good match for the individual by selecting a gift that suits the person.

It is possible to find the right Christmas gift without having to fall for the easy way out by giving a ’sweater.’ To find the right gift for Christmas for anyone means a gift has to capture one or both of the following qualities – something that you know the person will like or desire, or something with useful purpose that will captivate the person.  A Christmas gift that captivates the receiver will produce a ‘wow’ reaction or comments of ‘that’s cool’ from others, who will be wishing silently that they had gotten such a gift. Read the rest of this entry »

Sliced Christmas Leg of Ham looks scrumptious on the table an tastes even better when its a naturally smoked ham.   Where smoked goods of any kind are concerned, it is well worth insisting on naturally smoked produce. Read the rest of this entry »

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Kids love getting gifts at Christmas. They dream about what they will find under the tree or in their stockings. They leave hints about what they would like to see under the gaily-wrapped paper. They whisper about their gift desires in jolly St. Nick’s ear and make lists months in advance. As a parent, we want our kids to be happy and when appropriate we give them what they want. Knowing if a toy is safe to give a child is more than knowing if it is age appropriate. It seems that there are more toy recalls each year. Toys are recalled when there is something dangerous about the toy, or toxic in how it is made. The gift giver needs to be aware of toy recalls and what to look out for when purchasing toys so that the gift is received with joy instead of disaster. How do toy recalls work?

Understanding the anatomy of a toy recall:

The usual route of a recall starts with an investigation into incidents of injury or from tests run in quality control labs. Unfortunately usually an incident means that the dangerous toy has already injured a child or perhaps several children.

Currently on the US Consumer Product Safety Commission Website there are a whole page of recalls, most involving Violations of Lead Paint Standards. The most recent recalls on the list include Gymboree Corp’s recall of Toy Swords due to breakage and laceration hazard, Dunkin’ Donuts Recalls of Glow Sticks due to choking and strangulation hazards, and Lan Enterprises Recall of a doll stroller after a child’s finger tip was severed. The same product also is stated to pose an entrapment hazard. These are just from the first 10 recalls from that long list of recalls.

The best scenario would be if the company’s quality control department discovered the dangerous situation before toys reached the shelves, so that no innocent children would be injured or made ill due to playing with a toy.

Safety standards are obviously an important part of any product manufacturing process. Obeying these standards should be expected especially when the products are made to be used by children. Monitoring, and enforcing these regulations should be of the highest level of ability of the US government. There should be a hefty price to pay for violating these safety standards.

Lately China has been cited as the manufacturing country in several recent toy recalls for lead paint infractions. Part of the problem is that so many of the US products are manufactured globally and not in the US. It is the responsibility of the US government and the US companies to expect compliance from those countries they deal with and to be able to regulate obedience and enforcement.

Finding Out About Toy Recalls:

Consumers can find out about a toy recall directly from toy companies or from the US government by way of Websites like the Consumer Product Safety Commission site located at:

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html

When a determination has been made by a company to recall a toy, they usually set up a hotline and information on the company Website that addresses the recall issue including the particulars about what toy is being recalled and what consumers are to do if they have the toy in their possession.

Many news agencies make toy recalls public by making announcements and by giving information about the toy to the public using their media coverage ability.

One good reason to fill out that product questionnaire you received in the box is that if you register the product with the company, the company then has the ability to update you on issues with that product including any recalls.

There is a blog that has a comprehensive list of recalls including the latest toy recalls due to lead paint. The blog can be accessed at:

http://www.usrecallnews.com/2007/10/complete-list-of-recalled-toys-for-lead.html

The best thing any concerned individual can do regarding giving toys at Christmas or anytime of the year is to stay informed and pay attention to any news reports regarding recalls.

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