Letters From Santa & Christmas Trees

If you celebrate Christmas, chances are you will celebrate the holiday season with a Christmas tree in your house. Although all across the nation there will be Christmas trees decorated this holiday season, none will be exactly like yours. Christmas trees are a tradition – many of us plan a special day of writing letters to Santa (and dreaming of getting letters from Santa!) and decorating the Christmas tree.

You may choose to use a theme in your decoration, or even stick with one or two colors. Using a theme is nice because it helps makes the shopping experience easier when you are purchasing your decorations – it helps you focus in.  Most of us have some great decorations that we use year after year – so we want to always find a way to fit those in with what we do every year.

Department stores or even drug stores are usually the least expensive places to purchase Christmas ornaments and other decorations. This means you should be able to purchase your Christmas tree decorations, whether it’s lights or ornaments, at a relatively affordable price.  Another place to check is a dollar store. It’s amazing what you can find in these shops.

Christmas specialty shops are another option and depending on where you live, you are likely to have at least one or two of these shops near you. The only concern about these Christmas shops is that they tend to have high prices on their items; however, the quality is often better than what you usually find in typical department stores. 

If you don’t have one of these shops near you, you can still find great Christmas decorations online. Countless websites offer high quality, elegant Christmas tree decorations and ornaments. Other ideas you might want to keep in mind include companies or individuals that specialize in creating unique, handcrafted Christmas ornaments.  As you might expect, handcrafted Christmas ornaments, especially those that are customized, can be quite expensive.  Another option is creating some of your own Christmas decorations. There are lots of websites that offer instructions for Christmas craft projects – and most of them are easy to do. 

As mentioned earlier, there is a good chance that you already have a collection of Christmas tree decorations saved from previous years.  Re-using these older decorations can save you lots of money – seeing those older ornaments has a way of bringing back memories from days gone by.

The Christmas decoration business has become a huge business. In fact, it seems that as soon as Halloween is over the Christmas decorations are on the shelves at our local department stores. While shopping for Christmas decorations is fun, the best part is trimming the tree with someone you love.

Great Gift Ideas For Co-Workers From Secret Santa

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A Secret Santa format is often used in an office and other work settings. This can sometimes meant hat you are shopping for someone that you do not know very well....which of course, can make giving a gift that will be appreciated a little tricky.

Here are a couple ideas. First of all, a Secret Santa Gift is usually limited to a particular price range. This can add to the difficulty or it can make it easier. Taking the easy way out is my suggestion.

Think Gift Cards. You can now purchase gift cards almost anywhere. This includes restaurants, book stores, department stores, home improvement centers, and even drug stores. All you have to do is pick one and purchase the needed number of cards.

Another idea is a great coffee mug filled with soup mixes, coffees, coca or tea samples. A simple gift basket filled with various bath items is another wonder suggestion. You can purchase an inexpensive basket, line it with a nice washcloth or towel and then pile in the accessories. Shop at a 99 cent store tor lots of cheap but useful stuff to put in your basket.

More ideas coming soon!

Christmas Joys And A Santa Claus Postmark!

It’s time to start planning for Christmas again and how to make it even more unique. If you are like the average family that recognizes and acknowledges this magical holiday, you will be dragging out your favorite and most cherished decorations from past Christmases plus adding more. Most people seem to continuously build their supply of adornments. After all, there are always new and gorgeous ornaments, wreaths, garlands, and other decorative embellishments we can add. The truth is that having a wide rangeoffers the opportunity to either have a themed oriented decorating scheme, or a free for all style.

Decorating your home and surroundings is usually a Christmas tradition that all members of the family participate in. Even the very young get into the act. And of course, us adults sometimes get a little emotional at Christmas time. It’s not hard to do as we think about favorite Christmases from years gone by. And if we are really lucky we will even have some keepsakes from those times that seem to keep us in touch with our past.

Christmas traditions are a wonderful way to bridge the gap between old and new, and young and old. The passing down of traditions keeps a bond of sorts between the generations. Just as our parents celebrated during the holidays, we have followed, and our kids will too.

Whether your family traditionally spends a specific time making and displaying Christmas craft projects, or simply decorating, or just spending quality time together, these can all become memorable Christmas traditions. And great memories will be a part of each Christmas as the tradition is carried on.
My family’s Christmas traditions include putting our Christmas tree up on Thanksgiving Day. Afterward, we work on a few Christmas craft projects – a family favorite is making snowmen out of Styrofoam balls. It’s easy enough even for the youngest members to do and fun for all.

When the craft projects are done it is time to write our letter to Santa Claus. The kids love this. I always look forward to learning what it is that the children really want for Christmas. When the letters are ready we put them in envelopes addressed to Santa at the North Pole. And when the kids receive an authentic letter back with a Santa Claus postmark from the North Pole they are ecstatic. As soon as their eyes take in the postmark from Santa Claus they are overjoyed, and I get to share in their joy.

No matter what activities you and your family look forward to together, the vital thing is to make it fun and make it unique. There’s something about Christmas that is simply enchanting and I believe that magic lives in our hearts. It just takes thewonders of Christmas to bring it out in each of us.

More Secret Santa Clause Ideas

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Look over some of these suggestions - I think you will agree that they are wonderful ideas for an inexpensive Christmas gift - especially a secret Santa Clause gift. An easy idea is to purchase Christmas themed printer paper to use for printing Christmas songs, poetry, and favorite recipes. Put the compilation into a nicely decorated folder or clear report cover.  Simple candles can be decorated with ribbons and dried flowers, and beads. How about using a simple clear vase, bowl, or even a wicker basket to hold some cinnamon scented pine cones. But add a little glam by lacing a strand of lights through them. It's a beautiful decoration that smells wonderful!

Spreading Goodwill at Christmas

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    The real meaning of Christmas, the season of good cheer, is about giving
especially to provide some assistance to those who need help for their daily
survival and who therefore don't have the material resources to enjoy the
Christmas season. The importance of giving to those in need during Christmas is
embodied in the story of Jesus' birth, which is the reason Christmas is
celebrated.

    For Christians, Jesus was born to save mankind from sin by giving
everlasting Salvation to all who believe in the Word of God and chose to follow
the principles for living in the Bible. Jesus therefore gave in the ultimate way
- he offered himself as a sacrifice for every living person. Christians
therefore believe that Christmas should be about following the example of Jesus
by giving of oneself to others, especially to those who are in need.

    The Christmas season should therefore be about spreading goodwill and good
cheer. This purpose of Christmas is very significant because research by social
service organizations has shown that Christmas happens to be a high time for
depression among the have-nots, among people with problems and others who just
don't have the means and resources to enjoy the merriment of the holidays.

    The hundreds of Santa letters written by children are often a sad
testament to the many unmet needs of families and individuals during the festive
Christmas and holiday times. Just about every child is told the story of Santa
Claus, or hears about him because his presence is everywhere at Christmas. And
up to the age of 7 to 8 years, most children believe the story about Santa Claus
bringing toys and other gifts. That's the reason why so many young children
often write letters to Santa at Christmas time in which the innocently plead for
toys and other gifts because they their parents or other relatives will not be
able to give them those Christmas toys or Christmas gifts that they want.

    Thankfully there are many volunteer and charitable efforts carried out by
groups and corporations that seek to fulfill the needs of children and also of
adults during the Christmas season. One of the most notable organizations that
do such charitable work is the Salvation Army, which has a history of giving
service to those in need.

According to The Salvation Army's website, the organization as known today was
started in 1865 by a Methodist minister, William Booth and his wife Catherine.
They formed a group that preached, provided food and shelter to the homeless,
the hungry and to alcoholics in need of recovery services. The services were
provided in London's East End. Booth and his followers, first known as 'The
Christian Mission,' started to use The Salvation Army name in 1878. 

The Salvation Army is now uniquely associated with the Christmas season through
its many representatives who dress up as Santa Claus and stand outside retail
establishments ringing their bells while they kindly seek donations from
shoppers to help the poor at Christmas.

Individuals also play Santa Claus at Christmas time and help out those in need
by donating toys and gifts through their companies, other business enterprises
such as banks or through their local municipality. These groups usually all have
a box or an area where new toys or clothing can be dropped off and the items are
then donated to families in need or to social service providers for distribution
to the needy during the Christmas season.

Along with much charitable giving at Christmas time, other public interest
groups also work hard to inform and educate consumers about avoiding the after
Christmas blues. This is often experienced in January when the bills and debts
are due as a result of all the spending, much of it on credit, that is done for
the holidays.

These groups try to spread goodwill and cheer in a different way. They try to
provide educational information on spending responsibly during the Christmas
season with the hope that the happiness and good feeling enjoyed during the
season can also carry over after Christmas and not be spoiled by the burden of
having huge bills to pay.

Christmas Around the World

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Christmas in the Birthplaces of Traditions -- Bethlehem, Germany and England
        Christmas as celebrated today is a culmination of centuries of
traditions that are religious and secular and which came from different
countries around the world. It is interesting therefore to look at some of the
general ways in which Christmas is celebrated in these countries. The traditions
examined for each country will be examples of some of the things that are unique
to that country and which are done today, or which were once done by people in
those countries.

        To begin, it is symbolic to look at the town of Bethlehem, which is
believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. The Church of the Nativity is located in
Bethlehem and at Christmas it is decorated with a lot of flags and other
Christmas decorations. A very large crowd usually gathers at The Church of the
Nativity on Christmas Eve to see a dramatic parade procession of horsemen, led
by police who are mounted on Arabian horses. Following the police in the
procession is a lone horseman who carries a cross, followed by churchmen and
government officials. Members of the procession solemnly enter the doors of The
Church of the Nativity and place an ancient effigy of Jesus in the church. A
silver star located deep in an underground cave-like section of the church marks
the site where Jesus was born. A star is also set atop a pole in the town's
square. In Bethlehem, homes of Christians usually have a cross over the door and
a manger scene is usually set up inside the house.
  
        In Germany, home of the Christmas tree tradition, the Christmas tree
is not seen until Christmas Eve. The tree is usually kept in a special room, or
elsewhere, and decorated in secret with lights, ornaments, tinsels, angels,
candies, nuts and cookies. It is then lighted, the presents placed underneath
and then shown to the delight of Children on Christmas Eve. In Germany, Dec. 6
is known as St. Nicholas Day when Santa visits the homes of boys and girls. On
the day before, Dec. 5, children leave a shoe or boot outside or by the
fireplace for Santa Claus. If they were good, he places gifts and candies inside
the shoe. But if they were naughty, children will find twigs or a rod in their
shoe. Dinner on Christmas Day includes roast goose, long loaves of bread filled
with raisins, nuts and dried fruits. Other sweet delicacies are also enjoyed.

Many traditions in England are similar to those in the United States because
such traditions originated in England and were brought to the United States by
immigrants. The tradition of sending Christmas greeting cards started in England
and is still popular at Christmas, as well as the tradition of neighborhood
caroling on Christmas Eve. Children also hang stockings on Christmas Eve in
anticipation of Santa Claus filling them with Christmas gifts or treats. The
holly, ivy and mistletoe are also used a lot in Christmas decorations. In
England, the traditional Christmas Dinner is roast turkey, goose or chicken with
stuffing, vegetables and roast potatoes. Dessert consists of the British or
Christmas pudding with brandy sauce. A rich, fruit-filled Christmas cake may
also be enjoyed later in the day.

A tradition of pulling Christmas crackers also goes with the serving of food on
Christmas Day. A cracker is a paper tube that contains a party hat, riddle, toy
or trinket, and is brightly colored and twisted at both ends. It gives out a crack
as the contents pop out when it is pulled at each end. Also on Christmas afternoon,
the Queen broadcasts a Christmas message to the nation, which is heard on radio and
television. The day after Christmas is also a holiday that is known as Boxing Day.

Making Special Christmas Memories With A Postmark From Santa Claus

There is not a wonder that times are tough for millions of families across the nation. The poor economy has resulted in an increased unemployment rate and decreased incomes. Even so, during difficult times the holidays and gift-giving events continue. Finding ways to make Christmas unique without going in debt can be less difficult than you think.

One of the vital things to keep in mind is that meaningful time with family during the holidays can create long-lasting memories that are remembered for years to comer. One of the most fundamental things a family can do is to make and/or continue pleasurable family traditions that all can enjoy.

I suggest that you start your Christmas holiday season on Thanksgiving Day. Here’s what my family does:

After the meal is over and the dinner table is free of food and dishes, all the kids and some grown-ups gather to make hand-crafted Christmas decorations. By keeping a craft basket all year long that is added to regularly, the choices are infinite. We keep things like remnants of cloth, buttons, colorful pipe cleaners, ribbons and lace, construction paper, glue, glitter, Styrofoam balls and bits and pieces of stuff.

The final result is often some very innovative Christmas crafts and most are extremely cute. As the crafters work diligently to make their projects we have beautiful Christmas playing on the stereo. And after the crafting process is over it is time to find the ideal spot for showcasing them.

Then it’s back to the table for a final project of the day – which is writing letters to Santa. All the children usually spends time discussing this part of the day throughout the dinner so they already have a good idea of what they want to say to the old guy.

While creating the letters is fun for everyone, receiving letters from Santa Claus is simply enchanting. The good news is that genuine letters from the North Pole with a postmark from Santa Claus are not only easy to get – they are low cost.

These easy ideas and more like them can result in a Christmas that is very special and one that will be remembered because it involves hassle-free family time. Many of the decorations will be used for many years and the letter from Santa will become a memorable keepsake.

Have a Chic Christmas - All About Style and Fashion for the Holidays

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    In New York, a style capital of the world, black is always a chic and
fashionable selection. That's even more so in the Fall and Winter seasons when
dark colors are favored. But even the fashionistas who like somber colors add a
bit of sparkle and cheer to Christmas and holiday clothing with some color,
usually magnificent red.

    Dominant colors at Christmas are red, black and white and a red scarf, or
a white one, is a must-have accessory.

    Holiday-themed apparel with snowflakes, candy canes, stars, Christmas
trees, are also popular during the season. Along with being colorful, they also
convey the message that the person is fully embracing the spirit of the season
and is in a festive mood. When individuals wear holiday-themed apparel, they are
therefore radiating a positive attitude and giving the signal that it is
pleasant to be around them. After all, nobody wants to be around the 'grumpy
bah-humbug' type of personalities during the Christmas season.

    Holiday-themed jewelry also works well as accessories. These can add that
little sparkle to an outfit that makes it stand out in an admirable way.
Holiday-themed jewelry is also perfect for those individuals who simply want to
show a touch of the holiday spirit without having to actually wear holiday-
themed apparel because it maybe too different from the conservative style of
their wardrobe.

    It is necessary to add some sparkle to apparel during the Christmas season
and current style trends of having jewel-engraved or embroidered tops play well
for the Christmas season. They will allow the wearer to look festive in a very
understated but elegant way.

    Fall popular styles will also undoubtedly be a fashionable way to dress
for the holidays. Based on the Fall Fashion Shows in New York, there are five
basic outfits that stylists say should be in the wardrobe of all women. They
are: the Tunic, Winter Short - which is cut just above the knee - the Vest,
Pencil Skirt and the Super-wide pant.

    The vest can be a dressy one with embroidery or other adornments, or it
can be more minimal based on the overall outfit. The Winter Short and Pencil
Skirt can easily convert from working outfit to party wear with the right
accessory, making them perfect to wear to an early evening Christmas or holiday
party. A variation from the Pencil Skirt is the Pencil dress. This too is likely
to be popular for Christmas as it can be easily accessorized with a broad belt,
which is one of the accessories that top fashion advisers say is a 'must-have'
accessory for the Fall.

    The Tunic and Super-wide pant are also liked for Christmas and the Holiday
season because they are very flexible in how they can be paired with other
garments.

Another fall fashion staple are Knit Sweaters - oversized and as tunics. They
will also work well with black tights and leggings, which has made a comeback in
leg wear. Leggings can be worn under skirts or dresses. Very slim leggings can
also be worn simply in place of pants, worn with a jacket or again, with an
oversized knit sweater. Using the basic colors of red, white and black that are
popular during Christmas and the holidays, colored leggings will definitely add
a nice touch of style to outfits and make them seem perfect for the Christmas
and holiday season.

    It is also good that dresses are once more welcomed among the fashionable.
And the red dress for Fall fits well into Christmas and the holiday season.
The latest in jeans, which is a mainstay in everyone's wardrobe and suitable to
wear at all times including during Christmas and the holidays, is that a skinny
fit is in. And if ultra-skinny is not very complimentary to your body shape, you
can still get one of the newer types of jeans that are said to have a lot more
stretch, giving a 360-degree or all-around wrap to the body for a perfect or
near perfect fit.

    And since Christmas is the season to be happy and cheery, the truly jolly
can always top off their Christmas outfit with a cone-shaped, red and white
Santa hat.

Asides - Interesting Facts/ Notes About Christmas

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    It is an accepted fact that the Christmas tree tradition is one that was
brought to the shores of America by German immigrants who continued a practice
that was popular in their former homeland. Today, a Christmas tree, even a
miniature one, is present in just about every home at Christmas. It is therefore
interesting to note some little-know facts about the Christmas Tree and other
traditions related to Christmas.

    The first interesting fact is the source of real Christmas Trees for some
Americans. These can be bought at a Christmas Tree Farm or at many local stores
and other places of business in just about every town and city across the
country around Christmas time. But according to the National Christmas Tree
Association, Americans buy about 330,000 Christmas trees that are real through
e-commerce or from a catalogue and have them shipped by mail-order.

The scent of real Christmas trees is the reason they are so popular. But as they
stand silently in their decorative wonder, they also are providing another
benefit. The Christmas Tree Association says the amount of oxygen produced on a
daily basis by one acre of Christmas tree is enough to provide enough oxygen for
18 people. And during the first week, a Christmas Tree at home will use up to
one quart of water each day to help retain its longevity for the many days of
Christmas.

Since Christmas celebrations gained popularity in America, the Christmas Tree
has always been a big tradition. During the 1950s however, artificial Christmas
trees were not always green. It was very popular during those times to have
artificial trees with other colors such as silver, pink and aqua. The appeal in
having these colored Christmas trees may have been due to the fact that they
looked shiny and bright and appeared like tinsel instead of green foliage.
An important ceremony related to the Christmas tree that gains national
attention during the Christmas season is the lighting of the National Christmas
Tree at the White House. This tradition can be credited to President Calvin
Coolidge who lit the first decorated Christmas tree outside at the White House
in 1923.

The lighting of the National Christmas Tree has also been used to convey some
symbolic meaning not related to Christmas. It was not lighted until Dec. 22 in
1963 because of a national mourning period of 30 days for the assassination of
President Kennedy. And while Teddy Roosevelt was President he gave an order that
banned the Christmas tree from the White House, not for the assassination of
President McKinley in 1901, which caused him to become president, but for
reasons related to the environment.

Also of note is that when the National Christmas Tree was lighted on Dec. 13 in
1984, temperatures were in the 70s during an unusually warm December.
Christmas has been celebrated in the United States since the 1600s although it
wasn't always very popular. It took more than two centuries into the mid-late
1860s for Christmas to become a popular holiday season all across America. So
maybe the rest of the country owes the holiday of Christmas Day to the state of
Alabama, which in 1836 became the first state to declare Dec. 25 a legal
holiday.

It is interesting to note that on Christmas Day of 1789 Congress was in session.
And to show how far ahead of the game Alabama was, it wasn't until June 26, 1870
that the federal government declared Christmas as a federal holiday.
Although Christmas is based on the Christian religion, not all Christian groups
celebrate the season. Among the Christian groups who do not celebrate Christmas
and related traditions such as sending greeting cards are Jehovah Witnesses.
Jehovah Witnesses and other non-participating Christian groups say Christmas
isn't specifically mentioned in the Bible as a time or reason to celebrate and
since they strictly adhere to the word of the Bible, they refuse to celebrate
Christmas.

Christmas Doesn't Have To Be Expensive

There are lots of ways to save money on gifts at Christmas time. Many people are simply cutting back on the people they buy for and others are buying less or being more thrifty in their spending habits.

We may find that instead of spending $20 on a gift for a friend or loved one we now opt to spend $10. That's okay - Christmas is about being with friends and family, and expressing the fact that you care - it's not about how much money you spend. The truth is that you really can get something nice for $10 or even less, and you will find some ideas in this blog.

One of the favorites is simply pulling together your own basket of goodies. This could be bought at a 'dollar' store. Just get a cheap basket of some sort and fill it with great things. You could do bath items like bubble bath, a bath sponge, bath oil, shampoo, a lotion, and even a towel. Or, you could go for another angle and use a large mug and add tea bags or soup ingredients, or coffee and creamers, or hot cocoa, etc. You can fill the basket with anything that you want, including craft items, or even small hand tools.

Most people enjoy getting an assortment of things that they can really use, rather than a single useless gift that was purchased because someone felt obligated. Be sure to check out Christmas Letters From Santa for additional ideas.