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Some people argue that it’s never too early to start planning for Christmas, even though the decorations have only just been put away from the last festive splurge. If you’re one of them your preparations will be well under way already.

However, most people are so glad to see the back of Christmas that they really don’t want to countenance planning another orgy of food and drink over-indulgence so soon. Others are canny enough to have already snapped up almost everything they need for Christmas 2008. In amongst all the Boxing Day sales there would have been plenty of half-price or even better deals on Christmas cards and decorations; all eagerly snapped up and stored by those canny souls who always prepare well in advance. Read the rest of this entry »

A traditional Christmas cake can be light or dark. It can be made like a sponge cake with a light frosting, or it can be moist and rich, loaded with a creamy colorful icing.It can be square, round, oblong or tiered, and it can even be in the form of cupcakes.

Different countries favor different Christmas Cakes. For example, in Scotland, the Scottish cherish the Whisky Dundee holiday cake. It is made with raisins and cherries. It is considered a fruitcake, but it isn’t particularly rich or moist, and doesn’t have to contain nuts. Read the rest of this entry »

Just about everyone in the world knows that jolly toy-bearing Christmas figure from the North Pole, but how much do we really know about him? The character we all love so much was actually created by mixing together several ingredients including the memory of an important Christian saint, the practices of North European Shamans, and the marketing wits of an all-American mega brand. Here are a few quick trivia questions about our beloved Santa. Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas, or The Lords Birth, is a Christian commemoration day celebrated on the 25th of December (in the Gregorian calendar) or the 7th of January (in the Julian calendar) every year. It belongs to the twelve Lordly Commemorations (royal church festivals) of the Byzantine Churches, the third big commemoration after Easter and Pentecost.

In certain countries where Christians are a majority, Christmas is also a statutory holiday and it extends on the next day, the 26th of December: the second day of Christmas. For children it is known under the name of “Santa’s gifts” occasion on which everybody sings Romanian Christmas songs. Read the rest of this entry »

As you are no doubt aware, Christmas is the time of year at which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The period of the year around Christmas has however had a spiritual significance even in pre-Christian times. The Winter Solstice falls sometime between December 20th and December 23rd each year - this is the day of the year when the day (in the Northern hemisphere) is at its shortest, the night at its longest, and after which, days gradually become longer again and nights shorter. Because of this “rebirth” of daylight, the Winter Solstice has long been associated with the ideas of rebirth and renewal. Read the rest of this entry »

One of Santa’s favorite traditions around Christmas time—and surely a favorite tradition of men everywhere during Christmas —is that of mistletoe. When a man catches his wife or special someone under the mistletoe, he gets to plant a kiss on her. Of course, with all other Christmas traditions, this wonderful habit is almost as old as the snow that falls around Christmas time. Read the rest of this entry »

As Christmas is approaching, people all around are toying with newer and unique ideas for giving lovely and beautiful Christmas gifts to their family and friends. Gone are the days when boxes full of traditional cookies used to be the Christmas presents.

Today, your Christmas gift could be anything, from an aesthetically painted scene to a home prepared gourmet cookie. The gift chosen by you would reflect your true emotions towards the person. Thus personalized gifts are quite popular these days. For example, you can make a personalized Christmas card by putting lovely quotations on it. Read the rest of this entry »

There was a time when the most popular Christmas gift was an item like socks. But of course, things change and so do the most popular gifts on Christmas.

Of course, that is not to say that socks and other clothing items are not popular gifts. In fact, they are very popular and many people still buy them for loved ones. Only, let’s try something new this year. What are some other popular gifts to buy during the Christmas season? Read the rest of this entry »

Let me delight you with insights about the most famous Christmas poem ever “Twas the Night Before Christmas” By Clement C Moore 1823. It is not only magical but it transformed the world as we know it!

Let us start with the history of this famous poem. While known mostly today as “The Night Before Christmas” or “Twas the Night Before Christmas” which was taken from its first line, it was in fact originally called “A Visit from St. Nicholas”. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll bet you are expecting an article about getting organized as part of your New Year’s resolution?  Surprise!  I am actually going to tell you to go shopping!!  January and February are the best times to shop.  The stores are marking everything down to clear out inventory and bring new items.  Personally, I spend a lot of time at Target around this time, waiting for the 75 % off clearance sales to start. Read the rest of this entry »