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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 »

Come December, and it is impossible to escape the approaching signs of Christmas. The roads and shops are decorated with lights, shiny tinsel and snow, artificial or real is present at every cornice and awning. By mid December, every house has a Christmas tree strung with lights and plastic or glass decoration. Many houses also have strings of lights on their garden trees or house walls. Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas lights, warm mulled wine and nights in front of a roaring fire make Christmas one of the most romantic times of the year. Here are our top 10 tips that will help you make this festive season one of your most romantic ever!

1. Decorate the Christmas Tree Together

Play some Dean Martin, open a bottle of wine and conspire to make your Christmas tree the shiniest in the street!

2. Watch It’s a Wonderful Life

This ultimate feelgood film will make you appreciate all the great things that you share in life and look forward to a positive new year together. Read the rest of this entry »

Holiday traditions are a great way to bring a family together and keep them together. It is so disappointing to have someone say that they have no special Christmas memory. There are so many different memories that parents can start that will last with their children for years to come.

As the father of seven children, I know first hand how family traditions have affected my children. Three of my children are now adults and they reminisce every Christmas about their favorite family activities and traditions. Traditions that they will continue with their families. Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas decorations have evolved from various cultures. No matter where you live, the mention of holly, mistletoe, or ivy conjures up visions of Christmas Sugar Plums, flying reindeer, and fat little elves in red suits. These winter treasures fill up the dark days of winter with light and wonder.

But you probably wonder where these traditions come from? Read the rest of this entry »

“Santa Claus is coming to Town” is one the main Christmas songs that most children know.  My children are no different.  That song always made them remember to be on their best behavior or else Santa might just pass by their house on Christmas Eve.  There are many ways to convince children to settle down and behave, but none quite as convincing as hearing part of a song, “He knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake”.

My children are like most when it comes to dreaming and wishing for the big day and all the magic that Christmas brings.  They want to decorate the house with lights and figurines, and each one always had their favorites.  The first thing that my son wanted to display was the Nativity scene that he had made at school when he was 7 years old.  His teacher at church had given 20 Popsicle sticks to each child, but 5 had been cut in half.  His class glued the sticks together in the shape of a house, with the cut sticks being the sides.  It was made much like Lincoln logs were designed, and a small Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus glued on the bottom sticks.  It made a pretty centerpiece on the television with a few red candle votives on each side. Read the rest of this entry »

As we enter the Christmas season, let’s not lose ourselves in those gauntlets at the shopping malls, those long lines at the local Hallmark store or those last minute desperation races against time. Let’s be smart this year. Do some early shopping. Save some time by buying products online. But most of all, buy some video classics to enjoy.

I’ll address the shopping tips in another article. Right now I’ll give you a handful of videos you are bound to enjoy. We all should have “It’s A Wonderful Life” available on our entertainment shelves. No matter how much time goes by, this time transcendent movie starring James Stewart is sure to warm your heart. Read the rest of this entry »

Some of our songs about Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Baby Jesus, and the holiday of Christmas are probably older than you think. Can you believe that one of the oldest Christmas carols was actually put together in the 300s? That is 1,700 years ago if you need us to do the math for you. It is believed that “Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” written by Aurelius Prudentius may have been the first recorded Christmas carol. Read the rest of this entry »

A popular Christmas party game is the singing of Christmas carols. “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is one of the most popular carols and is sure to be included in any party sing-along. Usually the lyrics become a series of jumbles and giggles as singers struggle to remember each of the twelve gifts that were delivered by the true love as the song’s lyrics reveal.

Like many Christmas carols, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an English carol which lists a series of  extravagant gifts given on each of the twelve days of Christmas.  Each verse build on the next which means that each verse is repeated over and over throughout the song.  It is sung and recorded throughout America and Europe during the holiday season.  The date the song was first performed is not known but it is believed to be from Europe in the 16th century.  The modern arrangement includes the melody of the lyrics “five gold rings” which was written in the 20th century by Frederick Austin. This is the version sung today and “five gold rings” (or some sing “five golden rings”) is undoubtedly the words most singers remember. Read the rest of this entry »

What do kids love most about Christmas? The gifts, of course! When Santa and the elves dream big, children explode with delight. But the holiday season is about more than gift giving, and kids celebrate Christmas in a variety of ways. Chief among them are Christmas carols. There’s no better way for kids to spread a little Yuletide cheer than singing “Joy to the World” at the top of their lungs. Thankfully for those of us who see the magic of the Yuletide season most clearly through the eyes of children, there are plenty of great kids carols to go around. Here, we’d like to present you with the 10 kids Christmas songs we think are the best of the best, in no particular order: Read the rest of this entry »