There are a considerable number of myths that surround the Christmas season. The main problem is that with many of the traditions and stories relating to Christmas cannot be verified one way or the other.

The very date of Christmas is to say the least questionable. Here is considerable doubt as to whether Jesus was actually born on or near the 25^th of December. Some theologians and historians argue that it would be very unlikely that Shepherds would be out in the fields tending their flocks in what even in the Middle East would be winter time. 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 isthe exact day on which Jesus was born. Skeptics have asked why would shepherdsbe out in the cold watching their flocks by night during the winter. Those sceptics 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.

The most common fancy tale that everyone tells, particularly to children, is about Santa Claus, also called St. Nicholas. But even if it were accepted that Santa Claus existed, where does he live and how is he able to get to all the houses of good boys and girls on Christmas Eve?

In the United States, Santa Claus is said to have two homes. There is a home in Torrington, Connecticut, which is used as a distribution point for Santa and his many helpers, who are elves, to hand out gifts. And then, a second home is said to be located in Wilmington, New York, and that is where Santa Claus and his delivery reindeer crew are located.

But Santa can be visited in Cyberspace at anytime and what about the widely held belief that Santa Claus really lives in a village at the North Pole? The people of Finland also claim that their country is the official residence of Santa Claus. That’s because in Finland, you can actually visit a village any time during the year and see Santa’s workshop and observe Santa and his elves hard at work as they prepare for their very important Christmas gift ndelivery job on Christmas Eve. The only day when Santa’s workshop is closed to visitors is of course, on Christmas Eve.

Maybe a very smart visitor could visit Santa’s workshop on the day before Christmas Eve to see if there are any clues to how Santa and his reindeers plan to make their trip the next day. That’s because as the tale goes, in Finland Santa Claus and his reindeers do not reach their destinations around the globe by flying.

Finland welcomes visitors to Santa’s workshop but there is nothing said about whether visitors actually have any chance of having a word with the man himself. While the chances of doing so are believed to be non-existent, among the questions that inquiring minds could ask Santa is whether Rudolph is the son of Donner (and to confirm the spelling - Donner or Donder) or whether Santa spotted him in a different reindeer village one foggy Christmas Eve when he had already started on his Christmas toy-delivery mission.

If mere mortals got a chance to question Santa, then he also would likely have some questions for us humans. He may want to know whose idea was it to have Christmas trees and for the gifts to be placed under them. The tradition of Christmas tree as it exists today comes from Germany by way of immigrants. But it isn’t clear how the tradition really gained a foothole in Germany. One story is that Christians in Germany during the 16th century started to bring trees that were decorated into their homes. Some of those Christians would build pyramids for Christmas. The pyramids were made of wood and would be decorated with evergreens and candles if wood was in short supply.

It is however Martin Luther, a Protestant reformer, who is said to have been the first to add lighted candles as decoration to a tree based on his inspiration from the brilliant light of twinkling stars that shone through evergreen trees as he walked home one winter evening. As the legend goes, Martin Luther placed a tree in a primary room of hishouse and placed wires with small, lighted candles around the branches of the tree. started.

Greeting cards Christmas -A Guide To This Seasons Christmas Cards

It is that time of year again; time to send out your Christmas cards. It is a tradition you have dutifully carried out for years, and you’re sure it will be the same this year, right? No, it doesn’t have to be. This seasons Christmas decorations and themes are all about simplicity. Color palettes are warm in hues, and thriftiness is in. This makes this seasons Christmas cards cheap as well. Finding and sending your Christmas cards will be simple this season when you follow these simple steps.

The first thing you need to do is find out how many Christmas cards you’ll need. Most experts recommend writing a list of all the people you would like to send a card to, and narrow it down from there if you need to. Keep in mind a total you can spend on your cards, considering that as the number of cards increases, the individual quality may decrease. If you are planning custom made cards, be sure to get a quote before purchasing a package. The number of Christmas cards you’ll need to send out will determine a lot about them.

Next, you’ll need to decide what type of Christmas cards you’d like to send out, custom cards or store bought cards. If you want to send custom cards you should consider the price. Whether your custom Christmas cards will have a family portrait on the cover, or fancy lettering, they can add up quickly and doing your research before hand may help to save you money. Decide what you’d like your Christmas card to look like, and search for cheaper deals or ways to make them at home.

If you are purchasing store bought Christmas cards, it is a good idea to start looking early. It is possible to find affordable deals early in the year. Most experts agree a small flourish is a nice touch to add to a store bought card. Add a decorative sheet of paper with a carol or a Christmas poem printed on it, to the inside of your card. Include a family photo with your Christmas card. Add a drop of cinnamon essential oil to the card to give it a holiday scent. Small touches will make your store bought Christmas cards stand out.

Thankfully, this seasons Christmas cards are all about simplicity. Warm, autumnal colors are in. Stick with the traditional red and green and add sparks of gold or silver. Bear in mind the price of custom cards and hunt around for good bargains. If possible, make your custom cards yourself. If you’re buying store bought Christmas cards, add a few personal touches to make them memorable. Streamline your Christmas cards this year for a less stressful holiday season.

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If you are looking for Christmas ideas a good place to start is the Christmas tree.  Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays of all time, and the Christmas tree is a symbol of the season. Whether you have a live Christmas tree each year or one that is pre-made, there are some things you can do to be sure your tree looks and stays beautiful throughout the holiday season. First and foremost, if you do have a live tree, it’s very important to be sure it has plenty of water. Fir trees tend to absorb or need lots of water on a daily basis, so check your tree stand or reservoir regularly to avoid the needles from drying out and falling off the branches.

One of my Christmas ideas is to involve as many of the family as possible in decorating the tree. Children really enjoy being a “help” and I always think that it is not Christmas time until we have our tree up and decorated. I always think it is a good idea If you’re using garland to decorate the tree, there is a certain order that should be followed so that it looks correct and not cluttered. Always put the lights on the tree first. Since lights have wire, you want to put them on first so other items such as garland can cover them. The ornaments should go on last, since this is what you really want to be displayed. When putting on lights, start at the base or bottom of the tree and work your way up. Try to work them from inside out, putting the lights near the trunk and then stringing them outward towards the branches.

Everyone usually has a variety of different ornaments that they like to use. If you have some that are considered more basic or they are used as “filler ” ornaments, be sure to space them out properly. You don’t want too many red or green ornaments too close together, while all of your figurine or keepsake ornaments are too close or hidden. Try to distribute all types of ornaments evenly on the tree when you hang them. As a rule of thumb, it takes about 20 single colored or “filler ” ornaments for every two feet or so of tree. How you place them is up to you, but try to make it look even and neat, and you will have a gorgeous Christmas tree this year, and for many years to come.

Feel free to contact us with your Christmas ideas so that we can share them with other visitors to the site..

Make a Christmas Wreath

A Christmas craft idea could be making your own Christmas wreath. Making a Christmas Wreath is not only fun – but you really can get creative with them and make them extremely unique.

 Here are instructions for making a traditional holly wreath. With these          instructions, you will be able to get the basic idea of how wreaths are actually made, and you can then decide what to do to make your own holly wreath special – or go with an entirely different kind of wreath.

 Materials:

      A 20 inch wreath - This can be a plain foam wreath, a wreath that      already has the evergreens on it, or a twine wreath. For a traditional holly wreath, the ones with the evergreens already attached are ideal.

      1.5 yards of ribbon – this can be plain red, plain green, or a red and black or red and green plaid. The ribbon should about 2.5 inches wide, and can be silk or felt. It’s your wreath!

      Pinecones – you will need about ten. Try to find ones that are well shaped and unbroken.

      Pomegranates – six dried pomegranates will do. Don’t get fresh ones!

        Or substitute other dried or good-looking plastic fruits.

      Additional Foliage – you need more evergreens (to make the wreath seem fuller) berry sprays and berry clusters. 

      Construction Materials – scissors, hot glue gun, glue sticks, wire (if there is no hanger on the back of the wreath), sewing needle, thread (same color as ribbon).

 If the wreath has no hanger, you will need to construct one with the wire. This should be done first. Make sure that it is secure, and that it can bear the weight of the wreath.

 Fluff the existing evergreens and add more. The wreath should have a full appearance. You will most likely need to straighten a few branches here and there – but don’t make it too ‘perfect.’ It should have a ‘natural’ appearance to it.

 Let’s make and attach the bow.  Cut a piece of ribbon about thirty inches long. Cut another piece of ribbon about four inches long. In the center of the long piece of ribbon, you want to form two loops that will make the bow.

 The small piece of ribbon is used to secure the bow, in the middle of the loops. Note that the bow is ‘formed’ not ‘tied.’ There are no knots to tie. Secure the small piece of ribbon around the bow, in the back, with the thread. Each end of the bow will be about nine inches long.

 You can place the bow wherever you choose to.  It could go in the middle of the top, the bottom, or off to one side.  The ends should be woven through the foliage on the wreath – or it can hang loose. 

 It is a good idea to paint the ends of the ribbon with clear fingernail polish to keep them from fraying   over time. The bow can be attached to the wreath with glue or with wire.   Just make sure that it is secure.

 Once you’ve placed the bow on the wreath, you can glue two of the pomegranates in the center of the bow.  The remaining four pomegranates should be glued to the wreath equal distances apart, in groups of two.

 Next, glue the pinecones to the wreath. These can be spaced evenly apart   sporadically, or in groups of pinecones. Do what looks good to you. Again, it is your wreath.

 The berry clusters and sprays should also be glued to the front of the wreath. Glue some additional foliage over the top of the bow with a berry cluster for added affect. Remember that there is not specific way that any of this must be done. It is your choice.

 It is a good idea to lay the pieces of the wreath on it before gluing anything down. This will allow you to see how the finished product will look before committing to anything. Try different arrangements of the material to see what looks best to you.

 Once you’ve constructed the wreath, set it someplace where the glue has time to harden fully.  Once this is done, pick the wreath up and gently shake it to make sure that everything is secured well.  Most wreaths hang on the door, and doors are constantly opened and closed – and even slammed. You want to make sure that your wreath isn’t falling to pieces each time the door opens and closes.

 In many cases, you may be able to use wire or a needle and thread to make items on the wreath more secure. Heavier items won’t be very secure with glue in most cases. 

 Remember that holly wreaths don’t have to be ‘busy’ to be beautiful. A few simple additions to the foliage is all that it takes.

 The bow is typically the object that draws the eye, so make sure that the bow is really well done.

 Now that you know how wreaths are made – and how easy it is – you may decide that you don’t want a holly wreath at all. You may opt for a themed wreath, a twined wreath, or a truly unique wreath that stands out. The possibilities are endless!

 We shall be adding more Christmas craft ideas on the run up top the holiday season.