General Festivities and Entertainment at Christmas

Christmas is described as a festive season therefore we should all engage
in activities during the season that provide entertainment, merriment and which
give pleasure. Because Christmas is about celebration, many types of festivities
can be found to suit all preferences to make the season a joyful one.
A readily available option is watching Christmas movies. This can be done
from the comfort of home or by spending a few hours out at the theater. A
wonderful option now available for obtaining movies is to rent them via the
Internet. It's an option that allows you to get any movie you want to see -
whether traditional, popular or a remake of an original title. There's also
fairly easy access to obscure movie titles, as well as movies with holiday or
Christmas themes.

Although Christmas movies embody the spirit of the season, you can also
take time out during Christmas to enjoy new releases that may or may not have a
holiday theme. Christmas is a good time to catch notable new releases because
they are  timed to be shown in theaters before the end of the year to be
considered for prestigious Oscar nominations.
Performances of Christmas plays that depict the Nativity scene are also
another popular entertainment during Christmas. Although these performances are
done year after year, they never grow old because of creative difference in
interpreting the story, and also in how each role is acted by different actors
every year.
The dramatization of the Nativity demonstrates the meaning of Christmas and can
also simplify the meaning of Christmas for children. Participation in the
Nativity is also an important activity for children in drama groups at schools
and church groups.
Along with depicting the meaning of Christmas, the Nativity play also portrays
moral lessons that can serve as an inspiration for the way to become a more
spiritual person and to live a better life. Watching or taking part in the
Nativity play at Christmas time can therefore affect your attitude and outlook
on life.

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Musical entertainment at Christmas can come from pausing during shopping to
listen to a choral group at the mall or downtown. It can also be entertaining to
simply hum along to a Christmas carol or song being played on the radio. Carols
as a tradition at Christmas is said to originate in England and France in the
Middle Ages. At the time, carols were dances accompanied by singing. The
tradition that Anglo-Saxons preferred was to have small choirs gather on the
village green and sing carols and Christmas songs to passersby. Over time, the
meaning of the word changed to refer to only certain types of songs.
The tradition of carols is also believed to evolve from the angels, shepherds
and Wise Men who bowed down to sing praises and to worship Baby Jesus.
For those who are really lovers of the arts, professional groups like
Orchestras, Symphonies, Conservatories and Choirs also offer splendid concerts
during Christmas. They will also sing Christmas carols and songs. But the
harmony of their voices accompanied by a full compliment of instruments provides
a richer and more melodious rendition of the carols that is unlikely to be heard
anywhere else.
Probably the most popular festivities at Christmas are parties, which seem to
happen everywhere all the time at Christmas. There are parties at work, home,
with friends and class parties at school. Even social hubs such as bars may have
special nights with different food and lower-priced drinks during Christmas.
It seems there is no end to the festivities during Christmas. It's always
important however to have a good time, to remember the unfortunate and to reach
out to them and to have fun but in a responsible manner.

Designing Your Christmas Budget

You've decided to have a Christmas Budget this year, great! Having a Christmas budget means less stress and bigger savings for you. Here are some budget ideas to think about when designing your Christmas budget.

Think of what categories you will need to have in your budget. Here are some sample categories:

Gifts:

Spouse
Child #1
Child #2
Niece
Nephew
Aunt
Uncle
Grandparent
Friend
Friend #2
Church Exchange
Work Exchange
Teacher #1
Teacher #2

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Decorations:

Outside
Inside
Tree
Gift

Food:

Party

Christmas Day Dinner

Host/Hostess

Cookies for Neighbors

Misc:

Stamps for Christmas Cards

Wrapping Paper

Christmas Cards

Charitable Donations

Party Clothes

Party costs

Now that you have your budget categories, you need to put in allotted $ dollar amounts for each category. You can do this by using the amount that you have in your Christmas Fund if you have one. If you know for sure that you are receiving a Christmas bonus than you can use the amount. Once you have assigned a dollar amount to each category it is important that you keep a tally of how much is spent so that you have a good running total of not only the amount left in each category but what the total $ amount is for the entire Christmas budget at any given time.

Be realistic when it comes to assigning dollar amounts to the categories. You may wish to look at your spending for past years in each category, take into consideration the cost of living increase for the current year to arrive at a decent estimate for each category. If you keep a check register and pay for most items using checks then you have a handy reference tool to use for determining amounts.

When it comes to buying gifts or planning the holiday meal, be sure to check your budget to see just how much you can spend for this particular item. Actually put the dollar amount on the shopping list (in the corner) to remind you of what your budget is, and stick to it. Do not be tempted to overspend no matter how tempting a store item may seem, stick to your budget.

Print out your budget and have it with your while you are comparison shopping (do this online). When you know just how much you have budgeted for an item it is easier to know for sure if it is a good deal or not.

Christmas: The Season Of Compassion And Giving – Another Perspective

As the weather turns cold and daylight becomes shorter our feelings of compassion for our fellow man begins to glow as the Christmas season approaches. Many of us donate toys and money to organizations that provide gifts and holiday meals to the sick, poor and elderly and some of us volunteer precious time to these charitable institutions.

Our expression of compassion and giving during the holiday season can also be shown in other ways. Rather than purchasing mass produced decorations and gifts why not patronize a local artist or crafter or searching online for handcrafted items? While large companies generally turn a comfortable profit, many hard working moms and dads struggle to make a decent living as crafters and artists. Do a search on line for handmade tree ornaments, gifts or décor or go to a local craft fair, gallery or craft shop where you will find many beautiful and unique pieces of art and functional crafts.

Additionally, express your compassion for the environment by making or purchasing recycled and/or eco friendly Christmas tree ornaments. Eco-friendly hand carved tagua nut tree ornaments are a perfect example! These nuts are also known as vegetable ivory and are collected from the floor of the rainforest in South America. You can also create your own recycled ornaments! Here are a few ideas:

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• Take a large sheet of clean, previously used aluminum foil and color it with permanent markers in various colors. You can now crush the foil into bright colorful balls or roll them into spirals, stars or other shapes!

• Using metal or plastic jar lids as a base, cut out pictures from old Christmas cards or magazines and glue them onto the top of the lid. Decorate the edges around the lid with leftover thick yarn, fabric or lace.

• Glue gemstones and/or glitter onto used CDs. Tape or glue a ribbon or string hook on the back.

This Christmas experience the true warmth of the holiday spirit in the knowledge that you brought joy to your fellow man and harmony to the environment.

Christmas - The Broken Tradition That Left Families Smiling

The jolly festive season is upon us once again, Christmas a time for happiness/ turkey/mulled wine and crackers. These are just some of the traditions that are upheld at this time of year by people who on Christmas day celebrate the birth of our Lord.

Following this big day we then have the task of putting into force our new year's resolutions just so we can break them, just another tradition where vows and promises are made.
Traditions are there for the benefit of remembrance, you have the person that abides by the
rules and then you have others that intend to do things a little different.
Whoever or whatever sort of person you are tradition is tradition.

By replacing turkey with a plate of pig's trotters on the Christmas menu is another Christmas tradition broken. Remember to be extra careful who you invite on the day for dinner if porky's feet are dish of the day.

A Christmas idea

A fantastic way to keep family togetherness for ever for generations to come when bearing gifts to loved ones is to give each member an identical piece of jewellery symbolizing unity. It is a fabulous way of bonding and proving to the world that blood is thicker than water

Let us go back in time where Scottish tartan denoted the clan you belonged too. Cherokee indians/apaches etc expressed their tribal identities by headwear or other colourful symbols. So why not bring your tribe/clan together with there own identities in the form of a piece of gold or silver.

Make your new year's resolution today and go in search of the symbol that will be recognized and passed down to future generations, by doing this another tradition is broken, but if it brings happiness, what the heck.

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Unison prevails in the form of your own jewellery trade mark where your chosen symbol ring/chain sends a message to the world that this family would proudly like to say, united we stand.

Jewellery gifts can be made extra special by designing your own. Jewellers can take your ideas and work miracles with them as in putting you and your family on the map with your own trademark. Be sure to check out this amazing site www.blingblingjewelrystore.com.

Ho ho ho
Merry Christmas

Christmas - Giving Is A Blessing

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Christmas brings a new life to the believers. Much before Christmas comes, the mood around the world changes. It is the anticipation of lovely days ahead of giving joy, meeting friends and family and feeling the spirit in the air that changes the most negative person to positive moods. Chistmas makes a person different. The same man, who you never see smiling, laughs during Christmas. That is the festive spirit of Christmas and that is why it is a lovely festival.  The most important part of Christmas is of course celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Another ritual of Christmas that makes it so special is giving. We send so many cards to friends and family that we lose the count. Similarly giving gifts is very important. Selecting the right gift for everyone, wrapping it lovingly and sending it across, all this is joyful. This joy cannot be described in words.  As I said earlier, it is the giving that is the major reason of happiness. If we look at our moods and behavior, we find that we always derive greater joy in giving compared to receiving. Can we not celebrate this spirit of giving everyday? Can we not get this joy everyday? Can we not make someone happy everyday? We can. With conscious effort, we can do one act a day that makes somebody genuinely happy. Why not carry the spirit of Christmas all the year and enjoy the happiness of giving. One is blessed when one gives. Let us get these blessings round the year.

Christmas Plays/Performances

It's always a good thing when families can enjoy outings together.
Attending Christmas plays, performances and concerts offer wonderful holiday
entertainment for all members of the family. Attending Christmas performances
and concerts offers wonderful entertainment for the entire family and provides
another way to enjoy the festivities of the Christmas season.

     Families usually don't have to venture too far from their home to enjoy a
Christmas play or concert. That's because amateur actors, singers and budding
musicians in their neighborhood will usually take part in several Christmas
performances for local residents. These amateur but entertaining events can be
found at local schools, churches or at a community theater or performance
center.

    It's very popular for those groups to stage performances of the Nativity
story, or other Christmas related works such as 'A Christmas Carol.' churches
and school groups may even have a complete concert series that includes a full-
length production of a play along with choirs, soloists and the band singing
Christmas carols and other Christmas songs.
    What makes local Christmas performances special is that members of the
community and maybe even of your own household    can be among the entertainers.
It is therefore special to see familiar faces doing something interesting and
different. For those who are budget-conscious, the performances are usually
priced to be very affordable, therefore offering an economic incentive to go out
and have an enjoyable afternoon or evening.

    Those people who are lovers of the arts and who are more interested in
seeing a professional performance will likely also have a professional
theatrical company within reasonable proximity of their residence. Professional
groups may also perform Christmas classics such as 'A Christmas Carol' or they
may do another dramatic production from the works of other playwrights.

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    Music lovers also have a variety of performances to enjoy at Christmas
time. While one can always catch various groups singing carols in downtown areas
or at malls, there are other places to hear rich, melodious performances of
Christmas music. These include concerts by acclaimed or recognized
conservatories, orchestras, symphonies and renowned choir groups.
The beauty of hearing Christmas music by these groups is in the accompaniment of
instruments and the harmonious blending of voices, which all happens in a venue
that has acoustic features to optimize the auditory pleasure of the
performances. The different components that together make the whole performance
offers a richer quality to Christmas songs and carols that may be described as
'sounding heavenly.'

     Another popular artistic performance that is popular during the Christmas season
is classical dance in the form of ballet, and particularly the performance of
the 'Nutcracker' ballet. With music written by Tchaikovsky,  the story is about
a young girl who has a dream on Christmas Eve of a Nutcracker Prince and a
fierce battle with a Mouse King that has seven heads. After a fierce battle
between the Nutcracker, who leads an army of toy soldiers, and the Mouse King
who leads an army of mice, the Nutcracker is captured. But the little girl
throws her slipper at the Mouse King, hits him in the head and kills him. In the
end, the Nutcracker turns into a Prince and takes the little girl to the magical
and enchanting Land of Snow with dancing snowflakes and the Land of Sweets with
the Sugar Plum Fairy.

     Attending Christmas plays, concerts or musical performances serves the basic
purpose of providing enjoyment, but it can also help young people, and even
adults, to develop an appreciation for the arts. Seeing different variations and
the creativity in performances of Christmas plays, as well as hearing different
renditions of Christmas songs, can be the first exposure that leads to a
lifelong love of the arts and maybe a dream to pursue a career in the arts.

Christmas Music

    Christmas music in the form of carols, songs stringed or instrumental
renditions, is constantly heard during the Christmas season. Music forms the
background against which everything else takes place to make the Christmas
season different from all others. Christmas music plays such a significant role
that during the entire season, other popular music temporarily disappears from
radio. That may be the reason for all the different types of Christmas music -
sacred, secular, popular and traditional - that have emerged throughout the
years.

     Popular and secular renditions of Christmas music has been developed by
musical artists and performers who 'make over' classic styles of Christmas music
with their own personal touch. One reason for popular make overs of Christmas
music may be because regular popular music is not heard during the holiday
season so pop musicians and artists do Christmas music to keep their voices
always in earshot of their fans and the general audience. It could also be that
they want to capitalize on the popularity of Christmas music.

    Whatever the reason, it has become a trend for popular musical artists to
release new Christmas or holiday music albums during the season. Since variety
is the spice of life, it means there are more variations of secular, sacred,
classical or traditional and popular renditions of Christmas music that can be
heard.

    Music at Christmas time is important to create the right mood. The
prevalence of Christmas music is what helps to create the special holiday type
of feeling or spirit that is present everywhere and among everyone. Everyone has
particular Christmas songs and carols that are favorites, maybe for the melody,
the lyrics or because they are reminders of special memories.

    The most popular Christmas song is said to be 'White Christmas,' which is
popular even in warm and tropical climates where people sing of 'dreaming of a
White Christmas,' which in reality they would not want. Other popular Christmas
songs and carols are: Away in a Manger, which tells the Nativity story in song;
O Holy Night, Silent Night, Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels and Angels
we have Heard on High.

     All of those songs are sacred and are all about the story of Jesus' birth. Of
note also is Handel's  majestic 'Hallelujah Chorus,'  which is a favorite that
choirs like to sing because of the splendor embodied in the music.
Nat King Cole's 'Chestnut Roasting On an Open Fire' is a classical favorite. It
defies categorization as it isn't sacred but is also not considered secular like
a song such as 'Sleigh Ride.' Among secular Christmas songs, there are also
funny ones such as 'I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus Underneath the Mistletoe
Last Night' and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The availability of a wide
Christmas music selection makes it possible to choose ones for different
occasions, such as for general use at home, for a fun or informal party or for a
formal dinner. As an example, selections can be made to create the right mood at
the start of a party, followed by more lively music when the party is in full
swing, and then selections to slow down the pace when the party is nearing its
end.

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     It's also important to note that professional groups such as choirs, symphonies
and orchestras will also record performances of Christmas music on albums. For
the very serious and critical music aficionados, these albums will provide
wonderful listening pleasure and also make good Christmas presents. Listening to
music from those groups is also a way of enjoying their performances if doesn't
get the opportunity to attend a live concert by the professional group.
Whatever selections of Christmas music are made however, it's likely that it
will create a festive mood and spirit among all who hear or are listening to the
music.   

Christmas Movies

Movies related to Christmas help to create a fun atmosphere and can also
teach moral lessons related to Christmas. While everyone will have different
Christmas movies that are most enjoyable, there are some that remain favorites.

    'A Christmas Story' is told from the point of view of a little boy in the
days before Christmas and on Christmas Day. It shows him doing routine things
each day but against the backdrop of the Christmas season with the decorated
store windows, Santa Claus, the snow and frostiness, and of course his wish for
a Christmas toy. But his parents disapprove of the toy that he desired. The
movie is good in showing the innocence of the Christmas season.

    'A Christmas Carol,' written by noted author Charles Dickens, tells the
story of old Scrooge whose only purpose in life is to make money. Scrooge puts
making money above his family, friends and everyone who cares about him. His
response to Christmas is a grumpy, 'Bah Humbug.' He gets a different experience
however, when ghosts appear to him and try to point out the error of his ways.
The movie's lesson is about the importance of appreciating people in your life.

    'It's A Wonderful Life' is a story about hope and the worthiness of
everyone. It tells the story of a man experiencing despair and self-destruction
because he thinks he is of no worth to those around him, and they would be
better off if he didn't exist. An angel grants him his desire and he gets to see
what he contributes and what life would be like without him.
    Every Christmas, 'A Miracle on 34th Street' can be seen on television. It
asks and answers the question 'Is there really a Santa Claus?' The movie is
about a man who claims to be Kris Kringle, or Santa Claus, but is not believed
and so he has to prove his identity claim.

    'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' is about the Griswold family with
Mr. Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, who gets into silly accidents that provide
a lot of humor. The movie shows the lives of the family as they celebrate
Christmas and the difficulties that arise when their entire family comes to
visit for Christmas.

    'Home Alone' is about a large and chaotic family with lots of kids who are
going on Christmas vacation. Amid the chaos of leaving on the morning of the
trip, one child is left behind and must stay and fend for himself in a very
large house during the Christmas season. At first he was happy to be alone but
then two thieves break in and he has to fight them off. The movie shows the
importance of family and loved ones. A sequel, 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'
tells of the boy who was left alone going to an aunt and uncle's home and again
encountering the two thieves who are seeking revenge.

    'How The Grinch Stole Christmas' was first made as an animation for
television but other versions have since been done as motion pictures. The
Grinch is a grouchy, green man who lives in the mountains above the small town
of Whoville where residents, called The Whos, celebrate Christmas
enthusiastically every year. The Grinch who doesn't like Christmas wants to
spoil it for Whoville and so he tries to steal all the toys, food and gifts that
The Whos have accumulated for Christmas. The movie provides a lesson on the true
meaning of Christmas.

    'A Charlie Brown Christmas is an animated television movie about the
popular Peanuts comic strip. The movie is about the comic strip's main
character, Charlie Brown, and tells of the experience with his friends for
Christmas. It also has Biblical references that relates to the true meaning of
Christmas.

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    'Frosty The Snowman' is an animated story about a snowman, named Frosty,
that comes to life and who must avoid a greedy musician who is trying to get the
magic that brought Frosty to life. The movie is very funny and has lots of
wonderful songs.

    'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' is also an animation about the reindeer
with a shiny nose that kisses a pretty girl and also helps out his friends.

Christmas in Central and South American Nations

      In Central and South American nations, which have a fairly large Christian
population, the Nativity or Manger Scene is the main decoration in homes at
Christmas time. In Mexico, a Christmas tree may also be set up in some homes
along with the  Nativity scene or Nacimiento. The Christmas tree is usually a
small artificial tree, called arbolito. It can also be as simple as a branch cut
from a special type of tree or a type of shrub that is then minimally decorated.
The primary Christmas celebration in Mexico is called La Posada. It is a
religious procession that dramatizes how Joseph and Mary tried to find a place
where Jesus could be born. During the procession, the participants carry images
of Mary and Joseph and go from house to house seeking a place to stay. During
Midnight Mass, which is called la misa del gallo or 'rooster's mass,' those in
attendance sing lullabies to Jesus. On Christmas Day children receive gifts as
well as candies that are stuffed into a piñata. This may be one or more
sculptures made of papier mache that are hung from the ceiling. Children are
blindfolded and take turns hitting the piñata until it breaks and scatters the
candies on the floor. All the children then scamper around as they try to get as
much candy as they can. Children also receive a gift on Jan. 6 from the Three
Wise Men, if they were good.

     People in Venezuela usually put out pesebres, which show the Nativity
scene, on Dec. 16. Early morning church services, called Misa de Aguinaldo, are
also common from Dec. 16 to Christmas Eve. After Mass on Christmas Eve, a grand
dinner is traditionally enjoyed.

      In Argentina, red and white garlands are used to decorate houses. After
attending Midnight Mass, Argentinians have a meal, toast each other, dance and
go out to see fireworks. The meal may be roasted pork or turkey, stuffed
tomatoes, mince pies, Christmas bread and puddings. Drinks such as cider and
juice made from different fruits are used for the toast. Christmas gifts are
opened on Christmas Eve just before the family retires to bed.

    In Chile, Santa Claus is Father Christmas and is known as 'Viejito
Pascuero.' He arrives in a similar but slightly different manner than Santa
Claus because his reindeer is pulled by a taxicab. Chileans use small figures
made from clay to place near the Christmas tree in a display called pesebre to
show the Nativity story. The traditional Christmas dinner includes chicken soup
with stuffed potatoes, onions and corn on the cob. Another favorite item is a
Christmas bread that is called pan de pasqua and which is made with candies and
fruits.

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       Christmas customs in Brazil originate from the many different ethnic groups who
make up the country. The Nativity scene is called the Presepio and can commonly
be found displayed in homes, churches and stores. Papai Noel, or Father Noel,
resides in Greenland and brings gifts at Christmas. He is said to wear silk
clothing because Christmas occurs during summer when it is very hot in Brazil.
Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is called Missa do Gallo, because the coming day
is announced by the rooster and the Mass finishes at 1 am on the following day.
A traditional Christmas dinner, called Ceia de Natal, includes ham, turkey,
colored rice, a variety of vegetables and fruit dishes. Christmas Day Mass at
Catholic churches are mainly held in the late afternoon because people enjoy
sleeping late or going to the beach after having Christmas dinner. Christmas
festivities, which include folk dancing and singing, continue until January 6th,
which is called Three Kings Day.

Christmas Greetings and Good Cheer

Greetings at Christmas extend beyond a mere wish of 'Merry Christmas' or
'Happy Holidays.' Christmas greetings embody a wish that all will go well in
whatever preparations need to be made, and a genuine sentiment that much joy,
happiness and well being will be experienced by the individual and loved ones
during the season.

   The season of good cheer and wishes also reflect the jolly ho, ho, ho
nature of Santa Claus. To the delight of children, it is very easy for them to
run into many jolly fellows dressed as Santa Claus during the Christmas season
who will quiz them about whether they have been good or naughty. Many times when
friends, relatives and loved ones call each other during the Christmas season,
they will speak to the children and wish them Merry Christmas, but not without a
warning that they had better be good or else there will be no presents from
Santa Claus.
For children therefore, a greeting of Merry Christmas has the purpose of
increasing their anticipation for the arrival of Christmas Eve and Santa's visit
to leave toys and Christmas presents under the tree.

      Because children also take part in many traditions associated with Christmas,
holiday greetings for them is also a reminder of the fun they will have in doing
such activities as decorating the tree, helping to bake cookies and wrapping
presents. When children have these things to look forward to at Christmas, it
creates a lasting memory for them and helps to make their childhood one on which
they will later reflect on with much fondness.

The more prevalent greeting of 'Happy Holidays' that is used today reflects in
part the also prevalent nature to be politically correct in speech and
communication. The greeting of 'Happy Holidays' can be given to anyone whether
or not they celebrate Christmas. It avoids any offense being taken if someone is
wished Merry Christmas when it's a celebration in which they don't participate
or observe.

     Happy Holidays is also used to extend a greeting of goodwill beyond Christmas to
the coming New Year holiday period. For procrastinators and the chronically late
greeting card senders, they can still drop a 'Happy Holiday' greeting card in
the mail to friends and loved ones close to Christmas Day or even after and it
will still be relevant.

     Christmas greeting cards play a big role in communicating Christmas greetings
and good cheer for the holiday season. It's a tradition that started in Britain
in 1840 with the start of the first public postal deliveries. The production of
large numbers of Christmas greeting cards started about twenty years later in
1860 with the improvement of printing methods.

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     Today, Christmas greetings and greeting cards have further evolved with massive
changes and development in technology. The computer, which has become a
necessary electronic equipment in just about every home, is commonly used to
send Christmas greetings through emailing an online greeting or postcard. Online
greeting cards also have brought other changes such as being interactive or
animated and they can also be easily personalized with pictures of individuals
or families. Online greeting cards can be sent from websites that are accessible
to everyone or they can be easily created on a home computer.

     Another way in which Christmas greetings are sent is by mailing gifts and
presents to relatives and friends who live elsewhere. Except for the dreaded tax
season, there is no other time when post offices become more crowded than during
the Christmas season. Post Offices therefore play an important role in relaying
Christmas greetings by handling thousands of greeting card mailings and gift
packages for Christmas.

     With just about everyone having a cheerful spirit for the Christmas season, it
becomes very easy to pause for even a brief conversation and extend a greeting
of goodwill to friends, acquaintances, colleagues, neighbors and others.

Christmas Day

The Christmas season and all its activities are geared to the big day,  Dec. 25, which is Christmas Day. The word Christmas is derived from Middle  English 'Christemasse' and Old English 'Cristes maesse,' both of which means  'Christ's Mass.' The day is celebrated by Christians as the day that Jesus  Christ was born, although the true date of Jesus' birth isn't really known.

    Given the religious significance of Christmas Day, it therefore follows
that attending church is a big tradition on that day. It is seen as mandatory
for devout Christians and for others who are concerned about retaining the
sacred meaning of the day. Many people fear that the sacred aspects of Christmas
are being lost and overshadowed amid the bustle of commercial activity now
associated with the entire season.
   
      Church services therefore take place early on Christmas morning. Attending
those services is the first official activity that many people do on Christmas
Day. Unlike the Midnight Mass and other earlier church services on Christmas
Eve, Christmas Day services do not usually include the dramatization of the
birth of Jesus. They may be more subdued with a sermon that recounts the birth
of Jesus and his purpose to save mankind. The congregation is then exalted to be
as giving as Jesus and to help out those who are in need.

    Consequently, many people will take some time on Christmas Day to
volunteer in a charitable activity such as serving dinner to the poor and hungry
at a church, charitable organization or other social services center. Others
will also work with charitable organizations to distribute toys to needy
children at shelters, hospitals and other places.

As part of the religious aspect of Christmas Day, groups that sing Christmas
carols will also be out very early on Christmas morning.
Although Christmas Dinner is the most significant meal of the day, a large
breakfast will also be served in most households that will be shared by all
family members. The occasion of all family members having a meal together is a
disappearing tradition in many American households and so Christmas is seen as a
perfect time to return to the tradition. Christmas Day after all, is all about
family, sharing and togetherness.

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Throughout the day, greetings of 'Merry Christmas' will be exchanged by
telephone calls with family, friends, acquaintances, and loved ones who are
located elsewhere in the country and overseas. It is a common occurrence for so
many people to be trying to make international calls to loved ones and friends
on Christmas Day that telephone communication systems to some countries often
are overwhelmed. The availability of technology and the Internet eases that
somewhat nowadays however, as emails and instant messaging can also be used as
other communication channels to exchange greetings on Christmas Day.
Christmas Day Dinner is undoubtedly the central activity of the day. Family and
friends gathered for dinner take pleasure in enjoying and sharing a delicious
meal and also are mindful and thankful for the opportunity to be able to share
the meal, to have each other and for the material things that make their lives
comfortable and give them happiness.

Some of those material things are then shared in absolute delight as everyone
will gather around or near to the Christmas tree after dinner to exchange and
open Christmas presents. It's an activity that is relished and which is filled
with much laughter, happy chatter and merriment, especially by children who are
usually much delighted to get a toy that they had wished for.
After dinner and the exchange of presents, adults may have light conversations,
play games or even watch a movie. Children are often taken up with experimenting
or playing with their new toys. It has also become a tradition on Christmas Day
for members of some families, such as teenagers and young adults, to end
Christmas Day by attending the movie theater on Christmas evening or Christmas
night to see a recently released film.

Christmas Carols

The tradition of caroling and Christmas carols is believed to have
originated in England when wandering musicians would go from town to town and
visit castles and other homes of the rich to give impromptu performances. But
there also is the belief that singing carols at Christmas likely came from the
group of angels, shepherds and Wise Men who visited Jesus at his birth, because
they worshiped the holy child, sang and proclaim praises unto Him. And after
their visit, they continued their proclamations in the street.

 The origin of the word carol however, is thought to come from the word
'caroller,' which is a French word that describes a circle dance with singers.
And from the twelfth through the fourteenth centuries, the carol was highly
popular as a dance song. The use of carols then evolved to festivals where they
were sung as processional songs and others were used as part of religious
mystery plays in Europe. Some traditional qualities of a carol was that the
words expressed should celebrate a topic that was seasonal, have verses and a
chorus arranged alternately and have music that was suitable for dancing.
Although many of the carols that are now popular at Christmas time are very old,
there are others from earlier times that didn't survive. During the 17th century
when the Protestants, led by Oliver Cromwell were in power in England, many
Christmas caros were banned and consequently some were never heard again. The
Christmas carols that survived the Protestant Reformation period didn't become
very popular again until the mid-19th century to the start of the 20th century.
Many of the Christmas carols that were banned, and early Christmas carols in
general, had lyrics that expressed joyous and merry themes instead of the
serious somber words found in church hymns. During the time when carols were
banned, some composers and musicians wrote non-religious songs that had highly
varied choral music, which they called carols, for Christmas. After Christmas
carols again became popular, many of those songs were re-arranged with new
Christian lyrics and used by the church.

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       Making changes to Christmas carols continues in a different way today with pop
artistes singing the carols to different tunes and melodies to give them a style
that characterizes the particular artiste. Having Christmas carols with tunes of
contemporary or popular music of today means that they are also more likely to
survive because younger listeners will be interested in hearing any music that
is done by their favorite or other popular singers.
      The popularity of Christmas carols in the United States increased in the 19th
century, as it did in England, because many of the traditions related to
Christmas came to the United States from England. The United States and England
also have closely linked religious observances, which also accounts for the
popularity and similarity of Christmas carols that are enjoyed in both
countries.
      Today, radio stations are the first to play Christmas carols, usually starting
toward mid-November, to signal the coming season.  At the start of December when
the Christmas season official begins, mall stores and other retail
establishments will begin to pipe Christmas carols and songs through their
places of business.
       The singing of carols at churches, schools, and by groups performing at malls
usually will be a common sight starting in early to mid-December. Carol singing
as a part of Nativity plays and concerts at churches and schools is usually in
full swing by mid-December as the Christmas season gets into high gear and the
countdown to Christmas Day begins.
       Whether it's the traditional tune or popular makeovers of Christmas carols that
you enjoy, listening to them is part of an old Christmas tradition. And any
version of a Christmas carol that is played will serve the purpose of putting
you in a festive mood for Christmas that you may even want to dance, just like
the music of original carols was meant to do.

Christmas Around the World

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.   

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        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.

Budgeting over Christmas

Christmas is one of everybody’s favourite times of year, but it can also be one of the most expensive. Most people want it to be a special and happy time, and are willing to pay for the little luxuries that make Christmas what it is, but they usually don’t want to spend the rest of the year paying for it. While a normal family Christmas will invariably cost a little extra, you can avoid financial hardship by some simple budgeting before hand.

One of the best things you can do is start planning for Christmas expenses early. Don’t leave everything to mid December when you have to pay for it all on credit card, start buying tree decorations, wrapping paper, Christmas cards and some gifts a month or two in advance. This way they’ll be paid for before Christmas even arrives and take some of the financial pressure off the couple of weeks when you really want to be focused on your family and loved ones and not on your credit bills and other worries.

Limit your spending

Also, bare in mind that budgeting does not mean leaving out all the things that make Christmas special. What it means is sitting down before hand and deciding how much you want to spend, or can afford to spend on each thing. If you know you have say ten gifts to buy, and say £100 to spend on gifts, then don’t consider gifts that are going to cost much more than £10 each. A little care and thought can make a big difference to your finances when the bills start coming in, in January.

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Likewise, budgeting doesn’t have to mean that you eat bread and water on Christmas day, but simply that you’ve decided before hand how much you can splash out on a family feast, and then stick to it.

Personalise it

You can also bare in mind that Christmas, while certainly being a time of giving and enjoying the company of the people closest to you, does not have to be all about expensive purchases and shopping. If you are concerned about finances there are always a few simple money saving tips you can follow. For example you can try making your own decorations and cards, popcorn strings look beautiful on a tree and everyone loves to get a homemade personal Christmas card. You can also consider making some gifts or creating a secret Santa with the older members of your family so each person buys a gift for one other person, rather than having to buy a gift for everyone.

Best Christmas Songs Ever

From late Maria Augusta von Trappe's traditional Christmas songs to the contemporary peppy and chirpy Christmas songs, all have one goal, that is to invoke the celebratory spirit in every heart. Imagine your preparations without Christmas songs being played from the background. There are chances your Christmas cookies loose their heavenly flavor, the Christmas tree wouldn't have that extra charm and above all your Christmas holidays would certainly seem to be dull. Would you prefer to spend Christmas season this way? We are sure not. So, here we are with the best Christmas songs ever released in the music world. They would entertain you thereby letting you inculcate the spirit of goodness and happiness in yourself.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas By Al Martino- This all time favorite Christmas song is sung with great enthusiasm. As the initial words suggest, the entire song has congratulatory lyrics. Wish a special person Merry Christmas by presenting him or her with a CD or cassette of this song.
White Christmas By Dean Martin- This soft song will make you loose your mind and soul in the wintry beauty of Christmas. A song you can play while you enjoy some quite moments along with your family members.
Silent Night- The beautiful hymn describes the nativity scene in a musical way. Usually the song is a must to be included in their list by the chorus at Churches during Christmas season.
Walking In The Air By Aled Jones- A highly romantic song that expresses just what you are feeling. The song portrays the unlimited happiness we experience during Christmas.
 The Christmas Tree By Eve Bosewell- A song entirely dedicated to the Christmas tree, an integral part of Christmas celebrations. Best time to play it on records is when you are beautifying your Christmas tree.

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Include these Christmas songs into your celebrations and add a new charm to it. For more genres of best Christmas songs ever see christmasmusichub.com

Begginning Of Christmas Cards

This year, many people around the globe will send Christmas cards to share holiday greetings with family and friends. The annual holiday letter has become a popular method for folks to stay in touch and update their circle of acquaintances with family news and events. These traditional cards and letters have evolved over the generations to become the newsletters and greetings that they are today. But there is a long history of the Christmas cards that goes back beyond the modern society to an entirely different century and culture.

England was the country that saw the first Christmas card more than 150 years ago. In 1843, a man by the name of Sir Henry Cole wanted to find a way to alert his friends to the plight of the poor that Christmas season. He commissioned John Calcott Horsley to paint the first Christmas card with a picture of a happy family surrounded by people helping the poor and needy. The sentiment inside the card simply read, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.” This simple greeting card was the humble beginnings of what has become a multi-million dollar industry today.

Although Americans were quick to jump on the Christmas card bandwagon, there were no Christmas cards available for purchase in this country for the first 30 years of the trend. Instead, people had to have their cards shipped from England. However, in 1875 that all changed, when a German immigrant named Louis Prang opened his own lithograph shop and sold the first line of American-made cards. Within six years this industrious entrepreneur was producing more than five million cards every year! Today, collectors still enjoy his work with many winter scenes, glowing fireplaces and playing children. You can still find copies of these cards in a variety of collections today.

We have come a long way since the beginnings of Christmas cards. Today, you can find Christmas cards in all shapes and sizes; from the spiritual to the humorous and everything in between. You can also find cards for any of the holidays that are celebrated during this time of the year, allowing many to send warm wishes whether they celebrate Christmas or another holiday. Sending Christmas cards and letters has become a holiday tradition for many families, and the source of many humorous anecdotes in this country. But the best part of Christmas cards is to share the wishes and greetings of the season and to keep in touch with friends and family members that you may not have the chance to see or talk to otherwise.



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Modern Christmas cards can be bought individually but are usually sold in packs of the same or varied designs. A revival of interest in paper crafts, particularly scrapbooking, has raised the status of the homemade card and made available an array of tools for stamping, punching and cutting. Advances in digital photography and printing have provided a more technological way to personalize cards with photos, messages, or clip art. Technology may also be responsible for the decline of the Christmas card. The estimated number of cards received by American households dropped from 29 in 1987 to 20 in 2004. Email and telephones allow for more frequent contact and are easier for generations raised without handwritten letters - especially given the availability of websites offering free email Christmas cards.

Bass Fishing Christmas Cards: Tis The Season

For the majority people, Christmas time means shopping for gifts, cards and presents for their friends, family, co-workers and many others. Unfortunately, shopping for Christmas often times creates a lot of stress and burden for people due to the fact that they have to go out, fight the crowds and pay retail prices for the Christmas gifts they buy.

Now, you can get all of your Christmas gifts and supplies including ornaments, trees, cards, crafts and cookies at discount prices online and at the same time, same lots of time! Like the bass fishing Christmas card, they are also available online.

We all know that almost everybody in Florida is fascinated with bass fishing. They even consider bass fishing as their number one freshwater sport.

Most of these anglers have built bass fishing services because of them; bass fishing is already a hard habit to break.

Not only that, some of them would even make Christmas cards inspired from bass fishing. They do this as an effective business product especially on the holiday seasons or any other special occasions.

For children, Christmas cards are colorful and are usually printed with jokes, stickers, or games. There are also special Christmas cards that hold money or gift cards. For adults, Christmas cards are often either traditional or humorous. And most of the adults get their Christmas cards on the Internet.

Like Bass Fishing Christmas Cards which can be redeemed for online purchases, catalog orders, and purchases.

Most Bass Fishing Gift Cards are mailed separately to the shipping address of your choice. Such as:

• Bass Fishing Christmas Cards delivered in 3-6 business days.

• Catalog(s) or the gift cards are shipped separately.

• Free standard shipping to US zip codes

• Gift Card amounts are in US funds

Not only that, here’s your second choice...

Most Bass Fishing Greeting Cards businesses provide a great way to send a gift almost instantly to your favorite outdoor enthusiast. Simply provide them with the dollar amount and they will email a Gift Card that can be used immediately.

These are important reminders on how you can get the card that you order:

• Most Bass Fishing Christmas Gift Cards are delivered within four hours if ordered during normal business hours. Otherwise they may take 4 to 24 hours to be delivered.

• These gift cards are usually delivered without any problems. However, a full inbox, invalid email address, or a spam filter can prevent the greeting card from reaching the recipient's inbox. In order to be certain that a Gift Card has been received, please check with the recipient.

• Gift Cards are available for U.S. orders only and are in US funds.

• Catalogs will not be mailed, but current catalogs can be viewed online.

And here is your third choice, if you want your bass fishing Christmas card to be more memorable do it yourself. It’s the thought that counts, not the amount anyway!

An ordinary hand-made Christmas card is very special, how much more if it was motivated by bass fishing? Very peculiar is it not? And yet too easy!

Here’s what you will need:

a piece of card 17cm x 25cm

a piece of crepe paper or tissue paper slightly smaller than the card

several pieces of colored paper, recycled or interesting texture

metallic braid or cord, or colored ribbon inspire

ruler

glue

scissors

pinking shears

and of course do not forget your pictures with the bass fishes (have it scanned please)

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And here’s the easy way to do it:

1. Carefully fold the piece of card in half.

2. Use a very small amount of glue to fix the tissue paper inside the card as a lining.

3. Trim a piece of colored paper with pinking shears, so that it measures 13cm x 8cm. Glue it to the front of the card, leaving an equal margin on each side.

4. Cut a simple shape - a Christmas tree, a star, bells etc. - from an interesting paper of a toning or contrasting color. Glue the shape to the front of the card.

5. When you are done with that, edit the picture that you have just scanned. You can use Paint Shop Pro for it.

There you have it, just use your creativity and you’ll have a Bass fishing Christmas card to give to a bass fishing enthusiast.

Balance Your Holidays & Business

When you've been working long and hard at your home business for a while, you might feel like you've earned yourself a little break. There are home business owners out there who haven't taken a real holiday since they started their business -- including some who started their business as long as five years ago!

After all, how can you ever just desert your business and your customers and go bronze yourself on the beach? How can you avoid being on call 24/7 throughout your holiday? Well, everyone deserves some time to themselves at least once a year, if they want to keep being productive and avoid stress. Here's what to do.

Tell People When You're Going Away.

You can't just disappear when you're running a home business -- you need to let people know long in advance that you're not going to be available, and make sure that they have everything they need to manage without you while you're away. It's best to schedule your holiday not to interfere too much with the business.

However much you might want to have your holiday in the summer, it's important to remember that every business has its quiet months, and you should schedule your holiday in the period where they seem to be.

Change Your Answerphone Message.

A quick and simple way to let people know that you've gone away is to change your answerphone message. This allows you to still hear what people have to say when you get back, and stops them from wondering why you never seem to answer your phone.

A good format for the message is as follows: 'Hi, this is [your name] at [company name]. I'm sorry I'm not in the office right now, but I will be back on [give a date]. If you leave a message, I will be sure to get back to you'.

Set Up an Email Autoresponder.

Similar to an answerphone message, but less commonly used, is the email autoresponder. Again, you don't want people to wonder why their emails are going unanswered, so your best bet is to set up your email program to automatically reply to any email you get with a message saying that you've gone away.

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Example: 'Hello, and thank you for your email. This is an autoresponder, as I'm away on holiday until [date]. I have received your email, however, and will respond to it upon my return. I apologise for any inconvenience to you, and I am willing to make an offer of 10% off your next order to make it up to you.' The special offer for people who get the autoresponder is a nice touch -- it makes them feel lucky that they emailed you while you were away, instead of frustrated.

Don't Stay Away Too Long.

Of course, when you go on holiday, you're relying on people being willing to wait for you. That means you can't really take the kids to Disneyworld for two weeks, or spend a month staying with a friend abroad -- it's just too long to be away from your business for.

You should regard a weekend away as ideal (it avoids the whole problem for the most part), and a week as the maximum you can allow yourself. Don't let people make you feel bad about only taking one-week holidays: after all, you could always have more than one each year.

Alternatively: Get Someone to Look After the Business.

If you really want to get away for longer, or it's essential that your customers don't have any break in service, then you could consider getting someone to look after your business. This could be an existing member of staff that you make your 'deputy', to be in charge while you're away, or it could be someone who's related to you and has some experience running a business. You could even hand the business over to a competitor that you're friendly with and share the profits with them, if you think they're trustworthy and they could handle it.

Enjoy your holiday!

Baby's Christmas Cry - Let Me Live Another Day

Christmas the jolly festive season for good will gestures kindness and happiness is upon us once again.

December 25th the lord's birthday is a day for family gatherings where relatives even strangers unite to celebrate his invisible presence. If Christmas were every day where the atmosphere is filled with joyous and harmonious people? What a wonderful world this would be.

Children prepare for Santa's arrival with a thank you plate of biscuits and a glass of milk. The bigger kid's like mum/dad intend to over excite themselves too watching the kids unwrap their presents. Then we have the belly bursting feast of turkey with all the trimmings followed by apple pie and custard. But sadly to say all the joys that Christmas brings is not bestowed on every one.

Unfortunately some children celebrate Christmas from a hospital bed due to saddening events which may have taken place where instead of receiving a kiss and a cuddle on Christmas day they received a merciless beating. No joyous moments for babies on a mortuary slab.

Innocent of any crime the weakest links will suffer more pain under the hands of their abusers. This ongoing torture for toddlers/wife's partners etc is escalating out of control causing an epidemic of sadism which has to stop. To many merciless beatings have caused death to a victim all because the abuser needs his/her daily fix of fulfilment where they celebrate Christmas with blood on their hands and a smile.

Help is out there for those looking for the reason behind why they cause so much sorrow and pain on their defenceless loved ones. Talk to someone and by doing this you have taken the first step in your quest to make every Christmas from now on happy ones.

Then we have the inhabitants of famine stricken countries suffering from starvation seeking to survive on flour and milk alone. Our flour comes in the shape of a loaf, our milk churned into butter/cheese.

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Before keeping up with tradition where you get to stuff your self with roast parsnips and turkey be sure to say grace and to take in the meaning of every word. "Bless us O Lord for what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen"

Far from our thoughts are the less fortunate so remember to say a prayer. And for the innocent victim of abuse who's cry for help go unheard.  I ask you as a friend or neighbour to be extra vigilant of any situation that may give you reason for concern for a child's safety.

By doing this you may be giving that child the best Christmas gift ever and that is to live for another day.

Asides - Interesting Facts/ Notes About Christmas

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.

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     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.