Santa’s Sleigh

The legend of Santa Claus’s sleigh being pulled by a bunch of reindeer in a frigid arctic environment and ascending up to the sky with its extraordinary load of toys was born a little over 200 years ago. On the one hand, this legend goes through the trouble of providing details about the jolly old man Santa Claus and his delivery of toys to children who had been good all around the world. On the other hand, this legend fails to explain how he does it. What makes the sleigh soar through the air? What enables the reindeer to fly? And how can they get around to all corners of the earth in a single night with only Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to light up the way?

I am a pragmatist who needs realistic explanations and so I created my own. Santa Claus is able to navigate his sleigh around the world in a single night because he is well practiced at it, because he invest lots of hard work, because he is judicious about utilizing the various time zones and, most importantly, he has hi-tech equipment, state-of-the-art technology and years of science behind him.

I honestly do not mean to dethrone a beloved mythical figure such as Santa Claus but I owe it to all those who seek knowledge and the truth about him, his sleigh and his reindeer.

Truth No. 1: Santa Claus and his elves do not spend 364 days of the year making toys for good children which Santa delivers on Christmas Eve, day number 365. They spend just a day or so shopping for the toys in large outlets of toy manufacturers where they can get good price breaks and the rest of their time is spent on formulating futuristic technology.

Truth No. 2: Santa’s sleigh may look very out dated but, in fact, it is filled with features that are decades ahead of its time. It is an engineering wonder:

* Its navigational system maps out destinations of billions of children in every corner of the earth including areas where streets have not been paved yet.
* It has a niceometer which provides Santa with a minute-to-minute reports on every child’s behavior.
* Like every other vehicle that you and I are familiar with, Santa’s sleigh has a speedometer that lets Santa know when he has surpassed the speed of light.
* Santa’s sleigh is equipped with a state-of-the-art, hands-free, sleigh phone so that he could communication with Mrs. Claus whenever he pleases. This sleigh phone also enables Santa to wirelessly connect to the World Wide Web to get the latest weather reports and be caught up on the latest news of political unrest and national upheavals which are so very detrimental to his safe travel.
* Santa fuels his sleigh with high-energy liquid gases pumped directly from the celestial milky-way.
* Its highly evolved turbo engine is so advanced that it defies language as we know it today. To preserve valuable energy, it idles every so often and when it does, a herd of reindeer kick their hooves and take over.

Truth No. 3: Santa’s reindeer are highly trained physically as well as emotionally and each has to accrue many years of flight experience before being allowed on the Christmas Eve run.

* These reindeer are fuels with high octane oats and beans which give them the extra air they need for takeoff and plenty of helium enriched fluids for soaring. For landing purposes, the fuel that remains in their system gets ejected through two exit valves.
* Santa’s favorite reindeer, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Rudi for short, has been promoted to lead the pack and he serves as the headlight for the entire sleigh ensemble. And this single headlight is so technologically advanced that it can never be extinguished.
* The backlighting of this revolutionary vehicle is created by the friction of the sleigh’s runners and the reindeer’s hooves against snow clouds.

Yes, I know that Santa Claus was born a little over 200 years ago when such technology did not exist. But you have to remember that Santa Claus is magical and could, therefore, be ahead of his time and so he is.

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Twelve Days of Christmas

Why are there twelve days of Christmas? Even the holiest of births could not have taken twelve day. No. Of course not. The twelve days of Christmas is the stretch of time between December 25 and January 6. December 25 marks the birth of Jesus Christ while January 6 represents the feast of the Epiphany that memorializes the visit of the Magi to Baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

Before I continue, permit me to take a moment to define two very important words that are often associated with Christmas: epiphany and Magi.

Epiphany is defined in modern dictionaries as “an intuitive grasp of reality usually through something simple and striking, an illuminating discovery, a revealing scene of moment." In Christianity or the Christian church, epiphany is traditionally described as "the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles."

The Magi were the biblical three kings who came to see the newborn King or the first non-Jews that recognized that the child born in Bethlehem was in fact the Savior of the world.

The tradition of celebrating the twelve days of Christmas dates back to medieval times. It had originally started on the eve of Christmas on December 24 and ended on the eve of Epiphany on January 5. Yule logs were kept lit for the entire twelve days otherwise it was a sign of bad luck and misfortune. The twelve nights of Christmas were celebrated with masks and costumes in the 18th century or the reversal of roles between men and women. Such twelve days festivities included eating cake where a bean or a pea was planted. Whoever found the bean or pea in their portion was crowned as the king or queen of that day. This tradition somehow later evolved into a group game called “charades” which was played the entire night of the twelfth day of Christmas.

We are all familiar with the popular Christmas carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” but how many of us really understand its social and theological meanings? Sadly, no one celebrates the twelve days of Christmas anymore and not even the twelfth day. The religious implications of the twelve days of Christmas are to be found in the story of the three wise men that arrived from the east carrying gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to bestow upon the newborn Savior. The Magi were sent by King Herod to bring back information about the newborn child who may threaten his rule but instead of carrying back the information after their twelve day journey, they bowed to Him in recognition of His sovereignty.

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” was written in England in the 16th century as a catechism to teach children the basics of their Catholicism with many hidden meanings behinds its rhyming lyrics. With the original meanings having been lost, the modern day interpretations come in several versions and with a measure of controversy.

The following are the most commonly accepted interpretations:

* “On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: a partridge in a pear tree.”
o “true love” refers to God Himself.
o “me” refers to every baptized person who accepts Jesus.
o “A partridge I a pear tree” is Jesus Christ on the cross.

* “On the second day …: two turtle doves, …”
o “two turtle doves” refers to the Old and New Testament.

* “On the third day …: three French hens, …”
o “three French hens” stands for faith, hope and love.

* “On the fourth day …: four calling birds, …”
o “four calling birds” commemorates the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

* “On the fifth day …: five golden rings, …”
o “five golden rings” represents the first five books of the Old Testament or the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

* “On the sixth day …: six geese a flying, …”
o “six geese a flying” speak about the six days of creation.

* “On the seventh day …: seven swans a swimming, …”
o “seven swans a swimming” represents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

* “On the eighth day …: eight maids a milking, …”
o “eight maids a milking” retell of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount.

* “On the ninth day …: nine ladies dancing, …”
o “nine ladies dancing” are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

* “On the tenth day …: ten lords a leaping, …”
o “ten lords a leaping” stands for the Ten Commandments.

* “On the eleventh day …: eleven pipers piping, …”
o “eleven pipers piping” are the eleven faithful apostles.

* “On the twelfth day …: twelve drummers drumming, …”
o “twelve drummers drumming” represents the twelve points of belief as expressed in the Apostles’ Creed: believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the Father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.

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The Christmas Tree

Thinking about Christmas immediately brings Christmas trees to mind. As a matter of fact, Christmas trees are one of the most recognized images of the Christmas season and they are visible just about everywhere. Furthermore, many of the traditional Christmas activities revolve around Christmas trees. First there is the ritual of selecting a perfect tree, then setting it up in a prominent location in the home, then comes the decorating aspect, piling up the gifts under it, coming together around it to sing Christmas carols and drink eggnog. But how did it all begin?

The earliest story that was ever found that associates trees with Christmas dates back to the beginning of the 700s. This story talks about a British monk and missionary who was born in 680, was christened as Winfrid and was eventually canonized as St. Boniface. As the ancient story goes, St. Boniface delivered a sermon about the Nativity to a group of Germanic Druids on the outskirts of Geisma in Germany and attempted to convince them that the oak tree was not sacred or as inviolable as their pagan teachings have led them to believe. Often referred to as the Apostle of Germany, St. Boniface proved his point by chopping down an oak tree right then and there. As the mighty tree fell and crashed to the ground it left everything crushed in its wake — every shrub but a single little fir tree sapling. This surprising survival of the tender seedling was quickly interpreted by St. Boniface as a miracle and he concluded his sermon by calling it “the tree of the Christ Child.” From then on, planting of fir saplings was added to the ensuing Christmas celebrations in Germany.

Researchers, theologians and historians have found countless documents attesting to the fact that fir trees which remained outdoors as well as those which were brought inside homes were decorated with devotion and religious zeal by the sixteenth century in an attempt to commemorate the miraculous event with St. Boniface in Germany. In an insightful effort to save forests from complete destruction by religious Christian zealots, a decree was issued from Ammerschweier, Alsace in 1561 which proclaims that no one “shall have for Christmas more than one bush or more than eight shoes’ length.” The earliest accounts of decorations on Christmas trees describe “roses cut of many colored paper, apples, wafers, gilt and sugar.”

Many theologians and religious historians believe, and no evidence was ever found to contradict this belief, that it was Martin Luther, the sixteenth century Protestant reformer, who first added light to a Christmas tree by affixing lighted candles to its branches in order to emulate the twinkling of stars in a fir forest.

The Christbaum which means the “Christ tree” was a deeply rooted tradition that was permanently established and branched out to other parts of Western Europe by the 1700s. However, it failed to gain popularity in England until Prince Albert, the son of the duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (a duchy in central Germany), married Queen Victoria of England in 1840, and brought the custom of decorating Christmas trees from his childhood in Germany into his married life in England.

The Christmas tree and its customary decorations were most likely brought into the New World by the Pennsylvania Germans. This fact is strongly affirmed in a diary that belonged to Matthew Zahm of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and its entry which was dated December 20, 1821 where he speaks of the Christmas tree and its many decorations. Thus far, this is the earliest written record associated with Christmas trees that was ever found in America.

F. W. Woolworths Company was the original chain of five and dime stores based in the United States and in 1880 was first to sell manufactured Christmas tree ornaments which were extremely successful. In 1882 the first electrically lighted Christmas tree appeared and in 1923, President Calvin Coolidge flamboyantly lit the first outdoor tree on the front lawn of the White House.

Having state all that I had thus far about Christmas trees, it would be remiss of me not to mention that decorating of trees dates back to the pre-Christian Era in Egypt where evergreen trees were felled, mounted and adorned with offerings of food and precious gifts to their pagan gods. Evergreen trees were selected for remaining fresh and green through the four seasons, therefore symbolizing immortality and fertility. Egyptian priests went even further by teaching that evergreen trees grew out of the grave of their god Osiris who was resurrected by the energy of an evergreen tree after having been killed by another god.

Even the Bible, Jeremiah 10:2-6, speaks out about the pagan custom of the tree: "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen . . . For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

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Santa’s Little Helpers, The Elves

In spite of the fact that elves are such little folks or maybe because they are such little folks they have been incorporated into many different cultures through the ages. Folklore and fairytales would just not be the same without them. They may be set in different environments under different circumstances and they may answer to different names but they are still elves of one kind or another.

The list of elves or elf-like beings is endless but the following is a short sampling for your brief edification:

* Ireland had leprechauns who are miniature elf-like folks who use their craftiness and wit to mischievously hide their treasured pots of gold.
* Iceland had “hidden people” who are a bit taller but still elf-sized. Being very powerful, Icelanders will not build around areas which may be inhabited by these strong elves.
* The Dutch had Black Pete who is an elf helping Santa Claus keep track of boys and girls who are bad and he may even whip them when the opportunity presents itself.
* The Norse had the trolls who, for the most part, were depicted as having small statures with very large ear and noses living underground or in caves of Norway. Norse mythology also has big headed and bearded dwarves who live in the mythical land of Nidavellir.
* The Vikings had trows who were short but fiendish and, like the Norse trolls, lived underground as well.
* The Germans had the Dwarves’ Cavern in Hasel, in the Hohenstein region, as well as in the crevices of Harz Mountains in Germany.
* The Northumbians (who lived in what is now north east England and southern Scotland during the medieval times) had Duergar or Dwergar elves who killed hikers.
* In ancient Jewish scriptures dwarves are mentioned in the towers of fortresses in Tyre, Lebanon.
* The Pygmies come from Classical Greek mythology.
* The Hackers come from Sweden.
* The Menehune come from Polynesia.
* The Ebu Gogo come from Indonesia.
* The Basajaun come from Basque.
* The Bes come from ancient Egypt.
* There are many, many more, but some of the most popular fairy tales that feature dwarves are Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Cobbler and the Dwarfs, The Hazelnut Child, The Three Little Men in the Wood, and Tom Thumb who himself is no bigger than his father’s thumb.

Now, let us get back to Santa’s little helpers, the elves, and the question where they came from. Rumor has it that the modern Christmas elves as we know them today come from the house of gnomes of the Scandinavia pagan era. In those ancient times it was believed that gnomes guarded and protected homes against evil spirits. These gnomes were believed to be kind and helpful to good people but they could get very nasty to those who were not nice to them or to each other. For many centuries these Scandinavian gnomes were loved and appreciated as well as hated and feared. Scandinavian writers of the mid-1800s like Thile, Toplius and Rydberg altered the image of these gnomes to Christmas elves who were impish like mischievous children but kindhearted like good fairies.

Some people believe that Santa Claus has nine elves who are helping him while other people believe that he has thirteen elfish helpers. The great majority of people, however, believe that Santa Claus only has six helpers who are all children of Gryla and Leppaludi and their names, in alphabetical order, and their duties are as follows:

* Flying Snowball – He handles Santa’s correspondence and the lists of who is naughty and who is nice.
* Professor Tiny – He fixes and maintains all the machines that make the toys and Santa’s sleigh.
* Lookout Fellow – He guards and protects Santa’s home and the workshop from any intruders.
* Medic Al – He takes care of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus as well as all the other elves and the reindeer.
* Helpin Hands – She helps Mrs. Claus in the kitchen and around the house.
* Ken Do-It-All – He is the handy elf who can do anything and everything that needs to be done.

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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Out of all of Santa’s reindeer, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” who was also known as Rollo the Red-Nosed Reindeer and then Reginald the Red-Nosed Reindeer is, by far, the most famous and most often talked about. As a matter of fact, he is the only one that is distinguished out of the entire herd and called forth to stardom and fame.

It all started with a Christmas song which made its début as a poem that was distributed by a posing Santa Claus at a Montgomery Ward department store in Chicago. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was penned by Robert May who was an advertising copywriter for Montgomery Ward in 1939. The poem was printed in a booklet form and was colorfully illustrated by Denver Gillen, an artist and a close friend to Robert May. The original name of the reindeer was Rollo, but management of the Montgomery Ward department store had it first changed to Reginald and then they settled on Rudolph. Nearly 2.5 million copies of the “Rudolph” booklet were distributed by Santa Clauses hired by Montgomery Ward department stores all around the United States in 1939 and those same booklets were reprint annually for distribution to children and their parents for eight more years.

The story of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” talks about Santa Claus’s ninth and leading reindeer that has an unusually red nose that illuminates the skies for all the other reindeer.

In 1947, Johnny Marks, a friend of Robert May, composed music for “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” but all the professional singers he approached refused to sing it. In 1949, however, Gene Autry agreed to sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the recording skyrocketed to the top of the Hit Parade charts. Since Autry’s first recording in 1949, three hundred more recordings have been made and eighty million records have been sold. Gene Autry’s original recording was second only to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” as best selling records of all times.

“Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer” is an international star of television specials, stop motion animation and feature movies as well as a household name. Rudolph is also a celebrity in children’s books and comics, and he is spoken and sung about all around the world and in countless languages. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is what sociologists of our time call the only addition to the folkloric Santa Claus of the twentieth and twenty first centuries.

The following are the lyrics of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” as they had been written by Robert May. Please feel free to sing them along with me:

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer 
had a very shiny nose. 
And if you ever saw him, 
you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer 
used to laugh and call him names. 
They never let poor Rudolph 
join in any reindeer games. 

Then one foggy Christmas Eve 
Santa came to say: 
"Rudolph with your nose so bright, 
won't you guide my sleigh tonight?" 

Then all the reindeer loved him 
as they shouted out with glee, 
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, 
you'll go down in history! 

As it is true of many of the better children’s stories, the story about “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” has a moral innuendo to it. Because Rudolph was so different from all the other reindeer, he was ridiculed, isolated and discriminated against. However, it was exactly that difference; his unique, shiny red nose that ultimately became so useful to the others that Rudolph gained their affection. Moral of the story: Being different has its value in society and diversity is to be honored and respected.

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Meeting Mary and Joseph, the Parents of Jesus

Mary and Joseph both came from educated families who saw to it that their children receive a solid and above average education as well.

Mary was a brown-eyes and blond-haired beauty with a cheerful disposition. She was fearless about expressing her emotions and easily adapted to hardships and unusual circumstances.

Joseph was one of nine children in a pious Jewish family. He had black eyes and dark brown hair, a mild manner and he was very meticulous about his affairs and faithful in every way to the religious and cultural practices of his people. He was a quiet and contemplative man who suffered the plight of the Jews wordlessly.

Mary and Joseph met when Joseph worked for Mary’s father on building an addition to their family home. And their courtship began when Mary brought Joseph a cup of water to wash down his evening meal. They became engaged and courted for two years which was the customary time in those days, but during that time Mary became pregnant.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, Joseph became extremely upset when he found out that his betrothed was pregnant and he wanted to break off the engagement but to avoid embarrassing her publicly, he was willing to do it quietly. However, before taking any action an angel appeared in his dream and assured him that the pregnancy was God’s doing. The angel also told Joseph that this birth will fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy of “the virgin will be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Immanuel, which means ‘God with us.’” [The Greek version of Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25]. This gospel also states that Joseph did not have marital relations with Mary until after Jesus was born [Matthew 1:25].

Then again, the Gospel of Luke states that the angel came into Mary’s, not Joseph’s, dream to tell her of God’s plan before the conception. Mary became very upset but the angel calmed her fears. Mary finally responded, “May it be done to me according to your word.” [Luke 1:26-38].

Whichever of the two gospels is closer to the truth we shall never know but there was an obviously very strong message in both of them.

Mary and Joseph wed according to tradition in Mary’s home on the outskirts of Nazareth. At the time, Joseph was twenty-one years old and Mary was considerably younger. With the help of his two brothers, Joseph built a new home for his expectant wife to which they both moved as soon as it was completed. This home is where Jesus was raised as were a half a dozen of his younger siblings.

Jesus inherited his extraordinary gentleness and the great sympathetic understanding of mankind from his father but from his mother He inherited the talent of a tremendous teacher and the amazing capacity for righteous indignation. From both his earthly parents Jesus inherited the meditative and worshipful demeanor and the inclination for gloominess on the one hand, while the optimism, the determination and the cheery disposition on the other hand. Generally speaking, however, Mary’s personality was more dominant in Jesus than that of Joseph as He matured into adulthood. In some aspects of his personality, Jesus seemed to have a good mix of both his parents’ traits while in different aspects He favored the traits of one over the traits of another.

As parents, both Mary and Joseph were great teachers and they made sure that their children were well educated. Jesus acquired Joseph’s strict training in the practices of the Jewish religion and the exceptional knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures and from Mary he got a wider range of religious point of view as well as the more liberal concepts of personal and spiritual independence.

The great majority of Joseph’s family followed Jesus’ teachers and Joseph himself believed more in the spiritual concept of the Messiah as he leaned toward the Eastern or Babylonian views of the Jewish religion. In contrast, very few in Mary’s family believed in Jesus until after His crucifixion. Mary and her ancestors tended to lean toward the more liberal Western or Hellenistic understanding of the Jewish law and its prophets.

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How Does Santa Get Down the Chimney

Call me stupid or unenlightened but I am really confused about Santa Claus coming down a chimney. First of all, he is such a fat-bellied guy and unless you have an extra large industrial-size chimney, there is absolutely no way for him to pass through it. I know that you are going to tell me that Santa Claus is magical. But even magic has its limits, doe it not?

I have seen magicians perform amazing deeds but really, this magical Santa Claus has to overcome more than I am willing or even able to accept. Please help me through the process as we retell the story:

* Let us first of all assume that Santa Claus knows exactly how to get to where he is going because he has got a top-of-the-line navigational system Let us further surmise that he also knows which chimney belongs to which child, but how? Maybe through a DNA code of the smoke coming out of it or maybe its fingerprints? Or maybe, just maybe the smoke is signaling him?
* Secondly, Santa Claus is approaching in a toy-filled sled that is streaking through the night sky as it is being pulled by a pack of reindeer with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer leading the way. How does Santa get off the speeding sled and onto the roof where the chimney is located? Does the sled park on the roof? How can it do that on roofs that are sloped? Does it remain hovering over the chimney into which Santa gets hoisted directly into? Or does the sled zoom on its way and drops Santa into the chimney as it passes by?
* Thirdly, let us contemplate the reindeer. How can the reindeer fly through the sky with no wings? If they too are magical, why does Santa need so many of them? Are they tethered to something to keep them from running away?
* Fourthly, what stops the sled from sinking? Does it have a floatation device? Or maybe it is really a helium filled hot air balloon?
* Fifthly, does Santa accrue mileage points for having flown so many miles? Or maybe wingless flights do not count.
* Sixthly, how does Santa compensate for daylight-savings time?
* Seventhly, we have addressed the part about Santa going down a chimney but how does he manage to remain clean? Does soot and smoke not affect magical guys or has Santa been treated with a stain repellant?
* Eighthly, what about the “chestnuts roasting on an open fire”? Is that open fire not in the fireplace and isn’t the fireplace Santa’s landing spot when he comes down the chimney? How does he not get burned? He must be fire resistant.
* Ninthly, once Santa has entered a home through its chimney, how does he then exit it? Back up the chimney? Through a door or a window? Or maybe he walks right through a wall just like ghosts do?
* Tenthly, the story about Santa Claus coming down the chimney originated in Holland. Why then does he not wear wooden Dutch shoes?
* Eleventhly, how does Santa manage to be so quiet upon entering through the chimney that he does not wake anyone up? He is probably outfitter with a silencer.
* Twelfthly and my final dilemma is this as follows: in today’s modern world we have come to realize that overweight is unhealthful and unattractive. Why then does Santa Claus no attempt to lose a few pounds?

If Santa Claus’s magic can do all that, maybe it is not magic after all but a miracle. And if it is in fact a miracle, maybe Santa Claus is a divine being. Many of us ask of God what we ask of Santa Claus and vice versa; would that not be considered praying?

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How Does Santa Claus Know Whether I Have Been Naughty or Nice

The fact that I am asking this question here and now does not make me unique or especially smart in any way, nor does it make this question original. As a matter of fact, there is no doubt in my mind nor should there be any doubt in yours that this question had been asked by many believers in Santa Claus through the ages and most particularly by those who fear that their behavior may indeed have earned enough demerits to disqualify them from Santa’s list of “Nice.” And if their names are not allowed to appear on Santa’s list of “Nice” and because everyone must be on one of Santa’s list or the other, it must then have been added to his list of “Naughty.”

For those of you who believe in Santa Claus you most likely also believe that:

* Santa Claus and his wife, Mrs. Santa Claus now live in a secret village in northern Finland because they moved out of the North Pole.
* Santa Claus has little helping elves whose names are: Flying Snowball, Professor Tiny, Lookout Fellow, Medic Al, Helpin Hands and Ken Do-It-All who are all the children of Gryla and Leppaludi.
* Santa Claus has flying reindeer whose names are: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer whose nose lights up the night sky for Santa and the other reindeer.
* Santa Claus receives and reads every single letter and postcard which was addressed and delivered to him during the entire year and he files them away in special categories for future action.
* Santa Claus manages and operates a toy-building workshop where he and his helpful little elves custom-build toys for all those on Santa’s list of “Nice.”
* Santa Claus’ sleigh has enough space to contain all the toys for every nice child in the whole world.
* Santa Claus, with his pudgy belly and sack full of toys, is able to go down a narrow chimney without smudging his bright red outfit with its snowy white trim or messing up his long beard.
* Santa Claus delivers toys to millions of children around the world all in the span of a single Christmas Eve night.

If you believe in all that about Santa Claus, you must also believe that he maintains a list of those who were nice during the entire year and another list of all those who were naughty during that same year. And if you believe that Santa Claus maintains a list of “Nice” and another list of “Naughty,” you must also realize that there is a very deliberate reason for Santa Claus to maintain two such lists. And believe me. Santa knows exactly when you had been nice and when you had been naughty. How? Because he is magical and has magical powers, that is how! And when his magical powers run low on their source of energy, Santa Claus relies on his extraordinary instinctual powers, on his extra sensory perceptions, on his healthy gut feelings, on his magic snowflakes, on his wife’s intuition, on his elves’ hunches, on his reindeer’s instincts and last but not least, on Rudolph’s shiny red nose to illuminate truth and to distinguish between nice and naughty.

In one way or another, Santa Claus knows whether you are naughty or nice and it is worth your while to be nice because, in the long run, only the nice prosper. So please be good, for goodness’ sake!

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Has Christmas Become Too Commercialized

The answer to the question whether Christmas has become too commercialized or not, is not a matter of a mere “yes” or “no” because the issue is much more complicated than that. And, frankly, I am not all too sure that it is a relevant question to ask. After all, those of us who live in the United States of America, where most or at least much of the so called commercialization of Christmas occurs, also live in “the land of the free.” As citizens of “the land of the free” or of a free country, we are at liberty to choose just how we want to celebrate Christmas. Personally, I will respect whichever method of celebrating Christmas you choose, as long as it does not harm anyone else or even yourself.

* Allow yourself to go along with a commercialized Christmas but be careful. On the one hand, you may choose to follow the hoards of shoppers from one crowded shopping mall to another in order to find that perfect gift for aunt Molly, uncle Frankie, niece and nephew Susie and Johnny, grandma Moses and grandpa Felix, mom, dad, big sis and little brother, hubby, kids, boss, the milkman, the postman, the butcher, the baker, the cookie maker and so on and so forth. There is absolutely nothing wrong that I can see with wanting to participate in gift exchanging. It is actually a very nice gesture and a sweet tradition. Just remember to be smart by avoiding being swept away by all the advertisements, by knowing when to pull in the reins so as not to over extend your budget and fall into debt that will take you years to come out of, and by buying only those items that appear on the shopping list you had prepared in advance.

* Go back to the origins of Christmas. On the other hand, you may prefer to celebrate Christmas as it was originally intended; in prayer, in meditation, in reverie and in contemplation. And that is indeed a good way to celebrate Christmas as well. In our very harried and stress-filled lives it is good for our physiological, psychological and spiritual health and well being to turn our back on the humdrum and rigor of everyday life, to shun technology and commercialism and get in touch with our own selves and with nature.

* Re-discover your creativity and do it yourself. You might also like the idea of gift exchange but prefer not to deal with the crowds, the hustle and bustle of commercialism while at the same time save some money. You will then choose to make the gifts you intend to bestow on your loved ones. Homemade gifts, in my opinion, are labors of love and I applaud you for deciding to choose that route.

* A healthy assortment. And there is yet another means by which you might choose to celebrate Christmas and that is by taking the middle ground and doing a little of all that I have mention above — buying a little, making a little and praying a little. Congratulations for selecting my favorite way of celebrating Christmas.

So, do I believe that Christmas has become too commercialized? I do believe that Christmas has become commercialize. However, I also know that there are readily available and easy to access alternatives for those who wish to turn away from the Christmas that they believe to be too commercialized and celebrate it their own way.

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Do Santa’s Christmas Reindeer Really Exist

Do Santa’s Christmas reindeer really exist? Santa’s Christmas reindeer are every bit as real as Santa Claus himself is. Do you believe in Santa Clause? Then you must believe in his reindeer or your Christmas presents will never get delivered.

As for any other reindeer, they are very real indeed and they are also known as caribou in the wildernesses of the North American continent. Reindeer are deer which lived and roamed freely in large herds in the arctic, subarctic as well as in the Holarctic regions. Historically, reindeer had a vast range that spanned over various continents across the world. They were found in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe which included Russia, Mongolia and northern China, Greenland, Scotland, Ireland, Alaska, Canada and in the northernmost states of the United States from Washington to Maine. Archeologists have uncovered evidence of reindeer habitats as far south as Nevada and Tennessee in the United States and Spain in Europe which date back to the late Pleistocene era from 1.8 million to 10,000 years ago.

In the more recent times of history, reindeer have vanished from many parts of the world and most particularly from the southern regions. Whereas wild reindeer are still found in large populations in Russian Siberia, Greenland, Alaska and Canada; the domesticated variety of reindeer are mostly seen in northern parts of the Scandinavian countries (particularly Norway) and Russia. Furthermore, reindeer had been brought into Iceland in the 18th century by travelers and they are still found there in abundance today. In the 20th century a few Norwegian reindeer were imported into South Georgia, a South Atlantic island where they have formed two distinct colonies that are separated by impassable glaciers. Likewise, reindeer have been introduced in small numbers in a number of other northern regions and approximately 4,000 of them had been instituted into the French subarctic archipelago of the Kerguelen Islands.

The antlers or horns of all reindeer are shed and grown afresh every year under a thin layer of fur that is called velvet which, in time, is cast off as the antlers or horns grow to their full size and maturity. To keep reindeer warm in their very frigid environments, their coats have two layers of fur: the lower layers are dense wool while the outer layers consist of thin hollow stands of hair that are filled with air. Reindeer eat mostly vegetation that is digested by their four-chambered stomachs.

Unlike Santa’s reindeer which are relatively small and slim, wild and domesticated reindeer are relatively large and weigh up to 700 pounds. Although wild and domesticated reindeer have very special noses which can warm the incoming air before it reaches their lungs, none of their noses are red and glowing as Rudolph’s is. Because their hooves adapt to the seasons and to differing terrains, wild and domesticated reindeer can prance and dance and dash and frolic and jump just like Santa’s reindeer can. But sorry, wild and domesticated reindeer do not have the magic that Santa’s reindeer have so they cannot fly, although I am sure that they would love to.

Reindeer, for the most part do not have individual name but their species have names such as:

* The Tundra reindeer include Arctic Reindeer, Peary Caribou, Svalbard Reindeer, Mountain Wild Reindeer, Porcupine Caribou, Grant’s Caribou and Barren Ground Caribou.
* The Woodland reindeer include Finnish Forest Reindeer, Woodland Caribou, Queen Charlotte Islands Caribou

Each one of Santa’s Christmas reindeer were lucky enough to have been named by Major Henry Livingston, Jr. in 1807 when he wrote a children’s story called “Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas.” In 1823 Clement Clarke Moore revised this story, slightly altered some of the reindeers’ names and the entire children’s story became very popular under its new name: “’Twas the Night before Christmas.’” The current names for Santa’s reindeer are: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer joined the other eight reindeer when he was brought in from a poem that was written by Robert May in 1939.

So, do Santa’s reindeer really exist? They do if you believe in them!

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Be Inspired! eMillions: Behind-the-Scenes Stories of 14 Successful Internet Millionaires

Discover the golden nuggets of the booming internet marketing industry.
eMillions is an exceptionally written inspiring book for all aspiring entrepreneurs who is seriously considering establishing and developing a lasting online business presence.

Get it right and you'll find it's content rich with inspiration and strategies that an entrepreneur can gain new insights, ideas or tactics that you can turn, tweak and try in your own life and business.

You'll find 14 candid, one-on-one conversations from real people - who started out with nothing
- and who used the Internet to build real businesses - and in the process - became real millionaires.

The business owners involved are a diverse group themselves including three military veterans
(Mark Joyner, Jason James, and Willie Crawford), two immigrants (Yanik Silver and Joel Christoper), a 17 year old inner city kid (Jermaine Griggs) and a woman with no previous business experience (Rosalind Gardener). Many have endured various forms of adversity, but they certainly didn't allow this to stop them from becoming successful business owners and millionaires.

Really a variety of ground-breaking marketing tips and advice that will help anyone interested in
breaking into and developing a successful online business. Each person interviewed provided both experiential and theoretical proof of what to do and what not to do to succeed in all areas of the virtual business world.Each person who was interviewed shared some of the things they tried that worked - and the things that didn't.

If you're looking for a step-by-step guide to becoming an Internet Millionaire, this is NOT the book for you. If, on the other hand, you're feeling a little frustrated, you're tired of all the hype, the half-truths and the in and out lies about what it takes to make a living from the Internet -
and you're looking for a little inspiration, a little hope and a few nuggets you can take to the bank - then you need to buy eMillions.

The advice alone you'll find in this book is worth thousands of dollars in consulting fees,
but you can get it for the low cost of a book. This book won't teach you everything you need to know about starting a business online, but it will tell you everything you need to know to get it right.

Grab a copy of eMillions now.

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Part 7 – More Traffic Sources

Getting links from other websites is not the only way to attract visitors to visit your blog. This time, we are going to explore alternative methods to attract high quality traffic with both free and paid methods.

The first thing you can do to generate traffic is to recycle all the content you have written on your blog. What I really mean is to turn your blog posts into little “manuals” or articles that help people solve their problems or offer valuable information and submit them to article directories. These article directories are like aggregators that collect articles of similar themes together in one place, so they receive thousands and thousands of qualified visitors every day.

When you submit your articles to these directories, you are exposing your name to the thousands of pairs of eyes visiting them for free! On most article directories, you are also permitted to include a “resource box” where you can include your contact details, a simple biography and so on. This is where you can truly leverage the traffic of the said article directories.

Some good article directories to get you started:
www.eZineArticles.com
www.ultimatearticledirectory.com
www.submityourarticle.com

Another excellent way to gain traffic is to join internet forums that is based on your niche. To find these kind of forums, just go to any search engine and enter “ +forum”, without the quotes. You would want the most focused forum with a substantial number of active members, and preferably always bustling with activity. Just check the dates of the threads posted on the forum.

When you join active forums that focus on your field of discussion and post very useful and valuable posts, your peers will start noticing you and paying attention to what you have to say. In most forums, you are also allowed to append a link to your site in the signature line, which is under every post you make on the forums. People will click and visit your blog if they find your posts helpful and informative. This way, your credibility is built even before they land on your blog, so traffic from the forums would be easier to turn into profits if your blog is selling your own products or recommending others’ as an affiliate since they are already convinced you’re an “expert” in the field.

The strategy we’ll discuss is word of mouth. Let’s say you already have a daily visitor count of 100. What if you compiled a small report or gift and posted it on your blog, saying that if a certain visitor can refer three of his/her friends to visit your blog the gift will be his/hers for free? If your small report or gift is lucrative enough, it will generate a small buzz among your blog readers and they will surely refer their friends to this blog that they frequent!

You can also utilize the “blog and ping” technique that everyone’s talking about. Basically, when you update your blog, you can let blog portals such as www.technorati.com know by pinging them. You can ping a lot of portals at once by using the free www.pingomatic.com.

Besides the techniques described here, there are also paid methods like buying links from high-ranking pages or buying banner advertisement space. A thing to keep in mind when buying paid traffic is to always weigh your profits generated from the paid ads. If your profits do no offset the expense, you will end up losing money, so choose wisely.

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Why Do We Dream of a White Christmas

In an earnest attempt to eclipse a number of pagan winter celebrations and the festivities associated with them of days long ago departed and to attract the masses away from their idolatry and into the awaiting bosom of Christianity, the commemoration of the birth of Christ which was ultimately called Christmas was permanently set on December 25. To the best of our knowledge, Jesus was never anywhere near snowy peaks and icicles.

Why then are so many of us dreaming of a “white Christmas”? Well, Christmas originated in Europe which is in the Northern Hemisphere where December 25 is, for some of the regions, winter white with snow. Needless to say, snowy weather on Christmas Day is far more common in some countries or parts of those countries yet it is an unheard of phenomenon in others. As a result of oceanic air currents, global warming and various other meteorological factors, even some of the northern area such as the Scandinavian countries, the Baltic States and northern Russia and Belarus do not always experience “white Christmas”. Western and southern Europeans rarely see snow on December 25 while those in the northern and eastern parts of the same continent see it more frequently.

The quest for a “white Christmas” is so compelling in the United Kingdom that even regions that have the remotest of possibilities of having snow on Christmas Day have been closely monitoring precipitation on that day. Whether it reaches the ground or not, if a single little snow flake is witnessed coming down in the twenty four hours of December 25, it is officially declared as a “white Christmas” and it is entered into the records as such. Other countries which are less zealous and perhaps more realistic require a specified quantity of settled snow before claiming it to be a “white Christmas.”

Let us, if you will, take a look at a few statistics pertaining to the probability of a “white Christmas” in several major cities of the United States as compiled by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and based on recorded information between 1988 through 2005.

* Cities in the United States that have 50% or more probability of having a “white Christmas” with at least one inch of snow on the ground are:

Anchorage, Alaska (90%); Fairbanks, Alaska (100%); Denver, Colorado (50%); Hartford, Connecticut (57%); Des Moines, Iowa (50%); Portland, Maine (83%); Detroit, Michigan (50%);Marquette, Michigan (100%); Duluth, Minnesota (97%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (73%); Helena, Montana (67%); Concord, New Hampshire (87%); Massena, New York (77%); Fargo, North Dakota (83%); Cleveland, Ohio (50%); Akron, Ohio (50%); Salt Lake City, Utah (53%); Spokane, Washington (70%); and Milwaukee, Wisconsin (60%).

* Cities in the United States that have less than 50% probability of having a “white Christmas” with at least one inch of snow on the ground are:

Annette Island, Alaska (17%); Phoenix, Arizona (17%); Little Rock, Arkansas (3%); Los Angeles, California (1%); San Francisco, California (1%); Wilmington, Delaware (13%); Washington, DC (13%); Savannah, Georgia (3%); Boise, Idaho (30%); Chicago, Illinois (40%); Indianapolis, Indiana (30%); Topeka, Kansas (23%); Louisville, Kentucky (13%); Boston, Massachusetts (23%); St. Louis, Missouri (23%); Omaha, Nebraska (44%); Reno, Nevada (20%); Newark, New Jersey (23%); Albuquerque, New Mexico (3%); New York, New York (10%); Charlotte, North Carolina (1%); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (3%); Portland, Oregon (1%); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (10%); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (33%); Providence, Rhode Island (37%); Charleston, South Caronia (3%); Rapid City, South Dakota (47%); Nashville, Tennessee (13%); Amarillo, Texas (7%); Dallas, Texas (8%); Richmond, Virginia (7%); Seattle, Washington (8%); Charleston, West Virginia (30%); Huntington, West Virginia (23%); Casper, and Wyoming (47%).

Meteorologist Dale Kaiser, a researcher for the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) which is the database for global environment research, has concluded that, particularly in its northeastern regions, the United States has been facing a significant decline in frequencies of a “white Christmas.”

The statistics I have shown you of probable a “white Christmas” in the United States merely reflect the probabilities of a “white Christmas” around the world. It is obvious that many more places will not have a “white Christmas” than those which will. Why then do we dream of having a “white Christmas”? Why not? After all, so many of the Christmas traditions that we hold so dear today are just compilations of bits and unrelated pieces of folklore, of superstition and of heresy from around the world. And a very small portion of them, any at all, have anything remotely connected to Jesus of Nazareth or the true date of his birthday.

Merry Christmas to you all and a very happy new year!

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Do Santa Claus and His Entourage Really Live in the North Pole

Let us contemplate the question of whether or not Santa Claus and his entourage really live in the North Pole as we take a closer look at the North Pole and weigh a few facts against reality:

* The North Pole is the northernmost point on earth which is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, where the waters are perpetually covered with ice. Since this ice is in constant movement, it cannot sustain permanent structures. If Santa Claus and his entourage really lived in the North Pole, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus’ home would be in constant motion and shifting right along with the ice on which it would be standing and so would Santa’s toy workshop. Under such circumstances, I envision a life time of motion sickness. Ooh! Not a pretty picture.

* In the North Pole the sun rises in March and sets in September. That means that the North Pole has six months of daylight and then six months of night and only one sunset a year. That couldn’t possibly be a very romantic setting for Santa Claus and his wife.

* Local time is usual coordinated with the position of the sun in the sky and each location has been assigned a particular time zone. Since the sun is fixed in the sky for the duration of six months in the North Pole, there is no logical reason to coordinate local time or to assign a time zone. Santa Claus would find it impossible to figure out the time and may, therefore, be late for his Christmas Eve deliveries.

* Although the North Pole is warmer than most may think, its winters range from about -45° F (-43° C) to -15° F (-25° C) while its summer temperatures average at around the freezing point (32° F / 0° C). Sure, Santa Claus is wearing a winter suit. But for these kinds of temperatures he would need a few more layers of clothing which he doesn’t seem to have.

* I know that most everyone attributes snow, lots and lots of snow to the North Pole terrain but I have news for you, there is no snow in the North Pole. The North Pole has nothing but ice and more ice. Santa’s Christmas reindeer better have good traction on their hooves.

* When food is scarce, polar bears are seen occasionally at the North Pole, as are the arctic foxes and the ringed seals. Birds are only seen at or near the North Pole when they follow an expedition and those are the snow bunting, the northern fulmar and the black-legged kittiwake. There are virtually no sea creatures living in the waters of the North Pole and there is no vegetation growing there either. If Santa Claus and his entourage lived in the North Pole, Santa’s Christmas reindeer would have nothing to graze and Mrs. Claus would have nothing to cook for husband and his helpful little elves.

* With all the expeditions and researchers who cast their curious eyes throughout the North Pole environs there had not been a single sighting of Santa Claus, of Mrs. Claus, of Santa’s Christmas reindeer or of Santa’s helpful little elves. Nor has the Claus home, the toy workshop or the sleigh ever been seen in or near the North Pole.

In light of all these fact, I do not believe that Santa Claus and his entourage live in the North Pole. But I have heard a few rumors which put Santa Claus and his entire entourage in Lapland, Finland. And Lapland, Finland is not too far from the North Pole but far enough to make living there much more credible.

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Why Do We Decorate With Garlands and Wreaths

A wreath is a hoop or a ring made out of various flowers, leaves, branches and, at times, fruits as well as ribbons and bows that is used as an adornment on festive occasions. A wreath can be hung on a door or above it, on a window or on a wall. It may be laid on a table or another horizontal surface or, in a much smaller version; it may be worn as a crown on top of the head of a man, a woman or a child.

A garland is essentially a wreath that is opened to an arc or a half circle and it is usually made up of similar components to be used similarly as an ornament during festive occasions.

Wreaths come in a variety of styles and are used for many different occasions. To symbolize long lasting life, most wreaths are made from evergreens and those using bay laurel as their evergreens are called laurel wreaths. In addition to evergreens, wreaths also include pine, holly or yew to symbolize immortality and cedar to symbolize endurance and healing. Apollo is the god of long life and good health in Greek mythology. He is often associated with wreaths and is depicted as either wearing one on his head or holding one in his hand. The Greeks also used wreaths made of laurel or olive branches with added white flowers to crown winners of the Pythian Games which were the ancient predecessors of the Olympic Games as we know them today. The roundness or circularity of the wreath symbolizes eternity or immortality. Wreaths made of conifer trees, above all the firs, were originally used in Northern Europe to symbolize the remembrance of the dead. They are, therefore, used to place on coffins or at gravesites as well as for burials-at-sea. Furthermore, such wreaths are often used at memorial services and anniversaries of battles, skirmishes or wars.

During the Roma Empire wreaths symbolized pride and they were usually made of multicolored flowers, tree branches, twigs, colorful thread and laurels. They were mostly worn by women for holiday festivities and ceremonies such as wedding while the men wore crowns. Roman officials, consuls and senators wore wreaths of olive branches and leaves when appearing in public. Wreaths are also used by Canadians on Remembrance Day to pay respects to those who fought and died in the Great War.

An advent wreath includes four candles to symbolize the four Sundays which come before Christmas Day, while a Christmas wreath tends to be more decorative and is usually made of holly leaves, berries, bows and ribbons. Both, the advent wreath and the Christmas wreath are used to symbolize the never ending love for Jesus Christ.

In light of the fact that wreaths and garlands are so commonly used during the Christmas season and in light of their symbolism, one might expect that they were always used as they are today but that is not the case. There was a time when wreaths and garlands were greatly opposed and condemned as idolatrous by many church officials. However, no one was as avidly as Tertullian, a theological writer in the early years of the third century. Needless to say, Tertullian’s protests fell on deaf ears because wreaths remained in use. As a matter of fact, their popularity increased most particularly during the Christmas season.

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Do-It-Yourself Christmas Decorations

Christmas is just not the same without decorations because they add festivity, color and an aura of holiday which lifts spirits. You could go out and buy some very beautiful decoration this Christmas season, but why? Do-it-yourself Christmas decorations are so much more memorable and certainly a whole lot less expensive.

As I sit here in front of my computer monitor to key in the letters that will comprise the words, sentences and paragraphs of this article, I take a mental inventory of my own Christmas decorations and smile. They are bright, they are sparkly and each one of them conjures up a memory from the past. Some of these memories are precious and I shall cherish them for the rest of my life. For example:

* There is that irregularly shaped ornament that adds so many fun colors, it is really impossible to describe and dates back to my own childhood. It was a warm spring day, I remember, and I was to help my grandmother with her spring cleaning. But instead, she took out two boxes marked “Christmas” and asked me to sit next to her at the kitchen table which was unusually cluttered with a jar of glue, a few small paint brushes and a whole lot of rags. We sat down and my grandmother spilled the contents of the two boxes directly onto the table. There, before us were mounds of old clothe-pins which she hadn’t used for years because we had gotten her a clothe-dryer and odd buttons of every shape, size and color. My grandmother then showed me how to glue the buttons onto the clothe-pins. We completed about two dozen of them and my grandmother told me to pick my favorite to be used as a tree ornament for the following Christmas and the rest would be distributed among other family members and friends. My grandmother passed away before that Christmas but I have this wonderful memory to hold on to.

* I see it in my mind’s eye as if it was just yesterday. Every year just before Christmas my favorite uncle would come over with a camera to take my picture holding up my favorite toy at the time. He would then have it laminated, attached to a ribbon whose color I got to choose and hang it from our living room chandelier. I had done that with my own children and continue to do it with my grandchildren. These decorations seem to be everyone’s favorites and they open subjects for wonderful conversation and reminiscing.

* My kids loved play-dough when they were young and when they were especially proud of their own creations, we saved them for the Nativity scene. I can see a few in my head right now as I recall my kids’ joy and my heart swells with pleasure.

Feel free to emulate the ideas discussed above and here are a few more:

* Use old leftovers from your sewing kit. You could make wonderful bows from scraps of ribbon and lace.
* Use Christmas cards from previous years. Cut them up into any number of shapes and stitch colorful ribbon around their edges.
* Use pine cones. You could paint them, attach colorful little flowers and ribbons or sprinkle gold and silver glitter.
* Use multicolored paper to make paper chains.
* String popcorn and use it in its nature color or paint it.
* Take the pictures off your walls and wrap them in colorful gift wrapping paper and ribbons and hang them up again. You have never seen your wall this festive before.

Enjoy the savings, enjoy the process and enjoy the memories for years to come.

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What is the Christmas Crèche

If you are French you will call it crèche, if your are Italian you will call it presipio, if you are German you will call it krippe, if you are Spanish you will call it nacimiento and if you speak only English as I do, you will call it the “crib.” But what is the Christmas crèche or the Christmas crib? Well, it is an artistic three dimensional depiction of the birth of Jesus Christ in the manger and it is one of the oldest and most favored of all Christmas traditions. Artists of Christmas crèches naturally put most of their emphasis on the baby Jesus Christ and his mother Mary but they also add earthly as well as heavenly participants such as shepherds, animals, angels, wise men and common folks.

Pictures of the Baby Jesus Christ in the manger and other such pictorial stories of Bethlehem have been used in churches during services from the first centuries. However, the tradition of the Christmas Crèche as we know them today started and became so very popular with St. Francis of Assisi. While traveling to Italy in 1223 to celebrate Christmas in a small village named Greccio, St. Francis who was a deacon at the time approached a grazing field where he saw shepherds herding their livestock beneath a moonlit starry sky. This scene brought the first Christmas to his mind and he was inspired. Fearing that he may be accused of frivolity, he obtained the reigning pontiff’s permission. St. Francis then prepared a manger with hay and by Christmas Eve, St. Francis invited the villagers of Greccio to bring their lit torches and their animal and join him in a re-enactment of the Nativity scene of over twelve hundred years ago. At the same location, St. Francis also held his Midnight Mass, chanted the Gospel and delivered his sermon.

Since St. Francis’ live Nativity scene, the tradition spread from Italy to France and then to Germany and the rest of Europe. From Europe it then spread to other parts of the world. Christmas crèches were soon found in just about every Christian home, among the rich and the poor around the globe. Churches, cathedrals as well as public squares displayed Christmas crèches of one kind or another. Depending on the artists who created them, depending on local cultures and traditions, depending on economic and social standings, each crèche was distinctly differed yet the same as they all depicted the newborn Christ and his mother Mary.

Christmas crèches can be homemade by novices or commissioned by great artists, they can be purchased at thrift shops or at Christian stores. They can be made simply of wood, molded into clay, or made of fine metals and bejeweled with precious stones. They can be large or they can be small. Only one thing matter in Christmas crèches, they have to depict the Nativity scene with the spotlight on the Christ Baby and Mary his mother.

Traditionally, crèches are unwrapped with fanfare and ceremony on Christmas Eve as families gather around them. The older children of the families read from the Gospel of Bethlehem [Luke 2] then prayers are said and Christmas carols are sung. This tradition concludes with the gathered wishing each other a blessed and merry Christmas and it essentially marks the beginnings of the Feast of Christmas and its highlights will be Mass and Communion at midnight.

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Christmas Symbols

It has recently occurred to me that Christmas is endowed with more universally recognized symbols than any other holiday. Considering the fact that Christmas is the holiday that is celebrated by more people in many more parts of the world than any other Christian holiday, one should not be surprised with the wealth of easily recognizable icons that represent it.

Below you will find a list of Christmas symbols that any child will recognize along with a brief narrative of their origins or meanings:

The Wreath: The wreath is traditionally hung on the front door of homes during the winter festivities and it has pagan significance as well as Christian.

During the Middle Ages the red berries of hollies were thought to have the power of keeping witches away from homes and the evergreen boughs were thought to chase away evil spirits. Furthermore, the wreath was used to celebrate the god Bacchus who wore a circular ivy crown.

The wreath is typically laced with red ribbons which express festivity and the evergreen leaves represent the everlasting life promised to those who are faithful to Jesus Christ. The circular shape of the wreath symbolizes the crown of thorns that was places on His head by the Romans who ridiculed him for claiming to be the “King of Jews.”

The Bells. It is claimed that bells were rung for a full hour to ward off evil spirits on the eve of Christ’s birth and at midnight their pitch changed to joyous. Traditionally, bells were tolled to announce a death and these Christmas bells announce the death of the Devil and all evil spirits who are repelled by the noise.

The Nativity Scene. The Nativity scene represents the manger in which Baby Jesus was laid after his birth in a stable in Bethlehem. After receiving permission from the Pope, Francis of Assisi built the first Nativity scene for Christmas of 1224 in a cave outside the town of Greccio in Italy. This Nativity was a live scene that retold the story of the original Nativity as Francis recited the Gospel and delivered a sermon.

The Holly. The evergreen leaves of the holly symbolize eternal life while the red berries represent drops of His blood on the cross. Its thorny leaves bring to mind the crown of thorns places on His head by the Roman soldiers who tormented Him.

The Poinsettia. Poinsettias are indigenous to Mexico and legend has it that it became the Mexican Christmas flower when a poor peasant girl wanted to bring a gift to the Virgin Mary on Christmas Eve. As this girl had nothing to give, an angel told her to pick some weeds but those weeds that she picked turned miraculously to bright scarlet flowers.

Poinsettias got their name from Joel R. Poinsett who, from 1825 to 1829, was the first US ambassador to Mexico and sent specimens of this plant back to the United States where they thrived.

The Yule Log. One legend says that Yule logs served as fuel for the sun; therefore they symbolized the sun’s light, warmth and revitalizing power. Another legend claims that “Yule” refers to the ale drunk a long time ago.

Yule logs were put into fireplaces to burn for at least twelve hours but there were strict rules about their use. They could not be purchased but must have been received as gifts; they must come from a tree that was grown on one’s own property; they must be kindled with fragments of previous year’s logs and their fire must never be allowed to go out on its own.

Christmas Gifts. The exchanging of gifts dates back to an ancient Roman custom of celebrating Saturnalia, their pagan festivity. When Christians adopted that gift-giving custom, they claimed that it represents the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that the Magi carried from the East when they came to pay homage to the newborn Jesus Christ.

The Christmas Rose. The Christmas Rose is native to the mountains of Central Europe and is also grown in England. Unlike most other roses which bloom in the summer, the Christmas Rose blooms only in the winter.

A legend tells about a shepherdess who saw the three wise men bearing gifts for the New Born King and she broke down in tears because she had nothing to give Him. An angel took pity on her and turned the snow at her feel to lovely white flowers tipped with pink which were ultimately named the Christmas Rose.

The Christmas Colors. There are many colors associated with Christmas but the most prevalent among them are red, green, white and gold.

* Red symbolizes festivity and excitement as well as fire, blood and charity.
* Green symbolizes nature, youth and the hope for eternal life.
* White symbolizes light, purity, joy and glory.
* Gold symbolizes sunlight and radiance.

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What is Most Important this Christmas Season

I am afraid that many of us get so distracted with buying gifts for others and then thinking about what they will buy for us, that we do not take the time to consider what is it that we really and truly want. Nor do we allow ourselves to mull over what is most important to us this Christmas season. Sure, we all like nice presents but the happiness they bring us is very short lived and only surface deep.

Psychiatrists, psychologists and psychoanalysts have been asking countless clients and patients “What is most important this Christmas season” over a span of many years and the conclusion is always the same. What is most important at our gut level during the Christmas season is HAPPINESS, JOY, LOVE, FUN, PEACE, SERENITY, ACCEPTANCE, CONTENTMENT, FRIENDSHIP and COMPANIONSHIP as well as GOOD HEALTH. These are the intangible emotion words that drive us, these are the intangible emotion words that we crave and these are the intangible emotion words that we need.

It is such a paradox. We spend hours upon hours distressing over what to buy for whom and where to buy it, we fight traffic on the streets and crowds in shopping malls and then we wrap presents which are only mild distractions from what we honestly want. And the things that we honestly want do not ever require spending money, they cannot be gift wrapped even if we wanted to wrap them and there are no ribbons big enough to go around them. They are simple, they are basic and they are essentially crucial.

For a most memorable Christmas and the jolliest season, let us all concentrate more on the things that we all honestly want by fulfilling our intangible emotional words and less on the frills of the tangible. I realize that it may not be easy because there will be a few hurdles that we will have to overcome, but it is by no means impossible:

* Minimize Duty, Responsibility and Obligation. We may have lists upon long lists of things that we must do, should do and have to do, but forget to create lists of what we truly want to do. We cannot derive joy from doing things out of mere obligation.

* Give from Your Heart Not from Your Pocketbook. If you are going to give someone a gift, make it special not expensive.

* Give Yourself Credit for the Good You Have Done. It is honorable to give to worthwhile causes but do not beat yourself up if you cannot give to them all.

* Avoid Procrastinating. Do yourself a favor by making your Christmas plans way in advance and by starting to shop before the rest of humanity.

* If You Intend to Eat, Allow Yourself to Enjoy It. There is no point in eating if you are then going to feel guilty about it. It’s Christmas; relax and enjoy it.

* You and Yours Spouse Must Agree With Whose Family to Spend Christmas. To avoid family feuds and resentments, you and your spouse must be in total agreement about whether to spend Christmas with her family or with his, and such agreements must be established way in advance.

* Do Not Be Pressured to Drink More Than You Want To. Waking up with a hangover does not make good memories. If you are going to drink alcoholic beverages, do so only moderately and never drive after drinking.

* Do Not Be Afraid or Shy About Delegating. If you are the one who is hosting the Christmas dinner, encourage others to help you with the shopping, the preparations, the serving and the cleanup. You do not want to spend your Christmas being too tire and stressed to enjoy it.

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Christmas Celebrations Around the World

Christmas is an internationally celebrated holiday around the world and for some it is the holiest day of the year — it is a day on which Christians of all denominations rejoice in the birth of their Lord. It may or may not come as a surprise to you to discover that Christmas is celebrated in a variety of ways in different parts of the world and in different cultures. Let us, then, take a brief peek at a Christmas festivities in a few countries:

* Christmas in the Holy Land.

The Holy Land is where Jesus was born and where he spent his entire life on earth as a mortal being. Many thousands of Christians make their annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land to not only celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ but to also walk on the ground where He had walked over two thousand years ago.

Jesus is said to have been born in Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity had been erected on the alleged site of his birth. In celebration of Christmas, the Church is decorated with flags from around the world and it gets crowded with locals and visitors who come to witness the spectacular annual Christmas Eve parade that is led by riders on Arabian horses, followed by one cross-bearing rider on a black steed and behind him come churchmen and government officials. The procession enters the church and an antiquated effigy of the Holy Child is placed in the grotto that is located down steep winding stairs where a fourteen-point silver star marks the exact spot where Jesus was born.

Christmas Eve is celebrated by three distinct groups in the Holy Land’s Bethlehem whose Christians paint crosses over their doors and display homemade manger scene and where a star is posted atop a tall pole in the city’s square. The Church of the Nativity is buzzing with different languages as Protestants and Catholics hold their services while elsewhere in the church the Greek Orthodox, the Egyptian Coptic and the Syrians hold their services while in yet another part of the church the Armenians have their services. Regardless of their persuasion, they are all served lunch comprised of turkey meat spiced with pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg and stuffed with rice, pine nuts and almonds.

The Protestants walk around caroling, the Catholic priests walk from home to home to bless the water from which every member of each family takes a sip, and the Greek Orthodox dip a cross in blessing of the water that people carry home with them to sip before eating anything.

* Christmas in Argentina.

Christmas in Argentina is celebrated on December 24 and it involves entire families going to services and then returning to homes decorated with red and white garlands and Father Christmas images. They eat hardy, they dance joyously and watch firework shows with excitement.

* Christmas in China.

Christian children in China decorate trees, called Trees of Light, with colorful paper ornaments shaped into flowers, chains, lanterns and stocking which they hope Christmas Old-Man (Dun Che Lao Ren) will fill with gifts.

Children seem to be the main focus of Christmas celebrations in China as they are treated to their favorite foods, get new clothes and toys and are permitted to stay up to watch late-night fireworks.

* Christmas in Greenland.

Christmas trees in Greenland are decorated with lighted candles and bright ornaments and there is must dancing, playing games, caroling, drinking coffee and eating cakes. Gifts which are distributed are brightly wrapped and may typically consist of a pair of tusks or a sealskin mitt. Everyone is treated to Mattak (a piece of whale skin with a strip of blubber) to be swallowed because chewing it is difficult. They also serve Kiviak which is the raw flesh of an auk that has been buried in sealskin for several months until it reached an advanced stage of decomposition.

* Christmas in Iraq.

Christmas Eve is celebrated in courtyards of Christian Iraqi families. One child reads the story of the Nativity while the rest of the family holds up lighted candles. A bonfire is then lit and psalms are sung. When the bonfire is reduced to ash, it is customary for everyone to jump over it three times and make a wish.

Similar bonfires are built in church courtyards on Christmas Day and the men chant hymns. Processions led by bishops take place in Iraqi Christian communities. The bishops carry images of baby Jesus prone on scarlet cushions and the services end with the bishops touching one congregant with a blessing, this congregant touches another congregant with the same blessing and so on until everyone had been touched and blessed.

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What is Christmas and How Did It Get Its Name

Whether you view Christmas as a holiday and time for vacating or as a holy day of worship, Christmas is in fact a mixture of various cultures from around the world which has been accumulating for hundreds of years. Turkey dinners with cranberry sauce, decorated evergreen trees and the colorfully wrapped gifts at their bases, Christmas cards and their heartfelt greetings, jolly old Santa Claus and his reindeer, yule logs and chestnuts roasting on open fires, mistletoes and granted kisses, chiming bells and carols are all many aspects of Christmas which we have come to consider as inherently inseparable and at the heart of December 25, all came in bits and pieces from different peoples.

Today’s Christmas is a celebration of Christ’s birthday but in reality, no one knows when Christ was born and until the early part of the fourth century no one cared. Birthdays were no reason to celebrate or commemorate but deaths were. Theologians, researchers and historians through the ages have attempted to pinpoint the Nativity to a specific date but came up with a profusion of unrelated dates such as January 1, January 6, March 25 and May 20, but none found the slightest evidence that would even remotely point to December 25. May 20 became the most often agreed upon date of the Nativity because the Gospel of Luke maintains that the shepherds who received the news of Christ’s birth were watching their sheep by night and it is known that sheep where watched around the clock only at lambing time which was in the spring.

In an attempt to cast a shadow on an ancient pagan religion, Mithraism, whose December 25 festivities threatened to attract more Christians than the church could afford to lose, clever church elders suggested celebrations of the Nativity on the same day. Although they encountered much opposition from the more conservative sector of the church which claimed that it is sinful to even as much as contemplate observing the birth of Christ “as though He were a King Pharaoh” and not a divine son of God, the renegade fathers ultimately prevailed.

The church thereafter legitimized December 25 as the birth date of Christ and its observance would be characterized in meditative prayer, in giving thanks and in pensive rejoicing — a mass, Christ’s mass. One Christian theologian wrote in his journal in the latter part of the 320s: “We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of Him who made it.”

Thanks to the psychological power of group celebrations, the unification and equalization of ranks and social classes, the solidification and affirmation of collective identity and the reinforcement of a common belief system and its objectives, the celebration of Christ’s mass or Christmas on December 25 took hold in the Western world. However, Christmas did not become permanently rooted until the Roman emperor Constantine was baptized in 337, an event which for the first time united the Roman emperorship with the Christian church and made Christianity the official religion of the state. And when in 354, Bishop Liberius of Rome reiterated the importance of celebrating not only Christ’s death but also His birth; those few who still remained aloof from the church were finally convinced.

The word Christmas stems from the abbreviation of “Christ’s mass” which is a derivative from Middle English Christemasssee and Old English Cristes maesse. The earliest found evidence of this phrase was recorded in 1038 which was also an amalgamated derivative of the Greek Christos and the Latin missa. In the Greek translations of the New Testament, the letter X (chi) is the first letter of Christ. By the mid-16th century, X was used as an acronym for Christ and Xmas became the abbreviate form of Christmas.

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Christmas Cards

We have all become so accustomed to sending and receiving beautifully decorated and eloquently phrased store-bought Christmas cards that we take it for granted that past generations have done the same as will future generations. However, the fact is that sending commercially printed Christmas cards is a relatively recent phenomenon taking us back to 1843 London, England.

Prior to then, people were exchanging Christmas greetings on handwritten notes that were either delivered in person or they were sent via postal services. Eventually, the postal services became the favorite means by which to dispatch Christmas greetings and its popularity grew to burdensome proportions. In 1822, the Superintendent of Mails in Washington D.C. requested that sixteen more postmen be hired during the holiday season and, fearing that the overload will create an unmanageable bottleneck, he further petitioned Congress to limit the exchange of cards by post. To his chagrin, not only did Congress ignore his petition, but the postal burden worsened far beyond his worst fears.

The first Christmas card that was intended for commercial sale was created by John Calcott Horsley in the summer of 1843. Horsley was a well known and respected artist and illustrator in London who was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy British businessman, to design a Christmas card that he could proudly send to his family, friends and business associates. Being the prominent innovator who modernized the British postal system, managed the construction of the Albert Hall, organized the Great Exhibition of 1851 and oversaw the opening ceremony of the Victoria and Albert Museum; Sir Henry Cole also ran an art shop on Bond Street that specialized in decorative objects for the home and that is where he sold the first commercial Christmas cards.

The first commercially Christmas card portrayed two good deeds — feeding the hungry and clothing the naked — on each side panel. Its centerpiece depicted a large celebration of adults and children with an abundance of food and drink. This depiction, by the way, received must criticism from the ardent British Temperance Movement. The inscription of this first Christmas card read: “Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you.” At the time, “merry” meant “blessed” as in “merry old England.”

One thousand cards were printed of that first Christmas card designed by John Calcott Horsley for Sir Henry Cole and twelve of these still exist today in private collections. And, surprisingly or not, this card proved to be a trendsetter of a lasting kind because printed cards very soon became hot commodities throughout England and soon after that in Germany.

It took another thirty years for commercially designed and printed Christmas cards to gain popularity in America and it began in 1875 when Louis Prang, a German born lithographer in Boston, started designing and publishing Christmas cards. Thus, Louis Prang is considered to be the “father of the American Christmas card.” However, Prang’s Christmas cards were high quality and therefore very costly and they depicted non-Christmas-like scenes such as floral arrangements of roses, daisies, gardenias, geraniums and apple blossoms which failed to generate enough sales and he was forced out of business in 1890. The American public finally bought into the idea of commercially produced Christmas cards but they preferred the cheap penny Christmas postcards which were imported from Germany and these remained in high demand until the end of World War I, when America established its own greeting card industry.

Today’s Christmas card industry is booming with annual revenues of billions of dollars and the cards come in myriads of styles, sizes and costs — there are Christmas cards to suite anyone’s taste. The traditional greeting that said “wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” has evolved into countless variations on this greeting and many contemporary Christmas cards express more sentiment, more religious intonations that may include biblical verses, more humor or more poetry. To make selection of Christmas cards easier and more recipient-appropriate, one can find Christmas cards especially designed for moms, dads, sisters, brothers, bosses, lovers, friends, and so on and on and on.

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