Best Christmas gifts 2012

 Best Christmas gifts 2012

 Best Christmas gifts 2012

Tradition says that we must treat each other kindly during Christmas. Maybe that is the reason why the tradition of giving Christmas gifts has spread far and wide. By giving holiday gifts, we show that we care about each other.

Ideas

The history of the Christmas gift dates back to 4th century A.D. – the time of Saint Nicholas (later called Santa Claus). Even after so many years, people still find it difficult to find the perfect Christmas gifts for the special persons in their lives. But it doesn’t have to be so hard. One just has to anticipate the coming of Christmas and write down good ideas as they occur. For instance, if your dad is frustrated that his old fishing rod broke during summer vacation, he might forget about it after a while, but it is your job to write it down and remember to buy him a replacement when Xmas comes.

Another good tip when looking for good Christmas gifts is to think of alternatives to the common presents. Here are a few ideas for alternative Christmas gifts:

1. Subscriptions (monthly magazine, journals etc.)
2. Food (gift voucher for restaurants, gourmet food basket, and others)
3. Holiday (gift voucher for short vacation breaks)
4. Personal care (facial treatment, health resort holiday, etc.)
5. Entertainment (cinema tickets, trip to a go-cart track, etc.)
6. Gift voucher for a donation (Check out our Christmas charity list.)

 

History

Gift giving was common during the Roman Saturnalia. In the 13th century, nuns in France started giving gifts to the poor on the eve of St. Nicholas' Day. Gift giving was soon repressed by the medieval church.
In the beginning, people did not buy expensive Christmas gifts for each other. Gifts could be pieces of fruit or simple toys. The gifts were not wrapped and were just given to each other or hung on the tree since the Christmas tree tradition also became popular.

Gift giving in colonial America was based on class differences, the poor accosting the rich and demanding food, drink, and money. In the 1820's, borrowing from the New York Dutch, the idea of gift giving was transformed to that of parents giving christmas gifts to their children. Moore's poem may have been a contributing factor to the beginning of the commercialization of Christmas. Christmas shopping was encouraged to overcome the depression during the period, 1839-40.

Today, the sales due to the buying of Christmas gifts break records every year. However, some families have started to curb spending, because they think that Christmas due to the unwise spending for Christmas gifts has become too commercialized. The concern about the increasingly expensive tradition of giving Christmas gifts has existed for a long time. As early as 100 years ago, poets and social critics began warning people that Christmas was becoming too commercialized

Santa Claus

 

Santa Claus

 

Most children know Santa Claus as a big, round, red-cheeked, joyous, old gentleman who delivers Christmas gifts clad in black boots and a red and white suit. But really, who is Santa Claus and where does Santa Claus come from?

The legend of Santa Claus dates all the way back to the 4th century when a child named Nicholas was born. At that time, nobody knew that he was to become world renowned as Santa Claus, but Nicholas soon showed signs of special abilities. 

 

As a grown-up he became bishop of Myra in Lycia, a province of the Byzantine Anatolia, now in Turkey, where, according to legend, he only did good deeds.

One of the deeds later associated with Nicholas as Santa Claus or gift donor took place when he saved a family from poverty one night by throwing money through their window. But Nicholas was capable of much more than that. He could, by the power of God, bring the dead back to life and save sailors from storms. Therefore, Nicholas (later known as Santa Claus) was beatified and initially, was mostly honored by the sailors.

Old santa

At first, Nicholas became a Catholic saint, but during the Reformation hagiolatry was abandoned by the Protestants. However, it was difficult to just drop St. Nicholas due to his popularity; thus, he was portrayed without a bishop’s miter and was named Santa Claus. Coincidentally, Nicolas had died in December, thus, it was now easy to associate him as Santa Claus with Christmas and gift-giving.
That’s how St. Nicholas became known under the name Santa Claus in Europe and later on, also in the USA. His story was spread by the Dutch sailors berthing in New York. They called St. Nicholas “Sinterklaas”, and through translations to American English, he became the American “Santa Claus”.

 

Christmas Tree Candles 2012

Christmas Tree Candles 2012

Christmas Tree Candles 2012

Christmas tree candles represents two things for most people around the world. First, Christmas tree candles symbolizes the Bethlehem Star which guided the Three Wise Men to the manger as stated by the Holy Bible. On the other hand, Christmas tree candles for all represents the search of the Holy Family for shelter before the birth of the infant Jesus. But a Christmas candle can also be found on the window sills of most Irish homes during the holiday season since it symbolizes their welcoming gestures for the Holy Family that was in search for shelter before the Nativity.

There are real Christmas tree candle sets that are available at holiday shops and the like, and these candles are used so as to embellish your living room centerpiece during the Christmas season. These Christmas tree candles go well with real Christmas trees, and you should also consider purchasing real Christmas tree decors such as wreaths and the like so as to add a flavorful serving of the Christmas spirit to your home during the holiday season. But there are also modern versions of Christmas tree candles, such as the electric Xmas tree candle. These electric Christmas tree candles come in all shapes and sizes, and it is also available in a wide variety of colors. These electric Christmas tree candles are usually bundled with the artificial Christmas lights that can be used to decorate both artificial and live Christmas trees. But if you are planning to decorate your outdoor Christmas tree with these electric Christmas candles and lights, you should consider purchasing the waterproof versions so as to avoid any unnecessary accidents and the like. You should also consider acquiring the services of professional electrical technicians for the task of installing these outdoor electrical Christmas lights and candles on your outdoor Christmas tree.

Christmas cards and greetings 2012

Christmas cards and greetings 2012

Christmas cards and greetings 2012

AllThingsChristmas offers its 2012 collection of free, beautiful Victorian Christmas cards in pdf format for you to print from your computer, as well as free Internet Greeting Cards you may send via email. Press to create your own card   Electronic Card Instead of paper cards, why not send out an electronic Christmas card? Making & sending a Virtual Christmas card is easy. Just follow the instructions at each step. Press here to create card You can also print and write your own Victorian Santa Cards

Victorian Santa Cards Create your own Christmas cards this year! These lovely Santas look beautiful when printed on 8½ x 11 inch cream or white cardstock from your color printer; after printing, just cut in half and fold! Simply select your card and click. A new window will open with your card in pdf format for easy printing. Cards print two per page. If a new window doesn't open after clicking the picture, you will need Adobe Reader which you may download free from the Adobe Website. For more printing projects, visit our Christmas Printable page which features Victorian Gift Tags & Lists, our Printable Coloring Pages, and our North Pole Gift Tags. All things christmas card shoppe Send a Free Holiday eGreeting to someone you love, compliments of AllThingsChristmas. Choose from one of many beautiful designs, then customize your christmas cards here. The History The tradition of sending Christmas cards begun in 1843 – about the same time as the first Christmas seal was published. The first Christmas card was produced in England, and the idea was well-received, because the following year, more than 25,000 Christmas cards were sold. However, the first Christmas card provoked controversy in certain circles in England, because the Christmas card pictured a company of people touching glasses and saying “Merry Christmas”. Putting alcohol and holy Christmas in one picture did not please the English citizens then. For more than thirty years, Americans had to import greeting cards from England. In 1875, German immigrant to the U.S. Louis Prang, opened a lithographic shop with $250, and published the first line of U.S. Christmas cards. His initial creations featured birds and flowers, unrelated to the Xmas scene. By 1881, Prang was producing more than 5 million Christmas cards per year. Today, Christmas cards come in all shapes and sizes -- from small and simple to big and colorful. The big American producer of Christmas cards, Hallmark, employs a whole army of Christmas card designers who produce new Christmas cards every season. The most popular cards are the old fashioned and nostalgic ones with sledges and pixies, and a big, chubby Santa Clause in a red and white coat. Since the Internet became widespread in the middle of the 90’s, sending electronic Christmas cards became the trend. I just watched..... posted by no_1_christmas_fan 12/25/11 04:52 PM What you're listening right now? posted by Home alone 2 12/25/11 04:28 PM What are you doing Right Now? posted by Home alone 2 12/25/11 04:13 PM Many homepages offer easy-to-use digital cards which simple require the user to write an email address, a traditional Christmas greeting wishing for many nice Christmas presents, and finish by clicking “send”. The card arrives in the receiver’s inbox, and the old Christmas greeting tradition is carried on albeit in a modern way. It is quite easy to make a personalized Christmas card. Here are a few ideas: 1. Glue small fern leaves on a piece of paperboard. Putting them together simulates the look of a Christmas tree, especially if you add a small star sticker or cut-out on the top. The trees can be decorated with small gift packages, i.e. squares made of colored tape which you wrap with cross ribbons in contrasting colors. 2. Even if you are not good in drawing, you can still create beautiful Christmas cards. Cut out Christmas motifs from magazines, preferably colorful ones, and glue them together on a piece of paper (e.g. in several layers). It sounds simple, but you can really make very beautiful and creative cards in no time. Large picture: Christmas cards

Fastest Cars In The World

Fastest Cars In The World

Fastest Cars In The World

http://www.askmen.com/top_10/cars/fastest-cars-in-the-world_1.html

The Irony of Intercourse

The Irony of Intercourse

 

The Irony of Intercourse

 

For a lot of women in long-term relationships, intercourse is known as the “waiting it out and hoping it’s over soon” portion of lovemaking, according to sexologist Dr. Trina Read, but it doesn’t have to be.

Not much has changed since our grandmothers told our mothers on their wedding night to “Stare at the ceiling and think of England dear. It will be over soon enough.”
Today’s woman, though, can’t admit that the intercourse part of the sexual experience probably isn’t doing it for her