Pleasure Island Online

By Wycliffe Williams

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. We should take the opportunity to discuss the origins of Christmas and the attitude of giving with our children. We should allow our children to participate in the Christmas school plays and church school plays.

Over the years commercialism has drowned out the true meaning of Christmas. It is up to us as parents to restore Christmas back to its rightful place. We can start in our own homes with our own families.

Family togetherness, unconditional love and goodwill should be the bywords of Christmas. Stories and pictures about the origins of Christmas should be all around our homes. Our churches should be taking a major role in spreading the true Christmas spirit.

Our church should have many small social activities leading up to one major event that will take place very close to Christmas day. All families should be required to attend. With a view to inviting another family. The invited family should be a family that does not attend church on a regular basis.

Make sure your children are directly involved in at least one charity event over the holiday. They can donate a toy or even help with a fundraising drive for those less fortunate.

Try not to purchase toys that overwhelm the children. Yes, make sure the toy will make your child feel special. However, that can be done without overkill. Be sure to remind them of the true gift of Christmas which is baby Jesus.

Construct as many gifts as you can with the children. Set aside special time for this. Make a big fuss over the time that is set aside. Prepare for the time and be sure that you have all the tools necessary for a successful time.

Working with the children on the different Christmas crafts and cards reinforces in their minds the significance of the season. The families who do not go to church can still do so much to instill in the minds of their children the Christmas spirit.

Make the Christmas tree the center of the living room. Take the time to downgrade the television set. If you must, watch television only at certain times. Then turn it off. Watch Christmas programs only.

If you are serious about resurrecting the spirit of Christmas then the focus must be on family and the things that a family does together. Purchase books about Christmas in other faraway countries.

Your children will gain an understanding and respect for different cultures and their traditions. Christmas is not just celebrated in their corner of the world. Show them that it is a world wide celebration.

Set a night or two aside for a drive to see the lights. That is always fun. Try your level best to include grandma and grandpa in the family outings. Children just love when grandparents tell stories of their childhood.

You are building memories for your children and for your entire family. Grandparents coming to stay at the house for the holidays? Put the children in charge of decorating the spare bedroom for their grandparents.

Above all take the time to let the children know that the Christmas spirit should not be displayed only in December. Show them by your example as loving and caring parents that the Christmas spirit of love and joy should be spread throughout the year.

Decorating the home at Christmas sets the tone for a wonderful holiday season. The food, the stories, and building the memories are what Christmas is all about. This 3 in 1 Christmas book is a must have for the holidays. Grab it here: Christmas.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wycliffe_Williams

  

By Lindsay Small

Orange pomanders fill the house with a delicious scent, are satisfying to make and very pretty to look at. If you are looking for a quick and easy craft, with supermarket ingredients, try method 1 below. For a more traditional, longer lasting pomander, try method 2.

Method 1 - short-term pomanders

Choose a number of thin-skinned oranges. Using a large darning needle, prick a design on the oranges. A large-spaced random design works well, as does a double row of holes around the middle of an orange. Push a clove into each hole. Arrange in a bowl or glass vase and enjoy the gorgeous scent.

Idea: “Write” a letter in cloves on each orange and use to spell a Christmas word (perhaps Merry, Christmas, Yule, or Noel). Arrange the oranges on your mantlepiece, or down the center of your table, for an original and sweet-smelling display.

Method 2 - long lasting traditional pomanders

You will need:

A medium-sized thin-skinned orange
1/2 cup whole cloves
1/2 cup orris root powder
2 tablespoons cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

Instructions:

Roll the orange in your hands to warm it: this makes it easier to push the cloves into it. Using a large darning needle, poke holes into the orange about 1/8 inch apart, and then push a clove into each hole. A traditional pomander covers the entire orange with cloves closely, but it is easiest to work on a small area at a time.

Mix all the powders together, and roll your clove-studded orange in it, filling the spaces between the cloves as much as possible. Store carefully in a small cardboard box lined with tissue paper, and tip the extra powder on top. Keep in a warm (but not hot) dry place, such an airing cupboard, for 3 to 4 weeks. Shake off excess powder and tie a pretty ribbon around the pomander, with a bow and a loop for hanging. Any excess powder can be saved and used again.

Lindsay Small is the creator and editor of http://www.ChristmasIscoming.co.uk, where you can find free Christmas crafts, printables, recipes, stories, decorating, entertaining and gift ideas - in short, everything you need to make Christmas special!Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsay_Small

  

By Arindam Bose

CHRISTMAS

Traditionally observed on December 25, Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. Although some churches observe it on different dates, the fact is that the precise chronology of Jesus’ birth and death is yet to be determined. Christmas has many sides to it, some religious and some secular, including the exchange of gifts, the Santa Claus myth, decoration and display of the Christmas tree, and religious ceremonies.

History

We can trace the origin of Christmas to several pagan holidays. It was since AD 354 that the christians in the West started celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ on December 25, replacing an earlier date of January 6. By that time, the christians had appropriated several pagan festivals and traditions of the season that were practiced in many parts of the Middle East and Europe, as a means of stamping them out. Among those festivals were Saturnalia of the Romans, the birth celebrations of sun - God Attis in Phrygia (December 25) and Persian sun - God Mithras (December 17-24).

The Nativity

The Nativity refers to the birth of Jesus Christ. The christians celebrate Christmas by remembering or re-creating the Nativity. While the Eastern Orthodox Church practices the Nativity Fast in anticipation of the birth of Jesus, the Western Church mostly prefers celebrating Advent. Children often enact the events of the Nativity, or sing some of the numerous Christmas carols that reference the event. Some christians display a small re-creation of the Nativity in their homes, using small figurines to portray the key characters.

Santa Claus

In Western culture, a main feature of Christmas is the exchange of gifts among friends and family members, some of them being attributed to Santa Claus. Santa Claus is also known by other names, such as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Saint Basil and Father Frost. Santa Claus is based on the tale about Saint Nicholas, or Sinterklaas, who gave gifts on the eve of his feast day of December 6. He became associated with Christmas in 19th century America and was renamed Santa Claus or Saint Nick. In Britain and France too, Father Christmas and Pere Noel respectively were made to adopt the Santa image.

Christmas tree

The Christmas tree owes its origin to the ancient pagan idea, later appropriated by the christians, that the evergreen tree represents a celebration of the renewal of life. Christmas trees first became popular in Germany in the late 18th century. Christmas trees may be decorated with lights and ornaments. The poinsettia then became associated with Christmas, while other popular holiday plants include holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis, and Christmas cactus. In some parts of the world, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures. Town authorities also hang Christmas banners from street lights and place Christmas trees in the town square.

Feasts and cards

A special meal of Christmas dishes is usually served on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. Another extremely popular tradition is to send Christmas cards to friends and family members. Cards can also be produced with messages such as “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays”, to include senders and recipients who may not celebrate Christmas.

This article is written by Arindam Bose for http://www.ecard4all.com. It is a free article and can be used by any webmaster on their website, provided they will keep the link intact with the article.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arindam_Bose