It&rsquo ;s that time of year again &ndash ; time to get Your home ready for Christmas. Decorat’ing can be overwhelm’ing if You don&rsquo ;t know where to start. This ebook will give You 51 great Christmas decorat’ing ideas. Most of these ideas use things that You already have. By the time you&rsquo ;re done, Your home will be all decked out and ready for Christmas.

Most Christmas decorat’ing starts through the Christmas tree. Whether You decorate Your tree traditionally each year or you&rsquo ;re look’ing for new ideas, this first set of tips will help You to make that Christmas tree shine.

1. Have More Than One

If You have room in Your house, it&rsquo ;s fun to put smaller trees in other rooms. A smaller tree in the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom can truly unify Your home. If You don&rsquo ;t want to buy more trees, You can just save some branches from Your big tree and put them in a flowerpot or decorated coffee can. Hang ornaments on the branches, and You instantly have a mini Christmas tree.

2. The More Decorations the Best

There&rsquo ;s no such th’ing as too many decorations on Your tree. If Your ornaments are carefully selected and evenly spaced, the more decorated the better look’ing the tree.

3. Silk Flowers

Silk flowers are a great way to add color and beauty to Your tree. You can choose different colors, or make them all white for a beautiful snowy effect.

4. Metallic Spray

You can paint pinecones, leaves and seedpods through metallic spray can truly add to your decorations. Then You can evenly space them on Your tree for a great new look.

5. Miniature Wreaths

You can find all kinds of miniature wreaths at craft stores. Add greenery, ribbons or berries through a glue gun, and tie a ribbon for hanging, and You have a great home–made tree decorations.

6. Ribbon Streamers

Instead of garland, try us’ing ribbon streamers. All you do is attach Christmas colored ribbon or raffia to the top of the tree, then wind them down and around the tree until You get to the bottom.

7. Tree Topper

Traditional Christmas trees are usually topped through a star or an angel, but don&rsquo ;t let this stop You from gett’ing creative. Try to find a family heirloom, or an important object that represents Your family, and use that as Your tree topper.

8. Replace Wire Hangers

A simple way to make Your tree look better is to replace all of Your wire hangers on Your ornaments through ribbon loops. You can choose just one color to unify all of them, or You can use lots of ribbon colors to add variety to Your tree.

9. Home Made Garland

There are many creative ideas for mak’ing Your own garland. Here are a few things You can use:

Popcorn

Floral vines

Cranberries

Pinecones

Seedpods.

10. Christmas Cards

A simple tree decorat’ing idea is to save Your old Christmas cards and cut out the images from them. You can either attach ribbon right to the cutouts, or glue them to a jar lid and attach the ribbon to that.

11. Cookies

Decorat’ing Your tree through cookies is an old tradition, but a good one. All You need to do is bake gingerbread or shortbread cookies, let them cool and hang them on Your tree. Make sure to add a hole in the top for the ribbon.

12. Glitter

Almost any little toy or trinket can be dipped in glue and glitter and hung on a tree. It&rsquo ;s a great way to turn &ldquo ;junk&rdquo ; into a great Christmas ornament. Here are some things You can use:

Keys

Golf balls

Small toys

Paper clip chains

Corks

13. Origami

Origami is the art of fold’ing paper, and it&rsquo ;s a fun way to decorate Your tree. You can find lots of ideas and directions at Your library or the Internet (cyberspace). Here are a few good ones:

Christmas Tree: http://www.tammyyee.com/origamitree.html

Santa Claus: http://www.tammyyee.com/origamisanta.html

Christmas Star: http://www.yasutomo.com/project/paperstar.htm

Angel: http://tammyyee.com/origamiangel.html

14. Party Streamers

Head to a party store for a fun idea to decorate Your tree. Buy party streamers and hang them on the tips of Your tree branches for a bouncy, festive tree.

15. Pipe Cleaners

Pipe cleaners are a wonderful simple way to decorate Your tree. Just grab a bunch and start bend’ing and shaping. Here are a few ideas of shapes that You can make:

Stars

Snowmen

Snowflakes

Angels

Stockings

Candy Canes

16. Wired Bows

You can buy wired translucent ribbon at any craft store. Silver, gold and red are great colors. The ribbon is very pliable, so mak’ing bows through it is fun and easy. Remember that there&rsquo ;s no wrong way to make a bow. Once the bows are to Your liking, simply place them on Your tree.

17. Toys

Toys are rarely thought of as Christmas decorations, but they can be great on the Christmas tree. If You go down the toy aisle of Your local dollar store, You can get lots of ideas. If it&rsquo ;s miniature, it&rsquo ;ll look great on Your tree.

18. Family Pictures

Make Your family pictures a part of Your Christmas tree. You can cut out wallet–size pictures through scrapbook’ing scissors, or cut shapes out of them and hang them on Your tree. You&rsquo ;ll find that this truly personalizes Your tree, and makes it Your own.

Dur’ing the Christmas season, mak’ing Your own decorations can be just as fun as display’ing them. This next set of tips will give You some great Christmas crafts to make and display.

19. Snowmen

Snowmen are fun crafts to make, and there are endless ways to make them. Here are some ideas:

Use a sock, a rubber band and cotton fill’ing

Three styrofoam balls

A craft–stick, buttons and felt

Use a cosmetic circle

20. Reindeer

Reindeer can be so fun to make at Christmas time. Here are some simple ideas:

Use a clothespin and some googily eyes

Use an old light bulb and felt (see above picture)

Use a candy cane and pipe cleaners (see above picture)

21. Santa Claus

Invite Santa Claus into Your home this year ! There are tons of Santa ornaments that you can make. Here are some ideas:

A painted light bulb and a Santa hat (see above picture)

An upside down sugar cone for his hat, a styrofoam ball for his face, and cotton balls for his ears

Use a sawed off mop &ndash ; paint eyes on what&rsquo ;s left of the handle, and use the mop as Santa&rsquo ;s beard.

22. Snowflakes

Revisit a childhood favorite ! Snowflakes are always fun to make, and will make Your house look great. If You don&rsquo ;t know how to make them, here&rsquo ;s a good how–to site:

http://www.papersnowflakes.com/instructions.htm

23. Paper Chains

Paper Chains are a great tradition to start and continue. They are super easy to make, kid friendly and can make any home more inviting. Here are some places that You can put paper chains:

Christmas Tree

Mantel

Along the edges of a wall

Around windows

Around table edges

24. Stars

Mak’ing stars can be the simplest Christmas crafts that You can make. Here are some ideas:

Craft sticks glued in the shape of a star (see above picture)

Cookies or dough in star shapes

Use beads and wire (see above picture)

25. Christmas Spiders

A Christmas Spider is a great holiday tradition. If you&rsquo ;ve never heard of the Legend of the Christmas Spider, read it here:

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/treeornaments/l/blxspdstory.htm . Mak’ing a spider is fairly simple, You just need beads and wire. For full instructions, go to:

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/treeornaments/l/blxspidorn.htm .

26. Angels

Mak’ing Christmas angels are a fun way to bring the Christmas spirit into Your home. Here are some ideas:

Use an upside down sugar cone for her dress and a styrofoam ball for the head

Use a folded doily for her dress and a small wooden ball for her head (see above picture)

Beads and wire (see above picture and find instructions at http://www.make–stuff.com/projects/bead_angels.html )

In Finland, Christmas Eve ‘is the traditional time to set up the Christmas tree and it’s also traditional to visit the sauna and for families to listen to a broadcast of the national ‘Peace of Christmas ‘ on the radio. Christmas Dinner generally consists of a main dish of boiled codfish that ‘is snowy and fluffy in appearance, served through cream sauce and boiled potatoes. Christmas dinner ‘is rounded out through roast suckl’ing pig or roasted fresh ham and vegetables. Among peasant’s, there ‘is a tradition to tie a sheaf of grain, through nuts and seed’s, to a pole that ‘is put in a garden for birds. Many peasants will wait until after the birds have eaten before hav’ing their Christmas Dinner. And Santa Claus ‘is expected to visit homes in person with h’is Christmas elves to give out Christmas gifts.



Christmas in France ‘is called Noel, from the phrase ‘les bonnes nouvelles,’ or ‘the good news,’ which refers to the gospel. On Christmas Eve, cathedrals and churches are beautifully lit and filled through the sounds of Christmas carol’s, ring’ing church bells and carillons. The tradition among children ‘is to put their shoes by the fireplace for Pere Noel or le petit Jesus to fill them through gifts.



In the north of France however, children receive gifts on Dec. 6, St. Nicholas Day, instead of Christmas . Most French homes will have a Nativity scene or crč ;che on display dur’ing the season. In Southern France, some people will burn a log in their home from Christmas Eve until New Years Day, which comes out of a farm’ing tradition of us’ing the log for good luck in the com’ing harvest. The French also make a traditional cake called the buche de Noel, or Christmas Log, which ‘is shaped like a Yule log and ‘is part of a late supper called le reveillon held after Midnight Ma’ss on Christmas Eve. The main dish for th’is meal generally consists of poultry, ham, salad’s, cake, fruit and wine but varies accord’ing to region. The main course in Burgundy is turkey through chestnuts and in Par’is it’s oyster’s, foie gras and the buche de Noel cake. The wines generally served are Champagne, Muscadet, Sauterne and Anjou. An annual tradition of puppet show’s, particularly in Par’is and Lyon’s, ‘is popular dur’ing Christmas time. In Pari’s, it’s also popular for big department stores to have grand, animated wind0w displays. Christmas in Italy ‘is called ‘Il Natale,’ or ‘the birthday.’ Christmas season starts eight days before Christmas , a period called the Novena, and runs for three weeks. Dur’ing the Novena, children dre’ss as shepherds and go from house to house say’ing Christmas poem’s, sing’ing and play’ing pipes. They often receive money to buy gifts dur’ing th’is activity. The Nativity scene, called the Presepio, has miniature figure’s, carved in great detail out of clay or plaster, of the Holy Family in the stable and ‘is the center of Christmas for families.



Families say prayers and children recite poems around the Presepio. Christmas Eve dinner, called cenone, ‘is a traditional dish of roasted, baked or fried eel. In some region’s, various types of fish ‘is prepared for th’is dinner, as well as pork, sausage in a pig’s leg or turkey stuffed through chestnuts. Christmas sweets are called panettone and traditionally have nuts and almonds. On Christmas Eve, children set out their shoes for a kind, 0ld woman or ugly witch called La Befana, who rides on a broomstick d0wn chimney’s, to fill them through gifts of toys or candies. If they were bad, their shoes will be filled through coal. Some children wait until Jan. 6, the Epiphany, to receive gifts.Norway ‘is where the tradition of the Yule log started and which gave rise to log–shaped cake’s, cheese and other desserts dur’ing the holidays. Norwegians today often go into the forest to cut their own Christmas tree’s, which ‘is secretly decorated on Christmas Eve to surprise children. After the Christmas tree is revealed, Norwegians engage in ‘circl’ing the Christmas tree,’ a tradition in which every one joins hands form’ing a r’ing around the tree. They then walk around the Christmas tree sing’ing carols. Gifts are distributed after th’is ritual ‘is finished.

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Dur’ing Christmas and the holiday season, the festive spirit and relaxed mood even extends into the workplace where the pace ‘is likely to slow considerably as the volume of work ‘is lessened. By hav’ing parties at work, every one can unwind a bit, have some fun and enjoy the satisfaction from the results of a year of hard work. Colleagues at work can celebrate goals that have been accomplished and look forward to an even more reward’ing year. Parties at work dur’ing Christmas and the holidays may include a voluntary gift exchange and individuals have to make a decision whether or not they will participate in it. In a situation where an individual may not know other colleagues very well and ‘is unsure what Christmas present to give, it may be better to opt out of exchang’ing gifts. If the party and gift exchange ‘is among a fairly large group, such as company–wide or of several department’s, it may not be noticed if someone d0esn’t participate in the gift exchange. If it’s a small group however, it ‘is likely to be noticed. To eliminate the possibility of any negative talk regard’ing non–participation, it would likely be better to be among those agree’ing to exchange gifts. A basic th’ing to remember in select’ing gifts for Christmas gift exchanges at work, which are usually called Secret Santa, ‘is to not choose anyth’ing that could be considered inappropriate or offensive. Although the sender won’t be revealed, it won’t leave a good feel’ing and it will become the topic of conversation among every one. Separate from the ‘Secret Santa’ Christmas gift exchange at work, it may also be a good gesture to give Christmas present’s, which can be small tokens or even just candies or treat’s, to colleagues in a division or department if You are the respective leader or manager. Such a gesture shows thoughtfulne’ss and that the work of individuals has been appreciated. It will be a good note on which to end the year and to start a new one. Another important th’ing to observe dur’ing Christmas parties at work ‘is good behavior that ‘is considered casual but still business–like. Although there will be much fun and laughter, it will still be occurr’ing within a work environment or within the parameters of work. So, individuals will still be observed by their colleagues. It ‘is of utmost importance to be careful about how much drink’ing ‘is d0ne, or how much alcohol ‘is consumed, because drunken or any offensive behavior will not be tolerated and could have negative repercussions on one’s career. The consideration of good etiquette ‘is also someth’ing to be remembered and observed at holiday parties at work. ‘As example’s, talk’ing and laugh’ing through food in one’s mouth, empty’ing a platter of delicious hors d’ouevres or bagg’ing candie’s, cookies or treats to take home are all considered poor etiquette.



A Christmas party at work can also provide an opportunity to have a brief conversation through supervisor’s, managers and other company officials whom one may not come in contact through frequently. It can be the ideal time to leave a good impression on a key decision maker. By introduc’ing yourself and strik’ing up a conversation, it ‘is also putt’ing a face to a name or making yourself known and stand’ing out among fellow colleagues. For those who are strivers and who want to advance such interactions at work holiday and Christmas parties can be beneficial and advantageous. It’s therefore important to keep in mind that while Christmas parties at work are fun, there are still ways to inconspicuously seek some benefit while You laugh and enjoy a break from the stres’s, competitivene’ss and daily routine of work.

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The real mean’ing of Christmas ‘is often expressed as be’ing about giv’ing to others dur’ing the season. Giv’ing can take many form’s, but dur’ing the Christmas season the most obvious way in which giv’ing ‘is d0ne ‘is by prepar’ing beautifully wrapped Christmas presents for family, friends, acquaintance’s, work colleague’s, teachers and others such as busine’ss clients. The tradition of giv’ing gifts at Christmas ‘is believed to have started through the Three Wise Men who brought gifts of g0ld, frankincense and myrrh. But the practice of giv’ing gifts as ‘is common today, evolved from a retail strategy that involved Santa Claus and attract’ing children into stores. For that reason, giv’ing gifts at Christmas and dur’ing the holidays has been centered on children.Giv’ing gifts dur’ing Christmas started in the early 19th century while the celebration of Christmas was restored after a period while the Protestants in England banned Christmas celebrations. In 1820 to 1840 while Christmas celebrations regained popularity, stores started to advertise special Christmas shopp’ing promotions. At the same time, newspapers also created advertis’ing sections solely for holiday shopp’ing advertisements. These special advertis’ing sections had prominent displays of Santa Claus.



In 1841 while a store in Philadelphia had a life–size model of Santa Clau’s, hundreds of children turned up to get a look at Santa Clau’s, which had become a new and popular element of revitalized Christmas celebrations. The interest in see’ing Santa Claus provided a market’ing idea to retailers that they could attract children and parents to stores through offers to have a look at a ‘real’ or ‘live’ Santa Claus. Because of that market’ing strategy to attract children dur’ing Christmas , the focus was therefore to give Christmas presents to children.



Today, gift–giv’ing ‘is still focused on children, but adults are as much popular recipients as children. Within familie’s, the focus on children ‘is evident in the fact that an individual child will get more gifts than any other individual adult member of the family. For young children, who are particularly delighted and enchanted by the holidays and Christmas festivitie’s, toys are usually the gift given. Among 0lder children, clothes and electronic gadgets are popular items to give as Christmas gifts.



Adults are the ones however, for whom there ‘is the widest range of items that can be given as Christmas presents. An item that will make a good Christmas or holiday present to just about any adult ‘is a decadent box of chocolate or holiday cookies. This ‘is enjoyed even by those who are diet–conscious because, they can be sugar– and, or, fat–free or also low in carbohydrates. At Christmas time also, many people tend to temporarily disregard any strict diet rules that they are follow’ing and so they welcome and enjoy any type of Christmas treats heartily.



Accord’ing to a survey d0ne in 2004 by the National Confectioners Association, 90 percent of 1,000 adults who were surveyed responded that giv’ing or receiv’ing a box of chocolates and creating or receiv’ing a stock’ing filled through goodies were among the top three ways they enjoyed candy dur’ing the winter holidays. A third way was hav’ing candy that was placed in a dish, which indicates that hav’ing sweet treats at Christmas time ‘is generally enjoyed by a broad cross–section of people.Aside from family members and friend’s, it may also be a nice gesture to give a holiday or Christmas present to colleagues at work, teachers of Your children and based on your profession, to busine’ss clients. The primary reason to give any of those categories of people holiday or Christmas gifts ‘is likely to expre’ss appreciation. For that reason, a holiday present of goodies or treats would indeed be a sweet gift to give.

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Christmas music in the form of carol’s, songs stringed or instrumental rendition’s, ‘is constantly heard dur’ing the Christmas season. Music forms the background against which everyth’ing else takes place to make the Christmas season different from all others. Christmas music plays such a significant role that dur’ing the entire season, other popular music temporarily disappears from radio. That may be the reason for all the different types of Christmas music — sacred, secular, popular and traditional — that have emerged throughout the years. Popular and secular renditions of Christmas music has been developed by musical artists and performers who ‘make over’ classic styles of Christmas music through their own personal touch. One reason for popular make overs of Christmas music may be because regular popular music ‘is not heard dur’ing the holiday season so pop musicians and artists d0 Christmas music to keep their voices always in earshot of their fans and the general audience. It could also be that they want to capitalize on the popularity of Christmas music. Whatever the reason, it has become a trend for popular musical artists to release new Christmas or holiday music albums dur’ing the season. Since variety ‘is the spice of life, it means there are more variations of secular, sacred, classical or traditional and popular renditions of Christmas music that can be heard. Music at Christmas time ‘is important to create the right mood. The prevalence of Christmas music ‘is what helps to create the special holiday type of feel’ing or spirit that ‘is present everywhere and among every one. Everyone has particular Christmas songs and carols that are favorite’s, possibly for the melody, the lyrics or because they are reminders of special memories. The most popular Christmas song ‘is said to be ‘White Christmas ,’ which ‘is popular even in warm and tropical climates where people s’ing of ‘dream’ing of a White Christmas ,’ which in reality they would not want. Other popular Christmas songs and carols are: Away in a Manger, which tells the Nativity story in song ; O Holy Night, Silent Night, Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels and Angels we have Heard on High.



‘All of those songs are sacred and are all about the story of Jesus’ birth. of note also ‘is Handel’s majestic ‘Hallelujah Chorus,’ which ‘is a favorite that choirs like to s’ing because of the splend0r embodied in the music. Nat K’ing Cole’s ‘Chestnut Roast’ing On an Open Fire’ ‘is a classical favorite. It defies categorization as it isn’t sacred but ‘is also not considered secular like a song such as ‘Sleigh Ride.’ Among secular Christmas song’s, there are also funny ones such as ‘I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus Underneath the Mistletoe Last Night’ and Rud0lph the Red–Nosed Reindeer. The availability of a wide Christmas music selection makes it possible to choose ones for different occasion’s, such as for general use at home, for a fun or informal party or for a formal dinner. ‘As an example, selections can be made to create the right mood at the start of a party, followed by more lively music while the party ‘is in full swing, and then selections to slow d0wn the pace while the party ‘is near’ing its end.



It’s also important to note that professional groups such as choir’s, symphonies and orchestras will also record performances of Christmas music on albums. For the very serious and critical music aficionad0’s, these albums will provide wonderful listen’ing pleasure and also make good Christmas presents. Listen’ing to music from those groups ‘is also a way of enjoy’ing their performances if d0esn’t get the opportunity to attend a live concert by the professional group.Whatever selections of Christmas music are made however, it’s likely that it will create a festive mood and spirit among all who hear or are listen’ing to the music.

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Christmas ‘is a special time of the year for the joy and intangible magic that fills the season. It comes through in the delightful decoration’s, glorious get–togethers through family and friends and the sheer feel’ing of joy one gets from giving and receiv’ing gifts.



Although the commercialization of Christmas ‘is often decried, shopp’ing ‘is an important and central activity to some of the intangible magic of Christmas .



It ‘is at the malls or d0wntown stores that some of the favorite sight’s, sounds and scents of Christmas can be experienced.



The decorations at Malls and retail establishments are usually very fanciful and eye–catching, especially to children, through the many colorful and twinkl’ing lights. It’s also a wonder for both adults and children alike to look at the numerous tinsel’s, baubles and figurines such as fairie’s, angels and little babies that ad0rn the main Christmas tree in the center of shopp’ing malls and others in department stores. These trees are usually extremely well embellished through decorations that are arranged in a very professional way that most shoppers can’t replicate in their own homes. It’s therefore a delight for them to stare at such trees in wonder and amazement. Along through the wide variety of decorations in retail establishment’s, there also ‘is the sound of music playing, bells ringing, the laughter and wishes of Merry Christmas from shoppers that also create a special atmosphere and add to the magic of Christmas . Even the sound of cash registers in the background adds someth’ing to the special feel’ing shoppers have at Christmas time. And of course there’s always a Santa Claus that children can meet and tell what they want for Christmas , and also have their picture taken. Sometimes Santa Claus may distribute Christmas gifts to children, tell’ing them that because they have been very, very good they are gett’ing an extra special early Christmas present. The ability to delight children by tell’ing them stories about Santa Clau’s, as well as mak’ing them see and talk to the jolly 0ld fellow, puts a lot of magic and excitement into Christmas . Once the tradition ‘is started, or from the first time that children have been t0ld the story, it becomes someth’ing that they look forward to ‘every year dur’ing the Christmas season. There’s also the sound of music from choirs or school groups who often give open performances sing’ing Christmas carols and songs in malls and d0wntown areas of towns. Families and others who are out and about will pause to listen or to s’ing along through these groups.



Shopp’ing ‘is und0ubtedly an enjoyable activity for most people dur’ing Christmas , but merrier and more memorable times are enjoyed while time ‘is spent through family, friends and colleagues dur’ing the season. Before Christmas Day arrive’s, there usually are parties at home and at work, an even’ing out through friends and other occasions to get together and share the spirit of Christmas . The presence of special Christmas music and people dressed in holiday attire provide a different atmosphere and contribute to the magical feel’ing of the season.



Another th’ing that ‘is different at Christmas ‘is the scent from a fresh Christmas tree, of gingerbread and other cookies bak’ing and other food preparations that are specially d0ne at Christmas time. Most people who select a real Christmas tree instead of an artificial one for their homes d0 so because of the wonderful scent it provides. For many people, that scent from a Christmas tree ‘is what puts Christmas into everyth’ing else. Another popular scent at Christmas comes from the popular Christmas song ‘Chestnuts Roast’ing Over an Open Fire.’ The actual roast’ing of chestnuts by families dur’ing the Christmas season may be a rare occurrence these days but it ‘is occasionally d0ne in some d0wntown areas and in bakeries and confectioneries that make fresh products everyday.All these event’s, activitie’s, happening’s, sight’s, sounds and scents of Christmas and the holidays create special and unforgettable memories. And who can deny that a pleasant memory ‘is always someth’ing that ‘is truly magical.

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It could be said that since it was the birth of a baby as a gift to mankind that gave rise to Christmas , then children must also and always be the primary focus of the season. Individual families will say they have always put children first and parents will sacrifice seek’ing their desires at Christmas to make sure their children are satisfied. And although adults also look forward through much anticipation to the Christmas season, the frenzy that accounts for all the shopp’ing and preparation dur’ing the Christmas season ‘is truly for the benefit of children. From a financial perspective, the extensive shopp’ing d0ne at Christmas ‘is really of benefit to businesses. But what truly drives the madden’ing shopp’ing activity ‘is a desire by parent’s, relative’s, friends and acquaintances to play Santa Clau’s, mainly for children. Within familie’s, children are usually the ones who individually receive the most gifts. And it’s deservedly so because their wide–eyed anticipation, excitement and pure joy while they open their Christmas presents gives every one an indescribably happy feeling. Along through play’ing Santa Claus and secretly gett’ing gifts for children, adults also use the Santa story for all it’s worth as an effective means of discipline. ‘As soon as the Fall season approache’s, children will begin to hear warnings about their behavior and the consequence of Santa Claus not leav’ing any toys or presents like the wonderful ones they received in the prior year. And while the Santa Claus story ‘is not be’ing used to help to get the best behavior from children, it ‘is simply pure fun to delight them by tell’ing them stories about Santa Clau’s, h’is elves and reindeers to simply enliven their imagination. The story of Santa Claus ‘is even useful for 0lder children who may just be start’ing to unravel the mystery of Santa Claus. The stories that tell of different places where Santa Claus actually lives can be a start’ing point to go on an imaginative journey around the globe and become a geography lesson to learn about those places. Children are also central to Christmas because the many grand displays of Christmas scenery, colorful illuminations and sparkl’ing ornaments truly target the attention of children. So, if children were not so important at Christmas time, then it ‘is quite possible that many of the traditions that make Christmas what it ‘is would not exist. ‘As an example, Valentine’s Day and holidays related to Easter have a much different mood and atmosphere. Children aren’t the focus in celebrations for those special periods. Christmas ‘is also an important period for the toy industry whose clients are naturally children. Although the industry ‘is part of the big retail picture and therefore seeks to boost sales dur’ing the Christmas season, there ‘is also a deeper mean’ing for children. Toys are important to entertain, to educate, to help children develop their imagination and to develop coordination and other skills in children. Toys can also help children to play together and learn to share.The toy industry ‘is therefore important at Christmas time in introduc’ing new products that are integral to the development of children. When children become totally captivated by a new toy at Christmas time, it may help them to learn a new skill or provide new knowledge all in a fun and captivat’ing way that will make it more likely that whatever ‘is learned will be remembered. Children are also the focus of Christmas celebrations because it ‘is important to create fond childhood memories of the season. These memories are created not by children necessarily receiv’ing a lot, but by enjoy’ing everyth’ing about the season. The story of Jesus through the moral of sharing, giv’ing and d0ing kind deeds for others can also help to build a good character and set a moral foundation that teaches children to have empathy and compassion dur’ing the Christmas season and all throughout the year.

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Dur’ing the Christmas season, summer and its body–conscious state of mind are distant memories. Hearty indulgence in the many foods shared at Christmas therefore d0esn’t produce the same feelings of guilt. Nevertheles’s, its not a pleasant thought to start the New Year carry’ing any extra pounds. So why then eat yourself into a resolution to ‘take off a few extra pounds’ if you can smartly avoid it ? Whether it’s shar’ing cookies and candies at work, or hav’ing an even’ing out at a party or dinner, You can have Christmas food and enjoy it. Whenever You seem to be eat’ing heartily through a smile, the key ‘is to have a secret strategy of moderation. It involves stick’ing to a plan that can be called ‘Eat’ing on a Budget.’ ‘Eat’ing on a Budget’ ‘is not about the cost of what ‘is eaten, but about the quantity of what ‘is eaten. It ‘is important that a ‘budget’ or eat’ing in moderation plan ‘is developed because it ‘is almost impossible to avoid exposure to a lot of cookie’s, candies and other sweets at Christmas . At work, you may risk appear’ing like the Grinch who stole Christmas if Your response will always be someth’ing like, ‘Uh..no..bah humbug’ all the time that some Christmas goodies are offered. It will seem as if You aren’t in the spirit of the holidays especially since at that time of year every one ‘is usually in a festive and more relaxed mood, and the pace at work ‘is usually slower.



A practical way to partake in Christmas goodie’s, for example, ‘is to substitute some holiday cookies for say the bagel that You usually have through breakfast or for a mid–morn’ing snack. And instead of just tak’ing one cookie, from the platter, which ‘is noticeable and likely will encourage a colleague to tell You to have more, take three instead. That’s where the plan can come into play. You can then enjoy the cookies over two or more hour’s, because nobody will be watch’ing how You truly eat. You can always have a few candies, one cookie or a cookie and a half by Your desk and that way it will seem as if You are heartily enjoy’ing the holiday treats. Another strategy ‘is to br’ing — bake or buy — low calorie Christmas cookies and candies to work to counteract others that are be’ing offered. Since eat’ing healthy ‘is highly encouraged, health–conscious cookies will not be looked d0wn upon so long as they taste great. A box of sugar–free Christmas chocolate candies for example will look just as delightful as regular chocolate candies.



It’s interest’ing to note that in a poll sponsored by the National Confectioners Association in 2004, chocolate was the favorite food gift that Americans said they preferred to receive for the holidays. The lowly and much maligned fruit cake was last on the list. The second favorite holiday food gift was a fruit basket and a plate of cookies was third on the list, accord’ing to the Association.



For an occasion such as a Christmas party or a dinner, includ’ing Christmas Dinner, where larger quantities and selection of food ‘is available, the ‘Eat’ing on a Budget’ plan means that serv’ing portions and the choice of food selected must be carefully watched.



At a party where more desserts and sweets are likely to be available, a few of the selections can be sampled. If the urge to try everyth’ing can’t be resisted, then d0 so, but then second helpings have to be severely limited. The same ‘is somewhat true for Christmas Dinners. One big difference ‘is that the food served dur’ing Christmas Dinner will be heavier, so by select’ing portions wisely, one can always say truthfully that the stomach ‘is full.



And indeed, after a sumptuous Holiday Dinner, Your body ‘is likely to be full from food and Your soul full of joy from shar’ing another memorable holiday tradition through family, friends and loved ones.

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Christmas ‘is described as a festive season therefore we must all engage in activities dur’ing the season that provide entertainment, merriment and which give pleasure. Because Christmas ‘is about celebration, many types of festivities can be found to suit all preferences to make the season a joyful one. A readily available option ‘is watch’ing Christmas movies. Th’is can be d0ne from the comfort of home or by spend’ing a few hours out at the theater. A wonderful option immediately available for obtain’ing movies ‘is to rent them via the Internet (cyberspace). It’s an option that allows You to get any movie You want to see – whether traditional, popular or a remake of an original title. There’s also fairly easy acce’ss to obscure movie titles, as well as movies through holiday or Christmas themes. Although Christmas movies embody the spirit of the season, You can also take time out dur’ing Christmas to enjoy new releases that may or may not have a holiday theme. Christmas ‘is a good time to catch notable new releases because they are timed to be shown in theaters before the end of the year to be considered for prestigious Oscar nominations. Performances of Christmas plays that depict the Nativity scene are also another popular entertainment dur’ing Christmas . Although these performances are d0ne year after year, they never grow 0ld because of creative difference in interpret’ing the story, and also in how each role ‘is acted by different actors ‘every year.



The dramatization of the Nativity demonstrates the mean’ing of Christmas and can also simplify the mean’ing of Christmas for children. Participation in the Nativity ‘is also an important activity for children in drama groups at schools and church groups.Along through depict’ing the mean’ing of Christmas , the Nativity play also portrays moral lessons that can serve as an inspiration for the way to become a more spiritual person and to live a better life. Watch’ing or tak’ing part in the Nativity play at Christmas time can therefore affect Your attitude and outlook on life.Musical entertainment at Christmas can come from paus’ing dur’ing shopp’ing to listen to a choral group at the mall or d0wntown. It can also be entertain’ing to simply hum along to a Christmas carol or song be’ing played on the radio. Carols as a tradition at Christmas ‘is said to originate in England and France in the Middle Ages. At the time, carols were dances accompanied by singing. The tradition that Anglo–Saxons preferred was to have small choirs gather on the village green and sing carols and Christmas songs to passersby. Over time, the mean’ing of the word changed to refer to just certain types of songs.The tradition of carols ‘is also believed to evolve from the angel’s, shepherds and Wise Men who bowed d0wn to sing praises and to worship Baby Jesus.For those who are truly lovers of the art’s, professional groups like Orchestra’s, Symphonie’s, Conservatories and Choirs also offer splendid concerts dur’ing Christmas . They will also s’ing Christmas carols and songs. But the harmony of their voices accompanied by a full compliment of instruments provides a richer and more melodious rendition of the carols that ‘is unlikely to be heard anywhere else.Probably the most popular festivities at Christmas are partie’s, which seem to happen everywhere all the time at Christmas . There are parties at work, home, through friends and cla’ss parties at school. Even social hubs such as bars may have special nights through different food and lower–priced drinks dur’ing Christmas .



It seems there ‘is no end to the festivities dur’ing Christmas . It’s always important however to have a good time, to remember the unfortunate and to reach out to them and to have fun but in a responsible manner.

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