~ Christian Festivals ~

[MysteRy]

Christmas Bells

The festive season of Christmas is a wonderful occasion for decorating homes and premises and to enjoy the chilly winter, with loved ones. During the season, people would make themselves busy by doing a number of activities that revolve around the festival of Christmas. These may include making scrumptious cakes and other delicacies, cleaning and decoration of homes and premises and adoring Christmas tree with beautiful ornaments. Christmas ornaments of varying sizes, shapes, colors and price range are available in the stores, during the holiday season. Out of the embellishments used for Christmas decorations, bell and ball ornaments stand out. Jingle bells can be used to adorn almost any part of the home. They can also be hung on Christmas tree. Go through the following lines to know more about Christmas bells.

Christmas Bell Decorations

You may use jingle bells extensively, to decorate your homes and premises, including doorstep, entranceway, lawn, backyard, windows and interiors, during the festival of Christmas.

Tie a bunch of jingle bells to your door knob. The tinkling sound of bells would be very pleasing to the ears, every time the door is opened or closed. In addition, it would attract the instant attention of your Christmas time visitors.

Take a red or green colored satin ribbon and tie a couple of jingle bells to it. Now, hang the tied jingle bells on your Christmas tree. Ensure that the length of the ribbon is just appropriate for the tree. Moreover, the bunch of bells should not be a burden for the branches of the tree. Apart from ribbon, you may also make use of tinsel string to tie the Christmas bells.

Tiny jingle bells tied together in a circle of wire would make a unique Christmas wreath for your front door. Decorate the wreath with a ribbon, to give the finishing touch to it.

It would be surprising to know that a tiny jingle bell can also be used as a pin for Christmas clothes. All you need to do is take a safety pin and tie the jingle bell with the pin. You may also use it to decorate your Christmas hat. Using it as a hair decoration is another good idea.

Add a small ornament with a tiny jingle bell to make a beautiful embellishment for your Christmas tree. Hang the ornament on the branches of your tree.

A unique way to make use of Christmas bells as embellishments for the tree is to make a string of bells and place them around the tree skirt.

You may also make a string of jingle bells, by tying them together with a string. Use the string of jingle bells to decorate the stairway. This is a nice idea to welcome your Christmas visitors.

[MysteRy]

Twelve Days Of Christmas

Christmas is celebrated with religious fervor across different parts of the world. A number of rituals and traditions are associated with the merrymaking of the festival, one of the most popular being the observance of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Contrary to the popular belief, the Twelve Days of Christmas do not begin before the festival. In fact, they start on the day of Christmas, and continue for the next eleven days. The first day is December 25 and the twelfth night is January 6. Celebrating the 12 days of Christmas is an age old tradition followed since times immemorial. With the passage of time, there have been many changes in the way of celebration of the 12 days of Christmas. In the article, check out detailed information on the twelve days of Christmas.

12 Days Of Christmas
The origin and counting of the Twelve Days of Christmas is a bit complicated. This is largely because of the difference in the traditions followed in churches, variation in culture of people as well as the difference in calendars. In the Western Church, Epiphany, which falls on January 6, is observed as the day, when the Three Wise Men or Magi reached Bethlehem to present gifts to newborn Jesus. According to the culture followed in Hispania and Latin America, January 6 is observed as the Three Kings Day. Although the birth of Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated as Christmas on December 25 in the aforementioned regions as well, the tradition of gift giving is followed on January 6. In some parts of the world, there exists a tradition according to which, gifts are given on each day of the Twelve Days Of Christmas.

Churches in different regions have modified their way of celebrating the 12 days of Christmas. In some places, December 26 is observed as Saint Stephen's Day, while in other places the day is celebrated on December 27. The only thing that remains unchanged is the celebration of the birth of Lord Jesus Christ around the world on December 25. There is no definite reason for the twelve-day celebrations of Christmas, though many believe that it may be the number of days that the three Kings of Magi took to reach Bethlehem. Each day of the Twelve Days of Christmas has its own significance.

The last day, or rather night is usually celebrated on January 6. On this day, the Christmas tree and its decorations are taken down. Thereafter, a grand feast is organized in every Christian house. Some people cook something traditional and different for each of the twelve days, while some bake a cake on the twelfth day. In many countries of the world including France and England, the twelfth day is celebrated by making King's cake, in the remembrance of the three wise men or Magi. A song by the same name is very popular and is sung by little children, during the celebrations of the festival. The true essence of Christmas is seen in the celebration of these 12 days of sheer joy and festivity.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Carols

Christmas carols add the gaiety and festivity to the celebrations of the festival. Caroling has its roots in ancient Greece, where it originated as 'choraulien' meaning 'to dance to a flute'. Year after year, we hear and sing these delightful sing-alongs. So many gifted authors have penned these lovely melodies over the years and their charm magic never wears off! With time a few carols became more and more popular and a vital part of the Christmas celebrations. Here we have brought for you some of these popular carols' lyrics.

Christmas Carols & Songs

Jingle Bells
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh,
Over the fields we go, laughing all the way.
Bells on bob-tails ring, making spirits bright,
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight.

Chorus
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
O what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.
A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright, was seated by my side;
The horse was lean and lank, misfortune seemed his lot;
He got into a drifted bank and we got upshot.
(Chorus)
A day or two ago, the story I must tell
I went out on the snow, and on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by, in a one-horse open sleigh;
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away .
(Chorus)
Now the ground is white, go it while you're young
Take the girls tonight, and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bob-tailed bay, two-forty as his speed;
Hitch him to an open sleigh and crack! you'll take the lead.
(Chorus)

Silent Nights
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight,
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavely hosts sing alleluia;
Christ the Saviour, is born!
Christ the Saviour, is born!
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
When I was but a youngster,
Christmas meant one thing,
That I'd be getting lots of toys that day.
I learned a whole lot different,
When my Mother sat me down,
And taught me to spell Christmas this way:
"C" is for the Christ child, born upon this day,
"H" for herald angels in the night,
"R" means our Redeemer,
"I" means Israel,
"S" is for the star that shone so bright,
"T" is for three wise men, they who traveled far,
"M" is for the manger where he lay,
"A"'s for all He stands for,
"S" means shepherds came,
And that's why there's a Christmas day,
And that's why there's a Christmas day.

Christmas is Coming
Christmas is coming,
The geese are getting fat,
Please put a penny
In the old man's hat.
If you haven't got a penny,
A ha'penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha'penny,
Then God bless you.

Oh Holy Night!
Oh holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend.
Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Oh! You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
Santa Claus is coming to town!
He's making a list,
He's checking it twice,
He's gonna find out
who's naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town!
He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake.
He knows when you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!
So...You better watch out,
You better not cry
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Little tin horns,
Little toy drums.
Rudy-toot-toot
and rummy tum tums.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Little toy dolls that cuddle and coo,
Elephants, boats and Kiddie cars too.
Santa Claus is coming to town.
The kids in Girl and Boy Land will have a jubilee.
They're gonna build a toyland town all around the Christmas tree.
Oh....You better watch out,
You better not cry.
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why.
Santa Claus is comin'
Santa Claus is comin'
Santa Claus is comin'
to town.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Decorations

Christmas décor is an important part of the celebrations. With lots of greens and reds around the homes to bring warmth to the coldest evening of the year and cheer to the snowy night, this is the day when people light up and decorate the houses to commemorate the birth of child Jesus. Festivity is the theme of the celebrations and there are ample use of lights and candles, colors and flowers, ornaments and wreaths in the decorations. Christmas tree and the star ranks foremost amongst the favored decoration items of the house. We have some suggestions that you might use this Christmas to add gaiety to the look of your house. These tips will definetly help you in providing your house with a wonderful environment. So, go ahead use these tips in this year christmas.

The Wreath
The wreath of evergreen leaves symbolizes hope and life. You can decorate the simple wreath from the market by tying a bright red ribbon tied around it and attaching a huge bow to it. Add hollies and bells to the wreath to give it the Christmas mood. Mount it on a wall just in front of the door to attract the attention of the visitors. You can also make a wreath at home by tying together the boughs of any evergreen tree with a red ribbon and adding glitter, ornaments, hollies and cotton to give the impression of snow. If you place it on the table or on top of the fireplace you may also put candles around it to give the dramatic effect.

The Star
Shiny red or silver paper, cardboard, glitter, glue, scissors and string is all you need to make the shimmering stars of all sizes to put up at different places around the house for Christmas decorations such as doors, windowsills and porticoes. Cut out cardboard stars in the desirable sizes. Punch a hole to the top and attach strings through it to the star. Paste the shiny paper to the cardboard and paste glitter on it. Dust the excess glitter and your star is ready.

Lights
While one can opt for artificial trees with sockets and provisional wirings, real ones look better in the end. Amount of lights used depends upon the size of the tree. However 1 string of 100 lights per foot will look good. Similarly small bulbs are preferable over the larger ones. One should start from the top and descend while wrapping each or alternate branch from inside the tree to the trunk of the tree. Another option is to place lights along the perimeter of the tree. Green wiring will easily merge with the color of the tree.

The Christmas Tree
A decorated Christmas tree with candles and lights and gifts heaped around its base is the center of attraction at Christmas. Normally, a two-feet tree is enough for a normal-sized house. However, one should decide upon the size of the tree depending upon the ceiling height and the width of the space in the room. Make sure that stand is heavy enough to bear the weight of the tree. Tree should be kept away from any flammable substance and precautions must be taken to prevent it from accidentally catching fire. Usually the fresh, neatly-trimmed trees with smaller needles and having adequate space between the branches are preferred because they are easier to decorate. Fill the stand with lukewarm water and make a fresh cut on the stem of the tree to make it last longer.

Ornaments
Small teddies, dolls, miniature hats, pinecones, colorful balls, clip on fairies, daisies, hollies and candies are just of the items that one can use as Christmas ornaments to decorate the fir tree. The only thing to be kept in mind is the proportion, harmony and synchronization of the look. Use them so that they are lighted well from the lights that have been used on the Christmas tree and there are no unwanted gaps to hamper the look of the tree. Ribbon loops will add colors while silk flowers give a delicate formal look to the tree. White fluffy items as snow and red bright shiny items to brighten the tree are desirable. You may add glitter to balls to give a shimmering look to your tree while one can use imagination and dried flowers and even silver and copper colored twigs as beautiful ornaments for the Christmas tree. Unlit candles, cotton wool, stars and angles are other items that can often be seen on Christmas trees.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Eve

Christmas is celebrated with great fanfare across different countries of the world. The day is preceded by Christmas Eve, which falls on December 24, and followed by eleven days of the festival, ending on January 6. Christmas Eve holds special significance in the celebrations of the festival. The day is celebrated with much enthusiasm by the Christians all over the world. On Christmas Eve, people would follow a number of rituals and customs associated with the celebration of the festival. In fact, Christmas Eve is as important as the day of the festival. It holds social as well as cultural significance, because it is the time to have get together with family and friends and to pray to God for their wellbeing.

On Christmas Eve, houses are cleaned from top to bottom and are decorated beautifully with lights and other lovely festoons. Kids and youngsters get excited about decorating their houses and the festive season ushers in a spirit of well being and contentment. During the afternoon or early evening, the Mass of Vigil is conducted. At the stroke of midnight, a Midnight Mass is observed by Christians all over the world, thus officially marking the start of Christmas. Christmas Eve is very exciting, yet a peaceful time. Presents packed in attractive gift-wraps are placed under the Christmas tree, which is decorated beautifully with lights, ornaments and sweet treats.

Planning dinners on Christmas Eve is a tradition that followed since a long time. Usually, a typical Christmas Eve is celebrated by organizing a family dinner or an elaborate meal. The main dish varies from place to place, depending upon the culture, taste and preference so the people. For instance, the traditional Christmas Eve dinner may consist of roasted goose in Germany, fish soup and breaded roasted carp with potato salad in Czech Republic and Slovakia, seven types of sea food in Italy, etc. The idea is to have a hearty meal with the family and pray for the wellbeing of all. The cozy atmosphere at home is enough to warm up the severest of winter nights.

The main attraction and highlight of Christmas Eve is the arrival of the famous and everyone's favorite - the legendary character Santa Claus. Young kids hang stockings on fireplaces for gifts and leave eatables for Santa Claus. Kids wait enthusiastically to catch a glimpse of the legendary character, who brings along with him Christmas gifts. Santa Claus continues to enchant young and old alike, across the world. In some places, people stay awake until midnight, to open their gifts. It is a tradition in some places, while it is a trend in other places. The idea is to have fun and spread good cheer, on Christmas Eve.

[MysteRy]

History of Christmas

Christmas is one of the most popular festivals around the world. The approaching winter season indicates us that Christmas is around and we usually associate the winter with the Christmas celebration and with 25th December as the birth of Lord Christ. However to your amazement, the history of Christmas dates back over 4000 years and it tells us that celebration during the winter season were common, even way before the Christ was born. It has been celebrated at different places for different reasons and it was quite later that the date of the celebration was fixed to be 25th December. Explore the chronological description of the emergence of Christmas celebrations in the following paragraphs.

Since the times of early Mesopotamia celebrations, there were grand celebrations with bonfires, yule log, sharing of gifts, carnivals and parades during the time that is now known as Christmas season in the honor of their chief god, Marduk. It was believed that every year the God had to wage a war with monsters of chaos in the winter season and the Mesopotamian king had to swear his faithfulness to the god and return with Marduk to battle at his side. This called for sacrifice of the king, which was indeed not a practical thing to do and hence a criminal condemned to death was crowned as the 'mock king' and dressed in royal dress and given all the privileges and respect of the king and then was sacrificed like the King himself. Ancient Greeks had a similar festival where their God Kronos fought against the tyrant God Zeus and his Titans.

Persians and Babylonians celebrated the festival of Sacaea to spread the message of universal love. 25th December has been sacred to the pagans of Romans and the Persians following Mithraism as their religion and on this day, the slaves swapped positions with their masters and could treat the masters as their slaves. Early superstitious Europeans performed special rituals during the Winter Solstice to persuade the sun to come back as they believed that winter was the season for evil spirits, witches, ghosts and trolls. Scandinavians even sent scouts to look for sun on the mountaintops who would rush back to the village as soon as they saw the first rays of the sun to deliver the good news. The good news was enough cause for them to celebrate Yuletide, when a great feast was held around the bonfires made of Yule logs. Some of the people would tie apples on the branches of the coniferous trees in the hope of approaching Spring and Summer.

Romans celebrated Saturnalia from mid-December to 1st of January in the honor of their pagan god Saturn that featured shouts of 'Jo Saturnalia!' masquerades, grand feasts and exchange of Strenae or lucky fruits as gifts. Christmas, in its early days, was observed as the solemn and religious holiday as the birth of Christ that merged later on with the joyous activity of Saturnalia with the increasing number of converts until at last church approved of these celebrations within certain limits. It is believed that Christmas celebrations are being held since 98 AD though; it was 39 years later that the Bishop of Rome ordered a solemn feast to be held every year to the Christmas Eve. It took more than another two centuries for the Bishop of Rome, Julius I, to chose December 25th as the day of observance of Christmas.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Morning

The air is filled with excitement and festivity, as the dawn breaks over Christmas day. Known as Christmas morning, the time is much awaited by people, who celebrate it with pomp and gaiety. The day begins with people chanting prayers and singing jingles and songs in the praise of Lord. People across the world celebrate Christmas morning in different ways, by following their own traditions and customs related to the festival. In some places, the streets are covered with heavy snow, in the Christmas morning. It is wonderful to see the streets wearing snow white color and the beautifully decorated outdoor Christmas trees adorning the premises of the houses.

Christmas morning is filled with fun and exciting activities. People would set up a small miniature manger with some sand and straws. The manger depicts Nativity scene, that is, the birth of Jesus Christ in a stable. Toy cows, sheep and shepherds are placed inside the manger. A small cozy spot is made within the manger, where baby Jesus is made to lie down. Usually, the young kids in a family indulge themselves in the activity of decorating manger. After the work is done, prayers are recited and gifts, which were placed under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, are opened.

In many places, people put on new clothes, scrub-clean, decorate their homes and premises and go to the church early in the morning of Christmas. In some regions, a huge procession is arranged by the Church and a parade, depicting the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, is organized early in the morning. This procession finally ends at the Church, where everyone gathers for prayers. In the Church, special prayers are organized. Thereafter, the congregation disperses and people would go to their respective places, to have the Christmas morning breakfast.

The traditional breakfast of Christmas morning usually consists of pancakes, fried eggs, ham, wine and champagne. However, the menu for the breakfast may vary from region to region, as the tastes of the people vary. Family members call upon their close friends and relatives to have breakfast with them. After having the scrumptious breakfast, they would gather at a nearby place or the home of the host, to have fun and celebrate the festival of Christmas. Some of the Christmas morning activities may include making beautiful crafts, singing songs and carols.

Christmas morning celebrations vary in different parts of the world. In Bethlehem, the small town where Jesus was born, decorations and festivity don't cease and become all the more vigorous on the morning of December 25. A bright artificial star is set up on a pole in the center of the village, depicting the 'guiding star' that showed the way to the manger, where Jesus Christ was born. It doesn't really matter how Christmas morning is celebrated, as long as fun, festivity and faith don't cease to exist, among people all over the world.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Stories

Christmas being a popular festival, many authors have opted for the festival as the backdrop of their fiction. Some of these stories have become so popular that they have been told and retold again and again and are being taught in schools as part of the curriculum for kids. Some of them being :The Gift Of The Magi - by O' Henry, A Christmas Carol - by Charles Dickens, A Visit From St. Nicholas - by Clement Clarke Moore. These festivals have long been the popular bed time stories for kids. We have brought you one such popular story' A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore for enjoyable reading and also get food for thought about the real purpose of this festival.

A Visit From St. Nicholas - by Clement Clarke Moore
'Twas the night before Christmas', when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that ST. NICHOLAS soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winter's nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the luster of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name: "Now, DASHER! Now, DANCER! Now, PRANCER and VIXEN! On, COMET! On CUPID! On, DONDER and BLITZEN! To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, so up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my hand, and was turning around, down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; the stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly, which shook, when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; a wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, Laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight. "HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT."

[MysteRy]

Christmas Traditions

'Merry Christmas!' evokes a feeling of warmth and happiness that encompasses the world in a thread of love and oneness as preached by the Lord Christ who took birth on this day. There are many traditions that have become associated with this festival over time such as Christmas tree, Midnight Mass and gifts that have their own significance and role to play in the Christmas celebration. An accumulation of the practices of at least half a dozen cultures over the centuries, all the Christmas traditions have their own sentiments and meanings and are symbolic of liveliness and harmony of the season. Explore here the various vital traditions of Christmas.

Popular Christmas Traditions

Christmas Tree
An ornamented and illuminated Christmas tree has its own attraction during Christmas as everybody keeps straying around it, if just to get a peek of the little treasure of gifts accumulated at its base. It symbolizes warmth, love and happiness of the festive season. The Christmas Gifts are placed on the base of the Christmas tree. The Christmas ambience can't even be imagined without a shining beautifully decorated Christmas tree with tuning bulbs, candles and Christmas stars.

Poinsettia
A much-beloved star-shaped flower of the United States, Poinsettia has a bright red color. Also termed as 'Flower of the Holy Night' or the 'Flame Leaf', the botanic name of this plant is Euphorbia Pulcherrima. It was named 'Poinsettia' by German botanist, Wilenow, which means 'very beautiful'. It is the flower used on the occasion of Christmas.

Gifts
Christmas teaches us to care about our loved ones, our friends and relatives, our enemies and foes, strangers, poor and downtrodden alike. It binds us in one spirit of hope, love and faith. Giving and receiving gifts is not about money but about the thoughts that you gave in to select the gift. Though the ritual has now become so much commercialized that the feeling of love and care has been lost in the glam and glitter. However, still the exchange of gifts keeps the spirits of Christmas high in the air.

Candy Cane:
Earlier, candy canes were shaped like a shepherd's crook as a symbol of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. A candy maker introduced the Christmas Candy Cane in 17th century from Indiana. He used the pure white color originally to symbolize purity and virginity of Mother Mary, and the sinless nature of Jesus Christ and his perfect life. Later in the early 20th century, the three small red stripes and one large red stripe were introduced to represent the stripes of the scourging Jesus and the bloodshed by Christ on the Cross.

Midnight Mass
On Christmas Eve, midnight mass and day services are held in the Churches to send out the message and sermons of love and redemption to the devotees as people gather to pray and thank god for his blessings and commemorate the sacrifices of Christ that he made to save the mankind. Priests often ask people to 'give each other the sign of peace', which is considered a clue to shake the hand of a complete or give a quick kiss or hug to a family member as the sign of love and compassion and oneness of the mankind on the Christmas Eve.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Flowers

Flowers are an important part of Christmas decorations. Every year, people buy flowers during the festive season, to decorate their Christmas tree, wreath, home and many other things. Christmas flowers such as rose, lily and daisy are sold extensively in the markets. Such importance is given to flowers, because they symbolize love, peace and prosperity. When a bud blossoms into flower, it represents the renewal of life, which is the essence of the celebrations of the Christian festival. Apart from using the flowers for decorations, they are also given as gifts, to loved ones. Explore all about Christmas flowers, in the following lines.

Flowers For Christmas

The first thing keep in mind while purchasing flowers for Christmas is whether they will go well with your chosen theme or not. For instance, if you are throwing a Christmas party, then you would have to search for the flowers that are suitable for the theme of the occasion. If flowers are totally in contrast with your theme would look out of the place. 

There are many ways to make use of flowers as decorations. You can make a beautiful bouquet of flowers, insert it into a vase and make use of it as a centerpiece for your dinner
table.

Tie flowers into a string or yarn, to make garlands. The flowers garlands can serve as embellishments for your Christmas tree. Hang the garlands on the branches, when you have arranged all the other ornaments on the tree.

You can also use flowers to decorate your Christmas lights and candles. Dry the flowers thoroughly. Paste the dried flowers on a transparent sheet. Wrap the sheets, containing the dried flowers, around the candles and lights.

You may send Christmas wishes to your loved ones by attaching a 'best wishes' card to a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Flowers shops are now providing the facility of delivering the flowers on the Christmas Eve or the day of the festival, within the stipulated time. All you need is pay some shipping charges and price of the flowers, to get them delivered immediately.

Flowers can make excellent Christmas gifts. Choose the flowers according to the choice of the person receiving the gift. Put the bunch of flowers in beautiful vase and send it to your loved one. It is definite that the present would be cherished for a long time.

If you want to make an assortment of flowers for your bouquet, then look for the popular combinations. The combination of blooming white azalea, kalanchoe and green ivy plant and the assortment of daisies with carnation are very popular during the Christmas season. Iries, lilies and daisies are also often combined to make beautiful Christmas flower bouquets.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Grinch

The festival of Christmas commemorates the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity. He was born as the divine son of Virgin Mary and Joseph. As per the legends, Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, in a manger (stable). Christmas is the day to have fun with the near and dear as well as pray to the Almighty, for their wellbeing and for blessing them with lovely people. A number of legends are associated with the celebrations of Christmas. The stories carry the real essence of Christmas, each giving different morals to the readers.

"How The Grinch Stole Christmas" is one of the most popular books written by Dr. Seuss. It is so famous worldwide, that it has become a popular legend associated with the merrymaking of Christmas. The book was written in 1957. It is a famous story that is told to young kids, on the auspicious occasion of Christmas. The book has been made into animated version and its adaptation has been filmed as well. Grinch has also been enacted in theater. It is written in the form of a rhymed verse, along with beautiful illustrations. In the following lines, we have summarized the story of Grinch.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas   
In the story 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas', Grinch is depicted as a green hairy cat-like creature, who hates the spirit of Christmas and the festivities related to it. He lives in a cave on Mount Crumpet, accompanied by his faithful dog - Max. He is supposed to have a heart that is two sizes smaller than normal. On the low lands of the cave is the town of Whoville, the homeland of the Whos, who are warm and loving people. Grinch could hear the people of Whoville, talking and laughing excitedly, whenever Christmas is round the corner. Immensely jealous of their happiness, he decides to disrupt their celebrations, so that the spirit of Christmas fades away forever. He makes a tricky plan to steal all the Christmas presents of people, when they go off to sleep.

Although Grinch succeeds in stealing all the gifts, he couldn't stop the spirit of Christmas from coming to Whoville. He sees that people still celebrate the festival with pomp and gaiety and are still happy about it, even in the absence of the presents. This makes him realize that the celebrations of Christmas are not just limited to gifts; it is much beyond it. The festival is about being happy for each other, even during hardship. Overwhelmed by the spirit of Christmas, Grinch changes his attitude, returns the presents to the residents of Whoville and pleads for mercy. Touched by the sea-change in his attitude, the people of Whoville warmly accept him in their community, wholeheartedly. This makes his heart grow three times bigger and consequently, he becomes a darling of the people.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Hangings

During the holidays of Christmas, people clean their home and decorate it beautifully. Christmas tree is also adorned with attractive embellishments, during the festive season. While most people purchase ornaments from the stores, to use them for the decorations, others prefer to spend frugally, for the festival. One of the ways to have an economical Christmas is to make embellishments at home. Today, making ornaments at home is very easy, because all the supplies needed are readily available in the stores. Hangings make one of the common ornaments, which can be used to decorate empty walls of your home. In this article, we have given ideas for making beautiful Christmas wall hangings.

Christmas Wall Hangings

One of the commonly used decorative items for Christmas is quilted wall hanging. Make use of a medium sized or large sized quilt to decorate the empty walls, during the festive season. Symbols and images related to the festival are apt for the designs of the decorative quilted wall hanging. Nativity Scene or Santa's reindeer would be the best bet.

At times, small things can create a huge impact. Ditto applies to candy cane stocking hangers. It is small, yet very impressive.

If you are looking for a designer piece of hanging, then go for wall votives. Wall votives are available for a variety of sizes and materials, bronze and brass being the most chosen ones.

Signboards can also serve as wonderful wall decorations, provided you place them at strategic locations within your home's premises. Signboards made of wood would provide a countryside look to your home décor. The only difference is that in this case, the signboards would not mention the names of places, but would consist of Christmas wishes.

You can put card holders and wreath holders to the best use, this Christmas time. Fill the wreath holder with miniature sized Christmas cards, while place medium sized greeting cards inside the card holder. This would add substance to the empty walls of your home as well as convey your Christmas wishes.

You may also make wall hangings for Christmas, at home. For the purpose, you will need a light colored cloth napkin, dowel rod, red or green colored yarn, red and green paint and glue.

First, fold the top portion of the napkin, over ½ inch and apply a dab of glue on it, to secure it. Dip your hand in the green paint. Press your hand several times on the napkin, to form a pattern of a wreath. To create shape of holly berries, dip your thumb in red paint and imprint. Attach a dowel rod, insert the yarn and hang it on your wall.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Hymns

Christmas is celebrated with religious fervor by people following Christianity. For them, it is the most auspicious occasion of a calendar year. Like most of the festivals that have transnational importance, Christmas has also been commercialized. In the present time, celebrating Christmas is all about spending on festoons, cakes, parties, clothes and gifts. Nonetheless, the religious aspects of the festival still haven't faded away completely. In many countries of the world, people still commemorate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ by following all the traditions and rituals that have been associated with it. Hymns are chanted to invoke the Almighty and seek his blessings, on Christmas. In this article, we have provided the lyrics for Christmas hymns.

Christmas Hymn Lyrics

A Babe Is Born
A Babe is born, all of a maid,
To bring salvation unto us;
No more are we to sing afraid,
Veni Creator Spiritus.

At Bethlehem, that blessèd place,
The Child of bliss then born He was;
Him aye to serve, God give us grace,
O Lux beata Trinitas.

There came three kings out of the East,
To worship there that King so free;
With gold and myrrh and frankincense,
A solis ortus cardine.

The shepherds heard an angel cry,
A merry song that night sang he,
“Why are ye all so sore aghast?”
Iam lucis orto sidere.

The angel came down with a cry,
A fair and joyful song sang he,
All in the worship of that Child,
Gloria Tibi Domine.

Amy Grant
Praise to God whose love was shown
Who sent his Son to Earth
Jesus left his rightful throne
Became a man by birth
The virgin's baby son
All creation praised Him
God incarnate come
Come to Bethlehem

Still a higher call had He
Deliverance from our sins
Come to set all people free
From Satan's hold within

For by the sin of man we fell
By the Son of God
He crushed the power of hell
Death we fear no more

Now we stand with strength, with power
The sons of God on earth
Faithful to the final hour
Christ's righteousness our worth

And now all praise is given
For the babe, the Son
The Savior King is risen
Christ is Lord indeed

For the babe, the Son
The Savior King is risen
Christ is Lord indeed

All Praise To Thee, Eternal Lord
All praise to Thee, Eternal Lord,
Clothed in a garb of flesh and blood;
Choosing a manger for Thy throne,
While worlds on worlds are Thine alone.

Once did the skies before Thee bow;
A virgin’s arms contain Thee now,
While angels, who in Thee rejoice,
Now listen for Thine infant voice.

A little Child, Thou art our Guest,
That weary ones in Thee may rest;
Forlorn and lowly is Thy birth;
That we may rise to Heaven from earth.

Thou comest in the darksome night
To make us children of the light;
To make us, in the realms divine,
Like Thine own angels round Thee shine.

All this for us Thy love hath done;
By this to Thee our love is won;
For this we tune our cheerful lays,
And sing our thanks in ceaseless praise.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Legends

Christmas is one of the most popular festivals in the world. It is celebrated in order to commemorate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. Celebrated with immense zeal and fervor in maximum parts of the world, Christmas has now become a global festival. On the occasion of Christmas, people decorate streets, their houses, and shops with lights and glitters. There is a lot of partying and feasting throughout the world. While the basic formats of celebrations remain the same everywhere, there is a little difference in the traditions as per the local culture of the place. There are also various folklores and legends associated with the festival and traditions. In this article, we have discussed many of these popular Christmas legends. Read on to explore these legends related to Christmas.

Popular Christmas Legends

Santa Claus
Father Christmas or Santa Claus is the favorite of all children on Christmas. The big fat belly, cheerful red color and snow-white beard with that sweet perpetual smile and 'Ho-Ho-Ho' makes this character instantly lovable to kids and adults alike. Children peep our of windows in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Santa on his reindeer sleigh with Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer and number of bags full of toys for good children all over the world. They also hope to see Elvin, the favorite and hard-working elf of Santa, who looks after Santa's Rudolf accompanying him on his ride. They wait for the Christmas presents from Santa, which they believe they will find in their stockings or hanging from pillowcases.

Children take pains to decorate their Christmas present list for Santa and keep it on the windowsill with sugar, cookies, pies and drinks to attract the attention of Santa to it and treat him in return for his kindness. Kids never miss out on checking the gifts Santa brings them on the Christmas night and love to cuddle the big fat Santa in his red suit as he hands candies to the little kids. It is said that the custom of Santa Claus was started after the life of Saint Nicholas, a generous and kind-hearted saint who loved children and was always eager to help poor and the downtrodden. It is said that one Christmas night, he saw a poor father and his three daughters crying for they were so poor that they had eaten nothing for the whole day and could not afford dowry for the girls' marriage. Thus, Nicholas threw three bags of gold from the chimney that fell in the stocking of each girl and brought happiness into their lives forever.

Tree
Martin Luther, the German monk and the famous church reformer has been credited with the indoor tree decorations. It is said that once while he was wandering through the woods, he saw the dew glistening like stars on the fir trees. He was so mesmerized by the beauty that he brought a small tree to his home and tried to recreate the splendor by lighting up little candles on it. In the middle Ages, evergreen trees in home or near home symbolized hope for Spring for Germans and Scandinavians. Later it came to be symbolized as life in Europe and other parts of the world and was thus adopted as Christmas symbol.

There is an interesting legend associating it with the birth of Jesus Christ. On the night when Jesus was born, all creatures contributed gifts to be taken to Bethlehem. While olive tree provided its fruit and palm tree came up with dates, fir tree was at loss and was distressed, as it could offer nothing to the newborn king. So an angel took pity on the poor tree and decorated it with stars. Baby Jesus was pleased to see the lighted tree. Since then, it has become a custom to decorate the fir tree on Christmas.

Poinsetta
According to a Mexican legend, a girl named Maria and her little brother Pablo were so poor that they had nothing to take as a gift to the Baby Jesus in the manger scene set up in the village church during the Christmas festival. They were sad and distressed and while on the way to the church to attend the service, they decided to gather a handful of common weeds as a gift to Christ and made them into a small bouquet.

Touched by their sincerity and devotion and the courage with which they took their humble gift to the church, despite of the teasing of other village children, an angel took pity on them and blessed them. Maria and Pablo quietly placed the green plants around the manger with all the heart and to everybody's surprise, a miracle happened then and there. The green top leaves turned into bright red petals, making beautiful star-like flowers. All who witnessed the scene were touched by the kindness of the great Lord and devotion of the children.

Christmas Star
It is said that a brightly shining star that had miraculously appeared in the eastern sky guided the magi (the three wise men from the East) to the newborn king. Astronomers ruled out the possibility of a meteor that burns up in seconds or a comet because according to their calculation, no comets crossed the earth's path around the time of Christ's birth. However, since the magi were also the astrologers of their time, they may have made calculations and interpreted them to predict that a divine soul was to be born on the Jewish land. Now, people adorn the churches and homes during Christmas with star as a holy sign that symbolizes high hopes, good fortune and happiness in their lives.

According to some stargazers, if we put the birth of Jesus in springtime of 6 B.C., then perhaps we may account for the said star as the triangle of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn planets that had come close together at that time to form the constellation of Pisces, considered especially auspicious by Jewish rabbis. However, some keep themselves aloof from all logic and just believe it to be a miracle and today; the world usually begins the Christian holiday with the appearance of the first star of Christmas Eve. Poland celebrates the Festival of the Star, where the priest acts as the 'Star Man' to test the children's knowledge of religion just after the Christmas Eve meal. Alaskan boys and girls carry a star shaped figure from house to house singing carols on Christmas and receive treats in turn. In Hungary, a star-shaped pattern is carved on one half of the apple is considered a good luck charm.

[MysteRy]

Christmas Mistletoe

Mistletoe is an interesting plant; botanically it is categorized to be partial parasite i.e. the one which grows on the branches or trunk of a tree by penetrating its roots to take up nutrients, however few categories of Mistletoe are also found doing photosynthesis (making food on their own). These are basically popular for being used as a Christmas decoration item. The Greeks thought this plant to have some mystical powers and so down through the years it gradually became a part of several folklore customs. The sprig of mistletoe plant is used as the decoration item in Christmas holiday since ages. The tradition of kissing a friend or a relative or even a stranger on Christmas day is considered to be auspicious.

Christmas Mistletoe Legend
As the tradition of Mistletoe is associated with the Christmas festival for long, there are also various legends associated with this plant. Generally the mystical power of mistletoe has long been at the center of the popular folklores. One of the most talked about of the Christmas Mistletoe Legend is associated with the Goddess Frigga. It is said that the Mistletoe was the sacred plant of Frigga, goddess of love and the mother of Balder, the god of the summer sun. One night, Balder had a dream of death and this greatly alarmed his mother. If Balder died, all the life on earth would end.

In order to make him safe from this misfortune, Frigga went at once to air, fire, water, earth, and every animal and plant seeking a promise to cause no harm to her son. She finally assured that Balder could not be hurt by anything on earth or under the earth. However, Balder's enemy Loki, god of evil knew of one plant that Frigga had ignored in her expedition. This was the plant of Mistletoe, which neither grew on the earth nor under the earth, but on apple and oak trees. So, he made an arrow of the mistletoe, gave it to, Hoder, the blind god of winter, who aimed it striking Balder dead.

As soon as Balder died, world became dark and all things in earth and heaven started mourning for sun god. Every element on the earth and in the heaven tried fort three bring Balder back to life. Finally Frigga, the goddess of love and his mother was able to bring Balder back to life. Out of happiness, she shed tears which turned into pearly white berries on the mistletoe plant. Out of elation, she kissed everyone who passed underneath the tree. The story thus gives a moral message that one who stands under the Mistletoe, can't be harmed by anything and would certainly be blessed by a kiss, a token of love.

Kissing Under Christmas Mistletoe
There are several stories to explain how the tradition of kissing under the Mistletoe began. It is said that it began from the Greek festival of Saturnalia. It has also been seen that Mistletoe was used primitive marriage rites, as it was believed that Mistletoe had the power to confer fertility. One another belief associated with the Mistletoe is that it is blessed with 'life-giving' powers. This belief has certainly been derived from the legend of Balder and Frigga. Scandinavian people regard Mistletoe to be a carrier of peace and thus, people coming under it, had to make up or declare ceasefire, at least temporarily.

However it was in 18th century in England that the concept of 'kissing ball' was introduced. Since then, it was made a ritual that if any young lady was caught under the ball of Mistletoe, she could not refuse to be kissed. This ritual is still prevalent in many European countries and even Canada. Kissing under the Mistletoe is an art in itself and thus, you need to be well prepared for the have to catch or you are caught by, someone under the mistletoe. It is about a healthy exchange of love and good wishes, so if you are apprehensive about it, you can simply refuse.