Tradition of Giving Continues

• In Bari, the tradition of giving coins to a young bride embarking upon her married life is celebrated in honor of Santa Nicola on December 6th. In other European countries, festivals are held marking the occasion.
• Even in the tiny town of Beit Jala in the West Bank, Saint Nicholas is honored for the four year-pilgrimage he spent there.
• In Germany, children place a boot outside their door in the hopes that Saint Nicholas will fill the boot with gifts. A similar tradition takes place in Hungary and Romania.
• In the Belgian and Dutch vernacular, Saint Nicholas is referred to as “SinterKlaus,” which eventually became “Santa Claus,” the most popular of his aliases.

Cherished modern traditions include reading A Visit from St. Nicholas as a family, writing letters telling Santa listing the presents a child want to get, and leaving milk and a plate of cookies in hopes that Santa will be more generous with his gifts. However, children should be taught that the true message of Santa Claus is “giving,” not just receiving of gifts. Some families honor this with a very special tradition of giving a few coins they’ve saved to the poor and needy.

No matter which alias Saint Nicholas is identified by, St. Nick, Santa Claus, or the Wonder Worker, the message of Saint Nicholas is universal: to give is better than to receive. In times of self-indulgence, materialism and greed, his generosity shines like a beacon of inspiration the world over.

“He’s making a list
Checking it twice
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town

So the refrain goes. Santa Claus is a genius at managing a long and diverse Christmas list. Don’t you wish you could do the same? Well, you can if you follow these simple tips.

• Focus and mindfulness: Anyone can manage a personal Christmas list with just a little effort. Everyone has the ability to compile a comprehensive Christmas list for cards gifts. What we do lack, however, is mindfulness. So we find ourselves forgetting to add people to the list and consequently overlook them. Of course, some people try to get by without any list, and suddenly find it doesn’t work.
• Keep the list updated all year long: If you want to be sure you won’t miss anyone during the holidays, you need to compile and update your list throughout the year. Just keep a running list of business associates, friends and acquaintances, and near and distant relatives who belong on your list is the smart thing to do. While it may be a mere oversight that a Christmas card or email was never sent, the person who received no card may feel slighted and you don’t want that to happen.
• Use your computer: If you are reading this post, you already have a computer to use. You don’t need any special software to maintain your list. You can use any note taking or word processing program. You could even use Google notes so that your list is available from home and office both. If you want to be fancy, you can use a spreadsheet.Once you create the base list, it should be easy to add to it each month. Just put the information you need to enter on a Post It note and place it next to your computer, so you won’t forget about it.I like to print out a copy of my list from time to time to carry with me. If I see something that would be great for Aunt Sally in July, I can add a reminder to consider this item closer the holidays. If you start buying Christmas cards or gifts the day after Christmas, add them to your list and remember to include their location.

The trick to keeping a useful Christmas list is to start working on it now. Don’t put it off til the weekend or after Thanksgiving. Start now and you will be ready when serious shopping begins in early December.

Tom Smith invented the Christmas cracker in the mid-1800s as pretty paper wrapper that when twisted made a crackling noise and opened to show little gifts and chocolates inside. He was inspired by the crackling of a log, before long he saw millions of Christmas cracker sales.

Now, there are many ways that we can use the Christmas crackers to entertain and create a festive experience for our guests. When your guests open the homemade Christmas crackers after dinner,  they will be surprised to find the little gifts and mini chocolates. Christmas crackers are a wonderful addition as they can be made to match any custom holiday table setting or theme.

Making Homemade Christmas Crackers

You can buy small Christmas cracker kits that make 6 or 8 crackers or buy bulk fill-your-own pre-made Christmas crackers.  Both are kind of expensive but if you buy the bulk kits you can share them if other crafters. Don’t forget – you can choose the gifts that go inside from confetti to small chocolates to little tokens or gifts.

Alternatively, you can make homemade Christmas crackers from scratch. They can be easily created with pretty Christmas paper, cardboard, and a little bit of ribbon!  You can buy cardboard tubes or use a paper towel roll to create the perfect size Christmas cracker. Fill it with toys, and decorate it with sparkles, paint or ribbons. Next, fill the cracker with toys and mini chocolates and then secure both ends with ribbon. Make sure that the paper on the ends of the cracker  is gathered as it creates a special effect. Use foil paper for a little more of a challenge!

Making Christmas crackers is a great way to get in the Christmas spirit and it’s an activity that kids can enjoy, too. Like opening presents or sharing a Christmas dinner, homemade Christmas crackers can make a wonderful family tradition.

Recommended from Amazon:

• Tom Smith’s Christmas Crackers: An Illustrated History
• Christmas Crackers Holly & Cardinal Design 10

Here are a few inexpensive green Christmas ideas to give the season a green makeover.

• Choose a greener Christmas tree. This means buying a live tree that ccn be planted after the holiday in your yard or at a local park or school. Trees provide our planet with both energy and oxygen, so allowing your Christmas to live a long and full life makes good sense. 
• Send ecards. There is no reason for the massive waste of paper and fuel spent making Christmas cards and then transporting them all around the globe. For family and friends with email, an ecard makes good ecological sense and has the exact same meaning.
• Use LED Christmas lights, and less of them. Christmas lights are a planetary disaster, but most Americans feel that it wouldn’t be a festive Christmas without them. There are ways cut back on the electricity wasted for that holiday sparkle, such as buying LED Christmas lights that use a small fraction of the energy of traditional Christmas lights. You can also use less lights, for example putting them around your front door instead of draping your entire house and yard with them.
• Used recycled wrapping paper. There are two ways of recycling in this case. You can either opt to use wrapping paper made from recycled paper–look for term ‘post consumer waste’–or you can reuse fabric, paper, and other items from around your house for creative wrappings. A stamped pattern on the unprinted inside of paper bags is just one way to make these homemade items look just as good as the storebought version. 
• Choose timeless decorations that can be used year after year. Instead of trendy holiday items that will end up in the New Year’s trash, choose nicer items made out of crystal and other high quality materials. You’ll spend less, have a nicer spread, and cut back on energy and waste spent making the cheaper counterparts.

Having a green Christmas and talking about your choices is a good way to introduce your children the joys of an ecologically sound lifestyle. With a variety of options, there is no reason that this time of year has to be synonymous with waste and overconsumption. Getting your family into the act will help create holiday traditions that have more than sentimental value.

Recommended from Amazon: Green Christmas: How to Have a Joyous, Eco-Friendly Holiday Season

The smell of Christmas morning is like none other. Joe, Jane, John, and Jessica’s stockings are bulging with goodies .The fireplace is crackling to the tune of “Frosty the Snowman.” Each present has been meticulously wrapped with holiday paper and big bright bows. Then you hear the children awake from their dreams of a jolly bearded man and his magical reindeer. It is hard not to smile as the pitter of their feet head to the Christmas tree. Suddenly, they pounce on you: “Santa was here! Santa brought presents.” As they drag you to the see all the awe and wonder that Santa has left…the Christmas Day tradition begins.

What takes months and multiple pay checks to buy is opened and assembled in a matter of minutes. From here the path takes each family to their own tradition. Do you:

• Build a snowman
• Go sledding
• Prepare a special Christmas breakfast
• Deliver some presents to the local shelter or orphanage
• Pick up grandparents from the airport

Then, it is time for the mom to prepare Christmas dinner. There is pure bliss coming from the other room, as the kids and dad try out all the new toys. Grandma sings along to Elvis’s Christmas collection. She remembers when she was the cook, and her little girl was busy counting all the pieces to her new doll house. She laughs a little as she asks: “What can I do to help”

Mother and daughter prepare a feast fit for royalty. Maybe it features:

• Turkey or ham
• Stuffing
• Cranberry sauce
• Pecan Pie
• Mashed Potatoes
• Yams
• Great grandmother’s sweet potato recipe

Everyone is stuffed from that second slice of pie. Now it’s nearly time for the final activity of the day. Is it:

• Time to head to church
• Time to go caroling
• Time to watch “It’s a wonderful life”
• Time to serve the holiday meal to the homeless shelter

Not every family celebrates the same traditions. Some are quite modern and others are rooted in the distant past.. While Christmas traditions may vary, the point is still the same. It doesn’t matter what you do, it is your family’s Christmas traditions that makes Christmas special.

Recommended book from Amazon: Heart of the Holidays: Holiday Inspirations Yuletide Treasures & Traditions