The real meaning of Christmas, the season of good cheer, is about giving

For Christians, Jesus was born to save mankind from sin by giving

everlasting Salvation to all who believe in the Word of God and chose to follow

the principles for living in the Bible. Jesus therefore gave in the ultimate way

- he offered himself as a sacrifice for every living person. Christians

therefore believe that Christmas should be about following the example of Jesus

by giving of oneself to others, especially to those who are in need.

The Christmas season should therefore be about spreading goodwill and good

cheer. This purpose of Christmas is very significant because research by social

service organizations has shown that Christmas happens to be a high time for

depression among the have-nots, among people with problems and others who just

don't have the means and resources to enjoy the merriment of the holidays.

The hundreds of Santa letters written by children are often a sad

testament to the many unmet needs of families and individuals during the festive

Christmas and holiday times. Just about every child is told the story of Santa

Claus, or hears about him because his presence is everywhere at Christmas. And

up to the age of 7 to 8 years, most children believe the story about Santa Claus

bringing toys and other gifts. That's the reason why so many young children

often write letters to Santa at Christmas time in which the innocently plead for

toys and other gifts because they their parents or other relatives will not be

able to give them those Christmas toys or Christmas gifts that they want.

Thankfully there are many volunteer and charitable efforts carried out by

groups and corporations that seek to fulfill the needs of children and also of

adults during the Christmas season. One of the most notable organizations that

do such charitable work is the Salvation Army, which has a history of giving

service to those in need.

According to The Salvation Army's website, the organization as known today was

started in 1865 by a Methodist minister, William Booth and his wife Catherine.

They formed a group that preached, provided food and shelter to the homeless,

the hungry and to alcoholics in need of recovery services. The services were

provided in London's East End. Booth and his followers, first known as 'The

Christian Mission,' started to use The Salvation Army name in 1878.

The Salvation Army is now uniquely associated with the Christmas season through

its many representatives who dress up as Santa Claus and stand outside retail

establishments ringing their bells while they kindly seek donations from

shoppers to help the poor at Christmas.

Individuals also play Santa Claus at Christmas time and help out those in need

by donating toys and gifts through their companies, other business enterprises

such as banks or through their local municipality. These groups usually all have

a box or an area where new toys or clothing can be dropped off and the items are

then donated to families in need or to social service providers for distribution

to the needy during the Christmas season.

Along with much charitable giving at Christmas time, other public interest

groups also work hard to inform and educate consumers about avoiding the after

Christmas blues. This is often experienced in January when the bills and debts

are due as a result of all the spending, much of it on credit, that is done for

the holidays.

These groups try to spread goodwill and cheer in a different way. They try to

provide educational information on spending responsibly during the Christmas

season with the hope that the happiness and good feeling enjoyed during the

season can also carry over after Christmas and not be spoiled by the burden of

having huge bills to pay.

The Christmas season and all its activities are geared to the big day,

that attending church is a big tradition on that day. It is seen as mandatory

for devout Christians and for others who are concerned about retaining the

sacred meaning of the day. Many people fear that the sacred aspects of Christmas

are being lost and overshadowed amid the bustle of commercial activity now

associated with the entire season.

Church services therefore take place early on Christmas morning. Attending

those services is the first official activity that many people do on Christmas

Day. Unlike the Midnight Mass and other earlier church services on Christmas

Eve, Christmas Day services do not usually include the dramatization of the

birth of Jesus. They may be more subdued with a sermon that recounts the birth

of Jesus and his purpose to save mankind. The congregation is then exalted to be

as giving as Jesus and to help out those who are in need.

Consequently, many people will take some time on Christmas Day to

volunteer in a charitable activity such as serving dinner to the poor and hungry

at a church, charitable organization or other social services center. Others

will also work with charitable organizations to distribute toys to needy

children at shelters, hospitals and other places.

As part of the religious aspect of Christmas Day, groups that sing Christmas

carols will also be out very early on Christmas morning.

Although Christmas Dinner is the most significant meal of the day, a large

breakfast will also be served in most households that will be shared by all

family members. The occasion of all family members having a meal together is a

disappearing tradition in many American households and so Christmas is seen as a

perfect time to return to the tradition. Christmas Day after all, is all about

family, sharing and togetherness.

Throughout the day, greetings of 'Merry Christmas' will be exchanged by

telephone calls with family, friends, acquaintances, and loved ones who are

located elsewhere in the country and overseas. It is a common occurrence for so

many people to be trying to make international calls to loved ones and friends

on Christmas Day that telephone communication systems to some countries often

are overwhelmed. The availability of technology and the Internet eases that

somewhat nowadays however, as emails and instant messaging can also be used as

other communication channels to exchange greetings on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day Dinner is undoubtedly the central activity of the day. Family and

friends gathered for dinner take pleasure in enjoying and sharing a delicious

meal and also are mindful and thankful for the opportunity to be able to share

the meal, to have each other and for the material things that make their lives

comfortable and give them happiness.

Some of those material things are then shared in absolute delight as everyone

will gather around or near to the Christmas tree after dinner to exchange and

open Christmas presents. It's an activity that is relished and which is filled

with much laughter, happy chatter and merriment, especially by children who are

usually much delighted to get a toy that they had wished for.

After dinner and the exchange of presents, adults may have light conversations,

play games or even watch a movie. Children are often taken up with experimenting

or playing with their new toys. It has also become a tradition on Christmas Day

for members of some families, such as teenagers and young adults, to end

Christmas Day by attending the movie theater on Christmas evening or Christmas

night to see a recently released film.

Favorite foods enjoyed by Americans for any given holiday, season or special occasion will likely include some ethnic

include other birds or poultry. These include roast goose or duck. Roasted ham may also be served. Cranberry sauce, vegetables,

pumpkin pie and a plum pudding or fruity Christmas pudding for dessert tops off traditional Christmas dinners. Mince pies and pastry

that is filled with a mixture of chopped, dried fruit may also be added to the menu.

For drinks at Christmas dinner, a bottle of champagne is very popular, as well as wines. But the everyday beverage of beer

is a must for many people to make a meal truly enjoyable.

Before Christmas Day and the big dinner arrives, there's also another type of food that Americans enjoy in large quantities

during the Christmas season. The consumption and sales of candies, gingerbread and other cookies and holiday treats increases rapidly

during the holidays. Similar to how department stores seek to attract shoppers to buy items for Christmas gifts, candy manufacturers

also put out special boxes and types of candies for Christmas and the holiday season.

A survey done in 2004 by the National Confectioners Association found that many adults derived much pleasure at

Christmas from giving and receiving candies and other treats. In their responses the survey participants said that giving decadent

boxes of chocolate to friends and family, placing candy canes on the Christmas tree and hiding candy treats in Christmas stockings

were favorite ways to give and receive candies, cookies and treats during the holidays.

Sweet treats remain popular at Christmas despite a constant message about dieting that is present in everyday life in the

media, in billboards and from some food manufacturers. At Christmas time, people feel free to enjoy the festive season without

constraints. But they also know that they can enjoy candies and cookies that are health conscious by eating ones that are targeted to the

low-carb dieter by having ingredients that are sugar-free and fat-free or both.

Cookies that are enjoyed at Christmas are often home-baked ones and usually include gingerbread items. The tradition of

gingerbread cookies at Christmas is also believed to have originated in Germany and brought to America by German immigrants.

German bakeries began baking very fancy gingerbread houses with icing as edible snow and other decorations after the Grimm

Brothers published their children's story, Hansel and Gretel. That story had a description of a house that was made of bread, a roof of

cake and windows of barley. The popularity of the creations by German bakeries gave rise to cookie cutters that were made in a

variety of shapes, enabling small gingerbread cookies of various shapes to be baked at home. Some of these cookies that had the

shapes of little people and animals were used to decorate Christmas trees.

More than one hundred years ago from today, German homes in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania would have cookies

that were up to one foot high in the front of windows of their houses as decorative items during winter. The cookies were often giant

gingerbread men and women that had colorful rows of buttons and big smiles. Passersby were often cheered and intrigued by the sight

and brought the idea to their homes on a smaller scale.

Being able to enjoy special dishes, candies, cookies and other goodies during Christmas and the holidays adds a sweet

flavor to the season and also helps to create warm and cherished memories.

Get ready for the Back-to-School season

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Christmas is described as a festive season therefore we should all engage

wonderful option now available for obtaining movies is to rent them via the

Internet. 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 access to obscure movie titles, as well as movies with holiday or

Christmas themes.

Although Christmas movies embody the spirit of the season, you can also

take time out during 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 during Christmas. Although these performances are

done year after year, they never grow old because of creative difference in

interpreting the story, and also in how each role is acted by different actors

every year.

The dramatization of the Nativity demonstrates the meaning of Christmas and can

also simplify the meaning of Christmas for children. Participation in the

Nativity is also an important activity for children in drama groups at schools

and church groups.

Along with depicting the meaning 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. Watching or taking part in the

Nativity play at Christmas time can therefore affect your attitude and outlook

on life.

Musical entertainment at Christmas can come from pausing during shopping to

listen to a choral group at the mall or downtown. It can also be entertaining to

simply hum along to a Christmas carol or song being 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

meaning of the word changed to refer to only certain types of songs.

The tradition of carols is also believed to evolve from the angels, shepherds

and Wise Men who bowed down to sing praises and to worship Baby Jesus.

For those who are really lovers of the arts, professional groups like

Orchestras, Symphonies, Conservatories and Choirs also offer splendid concerts

during Christmas. They will also sing 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 parties, which seem to

happen everywhere all the time at Christmas. There are parties at work, home,

with friends and class parties at school. Even social hubs such as bars may have

special nights with different food and lower-priced drinks during Christmas.

It seems there is no end to the festivities during 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.

During Christmas and the holiday season, the festive spirit and relaxed

Parties at work during 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 exchanging gifts. If the party and gift exchange is among a

fairly large group, such as company-wide or of several departments, it may not

be noticed if someone doesn'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 regarding non-participation, it would likely be better to be among

those agreeing to exchange gifts.

A basic thing to remember in selecting gifts for Christmas gift exchanges

at work, which are usually called Secret Santa, is to not choose anything that

could be considered inappropriate or offensive. Although the sender won't be

revealed, it won't leave a good feeling and it will become the topic of

conversation among everyone.

Separate from the 'Secret Santa' Christmas gift exchange at work, it may

also be a good gesture to give Christmas presents, which can be small tokens or

even just candies or treats, to colleagues in a division or department if you

are the respective leader or manager. Such a gesture shows thoughtfulness 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 thing to observe during 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 occurring 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 drinking is done, 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 something to be remembered and

observed at holiday parties at work. As examples, talking and laughing with food

in one's mouth, emptying a platter of delicious hors d'ouevres or bagging

candies, 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 with supervisors, managers and other company officials whom one may

not come in contact with frequently. It can be the ideal time to leave a good

impression on a key decision maker. By introducing yourself and striking up a

conversation, it is also putting a face to a name or making yourself known and

standing 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 stress, competitiveness and daily routine

During the Christmas season, summer and its body-conscious state of mind

Whether it's sharing cookies and candies at work, or having an evening out

at a party or dinner, you can have Christmas food and enjoy it. While you seem

to be eating heartily with a smile, the key is to have a secret strategy of

moderation. It involves sticking to a plan that can be called 'Eating on a

Budget.'

'Eating 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 eating in

moderation plan is developed because it is almost impossible to avoid exposure

to a lot of cookies, candies and other sweets at Christmas. At work, you may

risk appearing like the Grinch who stole Christmas if your response will always

be something 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 everyone is usually in a festive and more

relaxed mood, and the pace at work is usually slower.

A practical way to partake in Christmas goodies, for example, is to

substitute some holiday cookies for say the bagel that you usually have with

breakfast or for a mid-morning snack. And instead of just taking 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 hours, because nobody will

be watching how you really 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 enjoying the holiday treats.

Another strategy is to bring - bake or buy - low calorie Christmas cookies

and candies to work to counteract others that are being offered. Since eating

healthy is highly encouraged, health-conscious cookies will not be looked down

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 interesting 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, according to the

Association.

For an occasion such as a Christmas party or a dinner, including Christmas

Dinner, where larger quantities and selection of food is available, the 'Eating

on a Budget' plan means that serving portions and the choice of food selected

should 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 everything can't be resisted,

then do 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

during Christmas Dinner will be heavier, so by selecting 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 sharing another memorable holiday

tradition with family, friends and loved ones.