Commercial activities during Christmas today are often decried as making

the celebrations of many pagan festivals. The hope was that Christmas would also

become a holiday that would gain much popularity.

Long before the birth of Jesus Christ, people in various parts of Europe would

celebrate light and birth in the darkest days of winter. The winter solstice,

when the harshest part of winter was over, was a time of celebration for many

peoples because they would look forward to more hours of sunlight during the

longer days ahead.

The Norse in Scandinavia celebrated Yule from the winter solstice on

December 21 through to January. Men brought home logs that were lighted and a

feast would take place until the log was completely burned. Each spark from the

fire was believed to represent a new pig or calf to be born in the coming new

year.

The pagan god Oden was honored by Germans during the mid-winter holiday. Oden

inspired great fear in the Germans who believed that Oden traveled at nights

through the sky to observe people and make a decision about who would perish or

prosper in life. This belief caused most people to stay inside during the

period.

In Rome it was the god of agriculture, Saturn, who was honored in a

holiday called Saturnalia. It was a holiday that started during the week that

led up to the winter solstice and continued for a month with hedonistic

celebrations. There was plenty of food and drink and the normal social class

rules of who had privilege and power in Roman society were totally disregarded

as everyone participated in the festivities. Some Romans also had a feast called

Juvenalia to honor children and the birthday of the sun god Mithra was sometimes

celebrated by the upper classes.

In the early years of the start of Christianity the main holiday was

Easter. It was in the 4th Century that church officials made a decision to have

the birth of Jesus celebrated as a holiday and Pope Julius I chose December 25

as the day of Jesus' birth. The holiday, which was first called the Feast of the

Nativity, spread to England by the end of the 6th Century and to Scandinavia by

the end of the 8th Century.

Church leaders achieved the goal of having Christmas celebrations, including

attendance at church, become popular during the winter solstice, but they were

unable to control other pagan-like celebrations during Christmas. Believers

would attend church on Christmas and then participate later in raucous and

drunken celebrations. But by the Middle Ages, from around the 5th to the 16th

Century, Christianity had outgrown paganism as a religion.

The celebration of Christmas in Europe changed in the early 17th Century

when Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans gained power in England in 1645. To remove

decadent behavior from the society, Cromwell cancelled Christmas as the Puritans

noted that the Bible doesn't mention any date for Jesus' birth. The lack of this

information and specific Biblical references to Christmas is also cited by

religious groups like Jehovah Witnesses as the reason they don't observe or

participate in Christmas. Christmas celebrations returned in England around 1649

when Charles II was restored to the throne.

Christmas wasn't a holiday in early America because the Pilgrims who came

to America had even stricter beliefs than Cromwell and the Puritans. Christmas

celebrations were even forbidden in Boston from 1659 to 1681. During the same

time however, settlers in Jamestown in Virginia were reported to have enjoyed

Christmas.

After the American Revolution Christmas again lost popularity and it wasn't

until June 26, 1870 that Christmas was declared a federal holiday. Christmas in

the United States gained popularity as a holiday period during the 19th Century.

Christmas celebrations also changed at that time to be more family-centered

rather than being carnival-like.

Dealing with Difficult People: 27 Secrets & Strategies You Can Apply Today

27 easy, proven strategies for dealing with difficult people. Guaranteed to work if you look at the part you can control - you! Discover simple tips for how to deal with gossips, whiners, know-it-alls, exploders and more. Whether it's dealing with a difficult boss, dealing with a difficult co-worker or difficult spouse. And, might you be the difficult person?! Oh my!

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Article Body:

Copyright 2006 Colleen Kettenhofen

“No one can get your goat if they don’t know where it’s tied up.” Zig Ziglar

1. Listen more effectively. Listening is the number one tool in communication, especially when dealing with difficult people.

2. Step back and analyze the situation from an outside perspective. When we are less emotionally involved and “cool our jets,” the answers come for how to effectively deal with them. Whether dealing with a difficult boss, dealing with a difficult co-worker, or spouse.

3. Ignoring often doesn’t work. The tension becomes so thick you can cut it with a knife.

4. Choose your battles. There are times when you have to “let it go.” Know when to speak up and when to pick your battles.

5. Criticize in person, praise in public. Never publicly criticize someone as you will look like the bad guy and the difficult person will only become more upset.

6. Maintain respect for them – even if you disagree or dislike them. At least acknowledge what they say. Think about how you would want to be treated.

7. Seek first to understand then to be understood, especially when dealing with difficult people.

8. People often won’t care what you think unless they think you care. At least attempt to see it from their perspective.

9. Maintain high expectations and standards if you are managing this employee. If you don’t do this you will be seen as enabling their unacceptable behavior.

10. Strive for greater communication. Often, it’s not that there isn’t enough communication, it’s that it’s bad communication. So work on improving your conflict resolution skills. If you are a manager, consider training everyone in conflict resolution. One of the main reasons teams fail is because some of the people on the team don’t like each other, or aren’t skilled in handling conflict.

11. Invest in communication skills courses and conflict resolution skills courses to improve the part you can control – you.

12. Don’t lose emotional control. Antagonists and “passive-aggressives” will often try to push your buttons.

13. Avoid being around difficult people when they’re in a bad mood. If they’re always in a bad mood, try being around them when they are in a “better” mood!

14. Accept, change or reject. Know that ultimately you only have three choices.
1) Accept the situation knowing it won’t change.
2) Attempt to change your relationship with them by changing how you react.
3) If it’s really affecting your well being, it may be time to “reject” the situation and move on.

15. Avoid "but." No “but’s” allowed! For example, don’t follow giving them positive reinforcement with, “But on the other hand…” The word “but” only negates everything positive you just said.

16. Non-verbally position yourself at their eye level. For example, if they are sitting when you talk with them, sit. If they are standing, stand. Converse at their level.

17. Avoid the word “need” when possible and use “want” instead. Saying politely and tactfully, “John, I want to have the project in to me by noon so that we’ll meet our deadline. “Want” is more assertive as long as it’s in the right tone.

18. Watch your tone of voice. Avoid an autocratic or sarcastic tone. The Latin root of the word “sarcasm” is “sarco” meaning tearing of the flesh!

19. In face-to-face communication, words account for 7% of what people notice and believe about you. Tone is 38% and body language 55%. So a full 93% is tone and body language.

20. Give sincere positive reinforcement when they do something well. Show genuine appreciation. Often difficult people are difficult because they feel unappreciated.

21. Avoid absolutes such as, “You always” and “You never.” It puts difficult people further on the defensive.

22. Don’t take it personally. Often they’re difficult because of something going on with them.

23. Watch your mental state. Don’t let them drag you down. A little of that can be normal but don’t allow it to go on.

24. Remember the person who constantly angers you, or constantly intimidates you, controls you.

25. Mutually agree to move on. Agree to disagree. If this isn’t possible, at least “move on” in your own mind.

26. Attempt to understand what’s driving that difficult behavior. Get at the root cause, even if you only try to figure it out in your own mind.

27. E + R = 0. Event + Reaction = Outcome. You can’t control the event, but you can control the outcome based on how you react or respond. Be careful how you respond.

For example, there’s the story of the couple who were divorcing. A neighbor said to the wife, “Do you think you’d ever get back together?” She replied, “No, because we have said things to each other that are so horrible, that even after apologizing they could never be taken back. There's no way we’d get back together.” The moral of the story…be careful what you say. Once those words are out they’re hard to take back.

“The disease of me often results in the defeat of us.” Pat Riley of NBA fame

Discover How to Choose Your Advertising Promotional Pen Today

How to Choose Your Advertising Promotional Pen Today - Quickly and Easily!

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Advertising Promotional Pen

Article Body:

Choose from the GOpromos great selection of advertising pens below. Choose your advertising promotional pens today. We will help you choose the best advertising promotional pens for your company. From economy ballpoint pens to exclusive pen sets, you can choose the best advertising promotional pens for your advertising needs.

Preview your design on advertising promotional pens before you make a decision. (Black, red and green ink is also available) Smooth contoured rubber grip and a fashionable modern design make Kira the perfect advertising pen. The pen's designer Rod Dyer, has been honored by many of the top awards presented in the fields of advertising and design. Interested in advertising pens and pens that have special artwork or unique/clever design.

More information on advertiding pen by career in advertising creates the need for career in adverticing. Tim has spent his whole working life connected with the advertising industry through an illustrious career in television, research and publicity. This ranks only behind television and newsprint in terms of advertising dollars spent. Choose from the GOpromos great selection of advertising pens below. - Vast selection of promotional products and advertising specialty products including mugs, pens, pencils, mouse pads, travel mugs, engraving, trophies, and plaques.

Also includes info on pen repair, pen company advertising and displays. We will help you choose the best advertising promotional pens for your company. worked as a freelance in the advertising industry, drawing, paintingpreferred media were watercolour, pen and ink and oil. 1234 PENS imprints high quality advertising pens, with the lowest price guaranteed! Standby Advertising space scheduled to run within a guaranteed window of time for a substantial discount off the open rate.

Florida corrections officials also have considered measures that would prevent inmates from advertising for pen pals online or in other media. (Black, red and green ink is also available) Smooth contoured rubber grip and a fashionable modern design make Kira the perfect advertising pen. In one week, gross sales of the pens exceeded the gross cost of the three-month advertising campaign. Our website sells advertising pen. An advertising pen with your corporate brand logo and colors is an affordable business tool.

Several authors have suggested that dependence on drug advertising endangers the independence of medical journals [38] and have advocated other sources of revenue [20]. Interested in advertising pens and pens that have special artwork or unique/clever design. National Pen is an award-winning leader in the advertising specialties industrymore. Sports celebrities and film stars don't spend big advertising bucks to keep their names before the public. The pen's designer Rod Dyer, has been honored by many of the top awards presented in the fields of advertising and design. For those of you with the power of the pen, advertising allows you to write exciting campaigns for nationally recognized brands.

An engraved laser pen or pointer is perfect for promotional advertising; convention booth premiums; or corporate holiday gift giving. Blotters printed with advertising messages were popular promotional giveaways during the fountain pen era, and are now avidly sought by collectors. The balance will be used for catalog costs and initial advertising expenses. Actually, the cheapest option is to provide ugly "freebie" pens that are given out as advertising. Pass out cheap custom pens for a quick advertising medium. He won't accept free textbooks or stethoscopes, or even pens advertising brand-name drugs. Super popular advertising pen with a futuristic aerodynamic shape.

shopping centers or annual classified advertising expenditures, make sure this site is your first stop. Preview your design on advertising promotional pens before you make a decision. It enables you to view exactly how the finished advertising promotional pens will look - before you buy. From economy ballpoint pens to exclusive pen sets, you can choose the best advertising promotional pens for your advertising needs. Branders.com is the Internet's largest source for promotional items and advertising promotional pens. http://www.advertising-internet-online.com/advertising-pen/

Get Ready For Halloween Today!

Halloween is one holiday that most children really enjoy, but too many parents get stressed out over it. Some simple planning though will help you get ready for it instead of dreading it. Costumes are always an issue for children and they should have some say in what they get to wear. Put a dollar amount limit on it if they want to have a costume purchased instead of made.

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Article Body:

Halloween is one holiday that most children really enjoy, but too many parents get stressed out over it. Some simple planning though will help you get ready for it instead of dreading it. Costumes are always an issue for children and they should have some say in what they get to wear. Put a dollar amount limit on it if they want to have a costume purchased instead of made.

All costumes should be tried on so you know they are going to be a good fit for your children. Too many accidents happen due to eye holes not lining up correctly and them tripping over the bottom of it. Take care of these issues before Halloween so that they can just slip it on that night and go out.

Make sure you explain Halloween safety to your children before the big night. This way they will pay attention because they won’t be overly excited. Try it out during dinner the week of Halloween to ensure it is fresh in their minds. Explain they need to use sidewalks and never dart between cars to cross the street. This should only be done at the crosswalks. It is a good idea to give each child a flashlight or a glow stick so they are easier to notice. They also need to refrain from eating any candy that they get until an adult has carefully inspected it.

It is easy to serve up a fun and scary Halloween meal without too much effort. Since you know the little ghosts and witches will be eating plenty of candy in the days to come you can be proud to serve them something healthy as well. For just a couple of dollars you can purchase brain Jell-o molds. Mix up a meat loaf and let it sit over night in the refrigerator. These molds are made from plastic so you can’t bake in them but the design will become indented in the meat as it sits overnight.

Serve up plain white rice or even broccoli rice with the meatloaf on a plate as brains and maggots. Your children will really enjoy eating them and this doesn’t take very much effort to complete either. You can also make a delightful and delicious punch to serve with it. The night before fill up rubber gloves with water and tie the ends shut. Make sure you separate the fingers as you place them in the freezer.

In a punch bowl mix black cherry juice with a two liter of 7-Up. Place the hands into the mixture for icy hands that are very real looking. To make the punch even for Halloweenish, add some scoops of rainbow sherbet to it.

Getting ready for Halloween doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming so have fun with it. This is a holiday that people of all ages can enjoy. Start making your plans for it today so that everyone can have a good time without worrying about last minute details.

Earn online home business the most sort after sentence online today.

Today we all get bombarded by reports and offers whenever we foray into the world of online marketing and its no wonder why when you considering working from home online business is the fastest growing industry ever. Every man, woman and their dog is jumping on the bandwagon and who could blame them. Working from home has all the advantages .No more commuting, Set your own hours, Spend time with your family, Set your own pay rates. Be your own boss.

Keywords:

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Article Body:

Earn online home business. A short and simple sentence that is probably the most sort after sentence of any online today. The coveted prize. If you can achieve a high search engine result using this catch phrase you are guaranteed overnight success. Why you might ask work from home is a new phenomenal movement sweeping the globe and every corner on the internet. Every day thousands of new business opportunities spring up from no where to try and stake their claim in what must surely be the fastest growing industry in the history of mankind.

There are many companies even willing to promise the earth and in online marketing terms getting the top spot for Earn online home business is the crème of the crème, the true top dog, master of all they pursue. Sound cliché probably but if you look at the huge competition that is struggling daily to achieve this . The myriad of programs that have sprung up dangling this golden carrot then a number of them apply.

There are theories and controversies that are as broad and diverse as the very people that populate the planet we inhabit today. Who will win the fight, be the true champion of the Earn online home businesses. Its too early to say. What marketing strategies will be invoked who is willing to pay through the nose. An interesting dilemma will the checkbook or strategy win this battle of the titans. Every month we are bombarded with the "latest so called technologies" all promising to deliver the coveted prize number one spot in the Search results for the simple little sentence Earn online home business.