Merry Christmas Holiday

Modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, church celebrations, and the display of various decorations”including the Christmas tree, lights, mistletoe, nativity scenes and holly.

Christmas is a time for Families, Fun, and Festivities!

Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in the late December to early January period. In her 1850 book “The First Christmas in New England”, Harriet Beecher Stowe includes a character who complains that the true meaning of Christmas was lost in a shopping spree.

In the U.S., the “Christmas shopping season” generally begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, though many American stores begin selling Christmas items as early as October.

Modern Christmas with pagan customs include: gift-giving and merrymaking from Roman Saturnalia ; greenery, lights, and charity from the Roman New Year ; and Yule logs and various foods from Teutonic feasts. King Edmund the Martyr was anointed on Christmas in 855 and King William I of England was crowned on Christmas Day 106 In England and Wales, the Christmas Day Act 2004 prevents all large shops from trading on Christmas Day. The prominence of Christmas Day increased gradually after Charlemagne was crowned Emperor on Christmas Day in 80 In the Early Middle Ages, Christmas Day was overshadowed by Epiphany, which in the west focused on the visit of the magi. George Washington attacked Hessian mercenaries on Christmas during the Battle of Trenton in 177 In the U.S., Christmas decorations at public buildings once commonly included Nativity scenes. Christmas banners may be hung from street lights and Christmas trees placed in the town square. “Christmas lights and community building in America,” History Matters, Spring 200 In Australia, North and South America, and to a lesser extent Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures.

In English, the word Yule is synonymous with Christmas, a usage first recorded in 90 The word Christmas originated as a compound meaning”Christ’s mass “. Following the Parliamentarian victory over King Charles I during the English Civil War, England’s Puritan rulers banned Christmas, in 164 The Restoration of Charles II in 1660 ended the ban, but many clergymen still disapproved of Christmas celebration. Christmas was promoted in the Christian East as part of the revival of Catholicism following the death of the pro- Arian Emperor Valens at the Battle of Adrianople in 37 In 1889, Louis Duchesne suggested that the date of Christmas was calculated as nine months after March 25, the traditional date of the conception of Jesus. Excerpt from Josiah King’s The Examination and Trial of Father Christmas , published shortly after Christmas was reinstated as a holy day in England.

Santa Claus is a popular mythological figure often associated with bringing gifts at Christmas.

One of the most celebrated occasions in the world, December 25 is a national holiday in America. Go through our informative articles on the origin of chimney sweep origin of chimney sweep, Christmas ornaments Christmas ornaments and many more icons and symbols tied in with the occasion.

Funny Christmas Cards & Greeting Cards Find a variety of themed humorous Christmas cards at CardsDirect.com. Corporate Christmas Cards & Greeting Cards A variety of beautiful & tasteful Corporate Christmas cards & Corporate Birthday Cards are available at GalleryCollection.com.

Customize your business Christmas cards with photos and your corporate logo.

Holidays on the Net has joined with Amazon.com to offer you and your family books, music CDs, DVDs, videos, gifts, crafts, and more to enjoy your holiday celebration.

“Jo Saturnalia!”

Everyone comes home for Christmas.

Each year, during the month of December, millions of homes across America are decorated with Christmas trees and fairy lights. Virtual Christmas Tree Farm - Includes the history of Christmas trees, kids’ activities, and much more. Christmas Stories - Enjoy these online Christmas stories. Christmas Haiku - Haiku is a traditional Japanese form, but adapts itself quite well to many traditional American seasons, especially Christmas. Christmas Ornaments - Instructions for making Christmas ornaments.

Make a Christmas wish list or write a letter to Santa Claus on our Christmas stationery stationery.

CAC Celebrates Kwanzaa - The Cultural Awareness Club celebrates the African American holiday of Kwanzaa.