Easing the Financial Burdens of Christmas Shopping

Although we would all prefer to not have to worry about finances when it comes to Christmas shopping, the truth is that most people do not have unlimited funds to spend on Christmas presents. Most of us have to set budgets for Christmas shopping and have to repay any debts which are incurred while shopping for Christmas presents. There are ways to ease the financial burden of Christmas shopping. Some of the most common ways to ease the financial burden include spreading out the Christmas shopping throughout the year, opening a Christmas savings account, and sticking to a strict budget when it comes to purchasing Christmas presents.

If you typically wait until the last minute to do your Christmas shopping, you probably understand the stress of last minute shopping all too well. Not only is it stressful to have to find appropriate gifts and purchase them, wrap them, and deliver them to the recipient in a short time period, but it also places a tremendous strain on the wallet. The problem with this type of Christmas shopping strategy, in addition to the stress of finding great gifts, is that you are faced with paying for all of these gifts at one time. This can be very difficult, especially if you are already on a tight budget and don’t have a great deal of money left over in your monthly budget. Without proper planning, you may be faced with the dilemma of either shortening your list of gift recipients or purchasing inexpensive gifts for each member on your list. If you plan to shop throughout the year, you may find you are able to purchase gifts for one or two individuals on your list each month. This strategy of spreading the Christmas shopping throughout the year makes the financial burden of Christmas shopping significantly less difficult.

Opening a Christmas savings account can also be very helpful in easing the financial burden of Christmas shopping. It is helpful because most Christmas savings accounts accrue interest and do not allow you to withdraw money from the account before a certain time. This allows you to gain a small amount of interest on your savings and ensures you won’t be tempted to use the money you are saving for Christmas shopping for other expenses throughout the year. You could always take an envelope and add a percentage of each one of your paychecks during the year, but if you save this way you will not be earning any interest on the money you are putting aside. Also, you may be tempted to use some of the money for small purchases or emergencies which arise during the year. A Christmas savings account is so convenient, you can even have money directly deposited into it from each paycheck, or you could simply transfer money into your Christmas savings account from another account each month.

The financial burden of Christmas shopping can be eased by setting a strict budget and sticking to it. This is important because it can help to keep you from spending more on shopping for Christmas gifts than you had intended. If you budget carefully and plan on only spending as much money as you already have saved, or as much as you can afford to spend, than you do not have to worry about going into debt to provide Christmas gifts for your loved ones. While it is important to set a budget, it is also important to track your purchases to make sure you are sticking to your budget. If you go over your spending limit on a few people on your list, you will have to consider either eliminating a few people or reducing the amount of money you can spend on a few people. This will help you to remain under your budget.

Christmas Shopping Year Round

There are a lot of great advantages to Christmas shopping year round. Some of these advantages include avoiding the stress of last minute shopping, not having to worry about accumulating exorbitant credit card bills during the Christmas season, and being able to enjoy the Christmas spirit all year.

One of the biggest benefits of Christmas shopping year round is having most of your Christmas shopping done before the last minute. It also means not having to do much Christmas shopping in the typically hectic time after Thanksgiving and before Christmas Eve, when malls and shopping centers are very crowded. Although there are some people who enjoy shopping during this hectic and chaotic time, most people find it stressful and only do it because they have procrastinated.

Making a conscious effort to Christmas shop all year round helps to eliminate a great deal of the stress which is typically associated with last minute Christmas shopping. It also helps you to purchase more meaningful gifts for everyone on your Christmas list because you are not rushing around to purchase gifts at the last minute. You may find a gift you think is absolutely perfect for your sister in the month of April. All you have to do is purchase the gift when you find it and then save it for the Christmas season.

People who do their Christmas shopping year round are not only less stressed around the holiday season, but they also have more free time to participate in other holiday activities. Those who like to bake may skip baking if they feel like they still have too much Christmas shopping to do, while those who did their shopping ahead of time can take some time to relax and bake wonderful cookies to enjoy during the Christmas season.

Another downside of last minute Christmas shopping is the amount of bills which accumulate. For those who rushed to get their Christmas shopping done in the month of December, the New Year can bring in a new set of financial problems because repaying the debts accrued while Christmas shopping can be quite daunting. Those who wisely did their Christmas shopping throughout the year do not have this problem. If you budget a certain amount of your monthly income for Christmas gifts, you may not have even noticed the financial strains typically associated with last minute Christmas shopping.

Although last minute shoppers may save up to do their Christmas shopping all at once by putting their money into a special savings account, it can be difficult to stick to a budget when you are shopping at the last minute. You may wind up spending more than anticipated on each person on your list because you cannot find anything else to buy. When this happens, and there is a shortage of time, it is common to just purchase the more expensive item rather than to keep looking.

Christmas shopping year round is a great idea because it helps people to stay in the Christmas spirit throughout the year. While many of us get caught up in the spirit of giving during the holidays, those who are always Christmas shopping may enjoy these feelings of generosity throughout the year. Giving is a wonderful experience and, although you may not actually be giving the gifts until Christmas, you are purchasing them at other times during the year and this can be very fulfilling. Sometimes simply finding a great gift for a loved one can put you in a good mood and make you feel as though you have really accomplished something wonderful.

Christmas Day Games

Just because the gifts are opened and the paper is strewn about the living room doesn't mean the fun of Christmas has to be over. You can add some fun party games to Christmas Day to extend the fun of Christmas.

If you have a large gathering on Christmas Day, have fun with the hat game. When they arrive, give everyone a Santa hat. These are inexpensive and can be purchased at the dollar store, or in bulk, if you plan ahead. As everyone goes about their business of getting food and chatting with others, the room will look very festive with everyone wearing their Santa hats.

However, the object of this game is to not have your hat on. As people forget about the hats, the object is to get rid of your hat and not be the last one wearing a Santa hat. Inevitably there will be one person so wrapped up in a conversation or the buffet table, they forget to take off their hat and will be left the game's loser. This is a game that can be played again and again as you head forward with the day's festivities.

One fun memory game that kids particularly like is to make everyone pay careful attention to all the gifts that are opened on Christmas day. After the gifts are removed from the room (or you remove yourselves from the gift room) have everyone try and remember every single gift everyone received. Include stockings and any food gifts. Tell people they only have to remember the items that were opened that day, not any gifts they received and opened prior to Christmas day. This can be a fun game that's particularly popular with kids because they love to relive the gift magic. If they were so immersed with their own gifts they didn't notice anyone else's, this is a good chance for them to educate themselves about what everyone got that day.

If you need a game to keep everyone busy before dinner, try the "guess me" game. Buy some large heavy socks that are thick and come at least to the calf. Put several items in the socks. Make sure the items in each sock are identical. The items should all be related to Christmas in some way. You might include a small ornament, scotch tape, a pinecone, a Hershey's kiss, and so on. Have each person feel the socks (having two socks just makes the game go faster, but you can play with just one sock), and write down their guesses about what's in the socks. Be sure to tell everyone how many items are in each sock. The winner gets, you guessed it, one of the socks!

If you have a bunch of performers in your group on Christmas day, how about playing a little game of "Christmas Idol?" Set up a small table for the "judges" and have teams of 2 people (or individuals, if they want) sing a Christmas carol. Tell them to have a lot of fun with the song, and even add a Santa hat or other dress-up items if they wish. The winners can take home a CD of Christmas music. This game is particularly fun if only the children want to perform and be judged by the adults, or if, conversely, the adults perform and are judged by the children.

Games for Christmas Eve

You don't often think to play games on Christmas Eve, but playing a game or two can be a lot of fun.

One fun game is perfect for anxious children, but could also be for adults if you want to add some fun for gift giving. For children, this is a way to make that "open one gift on Christmas Eve" rule a little more exciting and make it last a little longer.

First, create a hunt with clues, so the children have to follow the clues to find their gift. Instead of the gift being under the tree, for example, you might put it somewhere else, but the children will follow clues to find it. For this game, you can use anything to write your clues on. You could use Christmas cards in their envelopes that you had extras of, or you might cut out Christmas tree shapes, or you might want to use ornaments.

Whichever method you choose, write a clue on each of your items and leave those around the house. You start by handing each child the first clue. It might say, "you sleep here every night" and the children will run to their beds. On their pillow you have placed another clue that might say, "mom's eggs taste better with this" and the children head to the spice cabinet, where they find another clue on the salt. The final clue (and depending on the ages of your children and their tolerance, you might have just a few clues for this game or many more) will be the gift itself. To make it extra fun, have the gift be under the tree. Your children won't see that coming!

If you have a large gathering on Christmas Eve, try a circle game. Have everyone get in a circle and the first person will start with, "in my Christmas stocking there is an apple" and the next person will add, "in my Christmas stocking there is an apple and a boot." Each person will continue on, remembering the previous items and the adding one of their own in alphabetical order. If you miss an item, you're out of the game and the winner is the person who successfully remembers all the stocking items over and over again each time they have to recite the items and add to the list.

Looking for a little physical activity on Christmas Eve? How about a rousing game of musical chairs using Christmas music? This one can be particularly fun if you use upbeat Christmas music. Use songs everyone knows and ask that they sing along while they run around the chairs. This adds a fun element because you are likely to have at least one person who gets so caught up in the music they don't realize the music has stopped. This game is played like any traditional game of musical chairs with the loser being the one who doesn't get a chair when the music stops.

Since the big event on Christmas Eve is Santa's arrival, play a game of "where's Santa?" In this game, everyone sits in a circle and one person is chosen to be Rudolph. That person leaves the room for a minute. A Santa is chosen among those left in the room. Rudolph returns and begins hunting for Santa. Rudolph should stand in the center of the circle and try to figure out which person is Santa. Santa, meanwhile, winks at other people in the circle. If someone gets winked at, they yell, "ho ho ho.” Once Rudolph figures out where Santa is, another Rudolph and another Santa are chosen and the game continues.

By Christmas Eve, your Christmas cards have been on display for a few weeks, so maybe it's time to play a game with them. Have someone set up a laundry basket, or a gift box a few feet away (the distance depends on the age of your players and ability). Have them try to toss the cards into the box or basket. This sounds easy, but different cards of different weights and styles will react differently and can be harder than expected to get into the box or basket.

Christmas Tree Activities

Decorating the Christmas tree is an event that most people look forward to. Not only is it a time to remember where the various ornaments came from or who made them, it is also a very festive time that really brings Christmas right into the home.

There are a variety of activities you can incorporate into bringing the Christmas tree into your home. Some families enjoy singing "Oh Christmas Tree" as the tree is brought into the home. Make a fun activity of this where everyone has to come up with an original verse to the song (since few know the actual words). This can keep everyone entertained while you work to get the tree standing up straight.

Once the tree is in a stand and ready to be decorated, make a game out of the ornaments. Put all the homemade ornaments aside and work with those first. Start with the first family member and ask them who made the ornament. Where did it come from? Once the details are out of the way, ask the crafter (likely a child) if they remember making the ornament. If you're the parent, tell the child what you thought when you first saw the ornament. This is fun, since it reminds children that the things they make and bring home are meaningful to the parents.

There is always one ornament that is odd or just plain silly. Play "hot potato" with that ornament. Whoever gets stuck with the odd ornament has to say one nice thing about it, such as "Well, there's a lot of glitter on it and that's pretty.” It's a silly way to remind children to find good in everything. It might even remind them that things are just things. This is a good lesson for this time of year.

Some people use an advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas, and this is how it's traditionally done, but there is one fun activity sure to be a hit with children. Similar to the concept in Germany (where the advent calendar originated) this involves providing one small gift for children every day until Christmas. In Germany, it's only done for several days before Christmas, but you can do it for the 24 days of the month until Christmas arrives.

Buy tiny handled gift bags at the craft store. Buy one for each of your children. Have the children decorate the bags, and on each of the bags, have them place a number as well, one through twenty-four. As you decorate the tree, find space for each of these little bags. Because they have handles, they can hang right on the tree like an ornament, or you can tie ribbon on the handles and hang them that way. Each night, fill the right bag with a tiny prize or gift. So if it's the night of December 14, you'll take bag #15 (all the bags with earlier numbers will be gone) and put some little trinket in it. It might be a piece of candy, a tiny ornament for your child's own tree, a tiny car, or small eraser. The idea here is that it's a small gift, but come morning, that's the first activity your children will engage in - discovering what little treat you left for them the night before.

Fun Christmas Activities for the Family

Family is at the core of the Christmas season, so creating fun memories with your family is always at the top of the must-do list this time of year. What fun activities can you incorporate into your family that make Christmas memorable and fun? There are quite a few traditional activities and some that are a little bit out of the box.

Think back to your childhood and Christmas time in your house. Are there particular memories that are clearer than others? Those are likely the traditions your parents created for you and your siblings. Trying to create traditions with your own children is one way of making Christmas fun and memorable. Perhaps your family enjoyed decorating cookies or making gingerbread houses. Maybe your mom always had something yummy coming from the kitchen. You can create the same kind of traditions by simply keeping potpourri warmed and smelling nice, if you don't have the time to bake frequently.

If you want to do a fun family activity in the kitchen, but baking isn’t your thing, you can make a variety of other gift items in your kitchen. Kids love making chocolate and candy covered pretzel sticks and you can pair those with homemade hot cocoa mix to give as gifts.

It’s great to incorporate music into your family's traditions. How about some family fun singing Christmas carols or creating your own family music CD? Record your family singing Christmas carols and use that CD as your music CD for the holidays. If you are particularly talented, you could make these look pretty and give them as gifts.

Many families like to cut down their own Christmas tree. This can be a really fun family activity. You can find Christmas tree farms located just about everywhere. Check into a local grower's group for locations. You simply show up, grab a saw (this is mom or dad's job), and go hunting. Depending on the location of the tree farm, you might walk only a short distance, or you might have to hike up and down hills and far into the farm's reaches to find just the right tree.

To add even more fun to this activity, you can create another family tradition to go along with the tree cutting. It can be as simple as also having lunch (at the same place each year) and picking up candy to eat in the car on the way home. You might also add a shopping excursion to the day. After the tree is safe at home, you might all go shopping as a family for some new ornaments.

Other fun family activities may include annual visits to certain places in your community. Does your town have an annual "Christmas tree lane" where all the homes on one street decorate for the holidays? You can make a tradition of driving down that street each year, or walking the entire street, if the weather allows. Walking gives the kids a chance to see some of the details of the various decorations.

Many children think hot cocoa is an essential part of the Christmas season. If that's the case with yours, you could start a fun family activity each year where you make a big batch of hot cocoa mix at the start of the season. Let the kids have a small cup each night before bed during the month of December. Closer to Christmas, add special items to the hot cocoa, like mini marshmallows one night and whipped cream another. Be sure to leave this family-made hot cocoa for Santa on Christmas Eve!

At a certain age, children enjoy decorating their room for the holidays. One fun family Christmas activity is to encourage this decoration by letting the kids shop for items to put in their rooms and letting them do the decorating. Be sure to take a picture of them in their decorated room each year. They'll enjoy looking at the pictures year after year.

Christmas Shopping Bargains

Everyone knows that the Christmas season is all about giving and that no one should be concerned about how much a particular gift costs, but most of us also have to worry about our budgets while we are doing our Christmas shopping. While there are some people for whom money is no object, the reality is that most of us simply cannot afford to purchase everything we want during the Christmas season. We all have to make some concessions while we do our Christmas shopping and we should all keep our eyes open for great deals. Fortunately, there are a great deal of bargains to be found during the Christmas season.

Finding bargains while Christmas shopping is actually quite easy. Although most stores hold sales throughout the year, just about every retailer offers significant bargains in the weeks just before Christmas. These retailers know shoppers will be out in full force during this time and they offer their best deals hoping to attract a great share of the shoppers. The best way to ensure you are receiving the best possible deals while you are Christmas shopping is to spend some time window shopping before the Christmas season. This will give you a good idea of what types of items are currently being sold and it will also give you a good indication of the prices of these items. This information can be used when Christmas shopping to determine just how much you are saving by purchasing sale items just before Christmas.

When shopping for bargain items at Christmas, it is very important to be aware of the return policy on the item. While you might think the gift is a great idea at the time, you may realize it is not such a good idea later, or you may find a defect in the product and want to return it. However, if there was a “no return” policy on the product, you will not be able to get your money back for the item. Even if you decide to keep the item, the recipient of the gift may not like the item and may wish to return it. If you bought it during a sale where no returns were allowed, the recipient may not be able to return the gift.

There is one aspect to shopping for Christmas bargains which every shopper should understand. It is the simple concept that just because an item is on sale does not mean you should purchase the item. Some Christmas shoppers get caught up in the idea of purchasing a bargain item which has been greatly reduced in price, but it may be an item they do not really need or want. When this is the case, it is a better idea to not purchase the item. You will be saving money by doing this. Think of it this way, you may find a warm wool coat which is reduced in price by 75%. This may seem like a bargain that is too good to pass up, but if you live in a warm climate and will never wear the coat it is actually a waste of money. You may be only paying 25% of the original price but if you do not buy the coat at all you will not be paying anything.

Christmas Shopping on a Budget

Although most people enjoy the spirit of giving at Christmas time, it is true that Christmas shopping can be a significant financial burden. This is especially true for those who have a large family or a large group of friends who regularly exchange Christmas gifts. Christmas shopping can also cause financial difficulties for those who feel compelled to purchase expensive gifts for each person on their list. However, there are ways to deal with this financial burden. One of the ways to deal with the financial problem is to set a budget beforehand. Another way to deal with the financial stress of Christmas shopping is to shop throughout the year instead of all at once.

Those who have concerns over the amount of money they will be spending on their Christmas shopping should consider setting a budget before they begin shopping. In order to begin the process of setting a budget for Christmas shopping, it is important to first create a list of all the people you intend to buy Christmas presents for this holiday season. This list should include all of the close friends and family members you typically purchase gifts for, as well as any co-workers or employees you normally purchase gifts for, your mail carrier, or your children’s teachers. You may also wish to budget for gifts donated to toy drives organized by charitable organizations if you typically contribute during these events.

Once you have your list of gift recipients, there are a couple of ways to go about establishing a budget. Perhaps the simplest way is to decide how much you plan to spend on Christmas shopping and divide this amount by the number of gift recipients on your list. This will result in a budget in which you plan to spend the same amount of money on Christmas gifts for each person on your list. This type of budget strategy may be appropriate if you plan on purchasing similar gifts for everyone on your Christmas list, but it may not work out well if you want to purchase something really special for a few of your closest friends or relatives.

Another strategy for establishing a Christmas shopping budget is to determine how much money you would like to spend and then divide the individuals into different categories. Some of the categories you might want to include are close friends and relatives, business associates, acquaintances, and gifts which are purchased for people you don’t know. Once you have all of the members of your list categorized, you can determine the percentage of your total budget you would like to spend on each category. For example you might decide to spend 50% of your total budget on close friends and relatives, 25% of your total budget on business associates, 15% of your total budget on acquaintances, and the remaining 10% on Christmas gifts for charity drives. You can use these numbers to determine the total amount of money you will spend on each category and divide that number by the total number of people in each category to figure out a dollar amount for each person on your Christmas list.

A final strategy for establishing a budget for your Christmas shopping is to start out by determining how much you plan to spend on some of the most important people on your gift recipient list. This will most likely include your closest relatives. Once you set dollar amounts for your closest relatives, it is time to divide up the remaining amount of money in your Christmas shopping budget. This can either be done arbitrarily by dividing the remaining amount in your budget by the number of people left on your list, or you can continue to go through your list selecting a dollar amount for each person until you reach your budget. If there are still people remaining on your list, you will have to either reevaluate the dollar amounts you have already chosen or consider eliminating some people from your list.

Christmas Shopping Online

Typically, when we think of Christmas shopping, we picture crowded malls, difficulty parking, and sales racks in complete disarray. For some people, this hectic chaos is what Christmas shopping is all about and they would never consider trying to avoid the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. For them, it is a very important part of the Christmas season. However, for shoppers who find the chaos too stressful, there is an excellent alternative. Christmas shopping online is a relatively new concept, but each year more and more people are turning to online shopping to complete all, or part, of their Christmas shopping.

One useful tip for Christmas shopping online is getting it done early but not too early. It is important to complete your online shopping early enough to have the item shipped to the recipient in time to arrive before Christmas, without incurring charges for rushed shipping. You want your friend or relative to receive the gift on time, but you don’t wan to pay a great deal of extra money for shipping. Standard shipping rates are typically quite reasonable, but express shipping rates can be rather expensive. While it is important to complete your online shopping early enough to get the gift to your friend or family member before Christmas, you do not want the gift to arrive too early. While there is technically nothing wrong with this, it may result in the gift being opened early.

One problem which can occur when you do your Christmas shopping online is that the item you purchase may look better online than it does in reality. To avoid this problem it is best to only purchase items online if you are absolutely sure what the item actually looks like. For example, you may have seen a particular coffee maker in stores. When purchasing the item online, you should compare the model number to ensure you are purchasing the item you really want. If you have never seen the item in person, it is important to view the item carefully. You should study all of the given information, including the measurements, to ensure the item you are envisioning as you view it online is the item you want to purchase.

Finally, when Christmas shopping online, it is important to only make purchases from reputable retailers. You may be tempted to purchase items which appear to be an incredible bargain, but if the retailer has a bad reputation, or you cannot verify the reputation of the retailer, it might be a better idea to purchase the item from another retailer who has a more established reputation of providing excellent products and services. You may pay slightly more, but you will gain the security of knowing you are dealing with a reputable retailer and you will not have to worry about the quality of the item you select or the shipping practices of the retailer.

Christmas Shopping for Your Wife

Most men do not enjoy Christmas shopping, or any kind of shopping at all. While they may generally dislike Christmas shopping, they especially do not like Christmas shopping for their wives. These men may love their wives dearly, but the thought of purchasing Christmas gifts for their wives seems like a daunting task. Their wives most likely have no idea that their husband deals with the stress associated with Christmas shopping for them each year. They likely assume they are easy to shop for and that it is a piece of cake to select a gift for them.

Most men attend a number of parties with their wives throughout the year. They may attend birthday parties for nieces and nephews, engagement parties for cousins or friends, and housewarming parties for friends. They also likely arrive at most of these occasions bearing gifts, however, in most cases it is the wife who does the gift shopping. Most women enjoy shopping and do not mind always tackling this task. However, the women cannot help their husbands when it comes to shopping for them at Christmas. These poor men have no practice shopping for presents and then they find themselves having to purchase Christmas presents for their wives without any help. Following are a few gift ideas your wife is sure to love.

A scrapbook is a great idea for a Christmas gift for your wife, especially if she is always complaining about never having time to organize the family photos. This idea may scare many men because they are afraid they have to be artistically talented to give their wife this type of gift. Fortunately for them, there are many individuals in the business of making scrapbooks. All the husband has to do is round up several photos and sit down with the scrapbooking consultant to discuss what type of book he is looking for and his wife’s favorite colors and preferences. With this information the consultant can create a lovely scrapbook from the pictures the husband provides.

A spa gift certificate is another excellent idea for men who find Christmas shopping to be difficult. Most women enjoy being pampered and receiving treatments such as manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, and other rejuvenating treatments. Even if you are not sure where she would like to go to receive these treatments you can purchase a gift certificate from a service which works in conjunction with a number of spas around the country.

Another gift many women will greatly appreciate is a gift certificate for a maid service. This is especially useful for women who work a full-time job and do the majority of the housework. It can be quite difficult to keep the house in great shape while working full-time. Giving a gift of maid service does not imply you do not think the house is clean enough, but rather sends the message that you realize how hard your wife works and that want to make her life easier. An even better idea is to make up a homemade coupon book with items such as cooking dinner or cleaning the bathroom. If your wife typically does these chores, she can cash in one of her coupons for a night off from this chore.

Christmas Shopping for Your Husband

You might think that Christmas shopping for your husband would be the easiest part of your Christmas shopping each year. You might think this is going to be such an easy chore because you love your husband and you know him really well; but, in actuality, Christmas shopping for your husband is sometimes the most difficult part of the holiday season. This can happen for a number of reasons. First, you may feel added stress to find a perfect gift for your husband. While you may be willing to settle for gifts which are merely acceptable for other members on your Christmas list, you are likely to feel stressed to search for items which are spectacular for really close relatives such as your husband. If you have been married to your husband for a number of years, you may also have difficulty Christmas shopping for him because you may feel like you have already bought him everything.

Considering your husband’s interests and hobbies is one way to make Christmas shopping for him easier. Paying attention to these interests and hobbies can give you a better idea of what type of items would make great Christmas gifts for him. For example, if he recently started golfing and is still renting golf clubs, you could consider purchasing a golf bag for him and giving him a gift certificate to purchase a set of golf clubs to fill the bag. Or, if he recently started running, you might consider items which would make his run more enjoyable. You might purchase an MP3 player which is designed to be worn on an armband while running, or a speed and distance monitor which tracks his mileage and his pace throughout his workout.

Another useful tip for Christmas shopping for your husband is to not be afraid to repeat gifts you have given him the past. You might normally consider purchasing a bottle of cologne for him for Christmas and then decide against it because you realize you gave him a bottle of cologne for Christmas two years ago. This is very common because many people think it is boring to give the same gift more than once, but it is not always a bad idea. This is especially true in the case of items which can be used up, such as cologne, scented soaps, and candles. It makes sense to gives these gifts repeatedly because your husband uses them often and runs out each year. However, even items such as clothing can be given as repeat gifts. It is acceptable to give your husband items such as ties, sweaters, or pants on more than one occasion because clothing goes out of style and your husband’s tastes may change. The tie which he loved a couple of years ago may not be one of his favorites anymore. However, if you gave him a trendy new tie for Christmas this year it is likely to be a gift which is much appreciated.

Finally, if you simply cannot decide what to get your husband for Christmas, it is acceptable to ask him what he wants. Have him make a list of several items he wants and plan on purchasing a few items from the list as well as a few surprises.

Christmas Shopping for Children

Christmas is a truly magical season that is enjoyed by many, but no one enjoys the Christmas season more than kids. It might be the prospect of some well deserved time off from school, the allure of the lights and decorations, the beauty of the snow that often accompanies Christmas, or just the anticipation of Santa and his sleigh filled with toys that is so exciting for children. Whatever the reason, most kids are truly enchanted by Christmas and most adults truly enjoy shopping for kids at Christmas time.

While Christmas shopping for kids is a great deal of fun, there are some factors to consider when Christmas shopping for kids. A few of the specific concerns include selecting age-appropriate toys, selecting toys which are not too noisy or too big for the child’s living situation, selecting toys the child does not already have, selecting toys which the parents consider to be acceptable, and selecting toys the child will enjoy. This can make Christmas shopping for kids a little more difficult but does not have to make the shopping any less fun.

Selecting age-appropriate toys is very important when Christmas shopping for kids. This is important for a couple of reasons. First, it is important because toys which are designed for older children might be potentially dangerous for a younger child. For example, toys which are designed for children over the age of three may contain small pieces which pose a choking hazard to small children. Children under the age of three may often put toys and other objects in their mouths, so they must receive toys which contain only pieces large enough to not be a choking hazard. Also, toys which are designed for an older child may not be as much fun for the child as they would be for children of the appropriate age. If the child is too young for the toy, they may become easily frustrated because they cannot use the toy properly. On the other hand, a child who is too old for a particular toy may quickly become bored with the toy.

When shopping for Christmas gifts for a child, it is also important to consider the child’s parents and their living situation. This includes the size of the living area and the proximity to neighbors. Specifically, toys which are particularly noisy may not be appropriate for a child who lives in an apartment building with other apartment units nearby. Also, large toys such as a trampoline may not be appropriate for a child who does not have a yard large enough to accommodate such a gift. Similarly, large indoor items, such as a foosball table, would not be appropriate for a child who does not have a dedicated toy room to accommodate such a large item. As a general rule, it is best to stick with small items which do not make a great deal of noise when Christmas shopping for kids.

It is also important to consider the personal beliefs of the parents when shopping for Christmas gifts for their children. You should not purchase an item for a child if you know their parents are ethically opposed to such an item. Guns and violent video games are a couple of obvious example of Christmas gifts which may offend parents. There are many parents who do not allow their children to play with these items because they believe they promote violence. If you are not sure about the feelings of the parents, it is best not to select these items.

When Christmas shopping for a child, it is wise to consult the parents beforehand. Parents can give some insight into the child’s hobbies and interests which may make selecting a gift easier. They may even suggest a specific item from the child’s Christmas list ensuring you are giving the child something he really wants for Christmas. Consulting the parents can also prevent you from giving the child a gift he already has. Try calling the parents before you make a purchase to suggest a particular item. They can let you know if they think the child will enjoy the item or if the child already has the item.

Christmas Shopping for Distant Relatives

It may be really simple to Christmas shop for close relatives you see often and know very well. However, when it comes to shopping for relatives you rarely see because they live far away, it can be significantly more difficult. There are a number of factors which contribute to this difficulty. First, it is difficult because if you don’t see the relatives often you may not know much about their current interests or hobbies, which would simplify the shopping process. It is also difficult to Christmas shop for distant relatives because you have to consider the complexity of shipping the items

An unfortunate reality is that many people live quite far away from their relatives. Relatives may live thousands of miles away, but they are still people you love and care about and Christmas is an excellent time to express your love for them by sending a Christmas gift which tells them you are thinking of them. However, despite your best intentions, it is often difficult to Christmas shop for a distant relative. You may not keep in close contact with the relative and may not know their interests. You may not even know their current clothing sizes. They may have lost or gained weight since the last time you saw them so even purchasing clothing can be difficult. For all these reasons, Christmas shopping for a distant relative may be difficult but there are ways to simplify the process.

One way to make it easier to Christmas shop for a distant relative is to call them to catch up before you do your shopping. Just giving them a quick phone call can provide you with a great deal of insight into their life. It is a good idea to make a call like this anyway, just to keep in touch, but it can also help you out with your Christmas shopping. You might learn a lot during this conversation, such as activities in which they are involved or leisure activities they enjoy. All of this information can make it easier for you to select an appropriate Christmas gift. You might also consider asking your relative what they want for Christmas. This may take away the element of surprise, but it will ensure you are purchasing something your relative really wants. Another option is purchasing a gift certificate. This may not be the most exciting gift, but it is one that is sure to be appreciated.

Another complication which stems from Christmas shopping for distant relatives is the matter of shipping the gifts. This can be difficult and expensive. Also, it can be a tremendous hassle especially if you are shipping the gift close to Christmas time when the lines in the post office are very long. One way to avoid some of these complications is to purchase gifts which are relatively small in size. This will help you avoid excessive charges associated with shipping heavy or large items. If you are planning a trip to visit your relatives during Christmas, you could consider purchasing items which are small enough to fit in your suitcase so you can transport the items yourself. This will not only save you the cost of shipping your Christmas gifts, but will also save you the hassle of dealing with standing in long lines to ship the gifts.

Christmas Shopping for Close Relatives

Christmas shopping for close relatives can be extremely easy in some ways, but it can also be extremely difficult in others. On the one hand, shopping for close relatives is simple and fun because they are people you really care about and people you know very well. However, on the other hand, shopping for close relatives can also be extremely difficult because there is the added pressure to find gifts that your relatives will cherish and enjoy.

Most people really look forward to Christmas shopping for their close relatives. This is an opportunity to purchase a gift for a loved one that he or she is sure to enjoy and appreciate. People also look forward to shopping for close relatives because they know them well and they are likely have a number of great ideas about what to buy. However, all of these great ideas may turn out to be a source of stress. For example, you may immediately think of five or six great gift ideas for a particular relative. The problem you may encounter is that you think each of the gifts would be absolutely perfect, so you have a great deal of trouble deciding which gift to select. Purchasing all of the items may not be feasible for your budget and you may be disappointed that you can only select one item from your list of ideas. This can create stress because you may worry about selecting the best possible choice.

Another problem which may stem from having a lot of great ideas about what to get a particular relative is you may not be able to find the exact item for which you are searching. This can be particularly stressful and frustrating, especially if you know a particular item would make the perfect gift for your loved one but you are simply unable to find the exact item you are seeking. In this case, you may become obsessed with finding the particular item. Not being able to find the item can be incredibly frustrating. This frustration can make the shopping a lot less fun and it may also cause you to not see other items that would make great gifts because you are so focused on finding that one particular item.

Even when you don’t have a list of gift ideas for a particular relative, you may experience a great deal of frustration during your Christmas shopping. This frustration may stem from being too concerned about finding a gift which your close relative will really cherish and appreciate. The pressure of finding a great Christmas gift for a loved one is so important because you do not want someone you care so much about to be disappointed by the Christmas gift you give them. Although this should not really be a concern because it your close relatives will most likely be thrilled with the gifts you select for them, but it still causes stress for many people.

Another problem associated with shopping for close relatives is that it may be difficult to select appropriate gifts for multiple relatives without worrying that the relatives will compare the gifts. Again, this is not a likely scenario as most people would not go out of their way to discuss the gifts they were given, but it is something that causes concern. Some individuals will feel that it is not appropriate to purchase an expensive gift for one relative but not for others. One way to deal with this is to select one item and give similar items to all of the relatives. Although the gifts will not be unique, or selected for each individual, it is one way to deal with the possibility of the recipients sharing information about the gifts they receive. One example of how to do this is to give an item such as a sweater to each relative but to personalize the gift by selecting different styles or colors for each relative.

Christmas Shopping During Big Sales

Several times a year, retailers offer big sales on many of their items. Popular times for sales include President’s Day, Easter, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and of course Christmas. Retailers hold sale events during these times of year to encourage shoppers to get out and make big purchases.

The last minute Christmas shopping frenzy which takes place each year can be largely attributed to the sale events at Christmas time. Many shoppers specifically wait until the last minute to do their Christmas shopping because they know many items will go on sale at this time. While this is an excellent way to save money, savvy Christmas shoppers know that doing a little bit of their Christmas shopping at earlier sales during the year can help to ease the stress and financial burdens often associated with last minute Christmas shopping.

Christmas shopping during big sales is definitely a good idea but it is important to remember that there are ways to take advantage of a big sale and there are things to watch out for when shopping during big sales.

One of the biggest pitfalls associated with doing your Christmas shopping during big sale events is people sometimes end up purchasing many items they don’t need and would not have purchased had they not been on sale. This can be a problem, especially if it causes you to exceed the budget you have set for Christmas shopping. This often happens when shoppers encounter a sale they think is simply too good to pass up.

For some shoppers a discount of more than 50% seems very appealing and they may be tempted to buy these items just because the price has been reduced by so much. However, they might not really need the item. In this case the shopper may be saving 50% off the original price, but if they wouldn’t have normally purchased the item, they are really spending more than they would have and they are essentially losing money. To avoid this pitfall, it is wise to make a list of each person on your list and what you intend to purchase for them so you will not be tempted by big bargains.

Another problem associated with Christmas shopping during big sales is that hesitancy often causes the shopper to miss out on an item. When you are Christmas shopping during a big sale it is important to be slightly impulsive. If you see an item you think you would like to purchase for someone on your Christmas list, you have to either buy it right away or you run the risk that it will be gone if you come back later.

Retailers often put items on sale when they only have a limited quantity in stock, so once they sell out, the item is gone. So, it is important to remember that when you are Christmas shopping during a big sale, you have to make decisions quickly. You need to either decide to purchase an item or you need to completely forget about the item because it will likely be sold soon after you leave the store.

Twelve Things You Never Knew about Christmas

1. Christmas Trees were first lighted with actual candles, which presented a fire hazard. As a result, containers filled with water had to be kept near the Christmas tree.

2. Workers in the construction industry are responsible for the tradition of having a Christmas tree on display at Rockefeller Center in New York City. They are credited with placing an undecorated tree at the site in the early 1930s.

3. Since the mid-1960s, The National Christmas Tree Association has maintained a presence in the White House at Christmas by donating a Christmas Tree to the First Family.

4. The former Woolworth department store first sold manufactured Christmas Tree ornaments in 1880.

5. Plastic became the primary material used to make tinsel after their use for decorative purposes was prohibited because lead was used in the manufacturing process.

6. The idea of Christmas greeting cards started in Britain in the late 1830s, when John Calcott Horsley started to produce small cards that had festive scenes and a holiday greeting written inside. Similar cards were also being made in the United States at about the same time by R.H. Pease, in Albany, New York, and Louis Prang, who was a German immigrant. The idea of sending the greeting cards during Christmas gained popularity in both countries about ten years later when new postal delivery services started.

7. The shortened form “Xmas” for Christmas has been popular in Europe since the 1500s. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word “Xristos” which means Christ.

8. According to the National Confectioners Association, for 200 years, candy canes were only made in the color of white, and it wasn't until the 1950s that a machine was invented that could automate the production of candy canes.

9. The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day in England and it is a national holiday. Several stories exist for the origination of the name. It is believed to have originated from the practice of boys who would be out collecting money in clay boxes. Another thought is that the term is derived from a custom in the Middle Ages, when churches would open their “alms boxes” and distribute the contents to poor people on the day after Christmas. Alms boxes are boxes in which donations of gifts and money would be placed. Yet another belief is that it comes from a custom of masters giving their servants Christmas presents in boxes on the day after Christmas.

10. Evergreen trees had a special meaning to people during winter, particularly in Europe, before Christianity started. Ancient peoples would hang evergreen branches over their doors and windows because evergreens were believed to ward off witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness. For worshipers of the sun god, evergreen plants were a reminder of all the green plants that would grow with the return of summer when the sun god would be strong again.

11. In ancient times, many people worshiped the sun as a god in December because they thought winter occurred every year because the sun god had fallen into ill health. They celebrated the winter solstice because it was a sign that the son god would begin to regain strength and return to good health.

12. Legislators in Congress conducted business on Christmas Day in 1789, which was the first one to be observed under the country's new constitution. The reason for the Congressional session was because it had become unpopular to observe and take part in English customs following the American Revolution. When Christmas celebrations were barred in Boston from 1659 to 1681, it became a costly thing to be seen participating in any event or activity related to Christmas. Anyone caught doing so had to pay five shillings.

The History of Christmas Traditions

Christians celebrate Christmas to observe the birth of Jesus Christ, which is an event and not a tradition; but many other activities related to celebrating the Christmas season evolved from certain traditions, many of which are from other countries, particularly from Europe.

Among common items used in Christmas decorations are holly and mistletoe. Both are used primarily in wreaths and garlands. The Druids started the tradition of using mistletoe as a decorative item two hundred years before Christ. To celebrate the winter season, the Druids would gather the plants and use them to decorate their homes. The Druids believed mistletoe would bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. They also believed that mistletoe had a healing quality and could be used for everything from healing wounds to increasing fertility.

In Scandinavia, mistletoe was seen as a plant of peace and harmony and was associated with Frigga, the goddess of love. This association is probably what led to the custom of kissing under the mistletoe. In the Victorian period, the English would also hang mistletoe from ceilings and in doorways during the holidays. The habit developed that if someone was standing under the mistletoe, someone else in the room would kiss that person. Such outright behavior was not generally seen in Victorian society.

The use of mistletoe in Christmas celebrations was once banned by the church because of its associations with pagan traditions and the use of holly was suggested as a substitute.

Poinsettias are another traditional decorative flower used at Christmas. It is native to Mexico and is named after Joel Poinsett, who was the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and who brought the plants to America in 1828. Mexicans believe the plants were a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem and that's one reason they are associated with Christmas. There's also the story that a young boy was going to see the Nativity Play at a church but realized he didn't have a gift for Baby Jesus. The boy gathered some green branches, which others scoffed at, but as he placed them near the manger, a bright red poinsettia flower started to bloom on each branch, which gave rise to their traditional use at Christmas.

Candy canes became a Christmas tradition not because their red and white stripes matched the colors of the season, but for the most unusual reason of discipline. They were first used as treats that were give to German children to keep them well-behaved for the duration of church sermons. Over time, the legend of candy canes at Christmas came to be associated with some of the strongest symbols and beliefs of Christianity: the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, known as the Trinity: the Blood of the son of God; Jesus, as the embodiment of holiness, purity, and without sin; and the son of God as the shepherd of man. The candy cane represents these symbols respectively with its three stripes, its red and white color, and its shape.

Sending greeting cards during Christmas and the holidays is as prevalent today as the custom of giving gifts. The tradition of sending Christmas cards started in 1840 in Britain with the start of public postal delivery service of the “Penny Post.” Then, from about 1860, large numbers of Christmas greeting cards started being produced. The popularity of the cards increased in Britain when they could be sent by the postal service for one half-penny, which was half the price to post a standard letter at the time, if they were in an unsealed envelope. Religious pictures of Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the angels, shepherds, and Wise Men were traditionally placed on Christmas cards. Some cards today include scenes from the Nativity, but pictures of Santa Claus, winter scenery, Christmas trees, and gift packages are also depicted on contemporary Christmas greeting cards.

The History of Christmas

Commercial activities during Christmas are often decried as making the season too materialistic. This has caused comments that the religious aspect of Christmas is so overlooked and overshadowed that its celebration seems to be purely pagan. Today's comparisons aren't the first time there has been some link between Christmas and pagan celebrations. As a religious event, church leaders instituted Christmas during winter because that time of year was a popular time for 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 people 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 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 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 through the sky at night to observe people and make decisions 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 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 to 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, 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.

Christmas Toys

Although adults like to receive gifts, many will readily forego the pleasure if it means a young member of the family will be totally pleased and delighted with their Christmas gift. Seeing the sparkle of joy in children's eyes when they receive a toy or other Christmas present certainly confirms that Christmas is for children. After all, Santa brings gifts for all the good little boys and girls, not for moms and dads, or other adults.

Toys are a significant part of Christmas. Parents go all out for children. They make the extra effort to give children something really special such as what the child wishes or longs for. It may be a toy such as a particular type of doll, a dream dollhouse, or a bike, train set, or motorized vehicle. The fun of getting a toy at Christmas begins early for children as they start to make their wish list and anticipate getting what they desire.

For teenagers, the most desired toy may not be a toy in the real sense of the word. A toy, in today's casual speech, can mean a favorite gadget such as an ultra-stylish cell phone, an iPod, MP3 player, electronic organizer, or even a computer.

Toy sales at Christmas play a major role in the economics of retailers in the toy industry. Toy makers use the Christmas season to release new and updated products with the hope of capturing a significant slice of the billions of dollars that consumers spend during the holidays. The strategy among toy makers typically has been to release a new product they hope will be the “must-have” toy for the season. Consequently, they try to create buzz about the product and have a specific release date, all with the hope that parents and other consumers will clamor for the item. Such driving demand can easily justify a spike in the price of the item.

Toys have also evolved beyond dolls, trains, and cars to be very interactive and educational. The popularity of educational toys and the presence of increased technology have combined to produce many toys that are highly computerized.

Receiving a toy as a gift at Christmas can play an important role in creating a lasting memory. When a child gets the “right” toy or is surprised by a wonderful toy, he or she will remember the feeling it brought for a lifetime and recall it whenever there's talk of which Christmas was a favorite. It also helps to create a tradition as the child becomes an adult and wants to recapture a similar feeling by seeking to do the same for his or her own child.

Then there are the children with a wish list that's basically a hope to get something – anything – at Christmas. Many companies, businesses, churches, and social organizations arrange to have members donate new toys that are distributed to children in need. Putting a smile on the faces of those children will create warm memories about Christmas and Santa Claus for them. By participating in a charitable effort, the donors become “Santa Claus” and spreaders of the goodwill and cheer that embody the meaning of Christmas.

Favorite Christmas Foods

Favorite foods enjoyed by Americans for any given holiday, season, or special occasion will likely include some ethnic dishes, given the many ethnic groups that reside in the United States. Despite this melting pot cuisine, there are some similarities in dishes that will be a part of most meals during celebrations such as Christmas.

Christmas in the United States comes almost one month after another big holiday, Thanksgiving, in which the traditional meal typically consists of a turkey as the main dish. This also carries over into Christmas as roast turkey is one of the main dishes served for Christmas dinner. Unlike Thanksgiving, which is solely devoted to turkey, Christmas dinners may also 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 with Christmas dinner, a bottle of champagne is very popular, as well as wine.

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 tremendously during the holidays. Just as department stores seek to attract shoppers to purchase Christmas gifts, candy manufacturers also put out special boxes 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 the constant message about dieting that is present every day in the media, on 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 those that are targeted to the low-carb dieter or those that are sugar-free, fat-free, or both.

Cookies that are enjoyed at Christmas are often home-baked and usually include gingerbread items. The tradition of gingerbread cookies at Christmas is also believed to have originated in Germany and was 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 these creations 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 had the shapes of little people and animals and were used to decorate Christmas trees.

More than one hundred years ago, German homes in Lancaster County, in Pennsylvania, would have cookies as tall as one foot high used as decorations in their front windows. The cookies were often giant gingerbread men and women that had colorful rows of buttons and big smiles. Passersby were 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.

Christmas Travel

Because Christmas is a time to be with family, loved ones, and friends, it is one of the busiest times of the year to travel. People travel locally, to different regions, and to international destinations to share Christmas dinners, exchange gifts, and recall fond memories they have of the season. There's also travel for entertainment reasons done by tourists within the country or from abroad. Even on Christmas Day, the highways are busy with vehicles as relatives and friends travel between towns and states to spend the day together.

The massive shift away from an agrarian society to one of commerce with the development of cities and suburbs caused family members to move further and further away from each other, which made it necessary to travel by land, air, or rail to be together for holidays such as Christmas and other special occasions. With some countries being economic powerhouses in the world, people moved even further as they migrated to other countries to take advantage of better opportunities to improve their lives. Consequently, air travel has expanded in modern times to take people to international destinations.

But travel during Christmas and the holidays is not limited to visiting relatives and friends. Many people travel for entertainment, including families who are interested in seeing interesting sights at Christmas and enjoying world-renowned entertainment in places far from where they live.

Within the United States, it is popular for families and groups of friends to visit New York City to see the general sights of the city and to shop at Christmas. Some of these sights are known throughout the country and are celebrated each Christmas. The annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is an example.

The lighting of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center, which is located west of Fifth Avenue from 47th Street to 51st Street in New York City, has been a tradition since the time of the Depression. The first tree was placed at the site in 1931, but it wasn't decorated with any Christmas ornaments. In recent years, more than 25,000 Christmas lights and other ornaments have been placed on the tree.

Also in New York City, it is very popular for tourists to travel at Christmas to see the spectacular Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall with the signature high-kicking Rockettes. The show is a favorite of both adults and children as it is very festive, lively, and filled with the spirit of Christmas. Tourists also travel during Christmas to international destinations for entertainment. Because the Nutcracker Ballet originated in Russia, and because that country has worldwide acclaim for some of the most technical and artistic ballet performers, it is a popular destination at Christmas. The legendary Tchaikovsky composed the music for the “Nutcracker Ballet,” which was first performed in Russia's Mariinsky Theatre, home to the acclaimed Kirov Ballet. The story is about a little girl's dream on Christmas Eve about a beloved Nutcracker toy she received as a present.

Travel to international destinations is also popular at Christmas in order to escape the cold of a “White Christmas.” For those who do not like the cold, but who like to be out and about at Christmas, the alternative is to go somewhere with a more tropical climate. Travel to destinations in the Caribbean, where Christmas is robustly celebrated, is popular during the Christmas season.

One intriguing place to travel during the Christmas season is to a place where Santa can be observed. There is such a place in Finland at a village where Santa Claus has his workshop. Travel to see, and possibly talk to, Santa Claus is a delightful adventure for children; but such a trip has to be made before Christmas Eve, when Santa, his elves, and reindeers embark on their trip to visit every home in the world.

All About Santa Claus

It's only fitting that, because Santa Claus has the magnificent capability to visit homes around the world in a single night, more than one place would claim to be his home. It is a common belief that Santa hails from the wintry North Pole, but folks in Finland will also tell you that Santa calls that country his home. To prove it, the Finns will even invite you to visit Santa in his workshop before Christmas, or during the year, and talk with Santa Claus as he and his elves busy themselves for their end-of-year Christmas expedition around the globe.

In America, the popularity of the image and legend of Santa Claus can be traced to the poem, “Twas the Night before Christmas,” which was written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. In that poem, Moore described St. Nicholas as a jolly fellow who flew from house to house in a sleigh pulled by reindeer and who waited for children to go to bed on Christmas Eve before he came down the chimney to deliver Christmas presents for them.

Following the distribution of that poem, between 1863 and 1886, the popular magazine Harper's Weekly published cartoons by Thomas Nast which depicted Santa as a cheerful fellow with a large, round belly and long, white beard who wore a bright red suit trimmed with white fur. In those cartoons, Santa also held a sack, which was filled with toys for boys and girls, over his shoulder. The cartoons also showed Santa reading letters from good boys and girls, working in his workshop with his elves, checking his list to make sure he had all the required toys, and even showed his wife, Mrs. Claus.

The tradition of Santa Claus was brought to America by Dutch colonists who settled in New York City, which was called New Amsterdam at the time. The real St. Nicholas is said to be a minor saint from the 4th Century with a reputation for generosity and kindness, who gave rise to legends of the many miracles he performed for the poor and unhappy. One of the stories about St. Nicholas is that he saved three poor sisters from being sold into a life of slavery or prostitution by their father. According to the legend, Santa Claus provided the girls with a dowry so they could get married.

The legend of St. Nicholas led hundreds of people to be devoted to him. Consequently, thousands of European churches became dedicated to him. After the Reformation period, however, widespread practice and worship of St. Nicholas disappeared in European countries that were Protestant, except in Holland where the legend of St. Nicholas continued. St. Nicholas was known as Sint Nikolaas, but that was later corrupted to Sinter Klaas.

Dutch colonists took this tradition of Sinter Klaas to New York City where it was adopted using the English translation of Santa Claus. Over time, the Dutch legend of the kindly saint was combined with old Nordic folktales about a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good ones with presents. This gave rise to the stories that now exist about Santa Claus.

The red and white-trimmed suit of Santa Claus is believed to be the colors that the original St. Nicholas wore because red and white were the colors of the robes worn by traditional bishops. It is also believed that the Coca Cola Company played a role in what is regarded as the popular look of Santa Claus today, through paintings by artist Haddon Sundblom, which were used in some of the company's advertisements between 1931 and 1964.

Christmas Tree Decoration

The decoration of Christmas Trees has undergone many changes, much like many of the early traditions of the Christmas season. Christmas Tree lighting, which started with real candles, probably underwent the biggest change when electric light became commercially available and special Christmas Tree lights were manufactured. It is not surprising that today you can set up Christmas Trees that are expertly decorated with little or no effort.

While many people choose a fresh Christmas Tree for its scent, many others simply want a beautifully decorated tree and will choose an artificial or man-made tree. Artificial trees have been available in America since the start of the 20th century. Many artificial trees are made to have a similar appearance to real Christmas Trees, but changes have been made to make them decorative and different from regular Christmas trees.

As an example, in the 1950s, some artificial Christmas Trees had branches made of aluminum-coated paper to give them a shiny, metallic look. For those who like a Christmas Tree with a unique look, trees with a similar shiny, metallic appearances are available today, however, they are now made with a different material because the older trees were a fire hazard.

For those who are very busy and don't have the time to spend carefully placing Christmas lights on trees, there are many pre-lit Christmas Trees on the market today. These Christmas Trees look like their real counterparts except multi-colored fiber-optic lights can be found scattered throughout their limbs and branches. This arrangement saves the time and effort of having to untangle strings of Christmas Tree lights.

Another type of pre-lit artificial Christmas Tree is one that made completely of fiber optics so that the tree appears to be shaped out of wispy strands of light. Some of these brightly-lit fiber-optic trees also come equipped with pre-recorded Christmas songs and speakers to give the added pleasure of music.

Many pre-lit Christmas Trees have electric lights which need to be plugged into an electrical outlet. The advantage of these trees is that the lights are already strung on them from the factory and you need only to follow the instructions about how to assemble the tree for it to appear lighted. Once this is done correctly, the tree will look as if it was manually decorated with lights.

Another ready-made decorative feature of artificial Christmas Trees is the appearance of snow-covered branches. This trend is an evolution of faux snow which is often sprinkled in garlands and wreaths to add a Christmas quality to those decorations. Icicle ornaments are also used to decorate real and artificial trees and icicle lights are commonly used along rooflines and outdoor areas. These decorations, along with the ready-made snow-covered branches of artificial trees, convey the frosty, cold feel of the winter season.

Christmas trees that arrive from the factory with lights also have decorations such as apples and small red berries to provide additional color, or real pinecones that may or may not be frosted or sprinkled with faux snow. They may also be pre-decorated with red or gold bows, round ornaments, flower-like patterns, dried bow and twigs, and gold frosted branch tips to give an appealing, sparkling appearance. The trees also have varying hues of green similar to real Christmas Trees.

Pre-lit and pre-decorated Christmas Trees are an excellent way to brighten the holiday in your home and enable you to gain more time to enjoy the festivities of the season.

Care and Disposal of Christmas Trees

Since so much time and effort is put into selecting the perfect Christmas Tree, it follows that similar consideration should also be given to caring for the tree. Otherwise, there will be disappointment if needles start to brown or turn yellow, or branches begin to break with days or weeks to go before the season is over. Safety is also an important reason to take proper care of your Christmas Tree because a drying Christmas Tree also presents a fire hazard. The average Christmas Tree should last for about five to six weeks if the proper care is given to it.

After selecting a Christmas Tree and getting it home, the first thing that should be done is to make a fresh cut and place it into a stand with water. A Christmas Tree shouldn't be mounted dry and the water in its stand should be replenished regularly. A fresh cut is made by cutting about an inch off the bottom in a slightly diagonal shape to help with the absorption of water. If a fresh cut isn't going to be made immediately after getting the tree home, it should be placed in a container with water and left to stand in a shaded area away from the wind.

If a fresh cut isn't made and the Christmas Tree is left exposed to air, the vessels for transporting water can become blocked. If this happens, another fresh cut can correct the problem and the tree then needs to be immediately put in a container with water.

Your Christmas Tree should be secure in its stand and it should be placed away from open flames or sources of heat such as furnaces, fireplaces, and air vents, all of which may dry it out. Decoration of the tree should also begin after it has been mounted in its stand. Several decoration precautions should be taken to lessen or avoid a fire hazard.

Ornaments that have an open flame or candles should never be used for decoration. Christmas Tree lights should be checked to make sure the bulbs are working properly, the connections are intact, and that no part of the cord is damaged. If there appears to be any exposed wiring or bulbs that are not working, that string of lights shouldn't be used.

A good Christmas Tree stand should be used because water is the most important aspect of getting the longest possible life out of your Christmas Tree. In selecting a stand, determine the amount of water it can hold when a tree is placed in it. Some water will be displaced from the space taken up by the base of the tree, so it is important not to base your selection on the total volume of water each stand can hold.

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the average Christmas Tree may absorb up to one gallon of water each day, so it is important to check the water every day and to replenish it frequently. To make sure your Christmas Tree gets enough water, the National Christmas Tree Association recommends that one quart of water is required for each inch of the diameter of the tree's trunk.

After Christmas is over and your wonderfully decorated Christmas Tree has provided much joy, it is important to remove it before it dries out. Options to discard your Christmas will likely depend on the services offered in your area. Some town or cities will pick up Christmas Trees on particular days. Some may require that residents take their trees to specific locations, while in other areas, Christmas Trees will be picked up with the garbage.

Christmas Trees should never be burned in the fireplace as it can cause the build up of creosote, a colorless, oily substance.

There's also the option of putting your Christmas Tree to a different use by cutting it into pieces yourself and using it for mulch.

Selecting a Christmas Tree

Given the many types of Christmas Trees available, and the various ways in which they can be bought, it's important to know certain qualities that a Christmas Tree should have so that it will be suitable for decorating, and so it will last through the season.

One of the most important qualities a Christmas Tree should have is freshness. This makes buying a tree from a Christmas Tree farm the best option because you will observe the tree being cut at the time it is purchased. If a tree is bought elsewhere, such as from a retail lot, it is important to find out where the tree came from and when it was cut.

To determine the freshness of a tree, observe whether it looks green and healthy, has a fragrant scent, and has needles that are moist and flexible. If the needles appear dry or show browning, then that is a sign the tree isn't very fresh. If a large amount of green needles fall when a few branches of the tree are shaken, that's also a sign that the tree isn't the best one to buy and that it may not last for the entire season.

The needles of fir trees should break crisply when they are bent. If a fir tree needle is bent and doesn't break readily with pressure, it might mean that the tree isn't absorbing water and that will affect its longevity.

Another reason a Christmas Tree farm can be a better option for purchasing a tree is that the farm will be more likely to offer more species of trees in a wider variety of shapes and sizes. For those Christmas Trees that are located on retail or commercial lots, freshness can be determined by looking at the conditions in which the trees are kept. Observe whether the trees are kept in stands that hold water, if baled trees are protected from the wind and sun, if a fresh cut is put on trees, and if the trees are tied down correctly.

Another quality to consider in selecting the right Christmas Tree is its size. Before buying a tree, it is important to decide where it will be placed so that the space can be measured. You will need to do a floor to ceiling measurement and then subtract at least 10-12 inches to get the maximum height for the Christmas Tree. It is recommended that at least 10-12 inches of space should be left between the top of the Christmas Tree and the ceiling.

The bottom of the Christmas Tree also needs to be checked to make sure there is adequate space between it and the lowest branches. A small diagonal fresh cut, of approximately one inch, is made in that area to enhance absorption of water, which will make the tree last longer. This cut should be made just before the tree is placed in water. If a fresh cut is done and the tree is exposed to the air too long, the vessels can become blocked.

Along with freshness and size, a tree should be selected based on the shape that you like, the smell of the needles and bark, and how dense and sturdy the branches are. For the density and sturdiness of the tree, you need to have an idea how the tree will be decorated – how many heavy ornaments, Christmas lights, or bows will be used. As an example, a fir tree that has sturdy branches will be better for holding heavy ornaments and a pine tree is good for Christmas Trees that have light decorations such as bows and strings of Christmas lights.

The texture of the branches and how durable or long-lasting the tree will be are also worth considering in choosing a perfect Christmas tree.

Giving Gifts at Christmas

The real meaning of Christmas is often said to be about giving to others during the season. Giving can take many forms, but, during the Christmas season, the most obvious way in which giving is done is by preparing beautifully wrapped Christmas presents for family, friends, acquaintances, work colleagues, teachers, and others, such as business clients.

The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is believed to have started with the Three Wise Men who brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh; but the practice of giving gifts, as we know it today, evolved from a retail strategy that involved Santa Claus and attracting children into stores. For that reason, giving gifts at Christmas and during the holidays has been centered on children.

Giving gifts during Christmas started in the early 19th century when the celebration of Christmas was restored after a period when the Protestants in England banned Christmas celebrations. From 1820 to 1840, when Christmas celebrations regained popularity, stores started to advertise special Christmas shopping promotions. At the same time, newspapers also created advertising sections solely for holiday shopping advertisements. These special advertising sections had prominent displays of Santa Claus.

In 1841, when a store in Philadelphia had a life-size model of Santa Claus, hundreds of children turned up to get a look at Santa Claus, who had become a new and popular element of revitalized Christmas celebrations. The interest in seeing Santa Claus provided a marketing idea to retailers that they could attract children and parents to stores through offers to have a look at a “real” or “live” Santa Claus. Because of this marketing strategy, the focus was on giving Christmas presents to children.

Today, giving gifts is still mainly focused on children, but adults are also popular recipients. Within families, the focus on children is evident in the fact that an individual child will get more gifts than any other individual adult member of the family. For young children, who are particularly delighted and enchanted by the holidays and Christmas festivities, toys are usually the preferred gift. Among older children, clothes and electronic gadgets are popular items to give as Christmas gifts.

Adults are the ones for whom there is the widest range of items that can be given as Christmas presents. An item that will make a good Christmas or holiday present to just about any adult is a decadent box of chocolates or holiday cookies. This is enjoyed even by those who are diet-conscious because they can be sugar- or fat-free, or also low in carbohydrates. Also, during the Christmas season, many people tend to temporarily disregard any strict diet rules they are following, so they heartily welcome and enjoy any type of Christmas treats.

According to a survey done in 2004 by the National Confectioners Association, 90% percent of 1,000 adults who were surveyed said that giving or receiving a box of chocolates and creating or receiving a stocking filled with goodies were among the top three ways they enjoyed candy during the winter holidays. A third response was having candy that was placed in a dish, which indicates that having sweet treats at Christmas time is generally enjoyed by a broad cross-section of people.

Aside from family members and friends, it may also be a nice gesture to give a holiday or Christmas present to colleagues at work, teachers of your children, and, based on your profession, to business clients. The primary reason to give any of those people holiday or Christmas gifts is to express appreciation. For that reason, a holiday present of goodies or treats is, indeed, a sweet gift to give.