Have a Chic Christmas - Style and Fashion for the Holidays

In New York, a style capital of the world, black is always a chic and fashionable selection. That's even more so in the Fall and Winter seasons when dark colors are favored. But even the fashionistas who like somber colors add a bit of sparkle and cheer to Christmas and holiday clothing with some color – usually magnificent red.

Dominant colors at Christmas are red, black, and white, and a red scarf, or a white one, is a must-have accessory.

Holiday-themed apparel with snowflakes, candy canes, stars, and Christmas trees, are also popular during the season. Along with being colorful, they also convey the message that the person is fully embracing the spirit of the season and is in a festive mood. When individuals wear holiday-themed apparel, they are therefore radiating a positive attitude and giving the signal that it is pleasant to be around them. After all, nobody wants to be around the “grumpy
bah-humbug” type of personalities during the Christmas season.

Holiday-themed jewelry also works well as accessories. These can add that little sparkle to an outfit that makes it stand out in an admirable way. Holiday-themed jewelry is also perfect for those individuals who simply want to show a touch of the holiday spirit, without having to actually wear holiday-themed apparel, because it may be too different from the conservative style of their wardrobe.

It is necessary to add some sparkle to apparel during the Christmas season, and current style trends of having jewel-engraved, or embroidered, tops play well for the Christmas season. They will allow the wearer to look festive in a very understated but elegant way.

Fall popular styles will also undoubtedly be a fashionable way to dress for the holidays. Based on the Fall Fashion Shows in New York, there are five basic outfits that stylists say should be in the wardrobe of all women. They are: the Tunic, Winter Short - which is cut just above the knee - the Vest, Pencil Skirt and the Super-wide pant.

The vest can be a dressy one with embroidery or other adornments, or it can be more minimal based on the overall outfit. The Winter Short and Pencil Skirt can easily convert from working outfit to party wear with the right accessory, making them perfect to wear to an early evening Christmas or holiday party. A variation from the Pencil Skirt is the Pencil dress. This too is likely to be popular for Christmas as it can be easily accessorized with a broad belt, which is one of the accessories that top fashion advisers say is a 'must-have' accessory for the Fall.

The Tunic and Super-wide pant are also liked for Christmas and the Holiday season because they are very flexible in how they can be paired with other garments. Another fall fashion staple are Knit Sweaters - oversized and as tunics. They will also work well with black tights and leggings, which have made a comeback in leg wear. Leggings can be worn under skirts or dresses. Very slim leggings can also be worn simply, in place of pants, worn with a jacket, or again, with an oversized knit sweater. Using the basic colors of red, white, and black that are popular during Christmas and the holidays, colored leggings will definitely add a nice touch of style to outfits and make them seem perfect for the Christmas and holiday season.

It is also good that dresses are once more welcomed among the fashionable. And the red dress for Fall fits well into Christmas and the holiday season. The latest in jeans, which is a mainstay in everyone's wardrobe, and suitable to wear at all times including during Christmas and the holidays, is that a skinny fit is in. And if ultra-skinny is not very complimentary to your body shape, you can still get one of the newer types of jeans that are said to have a lot more stretch, giving a 360-degree, or all-around, wrap to the body for a perfect, or near perfect, fit.

Since Christmas is the season to be happy and cheery, the truly jolly can always top off their Christmas outfit with a cone-shaped, red and white Santa hat.

Interesting Facts and Notes about Christmas

It is an accepted fact that the Christmas Tree tradition is one that was brought to the shores of America by German immigrants, who continued a practice that was popular in their former homeland. Today, a Christmas Tree, even a miniature one, is present in just about every home at Christmas. It is therefore interesting to note some little-known facts about the Christmas Tree and other traditions related to Christmas.

The first interesting fact is the source of real Christmas Trees for some Americans. These can be bought at a Christmas Tree Farm, or at many local stores and other places of business, in just about every town and city across the country around Christmas time. But, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, Americans buy about 330,000 Christmas trees (that are real) through e-commerce, or from a catalogue, and have them shipped by mail-order.

The scent of real Christmas Trees is the reason they are so popular; but as they stand silently in their decorative wonder, they are also providing another benefit. The Christmas Tree Association says the amount of oxygen produced on a daily basis by one acre of Christmas Trees is enough to provide oxygen for 18 people. During the first week, a Christmas Tree at home will use up to one quart of water each day to help retain its longevity for the many days of Christmas.

Since Christmas celebrations have gained popularity in America, the Christmas Tree has always been a big tradition. During the 1950s, however, artificial Christmas trees were not always green. It was very popular during those times to have artificial trees with other colors such as silver, pink, and aqua. The appeal in having these colored Christmas trees may have been due to the fact that they looked shiny and bright and appeared like tinsel instead of green foliage.

An important ceremony related to the Christmas Tree, which gains national attention during the Christmas season, is the lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the White House. This tradition can be credited to President Calvin Coolidge, who lit the first decorated Christmas Tree outside the White House in 1923.

The lighting of the National Christmas Tree has also been used to convey some symbolic meaning not related to Christmas. In 1963, it was not lighted until December 22 because of a national mourning period of 30 days after the assassination of President Kennedy. While Teddy Roosevelt was President, he gave an order that banned the Christmas Tree from the White House, not for the assassination of President McKinley in 1901, which caused him to become President, but for reasons related to the environment. Also of note, is that when the National Christmas Tree was lighted on December 13 in 1984, temperatures were in the 70s during an unusually warm December.

Christmas has been celebrated in the United States since the 1600s, although it wasn't always very popular. It took more than two centuries, into the mid to late 1860s for Christmas to become a popular holiday season all across America. So, maybe the rest of the country owes the holiday of Christmas Day to the state of Alabama, which in 1836, became the first state to declare December 25 a legal holiday.

It is interesting to note that, on Christmas Day of 1789, Congress was in session. To show how far ahead of the game Alabama was, it wasn't until June 26, 1870, that the federal government declared Christmas a federal holiday.

Although Christmas is based on the Christian religion, not all Christian groups celebrate the season. Among the Christian groups who do not celebrate Christmas, and related traditions such as sending greeting cards, are Jehovah Witnesses. Jehovah Witnesses, and other non-participating Christian groups, say Christmas isn't specifically mentioned in the Bible as a time or reason to celebrate, and since they strictly adhere to the word of the Bible, they refuse to celebrate Christmas.

Fancy Tales Related to Christmas

A lot of what is widely regarded as true about Christmas, or held as a tradition, cannot be, or has not been, verified, or has changed throughout the years. Even Christmas Day itself, December 25, has been questioned as to whether that is the exact day on which Jesus was born.

Skeptics have asked, “Why would shepherds be out in the cold watching their flocks by night during the winter?” Those skeptics have put forward the thought that Jesus may really have been born in the spring instead. It is, therefore, little wonder that there are many fancy stories and tales that are told about Christmas and the Christmas season.

The most common fancy tale that everyone tells, particularly to children, is about Santa Claus, also called St. Nicholas. But even if it were accepted that Santa Claus existed, where does he live, and how is he able to get to all of the houses of good boys and girls on Christmas Eve?

In the United States, Santa Claus is said to have two homes. There is a home in Torrington, Connecticut, which is used as a distribution point for Santa and his many helpers, who are elves, to hand out gifts. And then, a second home is said to be located in Wilmington, New York, and that is where Santa Claus and his delivery reindeer crew are located.

But Santa can be visited in Cyberspace at anytime, and what about the widely held belief that Santa Claus really lives in a village at the North Pole? The people of Finland also claim that their country is the official residence of Santa Claus. That's because in Finland, you can actually visit a village anytime during the year. There you can see Santa's workshop, and observe Santa and his elves hard at work, as they prepare for their very important Christmas gift delivery job on Christmas Eve. The only day when Santa's workshop is closed to visitors is, of course, on Christmas Eve.

Maybe a very smart visitor could visit Santa's workshop on the day before Christmas Eve to see if there are any clues as to how Santa and his reindeer plan to make their trip the next day. As the tale goes in Finland, Santa Claus and his reindeer do not reach their destinations around the globe by flying.

Finland welcomes visitors to Santa's workshop, but there is nothing said about whether visitors actually have any chance of having a word with the man himself. While the chances of doing so are believed to be non-existent, among the questions that inquiring minds could ask Santa is whether Rudolph is the son of Donner (and to confirm the spelling - Donner or Donder), or whether Santa spotted him in a different reindeer village, one foggy Christmas Eve, after he had already started on his Christmas toy delivery mission.

If mere mortals got a chance to question Santa, then he also would likely have some questions for us humans. He may want to know whose idea it was to have Christmas trees and for the gifts to be placed under them.

The tradition of Christmas trees, as it exists today, comes from Germany, by way of immigrants; but it isn't clear how the tradition really gained a foothold in Germany. One story is that Christians in Germany, during the 16th century, started to bring trees that were decorated into their homes. Some of those Christians would build pyramids for Christmas. The pyramids were made of wood and would be decorated with evergreens and candles, if wood was in short supply.

It is however Martin Luther, a Protestant reformer, who is said to have been the first to add lighted candles as decoration to a tree, based on his inspiration from the brilliant light of twinkling stars that shone through the evergreen trees as he walked home one winter evening.

As the legend goes, Martin Luther placed a tree in a primary room of his house and placed wires with small, lighted candles around the branches of the tree. That is how, as the tale goes, the Christmas tree, as known today, was started.

Eating Heartily but Consciously During the Christmas Season

During the Christmas season, summer and its body-conscious state of mind are distant memories. Hearty indulgence in the many foods shared at Christmas, therefore, doesn’t produce the same feelings of guilt. Nevertheless, it is not a pleasant thought to start the New Year carrying any extra pounds. So, why then eat yourself into a resolution to “take off a few extra pounds” if you can smartly avoid it?

Whether it's sharing cookies and candies at work, or having an evening out at a party or dinner, you can have Christmas food and enjoy it. While you seem to be eating heartily with a smile, the key is to have a secret strategy of moderation. It involves sticking to a plan that can be called “Eating on a Budget.”

“Eating on a Budget” is not about the cost of what is eaten, but about the quantity of what is eaten. It is important that a “budget,” or eating in moderation plan, is developed because it is almost impossible to avoid exposure to a lot of cookies, candies, and other sweets at Christmas.

At work, you may risk appearing like the Grinch who stole Christmas if your response is always something like, “Uh...no. Bah humbug,” every time Christmas goodies are offered. It will seem as if you aren't in the spirit of the holidays, especially since, at that time of year, everyone is usually in a festive and more relaxed mood, and the pace at work is usually slower.

A practical way to partake in Christmas goodies, for example, is to substitute some holiday cookies for, say, the bagel that you usually have with breakfast, or for a mid-morning snack. Instead of just taking one cookie from the platter, which is noticeable, and will likely encourage a colleague to tell you to have more, take three instead. This is where the plan can come into play. You can then enjoy the cookies over two or more hours, because nobody will be watching how you really eat. You can always have a few candies, one cookie, or a cookie and a half by your desk, and that way it will seem as if you are heartily enjoying the holiday treats.

Another strategy is to bring – homemade or store-bought – low-calorie Christmas cookies and candies to work to counteract others that are being offered. Since eating healthy is highly encouraged, health-conscious cookies will not be looked down upon so long as they taste great. A box of sugar-free Christmas chocolate candies, for example, will look just as delightful as regular chocolate candies.

It's interesting to note that, in a poll sponsored by the National Confectioners Association in 2004, chocolate was the favorite food gift that Americans said they preferred to receive for the holidays. The lowly, and much maligned, fruit cake was last on the list. The second favorite holiday food gift was a fruit basket, and a plate of cookies was third on the list, according to the
association.

For an occasion such as a Christmas party, or a dinner, including Christmas Dinner, where larger quantities and larger selections of food are available, the “Eating on a Budget” plan means that serving portions, and the choice of food selected, should be carefully watched. At a party where more desserts and sweets are likely to be available, a few of the selections can be sampled. If the urge to try everything can't be resisted, then do so, but then second helpings have to be severely limited.

The same is somewhat true for Christmas Dinners. One big difference is that the food served during Christmas Dinner will be heavier, so by selecting portions wisely, one can always say, truthfully, that the stomach is full. Indeed, after a sumptuous Holiday Dinner, your body is likely to be full from food, and your soul full of joy from sharing another memorable holiday tradition with family, friends, and loved ones.

All About Rudolph and Santa's Other Reindeer

Maybe it's the undeniable alliterative appeal of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer that makes him the most known, or popular, of all of Santa's nine flying reindeer. It certainly doesn't seem as easy to to come up with a similar, catchy description for the others - Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen - as named in the song.

The story of Rudolph, whose glowing red nose made him a standout, first appeared in 1939 when Montgomery Ward department stores distributed about 2.4 million booklets with the poem, in the form of a story, about "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." It was written by Robert L. May, who worked in the store's advertisement, or marketing, department, to be used to attract more people into the store. When the booklet was reissued in 1939, sales soared to more than 3.5 million copies. But it wasn't until a decade later, in 1949, that the story really gained immense popularity when Gene Autry sang a musical version of the fable. As a Christmas song, it is second only in popularity to "White Christmas."

Rudolph, the ninth reindeer whose lighted nose guides Santa's sleigh through the night, is now known worldwide, as the song has been translated into more than 20 different languages and an animated television movie has also been based on the story. Rudolph and his noticeable nose have also become the subject of jokes, and have sparked more interest in reindeer, which has led to much research into Santa and the flying reindeer who pull his sleigh through the sky.

Along with the catchy rhythm of the lyrics, Rudolph's story is also appealing because of the moral lessons it contains. As the story goes, Rudolph was ostracized by the other reindeer, who laughed and teased him about his shiny, red nose. But, on a foggy night, when Santa must have been concerned that he may not be able to deliver his Christmas gifts around the world, Santa spotted Rudolph and kindly asked if he would step to the front as the leader to "guide my sleigh tonight." His shiny red nose would, after all, be very useful in lighting the way, Santa thought. From then on "all of the reindeer loved him," and rightly predicted that he "would go down in history."

Among the moral lessons the story can impart, is the notion that an attribute that is perceived as negative, or as a liability, can be used for a positive purpose, or become an asset. It also makes the point that an individual should not let the negative behavior of others define him or her and limit expectations of what can be achieved. It also illustrates how quickly opinions and attitudes about a person can change.

The question still lingers, however, of where Rudolph came from. He is commonly regarded as the son of Donner (or Donder), one of the original eight reindeer. The Snopes.com site rejects this, however, saying that he dwelled in a reindeer village elsewhere and it was there that he was seen by Santa, who had already started on his Christmas Eve journey to deliver gifts. In a more modern evolution of the story, according to Wikipedia.com, an animation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), introduced a son, named Robbie, of Rudolph. That son has now become the tenth reindeer.

It's also interesting to note that the idea of Santa's sleigh being pulled by reindeer was originated in the poem, "Twas The Night Before Christmas." That poem tells the story of St. Nicholas, who is Santa, calling his eight tiny reindeer by their names, as previously mentioned, just before he comes down the chimney of a house to start filling the stockings from a sack full of toys he carries on his back.