From candy canes to brightly decorated gingerbread houses to Santa Claus on every street corner, the holiday season brings some wonderful things. However, it also ushers in many time-consuming tasks – cooking the holiday meal, picking out the Christmas tree, and especially, buying the perfect gifts for loved ones and writing out holiday cards to faraway friends and family members.

Have you ever wondered about the origin of exchanging gifts and cards? According to Donald E. Dossey, Ph.D, author of “Holiday Folklore, Phobias and Fun” (Outcomes Unlimited Press Inc.), by the 12th century, the practice of giving gifts had become common on Christmas, as well as on New Year’s Day.
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According to the National Fire Protection Association, there were 300 Christmas tree fires in U.S. homes in 1998, and nearly 50,000 home fires from 1994 to 1998 were caused by lit candles. Here are some tips on how to keep your holiday decorations safe this season:

LIGHTING
# Before hanging decorative lights each year, be sure to inspect them for frayed wires, loose connections, cracks, or wear and tear. Be sure to unplug lights before replacing bulbs or fuses. Do not overload outlets or mount lights in a way that can damage the cord (for example: using nails to hold wires in place). Read More »

I love fiber optic Christmas trees! I started out with a 6ft one in the living room. Then I add about 5 sets of lights. I live in the Southwest, so I add 2 sets of chili pepper lights, one red and one green. I found these at KMART.

I also have a set of icicle lights I hang off the bottom of the tree. For closer to the top I have an angel holding small lights in her hands and her dress is lit up by lights as well.
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The ideal house for this Christmas season would be practical and thoughtful. It is not possible to gain individually when our stepping up is taking away from others in any way shape or form.

My wife and I would like to save and take a small loan for an eco/mini house. These are pre-made from sustainable, natural, non-toxic materials. It would be designed for energy efficiency and conscious living.

We would have one floor with 2 bedrooms, a small kitchen, living area and one bathroom. I would have one extra room attached to the side of the house which would have its own porch and screen entrance. This room would be used for massage, yoga and other applications bringing space to the local community. Read More »

The story goes, there were these three trees, and each had grand aspirations of their own. One had dreams of being used for the greatest of homes, an exquisitely crafted beam supporting the most lavish of residences. Another dreamt of being used by a master shipbuilder, and ferrying kings and queens across distant oceans to places as yet unseen. The third longed to grow into the most majestic of trees in the land, and be gazed upon by all for its beauty and grandeur.

Time passed and the trees became worried. None of their dreams were coming to pass. First the tree that wanted to adorn the most beautiful of homes found itself unwanted and discarded, finally nailed together as a trough for livestock. He was sorely disappointed, until one day Mary and Joseph found a need for that trough, which cradled the baby Jesus.
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Christmas is a joyous time of year full of different Christmas traditions around the world.

There is a good chance that wherever you were to look in on a Christmas around the world that there would be at least one or two familiar Christmas traditions around the world that you would recognize.

Christmas traditions around the world are not the only difference we might experience over the holidays. Christmas around the world is celebrated in a variety of different climates, for many of us who spend Christmas surrounded by the cold and snow it’s easy to forget about the Christmas’ spent in warm weather.
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Game instructions: Drag light bulbs from the boxes bellow and place them on the tree. Click on the plug to try them out. A bulb that lights up is in the right spot. A bulb that flickers is the right color. Click the plug again to unplug the tree. You can then add, remove, rearrange the bulbs before trying again. You start with 1000 points and lose 1 point per second and 50 points every time you plug the tree in.
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