Angel Christmas tree for my home

I have always wanted an Angel Christmas tree for my home. I love the idea of setting a manger scene under the tree and filling the evergreen with angels that ascend to the top leading to a big, shining star. It makes the perfect representation of the holiday celebration and an Angel Christmas tree really helps us focus on the idea behind the celebration as well.Christmas village shopping

I’m pretty old-fashioned when it comes to this holiday but many can still enjoy an angel Christmas tree without leaning towards a particularly religious theme. These beautiful objects are perfect for any holiday celebration not just for those of us who want to keep the meaning of the holiday traditional for our families.

There is a significant obstacle to creating such a display. Many of us have sentimental personalized Christmas ornamenChristmas village shoppingts that mean the world to us. I hate to put them aside to create an angel Christmas tree theme. These ornaments are important because they represent very special times in our lives and I don’t want to leave them in the box.

My husband and I came up with a solution to the dilemma. We had a few options that I will share in case you are torn between creating an angel Christmas tree and using your personalized ornaments as well. These are simple and you may find that you really like the idea of showcasing your sentimental decorations separately from the angel theme tree.

We chose to buy a small tree for the sentimental display. This evergreen is in our formal living room where special guests can come to see and talk about the personalized holiday ornaments in this area. There is something special about arranging the sentimental objects in one display rather than in a sea of ornaments on a big tree.

Other ideas that we had include using the sentimental personalized ornaments in unusual places. One of the places was on garland strung on the fireplace mantel. This is a great option for families who have only a handful of sentimental decorations to arrange. I also liked the idea of arranging them on a wreath as well.

I’m sure that you can think of other ways to display your personalized decorations. There are plenty of other options. These simple approaches will give you plenty of room on your holiday evergreen to create an angel Christmas tree that really sticks to the theme.Christmas village shopping

African American Christmas Ornament

If you are looking for a good African American Christmas Ornament, you might have to look a long way to find something that satisfies your tastes. Yes, there are a lot of African American Christmas Decorations out there, but most of them are really not all that nice. Basically, they are just normal Christmas tree ornaments repackaged as being African American Christmas Ornaments for some cheesy, lame reason. I have even seen plain old glass baubles sold as an African American Christmas Ornament set because they were in red, yellow, and green. Have you ever heard of something quite that silly? I know that I have not.

A lot of the time, a so-called African American Christmas Ornament is actually an African Christmas ornament repackaged to appeal to people who are trying to recapture a sense of their black heritage. For example, many times people will sell a silly little wooden sculpture of some safari animal as an African American Christmas Ornament just because that animal comes from Africa. Even more insulting, sometimes I have seen silly stylized African masks and figurines sold as an African American Christmas Ornament. Talk about perpetuating stereotypes. It is quite a silly state of affairs, if you ask me!

In my opinion, the best way to get an African American Christmas Ornament is to make one yourself, and that is that. You should think of what it means to be a person of color in the United States, and put that into your craft. Use everything about it to make the best African American Christmas Ornament that you can, and I am quite sure that you will not fail in what you are doing. On the contrary, Christmas tree decorations are always that much better if you make them yourself. An African American Christmas Ornament is no different. If it comes from the heart, it is a sure thing that people will see that it is not just another commercial Christmas decoration.

Of course, if you are going to go out and make yourself an African American Christmas Ornament, you probably need to know a few things about how to do arts and crafts. One of the easiest ways to make an African American Christmas Ornament, or any other Christmas decoration for that matter, is to shape it out of clay. Be sure to put a place where it tapers so that you can hang a string from it, bake it in the oven, and you are don

Christmas gift for grandparents

One of my biggest challenges each year is coming up with the best Christmas gift for grandparents that I can find. This is hard because my grandparents don’t really need much, and a ‘no gift’ rule has been in place for a few years now. I, of course, ignore this, but I do make sure I find something simple, and perhaps something that might not be too expensive so they don’t feel like they have to reciprocate. My grandmother is ill, so shopping is a chore for them. This makes shopping for them a bit tricky for me, and it might be for you as well - though your reasons may be different.

My grandparents love the outdoors. They had their own dairy farm right up until retirement, and that meant they worked outside most of the time. They love all that comes with nature, and this always gives me a direction when thinking about a Christmas gift for grandparents. I like to find something like a birdfeeder to get them, complete with a bag of seed to go with it. These are not expensive, so they didn’t complain when I gave it to them. I also got them a squirrel feeder one year, which helps keep the squirrels out of the bird feed.

Don’t worry if your grandparents are not outdoor lovers like mine. All you have to do is think about what they like to do to get ideas for Christmas gift for grandparents. If they love to travel, or perhaps always dreamed about doing so, you may know where they have been or wish to go. Look in a bookstore or online for a picture book about that country. They will enjoy it very much. If they are readers, get them some magazine subscriptions that they might like, or a few books that are along the same lines in story as things they already like to read.

Many like to get one thing that works for both when getting a Christmas gift for grandparents. That always works well too. These things are usually decorative touches like a clock or perhaps a wreath. Just keep their style and their interests in mind as you shop, and you should have no problem finding something they can enjoy. You can ask them what they would like, but you probably already know they going to tell you that you shouldn’t buy for them. Instead, do a search for gifts by what they are interested in, and see what comes up online. There are great ideas out there, and the perfect gift is waiting.

Similarities between Kwanzaa and Hanukkah Celebrations at Christmas

Similarities between Kwanzaa and Hanukkah Celebrations at Christmas
Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, celebrated by African-Americans and Jewish
people respectively, are observed during the Christmas season. The
celebrations are separate from activities related to Christmas however.
The observances of Kwanzaa and Hanukkah are also one reason that people
also give wishes of Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas during
the season.

Although both activities are very different and were originated
for different reasons, some similarities can be found between the two
practices. Both celebrations have commitment as a central and important
theme. They also both include symbolic forms of light and are both
commemorated over almost the same number of days – seven (7) days from
Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 for Kwanzaa, and eight (8) days and night for
Hanukkah – usually starting about one week before Christmas Day.


Starting with its origination, Hanukkah celebrations dates to an
event in 165 B.C. when the Jews were victorious over the Syrians.
Hanukkah started as a way to restore and rededicate the Temple in
Jerusalem that had been desecrated, including its golden menorah, by
the Syrians. The festival also served the purpose of once more
observing and re-instituting rituals that the Syrians had forbidden
during their rule.


Kwanzaa was started 40 years ago by a university professor as a
way for African-Americans and others in the African diaspora to engage
in celebrations that included elements of African culture.
While Kwanzaa is not as popular as Christmas, it keeps
growing and its goal has been achieved to some extent as it is now
practiced in many nations such as those in the Caribbean, which have a
large population of people of African ancestry. The wide availability
of Kwanzaa greeting cards and even postage stamps at Christmas time,
also attests to the extent to which the celebration has entered the
mainstream.


The primary symbol of Hanukkah, the menorah, which consists of
eight (8) individual lights, is very much a part of the mainstream.
Menorahs are available today in various shapes and sizes. A single
standard requirement that must be observed in making a menorah is that
there should be enough separation between the flame of each of the
eight (8) lights so that they don't give the total effect of a single
large flame when all are lit.


A flame is lit each night over the days in remembrance of how a
small quantity of oil from the desecrated Temple kept a menorah burning
for eight (8) days, when the amount should have only lasted for a
single day. It was that miraculous occurrence that gave rise to the
Hanukkah celebration to light a menorah over eight (8) days.
Kwanzaa symbols include a candleholder and seven (7) candles that
represent the roots of African ancestors and seven (7) core principles
of Kwanzaa respectively. Other symbols are, The Crops for African
harvest, Mat for African tradition, Corn for the future represented by
children, the Unity Cup and the Gifts. The Flag and Poster of Seven (7)
Principles are two (2) supplemental symbols.


These items can be found at specialty African and African-
American shops in some malls and in town with a heavy concentration of
African and African-American population.
Among the most important features of Kwanzaa are the seven (7)
core principles and values they embody: self-determination, unity,
collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose,
creativity and faith. These seven (7) principles are meant to be a
foundation and guide upon which the African diaspora can build a
strong, successful and fulfilling life while maintaining a connection
to their roots.


While not religious, the principles of Kwanzaa are meant to
instill a strong sense of spirituality in individuals. Kwanzaa seeks to
instill spirituality upon which individuals can build self-confidence
and secure self-identity through a link to their roots.
This sense of spirituality and connection to one's history, roots
or ancestry is also an element of similarity between Kwanzaa and
Hanukkah.

Christmas in the United States and Canada

Christmas in the United States and Canada
Many of the celebrations in the United States that are associated
with Christmas were traditions brought by German and English
immigrants. Along with the well-known and practiced tradition of a
brightly decorated Christmas tree, other traditions brought by these
immigrants include Advent calendars, Christmas greeting cards,
gingerbread houses and gingerbread cookies.


Christmas in the United States today can be seen as focused
around family, travel, shopping and decorations.
Family and travel go together during Christmas in the United
States because family members often have to travel fairly long
distances to be with each other at one location. The growth of cities
that have primarily economic activity, suburbs for residences, as well
as the fact of different industries being found in certain geographic
locations, are among the reasons that family members often live great
distances from each other in separate states.


Christmas and its festivities therefore present a wonderful
opportunity for many members of the family to gather in celebration and
see each other in an intimate setting. The traveling involved makes the
Christmas season a busy time of the year for rail and air travel.
The occasion of seeing many family members at Christmas is also
linked to the activity of shopping that is an important feature of
Christmas in the United States. The Christmas season officially begins
on the Friday after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday and which now
ranks second in shopping for a single day to the Saturday before
Christmas.


Much of the shopping that is done is to purchase gifts for
friends and family. Gifts for family members are usually exchanged
after dinner on Christmas day, when everyone gathers in the room with
the Christmas tree. Gifts are usually left at the base of the Christmas
tree in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day.
Gifts may also exchanged before Christmas at parties held by
friends and parties held at workplaces.


Second to gifts, shopping is also done at Christmas for
decorations. While the Christmas tree may be the centerpiece of
attraction, garlands, wreaths, candles and decorative lighting placed
outside on lawns or along rooflines are also used to create a beautiful
holiday appearance for homes.


Canadians enjoy Christmas activities that are similar to those
celebrated in the United States. That is so because in the 1700s when
some German immigrants in the United States migrated to Canada, they
continued to practice many of the activities associated with Christmas.
The geographical proximity of the two countries also means they share
many things, so similarities in Christmas traditions wouldn't be an
exception.


One thing that accounts for the difference between the two
countries however, is the Eskimo population in Canada. Eskimos in
Canada celebrate a festival during winter and have other traditions
that are absent from American Christmas celebrations.
A practice also exists in Nova Scotia in which small groups of
masked individuals march around about two weeks before Christmas. These
masked groups attract attention by creating stir with much bell ringing
and engaging in a noisy caper in an aim to get candy, sweets and
goodies from onlookers.


This tradition bears some similarity to Jonkonoo celebrations in
the neighboring islands of the Caribbean. Those celebrations also
involve masked individuals, including some that appear on stilts that
make them as tall as trees. The parade of Jonkonoo regale onlookers
with various antics and present a minor scare to some children, who are
then calmed with candies and other treats.


In Nova Scotia, onlookers can try to calm the noise and rowdiness
just a little if they can correctly guess the identity of the masked
person. A correct guess puts an end to the noise as the mask is
removed, exposing the individual. For their part, maskers also play
nice by friendly nudging answers from children about whether they have
been naughty or nice and handing out candies and treats accordingly.

Christmas in African Nations

I have found this article on christmas in african nations.I hope you find it helpful.
Christmas in African Nations
Christmas celebrations in African nations is characterized by
much outdoor activity because the season often occurs during a time
when the weather is pleasant. Using palm trees and participating in
processions are also characteristic features of activities related to
Christmas in many parts of Africa.


In South Africa, activities that occur outside during Christmas
include the usual caroling, but also the unusual ones of swimming and
camping. The beach and mountains play an important role during
Christmas in South Africa because the season occurs during the hottest
time of the year - summer.


Given the pleasant nature of the weather during Christmas,
families also take advantage of it by often going sightseeing in the
countryside on a relaxing drive in the late evening of Christmas Day. A
rich and sumptuous menu that includes a suckling pig or roast beef,
turkey, mince pies, yellow rice, vegetables and puddings usually makes
up the traditional South African Christmas dinner.


To create a festive environment, decorated pine branches and fir,
sparkling cotton wool and tinsel are used in homes and businesses as
decorations.A similar decorative pattern of using evergreen, palm trees and
lighted candles are also seen in countries such as Ghana and Liberia.
While these are used in homes and businesses, they are also often
carried in processions and during caroling activities.

While South Africans gather at the beach during Christmas time to
enjoy the warm summer waters, people in other African nations often
gather outside at in town squares and in the streets to march, sing and
enjoy an overall feeling of merriment.

Despite the seemingly general similarity in activities, however,
countries have their own individual style that makes Christmas
celebrations unique.Of all the celebrations in African nations.

Christmas activities in Ethiopia stand out for their difference in when they are celebrated and how it is done. One of the features that make Ethiopian Christmas
different is that the main celebratory event occurs on Jan. 7, around
the time known as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day in North and South
America.

Given the general modest economic financial situations of a
significant number of the population in many African countries,
Christmas celebrations also tend to occur over a shorter period of
time, compared to activities in more wealthier countries.
Another difference in celebrations of Christmas in Ethiopia is
the participation of various people who take part in a pilgrimage and
converge on the capital city during Christmas Eve.

These wanderers fillthe night air with a din of praying and chanting and create a
multicolor spectacle when they gather on Christmas morning to have a
religious service.But retaining a similarity with other African nations, Ethiopians
enjoy a Christmas dinner that includes a meat stew. Stews, rice, root
vegetables such as yams, breads and soups often are part of the menu of
traditional Christmas day dinners in African nations.

Christmas dinners are likely enjoyed by families outside, where
everyone shares the meal while sitting in a circular pattern outside
under the shade of a sprawling tree, instead of sitting in a formal
setting at a table.

As is the practice in every household during Christmas, Africans
also exchange gifts. Popular items that are exchanged as Christmas
gifts include cotton cloth, soaps, sweets, pencils and books, all very
practical items that can be readily used. Again, this may be related to
the modest financial resources of up to half the population in many
African countries, as well as to cultural norms. Individuals aren't
able to afford extravagant gifts but they still want to surprise
children, family and friends at Christmas with an unexpected gift.


The generally pervasive cultural norm of humility and modesty that exists
among traditional African peoples, also plays an important role in not
having overreaching extravagance at Christmas.