CHRISTMAS!

Because I love Christmas

Origins of Santa Claus
My Christmas Baby
Christmas: An Affair of the Heart
The Sounds of Christmas
Christmas Nostalgia
An Expat's Christmas in Singapore
From Whence Comest the Christmas Tree?
Christmas as a National Holiday 1950
Nineteenth Century Christmas in America
The Real Grinch
Christmas: A Christian Holiday
Mary and Joseph: A Love Story
Retelling the Legend of the Poinsettia

Frugal Articles

Recycle Those Old Christmas Decorations
Christmas Decorating for Less
What You Should Have Saved For Christmas
Gifts for Men

Articles published elsewhere

Funky, Free and Frugal Christmas Decorations
Christmas Trees: Artificial and Live
Best Gifts for the Nostalgic
Best Gifts for Book Lovers

Is it really Christmas?

This holiday has many beginnings

by Pat Veretto

It's hard to believe that the Christmas we hold dear - the magical, mystical feeling of Christmas coupled with the scent of real pine trees and gingerbread - has only been a part of our culture for the last two centuries.

That's right. It hasn't always been this way. As a matter of fact, the Puritans thought that celebrating the day was terribly wrong.

At the same time, parts of the celebration can be traced back as far as the Mesopatamians 4,000 years ago! Giving gifts, caroling and the Yule log were parts of a pagan celebration long before Jesus was born. It's no wonder that the Pilgrims refused to celebrate the day. A few modern day Christian religious sects refuse to celebrate it, and then there are religions that don't include it at all.

Still, enough of the world takes part in it for it to be a truly international holiday. Coming to us from ancient history and through many cultural and religious filters, the Christmas we celebrate now still, amazingly, resembles the earliest winter celebrations.

Please join me in celebrating this incredibly delightful time of year.

Merry Christmas!