To me, Christmas especially has become so commercialized, we often forget the real reason for the season...it is so much more than presents. It is about gratitude and celebrating some of life's greatest gifts money cannot buy: the birth of Jesus and all the blessings we have.
I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Remember, it is never too late to be what you might have been.
Enjoy this video...there is more nice than naughty in the world...I still believe.
Stocking/ gold coin- In the 16th century Saint Nicholas peeked on the window of a poor family with three daughters. The girls had washed their stocking and hanged them by the fireplace to dry. Saint Nicholas tossed three gold coins down the chimney. A coin landed on the toe of each girls stocking. In present days people put an orange in Christmas stockings to represent the gold coin.
ReplyDeleteWhy we celebrate the holidays is because we are trying to just get a break and spend time with family like we should regularly. it just gives us another excuse to get a thing or two that we want and see family that we barely see. so thats why we celebrate the holidays.
ReplyDeleteWhy do we celebrate "Peppermint" (in Christmas)?
ReplyDeleteStarbucks start selling Peppermint Mocha, Diary Queen starts selling Peppermint Blizzards, but why?
Candycanes contain peppermint. People started to think about the peppermint much more than the Candycane. It was originally celebrated as candycanes instead of peppermint. Candycanes are a symbol for the Christmas time because of its shape. Peppermint is just a symbol for Candycanes, and Candycanes are a symbol for Christmas. Symbolism!
What do Candycanes represent? Well the shape J of the candycane represents Jesus and the red stripes represent the blood he shed.
ReplyDelete-Jamal
Stockings:
ReplyDeleteOne night a family who was forced to live in poverty and had to wash all their clothes by hand was the start of this Christmas tradition. The daughters had just got done washing their stockings they put them over the fireplace to dry. Over the night, Saint Nicolas knowing the state that the family was in came to their house. When he saw that everyone was sleeping, he took 3 bags of coins, and threw them down the chimney. They landed in the daughters stocking. The girls and their father were very ecstatic. Then the tradition got widespread by the town, state, country, and world.
Easter ; On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches
ReplyDeleteKiara Quick
People don't really think about the real reason Christmas was started or even the reason for giving each other presents for Christmas. Christmas is celebrated because of the birth of Jesus Christ. Three wise men traveled to see baby Jesus the night he was born. The followed the stars to find where he was. They each gave him a present.
ReplyDeleteChristmas isn't just giving and recieving presents, its all about being thankful for what you have and giving others presents to show them that you are thankful to have them.
-Madison Sharpe
The star or angel on top of the christmas tree represents the Star of Bethlahem.
ReplyDeleteThe candy cane is shaped like a "J" for Jesus and the staff of the "Good Shepard". The red-and-white stripes represent Christ's blood and purity.The three red stripes symbolizes the Holy Trinity. The hardness of the candy represent the Church's foundation on a solid rock.The peppermint flavor represents the use of hyssop, an herb referred to in the Old Testament.
--Paige Furrie
The gingerbread man is a very popular icon in today’s celebration of Christmas. The gingerbread man goes far beyond Shrek. The gingerbread man has become unacknowledged of its true meaning and distorted into a character. Most people do not even understand the gingerbread man’s true meaning. The gingerbread man represents God’s creation of Adam and Eve. It does not create itself rather it is created. Its significance is supposed to remind us of both Adam in the Garden of Eden and us as creations. The gingerbread man’s spices represents how they were created from a substance, as we were created from dust. Gingerbread mans are not immoral as possibly shown indirectly in Shrek, they will be eaten eventually which could lead to the comparison of us being “eaten” and reunited with our creator.
ReplyDeleteWhat do the famous Christmas colors like red, green, gold, white and blue mean? Some of them mean many things. A few are related to christian beliefs while some were found nature and then became related to Christmas.
ReplyDeleteGreen is everywhere in everyone's life because it is always around us. The color green was originally used during the winter as a way to brighten up buildings in the dark. Ancient Romans used to share evergreen leaves in January as a sign of luck for the new year. Green plays a key role in decorations because of how widely it is used on trees, wreaths and lights.
Red, gold and blue all have religious connections to the holiday season. All have connections to Jesus. Red is the color on bishops robes and the legendary St. Nick was a bishop and wore these robes. Gold shows the connection between the three wise men who were led by a star to Jesus and gold was a present he received on that said night. Blue is often associated with Mary who gave birth to Jesus. Also during Advent purple and sometimes blue are used as alter cloth.
The meaning behind these colors are very important to the real meaning of Christmas, not just giving gifts.
Why do we celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree?
ReplyDeleteGermany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood were scarce.
The Christmas tree custom gradually became popular in other parts of Europe. In England Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria made Christmas trees fashionable by decorating the first English Christmas tree at Windsor castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and gingerbread in 1841. Of course, soon other wealthy English families followed suit, using all kinds of extravagant items as decorations. Charles Dickens described such a tree as being covered with dolls, miniature furniture, tiny musical instruments, costume jewelry, toy guns and swords, fruit and candy, in the 1850s.
Why do we celebrate Christmas? The real reason we celebrate Christmas is because it is when Jesus was born. This is why many people have the nativity scenes as decorations. I feel like now days people have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas, but it's not the childrens fault it is how they were raised. I am thankful for presents and I like getting them, yet I am more thankful for the birth of Jesus Christ and wouldn't mind if I didn't receive any gifts because that's not what Christmas is about. -Cullen
ReplyDeleteWhy do we celebrate Christmas with a tree?
ReplyDeleteThe Christmas tree began to be famous in Germany around the 16th century. Soon after the queen of England caught on to the trend. With this event the whole world started to catch on as well. However, the origin of the christmas tree was founded by an english monk who organized the christian church in germany. The monk was walking throuhg the woods and came across a group of pagans standing around a tree in the starlight sacrificing a child to their god.
-AJ Giles
A custom practice of Christmas is to kiss under the mistletoe. Mistletoe actually was used nearly two hundred years before Christ was born in Druid winter celebrations. They thought this plant was significant because it did not have any roots and yet it stayed green throughout the winter months. Ancient Celtics used it as a healing device. It was used to treat poision, infertility, and to keep evil spirits away. In Roman history, mistletoe was seen as a symbol of peace. When two were fighting and met under mistletoe it was custom to lay down their weapons and hug eachother. The Scandanavian goddess of love, Frigga, was also associated with mistletoe. This is where the custom of kissing under it came from. If you kiss under mistletoe you are promised happiness throughout the next year.
ReplyDeleteCandy canes are an iconic part of Christmas. They were first invented around 1670 as a decoration for Christmas trees. A choir director in Europe had made the candy into the shape of a shepherd's crook and passed them out to small children. In America now, we say the candy cane symbolizes the Good Shepherd or a "J" for Jesus. The white represents the purity of Jesus and the red represents God's love.
ReplyDeleteHow is St. Nick related to Christmas?
ReplyDeleteIt is said that Nicholas’ parents were devout believers who had long prayed for a child. When Nicholas was finally born, they devoted him to God. As an only child, he was raised with great affection and special attention. However, when Nicholas was still a young boy (likely a teenager), a plague struck his city, and both of his parents died. Though a loss like this might turn some away from God, it seems to have drawn Nicholas closer to him. The loss of his parents also seems to have made the boy’s heart tender to the suffering of others.
- What Zuessypooo Thinks about Thanksgiving:
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving is a holiday celebrated each year for a way to set aside a day to thank everyone or God for everything you have. This is not neccessarily a religious holiday, but many people give appreciation to the god they serve. This holiday is also sometimes on my birthday, or one or two days away from it. Soooooo, I get to have my family with me on my birthday (:
Christmas has been celebrated for many years around the world, and is still celebrated today. Christmas is the day of Jesus' birth. On Decmeber 25 our savior was born; we use this day to celebrate him and the many things he has blesssed us with. Christmas is also a time for friends and family to gather together in fellowship. Christmas season is a time of joy and celebration. Spending time with family is really important over the holiday season because you can share stoies and have fun with the people you were blessed with. It is a time to celebrate life and the birth of Jesus Christ.
ReplyDelete-Erin Pickens
During Chrsitmas time, many people put wreaths outside their door just for decorations. The wreath represents everlasting life, which you can only get from God. The thorns in the holly branch tree used to make the wreath represents Jesus's cruification. The red berris on the wreath represents the blood that was shed for all of us. Maybe the next time we see a wreath, we will stop and take time to think about what Christmas is all about.
ReplyDelete-Tamara Suggs
During the holidays the most important thing to me is spending time with the people I care about most. Christmas is a time to celebrate not only the birth of Jesus, but the happiness in our lives. Christmas is not about all the gifts. Christmas is a time of joy. Christmas break is my favorite because I love Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Eve. Throughout these holidays it brings me closer to the people I love. I look forward to this break!
ReplyDeleteWhy do we go caroling?
ReplyDeleteCarols were first sung thousands of years ago but were not Christmas carols, they were pagan songs. The earliest Christmas carol was written in 1410 and it was a story about Jesus and his mother Mary. Carolers used to be called "Waits" because they would only sing their songs in public on Christmas Eve. Christmas caroling has become a very important tradition during the holiday season.
-Aaron Love
Why do we celebrate with candycanes? Candycanes symbolize Christmas for various reasons. The red represents the blood of Jesus Christ and the white embodies His purity. The shape of the candycane also is significant. The shape held one way can look like a "J" for Jesus. If you flip it over it looks like a shepard's staff.
ReplyDeleteThe origin of the candy cane began over 350 years ago and has evolved since. The first known candy canes were created all white and were called sugar sticks. The idea came from a German choirmaster for a cathedral when he broke peices of a sugar stick and shaped them into a cane. Canes with stripes didn't appear until 50 years later.
DeleteThe candy can is a very traditional candy seen at Christmas time. Since I was young, I have always been taught in Sunday school of the significant meaning if this treat. The candy came is in the shape of a J which can stand for Jesus but it can also resemble a shepherds staff and rod. This is symbolic because of the interpretation that Jesus is the good shepherd as referred to in the bible. The colors on the candy cane are also significant. The red is believed to represent the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed while on the cross. There are also 3 smaller stripes which can be said to be the trinity (the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit). The color white is the last part of the candy cane. This represents the purity and innocence of Christ. It can also be said to be symbolic of his virgin birth. There are many others traditions that occur around Christmas time. Along with celebrating the birth of my savior, I look forward to spending quality time with my family and friends.
ReplyDelete-Madeline Lutz
Why we celebrate...
ReplyDeleteChristmas wreaths…
> decorative sign
> symbol of growth and everlasting life
>made of evergreens—most often pine branches or holly
> It's better to get the real wreath because it smells a lot boetter!
> decorated with: pine cones, holly berries, fruits, and just about anything you can imagine.
The wreath has significant meaning for the season...
> circular shape represents eternity, for it has no beginning and no end.
From a Christian religious perspective...
> it represents an unending circle of life.
> evergreen, most frequently used in making wreathes, symbolizes growth and everlasting life.
>Holly branches have thorns.
>When used in a wreath it represents the thorn on Jesus' crown when he was crucified.
>Bright red holly berries symbolize Jesus' blood that was shed for us.
Today, it is sometimes hard to remember the real meaning of Christmas. We get all caught up with Santa and his arrival. The wreath over the fireplace brings a nice warm feeling to our hearts as we stop to reflect on the true meaning of this very special day.
- Jennifer Orellana
Since ancient times, the mistletoe has been one of the most magical, mysterious and sacred plants of European folklore. They also believed it had miraculous powers which could cure illnesses, serve as an antidote against poisons, ensure fertility and protect against the ill effects of witchcraft. It was also believed that the mistletoe was a sexual symbol. From these strange beliefs has come the modern-day custom of hanging a ball of mistletoe from the ceiling and exchanging kisses under it as a sign of friendship and goodwill. The mistletoe has descended from many different cultures such as the Greeks, the Anglo-Saxons and the French. They believed that you kissed under the mistletoe on New Years but in today’s customs you can kiss under the mistletoe anytime of the holiday season to ensure a good year and promote love and a good life.
ReplyDeleteFun Fact: The mistletoe is also know as "the seed of love"
-Marckee Zimmerman
The Christmas tree, standing around six-feet tall in innumerous homes in America is the icon of our commercialized holiday. All of them incomplete without that star or angel on top. What is the purpose of such a topping? Does it even having a meaning? Of course it does! It is rather iconic to the biblical birth of Jesus. The star is meant to represent the star used by the wisemen to locate Jesus's birth-site. On the twenty-fifth, when children and adults alike take that (admittedly short) journey to their home's tree, they are re-enacting that biblical story. The angel topping was created much later, representing something of a "family angel" that watches down on the family from said tree.
ReplyDeleteFun Fact: The Christmas tree was only adopted into Roman Catholicism in the past forty years.
Sorry for the short post! Expect better in the future.
-Carlos C. Jimenez II
I’m sure you remember running to your tree Christmas day bubbling over with joy and the excitement of getting presents. Some people savor the time spent opening presents by slowly and carefully peeling off the wrapping paper while others hastily rip it off in order to discover what they got. We have all done this one time or another but have you ever stopped to wonder just why we get presents on Christmas day?
ReplyDeleteThe tradition dates back to the first presents given on Christmas day; to baby Jesus by the three wise men. It used to be that Christmas was celebrated by the remembrance and gratitude of Jesus’s birth. In the 19th century gift giving became very popular due to its presence in many famous literary works. Since the modern era came, people have been making gift-giving a regular and almost mandatory occurrence. Whether you celebrate Christmas by giving gifts to celebrate the birth of Jesus or to tell your loved ones you care about them, either way it is a great way to end the year.
-Emily Berry
People get Christmas cards from many people including family, friends, and even banks. Christmas cards were first produced in England. There were always small notes that people sent that gave good wishes but in the first part of the 19th century the people began to actually produce and send actual Christmas cards. When they first came out they were a way to show off their status in the city and their good writing and reading skills. In 1843, Sir Henry Cole arranged to have actual Christmas card made and mass produced. That is how Christmas cards came to be.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Godwin
People celebrate Christmas for many reasons including presents, decoration contests, tradition, etc. Some feel obligated to give into the Christmas tradition completely because well it's America and that's just what we do. I personally do not like putting up the Christmas tree and those stupid lights inside and out and stockings, it's all so unnecesarry. Jesus wasn't even born in December. Christmas to me means family and giving and appreciation of all those things. It means being with the people you love and having a great time. And yes celebrating baby Jesus even though they got my Savior's birthday wrong. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. :)
ReplyDelete-Dre'Shawna Terrell
Candy canes have always been a Christmas tradition. What we don't know is the shape, the color, the smell, the taste, and everything about the candy cane has a special meaning to the holiday season. Its shape is like a shepherd's staff. Its red stripes remind us that Jesus shed his blood for us and "By his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 5:4). Its white stripes stand for purity and by his death we are made pure. The peppermint flavor is very much like hyssop which was used in he bible times for purification (Psalm 51:7). Its taste is sweet as it is sweet to walk with Jesus and if you turn the candy cane upside down it becomes a "J" for Jesus.
ReplyDelete