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Santa Claus Around the World

Christmas is a worldwide phenomenon, and so is the holiday’s number one fan and symbol, Santa Claus. So it makes sense that because people all over the world celebrate Christmas differently, they also see Santa in different ways and have different traditions.

For instance, in France Christmas goes by the term Noel, and Santa goes by the name Pere Noel. Like the United States, the French who celebrate the holiday do so with a Christmas tree. Sometimes, the French decorate their trees in the traditional, which is with bright red ribbons and real candles, instead of the garland, electric lights, and fancy decorations used in the US. They also believe in decorating outside, especially the evergreen trees on their properties, which they cover with lights that they leave on all night long.

In Hungary, the Christmas tradition is a bit different than the French or American versions. In this Eastern European country, Santa Claus is called the “Winter Grandfather,” or Mikulas in their language. He comes not on Christmas Eve, but on December 6. It’s the job of children before this day to make sure that they are clean and that they have cleaned their rooms. For these good children, Winter Grandfather leaves candies and toys for them in freshly cleaned shoes or boots. For those children who don’t clean? They get a golden birch, which means they deserve a spanking! In Hungary it’s not Santa Claus (or Winter Grandfather), but Baby Jesus and the angels who brings presents and the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. To give him time to set them up, families usually go visit a relative’s house or go to the movies.

In Germany, the holidays are all about the decorations. They love putting electric candles in their lights, and covering their homes with all sorts of lights and colors. The German specialty decoration is the Adventskranz, which is actually a leaf wreath with four candles in it. And like many American homes, Germans like to decorate inside with a manger scene, the famous depiction of the stable, with Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, animals, and the Three Wise Men. Father Christmas brings children from Germany presents on Christmas Eve, while St. Nicholas brings small gifts on December 6.

Kids should consider moving to Latvia along the Baltic Sea for Christmas time. There, Father Christmas brings presents for all of the 12 days of Christmas, with the first day of gift giving coming on Christmas Eve. Latvia also claims to be the home of the first ever Christmas tree, documented in the year 1510. Then again, you might want to check the menu before visiting this country. The traditional meal on Christmas is brown peas with bacon sauce, sausage, cabbage, and small pies.

Here’s a meal that sounds delectable and Christmas will still be a blast – it’s in New Zealand. Since Christmas arrives in the middle of summer for New Zealand children, their Christmas dinners usually include foods on the BBQ, like ham, shrimp and fish. Many towns enjoy Christmas parades throughout the holiday season. Similar to children in America, families open Christmas presents from Santa Claus on Christmas Day. However, some people love Christmas so much, they also celebrate this Santa-driven holiday in the middle of July, when it is cold enough for a proper English Christmas dinner.

Wherever you are on the map, you can obviously enjoy Christmas in one way or another. And don’t worry. With his reindeer-powered sleigh, Santa will find you no matter where in the world you are living.

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About the Author:
Randy Stocklin is the co-owner of Mail from Santa Claus. Mail from Santa Claus offers memorable letters from Santa Claus that helps keep the Christmas spirit alive. For more information about Mail from Santa Claus and to purchase letters from Santa please visit www.mailfromsantaclaus.com/.

 

Article Resource: www.Articlebliss.com

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A City Of 650 Bridges, Sauerkraut And 7 Christmas Markets…

Berlin, quite surprisingly, has more water surfaces and bridges (650 approx) than Venice, Amsterdam and Stockholm put together! This beautiful capital city and heartbeat of Germany, Berlin is a fascinating place year round with a vast array of attractions to entice all visitors to it again and again especially in the Winter months when its 7 Christmas Markets are out in full force. From traditional markets selling Christmas arts and crafts including hand-blown glass objects, jewellery to mulled wine and cinnamon buns, visiting these markets is a fantastic and fun lead up to Christmas for all the family. 

Sightseeing is intense in Berlin…from the remnants of the former Wall to the Brandenburg Gate to Checkpoint Charlie, there is a lot to see in Berlin. A short city break is usually not enough to take in all the historical sights of this legendary city and a second visit is usually imminent on any first-time traveller’s agenda. The transport system in Berlin is, justifiably, known as one of the most efficient in Europe and connects Berlin with the rest of Germany and European countries.

With so many airlines operating routes to Berlin’s main international Tegel airport and a whole crop of low cost carriers now flying to Schonefeld Airport too, it’s never been easier to visit Berlin. Berlin specialists, www.myberlin.co.uk offer fantastic, low prices for a city break to Berlin. They combine cheap flight and discounted hotel packages at top quality hotels including the 5 star Westin Grand Hotel. Check out the offers now as these prices are unbelievably excellent value for money and are not going to be around forever! 

As Berlin is just an hour’s flying time from the UK, it makes for the perfect city break, both midweek and weekend. Whether for shopping, sightseeing or for the Christmas Markets, Berlin also makes a great culinary break for food lovers. Try authentic sauerkraut, spicy sausages, schnitzels and pretzels washed down with one of the 800 varieties of beers found in the Bavarian region of Germany. I would recommend you visit Berlin at any time of the year but more so at Christmas when the city is lit up by thousands of twinkling lights and the air is crisp with a hint of snowfall beginning to cloak the city with its velvety texture – that’s the best time to go to Berlin!

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About the Author:
Mike writes about “City of bridges and 7 Christmas markets” http://www.myberlin.co.uk/berlin_christmas.htm. Get more information about Berlin, http://www.myberlin.co.uk

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Make Your Holidays More Enjoyable — Without Spending One Extra Dime

There are many techniques for improving your holidays. If you don’t believe it, just take a look at the advertising circulars in your Sunday newspaper or take a quick television advertising tour.

The perfect toy will make your child happy and will fill you with the joy of Christmas. A new set of bargain priced indoor-outdoor Christmas lights will make you the envy of the neighborhood and will give you a warm sense of holiday satisfaction.  Christmas, the jewelers tell us, won’t really be complete unless that special woman receives the gift that lasts forever (and takes nearly as long to pay off).  Even the simple notion of purchasing a holiday greeting card is imbued with heightened significance. Tear jerking commercials remind us just how important it is to buy the name brand cards if we really want to communicate our feelings for loved ones during the holiday season.

It is no wonder holiday stress has reached epidemic proportions. We receive message after message telling us just how important every single thing we buy and do is with respect to having a good holiday season. Simultaneously, we are bombarded with reminders that this is the most important time of the year.  Confronted with these messages, we look for a way out.  We look for a way to capture that elusive sense of holiday satisfaction—often with a wad of cash or a credit card.

There’s nothing wrong with spending within your means to have an enjoyable holiday. It is, after all, a time of giving and a time of celebration and some level of cost is probably inevitable. No one should begrudge another for buying that holiday diamond or eschewing cut-rate greeting cards.  However, there are ways to increase your enjoyment of the holidays without spending one extra dime.

One great piece of holiday wisdom is the simple reminder to “think about ideas and people instead of things.” Even the most free-spending Christmas shopper, when asked, will tell you that the holidays are a time to reflect on the messages of the season and to spend time with loved ones. The spirit of the holidays can be transmitted by proxy in the form of a shiny toy or even shinier ring, but the message is actually more clearly communicated by a simple hug or a quality conversation.

Too often, we use things as our means of expression instead of using ourselves. By retaining a focus on people and ideas instead of things, we find can begin to really communicate the message of love that underlies everyone’s understanding of the holidays. A hug, a conversation or a walk around the block with a loved one doesn’t cost a dime and can be the best way to build holiday cheer, pleasant memories, and an appreciation of the holidays.

Another free means by which you can enjoy the holidays more is by making a contribution of time to a cause you support. There is absolutely nothing wrong with making financial or material contributions to charities. In fact, those contributions are entirely necessary for most charitable organizations to stay afloat and are also a great way to celebrate the holidays. However, giving of yourself can really make the holidays matter and add a dimension to your appreciation of the holiday season.

Volunteering one’s time and energy to a charitable cause can increase one’s appreciation of the holidays and allows them to truly embody the spirit of giving that underpins the season. These simple acts of kindness can be truly transformative—not only for those who benefit from the gift but also for those who are willing to volunteer.

If you want another strand of Christmas lights and they fit into your budget, go ahead. Feel free to pick up that great toy for your child and the expensive knick-knack for your spouse. Buy only the best wrapping paper, if you so desire. If you feel like you can improve your holiday season with a few purchases, you can go ahead and try.

However, you should also remember that there are a few things you can do that won’t cost you a bit that can really increase the quality of your holiday season.  Remember to think about people and ideas—instead of things. Consider volunteering your time and effort to a worthwhile cause, too. Simple things like these can improve a holiday more than any gadget or gift.

 

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Forests, Trees, and Christmas: How Perspective Can Reduce Holiday Stress

When one suffers a lack of perspective, it said that he or she might be unable to “see the forest through the trees.”  In other words, their attention to small parts may prevent them from gaining an understanding of the whole. It is possible to get too bogged down in details and to allow the mind to exaggerate their importance. When it comes to the holidays, there are many of us who have a hard time seeing the bigger picture and it can lead to a great deal of stress.

By becoming too focused on smaller parts of the holiday experience, we lose track of the greater meaning of the season and create highly stressful situations. There are some of us, for instance, who may spend hours obsessing over outdoor holiday decorations.  Are those lights right?  Is that figure in its proper place? Etc. It’s find to take pride in one’s holiday decorations, of course, but it is possible to become so focused on the perfect display and to become so frustrated at the process that one begins to lose track of how that one aspect of the season fits into the bigger picture.

Another example, and one to which many of us can relate, is gift shopping. The idea of freely giving to others during the holidays should be a source of fun and joy. Too often, however, it degrades into a trying and frustrating exercise.  The simple act of giving somehow becomes a high-pressure activity that seems to consume us. Instead of enjoying this one component of the holidays, we allow it to consume a disproportionate amount of our attention and consideration. Finding the “perfect gift” becomes an intense process, devoid of pleasure.

The problem, in both instances, is the same. We lose track of the holiday forest as we become single-mindedly focused on one Christmas tree. We begin to see each part of holiday preparation and every aspect of holiday activities as ends in and of themselves, as opposed to small means to the greater end of a pleasurable holiday.

This loss of perspective is one of the greatest causes of holiday stress. We begin to believe that successful completion of every single holiday task or challenge is integral to having a successful Christmas. Every single part of the equation, from wreath hanging to making an extra pie is perceived as a matter of great importance. Not surprisingly, we find ourselves jumping from project to project in a state of high stress. Somewhere, amidst all of those individual tasks, we lose track of the essence of the holidays completely.

Some may argue that each step along the way is important. Perhaps, to some extent every little thing we do does have the chance to improve our holidays. However, if we reflect on Christmases past, we generally don’t remember the small mistakes or tiny incorrect details. Do you remember if every strand of lights on the tree were in perfect synchronicity on your favorite past holiday? Can you ever remember a year when the holiday dinner was completely ruined by one burned dish? Have you ever felt a holiday was ruined by a poor gift-wrapping job?  Generally, those smaller features—the individual trees of the Christmas forest—are far less important in building holiday memories than interactions between people.

By stepping back when we begin to feel stressed about any part of the holidays and trying to visualize the overall holiday forest, we can reduce our stress levels considerably. A sense of perspective allows us to realize that correcting a somewhat sloppy gift-wrapping job is not the highest of our priorities or essential to a great Christmas. By seeing the full forest instead of giving our attention to individual trees we are better able to relax, enjoy and celebrate the season.

If you start to feel particularly stressed this holiday season, take a moment to ask yourself whether the source of your stress is really an issue of great importance. Try to visualize your holidays as a whole instead of focusing on the single matter at hand.  Chances are that a bit of perspective will allow you to relax and enjoy the season a bit more.

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A Classic Christmas in Song

As Christmas approaches, there are certain songs that return every year to play in the Top 40 of the mind. These are songs that move from one to the next on the radio, in the elevator, over the speakers at the market, — in other words, almost everywhere you go. These are the songs that are the survivors of all the thousands of Christmas songs that have been written, sung, and recorded. Some have lasted over the decades, some for more than a century or two. What marks their longevity is that each has its own story. Some of these stories are sweet, some touching, some just ordinary. Here’s a short list of some of my favorites with a little history. They might be yours too.

Deck the Halls – This song is a carryover from the old British Yule festival, when people celebrated with Wassail Bowls and Yule logs. Its origin is Welsh and had already been around for a long time when Mozart included the melody in one of his compositions.

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen – This old English classic has long since lost its providence in obscurity, even though it is thought to be from the 16th century. In 1846, it was published by E. F. Rimbault. We are reminded by historians that the word “rest” means “keep”, and the comma in the title is often misplaced. It makes a difference!

The First Noel – Here is another carol whose origin is obscured by history. It is claimed by both Engalnd and France. Although first published in England in 1833, scholars have been able to trace the song back to the 16th century in France. The word “noel” or nowell, comes from the Latin “natalis” meaning birth. It has come to mean the birth of Christ over the last few thousand years.

Joy to the World – Did you know that this favorite Christmas carol was written because of a challenge given to an 18-year-old Isaac Watts by his dad? You see, young Watts complained to his dad (a deacon in a Southhampton church) that church music was boring. So his dad challenged him to write something better. He used the 98th Psalm as inspiration, and in 1692 wrote this wonderful, upbeat song.

O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fedeles) – Latin in origin, the roots of this hymn are clouded in Christmas mystery. Some scholars attribute it to St. Francis, some to St. Bonaventure. French monks used it in their midnight masses during the 17th century. The first person to write the words “Adeste Fedeles” appears to have been John Francis Wade in 1742, and it was called The Portuguese Hymn because its British debut came at the Portuguese Embassy. Around 1841, the carol crossed the ocean and Canon Frederick Oakeley translated it first to read Ye Faithful, Approach Ye. He revised it in 1852 to O Come, All Ye Faithful. This carol is thought to be the most universal carol – it has over 120 translations to its credit.

Silent Night (Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!) – This beloved carol was birthed out of necessity – the church organ at St. Nicholas in the tiny Austrian village of Oberndorf went on the blink the night before Christmas Eve 1818. Father Josef Mohr, the assistant pastor, visited with his organist (Franz Gruber) about the situation and showed him some lyrics he had written. Gruber read them, took them home, and two hours later, completed the melody for Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! That Christmas Eve, the church choir sang the carol, accompanied by Gruber on the Italian guitar. The following spring, Karl Mauracher met with Gruber to fix the organ, and was shown the piece and told the story. He asked for a copy of the piece, and from there, it spread all over the world, with no credit given its authors.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing – Written by Rev. Charles Wesley in 1739, this song is one of his most famous. Originally, the words were “Hark, how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings”, but were altered in 1753 to the words we know. A little over a century later, Dr. W. H. Cummings lifted the second movement of Mendelssohn’s For A Tercentenary of the Invention of the Art of Printing as the melody.

Away in a Manger – If you are looking for a mystery, here you go. The first two verses of this song appeared in a collection of Lutheran hymns entitled Luther’s Cradle Hymn. These songs were composed by Martin Luther for his children and are still sung by German mothers to their little ones. The confusion is that for 60 years, the public therefore assumed that these two verses were also written by Martin Luther. However, in the 1940s, Richard Hill proved that the author of these verses (and thus, the song) was actually music editor James R. Murray of Cincinnati, Ohio. The carol is unknown in Germany.

Jingle Bells – J. Pierpont wrote One Horse Open Sleigh for a Boston Sunday school choir in 1857. It is arguably the first pop Christmas song, and he managed to do the impossible: it never mentions Christmas!

White Christmas – The most popular modern Christmas song ever, this song was written in 1942 by Irving Berlin for Bing Crosby to sing in Holiday Inn. It won the Oscar for best song that year, and has sold more than 100 million copies since.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – This popular song was written by Johnny Marks for the reindeer with the henna-hued honker created by his brother-in-law/author/copywriter Robert L. May. May received the copyright to Rudolph in 1947, and wrote a book based on his exploits. In 1949, Gene Autry recorded it, and the rest is history.

Frosty the Snowman – Following on the heels of the success of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins decided to see what would happen with a snowman that comes to life. The result was this happy tune in 1951.

The songs of Christmas, whether from the 13th century or this year, are as popular today as ever although tastes have definitely changed. Whether we love the ancient Yuletide carol or rock out makes little difference. What matters is that the magic of Christmas’ greatest hits still offer some honest-to-goodness joy today. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!

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A Christmas History Lesson

The Twelve Days of Christmas is one of the most famous Christmas carols ever written. It has been sung for a great many years, and is known the world over. To most it is a delightful hymn, but it was originally created with a very serious intent. In England between the years of 1558 and 1829, it was illegal to practice Catholicism in public or private. It was essentially a crime to be Catholic in England during those years. The Twelve Days of Christmas was written to help preserve the traditions of the Catholic faith during the years that Catholicism was banned in England. The song is steeped in symbolism, and the fact that it is so well known throughout the world is a testament to the faith of the followers of the Catholic doctrine. The symbols contained in the song are as follows:

1st verse – “True Love” refers to God.
2nd verse – “2 Turtle Doves” refers to the Old and New Testaments.
3rd verse – “3 French Hens” refers to Faith, Hope, and Charity.
4th verse – “4 Calling Birds” refers to the Four Gospels or the Four Evangelists.
5th verse – “5 Golden Rings” refers to the first five Books of the Old Testament.
6th verse – “6 Geese-a-laying” refers to the six days of creation.
7th verse – “7 Swans-a-swimming” refers to the seven sacraments.
8th verse – “8 Maids-a-milking” refers to the eight beatitudes.
9th verse – “9 Ladies dancing” refers to the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
10th verse – “10 Lords-a-leaping” refers to the Ten Commandments.
11th verse – “11 Pipers piping” refers to the eleven faithful apostles.
12th verse – “12 Drummers drumming” refers to the twelve points of the Apostle’s creed.

I love this song. It is, by far, my favorite Christmas carol. I had no idea about the symbols contained in the song, until I Googled the song lyrics one afternoon. I find it very interesting that a song we all know so well could contain so many hidden meanings. I would never have guessed that it was anything more than lovely Christmas carol. It’s always nice to learn something new, especially about the wonderful celebration of Christmas. I hope you learned something, too. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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About the Author – 
Catherine Spelling absolutely loves spending Christmas with family and friends. When she is not counting down the days until Christmas, she writes for http://www.christmaslightsanddecorations.com/

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Christmas Eve Around the World

One holiday that is celebrated in many countries is Christmas Eve. It is celebrated in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas celebrations. It is an evening filled with anticipation and joy. In many cultures, a festive dinner is traditionally served for the family and close friends in attendance. In some parts of Eastern Europe such as Poland and Lithuania, a traditional meatless 12-dishes Christmas Eve Supper is served before opening gifts.

In Spain, La Nochebuena is known as the Good Night. At midnight, everybody hurries to Midnight Mass. The hours between mass and dawn are devoted to street dancing and singing. There is a large variety of food that is served, and each region has it’s own specialty. It is particularly common to start the meal with a seafood dish such as prawns or salmon, followed by a bowl of hot, homemade soup. For the main meal, there will commonly be  roast lamb, or seafood, such as cod or shellfish. For dessert, there is quite a spread of delicacies, among them are turrón, a dessert made of honey, egg and almonds that is Arabic in origin.

The Italian Christmas, as it is celebrated today, has two origins: the familiar Christian traditions blended with the pagan traditions of the Roman Empire. The great feast of that era was “Saturnalia,” celebrated from December 17 to 24 to honor Saturn, god of the harvest. Now, these dates coincide with part of the pre-Christmas celebrations of Advent. Consequently, Christmas markets, merry-making and torch processions, honor not only the birth of Jesus, but also the birth of the “Unconquered Sun.” Natale, the Italian word for Christmas, is the translation for “birthday.” It is customary for a family to create a handmade “presepe,” or Nativity scene, as elaborate as they can afford to make it. This model of a manager is an important part of an Italian Christmas celebration, as the manger scene originated in Italy. The family meets in front of this Nativity scene each morning of Novena (a nine-day period that begins on December 6th) to recite prayers. A “ceppo”, the Italian version of the Christmas tree is built. It resembles a ladder. The presepe is placed on the bottom shelf and gifts and decorations are placed on the other shelves. The children are sent throughout the neighborhood to recite Christmas poems. La Vigilia, or the Feast of Seven Fishes, starts with a Novena of devotional preparation and a 24-hour fast. The fast starts at sunset December 23rd and continues through to sunset December 24th. The food eaten after the fast is Capitoni (large eel), fish, fowl, and Cardoni, which is a dish of artichokes with eggs. There is also Panettone (current loaf), a cheese-filled pastry called Cannoli and Torrone (nougat). Also on Christmas Eve, the children of the family provide their parents with a letter written on decorative stationery with their promises to behave during the coming year.

Christmas Eve in Germany, or Heiligabend, is very much like Christmas Eve in the United States. On this day, the Germans trim the tree and sing Christmas carols. The parents or the mother decorates the tree secretly on Christmas Eve when the children are at church. The tree has real candles on it to symbolize the light of Christ. The candles are only lit on Christmas Eve making that night even more special. Usually, there is a display under the tree of the stable where Christ was born. Once the tree is decorated, a bell is rung and everyone may come to see it and open presents. Some families hide a pickle in their tree and the first person to find it gets to open the first present. Also on Christmas Eve, the children write letters to the Christ Child. They glue on an envelope and sprinkle sugar to catch the Christ Child’s eye when He passes by. The children put their letters on their windowsills. Then, they go to bed hoping for presents the next morning. A favorite meal is roast carp.

The activities that have become a part of Christmas Eve in France are the setting up of the crèche, or miniature nativity scene in the homes, and Christmas Mass, which is announced by the church bells at midnight. There, bells also joyously announce the birth of Christ. The midnight service is the most colorful of the year. After Midnight Mass, it is customary to hold family parties at which the Réveillon (late supper) is served. Some of the food served is oyster, blood sausage, pancakes (crepes), goose, white wine, and sweets. On Christmas Eve, children leave their shoes by the fireplace to be filled with gifts from Pere Noel. In the morning they also find that sweets, fruit, nuts and small toys have been hung on the tree.

In the United States, you will find a blend of many of these customs along with some variations and embellishments. In some households, it is a very traditional evening. The tree is trimmed and one gift is opened. The rest must wait for Christmas Day. There is lots of baking and cooking going on, in preparation for Christmas dinner on the next day. Children are sent to bed early with the caution that Santa Claus will not come if they are awake. Gifts are brought out of their hiding places, wrapped and placed under the tree. In other homes, people will attend Midnight Mass, followed by late suppers, or parties. Some people will quietly gather to read the Christmas story in Luke and sing carols while setting up the Nativity.

All, in all, it is a very festive time of the year. These are only a few of the many customs that are practiced in the world on this blessed night.

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The Christmas Robin

The humble robin is a traditional Christmas symbol in the UK, the colourful bird often depicted on our festive greetings cards and Christmas gift wrapping. We also use little robin decorations to trim our Christmas trees and our Christmas cakes or chocolate logs. It’s hardly surprising that we cherish this pretty, cheerful little bird as part of our Christmas festivities because he is so colourful and most other birds have migrated to warmer climates. And during our long bleak winters it lifts us to hear the chirpy song of the festive robin.

However, there is more to this chirpy fellow then just cute Christmas cards of him posing on snow covered post boxes and nesting in old copper watering cans. 

Robins live through out Europe (Except the far North) and Western Siberia. We notice an increased number of robins in the UK during our winter months as robins in colder climates move to warmer wintering gathering grounds during the autumn. 

Robins who live in close proximity to people can become rather tame, especially towards avid gardeners. Some cheeky robins have learned to take advantages of unearthed worms caused from gardeners digging and turning the soil. 

It has also been discovered that robins can fish. Not for large fish though, the robin itself being only 14 cm and weighing between 14 and 21 grams. Robins can hover and dive for fish in shallow waters. 

Male robins are very territorial and sing to proclaim their territory, what sound like a cheerful winter song to us is actually a warning of occupation to other robins in the area. Robins will fight to defend their territory. 

Robins mate and nest in late March. The female robin builds a nest from dry dead leaves and moss in crevasses in trees, wall cavities or in under growth. 

Because robins don’t build traditional nests with twigs and sticks and instead simply line holes and crevasses is why we hear tales of robins nesting in old watering cans and wellington boots. 

The female lays between 4 and 6 small white to slightly blue speckled eggs which she incubates for 2 weeks. 

At two weeks old the robin chicks can fly. By this time the father robin feeds his offspring for a further 3 week until the chicks become independent at around five weeks old, meanwhile the female rears her second brood. 

Chicks are not born with the trademark vibrant red breast feathers. They shed their chick feathers to make way for their splash of red on their breasts. 

Not many robin chicks get to show off their new red feathers with pictures poses on top of snow covered post-boxes or pine-trees because more than a half of the chicks die during their first year. 

However, robins can live up to the ripe old age of 5 years, which is something to sing about. 

So spare a thought for this festive little bird this Christmas time because he works hard for his living. Maybe leave them some tasty Christmas treats on your bird table, some bacon rind and a stuffing ball. And maybe leave out a few old terracotta plant pots for a homeless female robin looking for somewhere to build their nests.

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About the Author:
S. Roberts writes for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/. For more Christmas Theme articles and ideas visit Santa’s website http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/christmas-articles.html

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Year-Round Christmas

In Frankenmuth, Michigan, you can enjoy Christmas 360 days a year Bonner’s Christmas Wonderland. Closed only on January 1st, Easter, US Thanksgiving and Christmas, Bonner’s has become the place to go to celebrate the joy of Christ’s birth. Their motto is: “Enjoy CHRISTmas, It’s HIS birthday; Enjoy Life, It’s HIS way.”

Bronner’s was founded in 1945 by Wally Bronner. When Wally painted his first sign over 50 years ago, little did he dream that his small business would one day become the world’s largest Christmas store visited by millions of people. Bronner’s features over 50,000 trims and gifts, including Christmas ornaments, artificial Christmas trees, Christmas lights, Nativity scenes, Christmas decorations, collectibles, and more.

With the government of Austria’s permission and in keeping with the German theme of Frankenmuth itself, Bronner’s built a replica of the Oberndorf, Austria, Silent Night Memorial Chapel in 1992 as a tribute to the Christmas hymn “Silent Night” and in thankfulness to God. It is open daily for viewing and meditation.

Every evening Bronner’s ½-mile long Christmas Lane glistens with thousands of twinkling lights. Over two million people, including 2,000 group tours, visit Bronner’s attraction annually.

Although the Wonderland is Christ-centered, Bonner’s stocks “Merry Christmas” ornaments in more than 70 languages, and decorations and gifts from 70 nations. They introduced a new “Ethnic Christmas Customs” ornament in 1987, which consists of a “Merry Christmas” greeting in a particular country’s language featured on the front side of the ornament and a brief description of the country’s Christmas customs on the reverse side.

Christmas displays from Bonner’s have been sold to over 5,000 commercial and industrial accounts across the United State, including over 2,000 cities and 1,000 shopping centers.

Even if you are not shopping for Christmas decorations, you can enjoy 27 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds at Bronner’s. (The entire complex is 45 acres.) Each summer over 2,400 individual flowering and ornamental plants complement the Bronner landscaping. Approximately 100,000 outdoor Christmas lights illuminate Bronner’s grounds every evening throughout the year. Christmas Lane, Bronner’s own thoroughfare, is ½-mile long. Fifty-six decorated lampposts adorn the Bronner grounds. The flags from many nations adorn the building and outdoor lampposts. There are 24 figures on display in Bronner’s outdoor, life-size Nativity. Bronner’s giant outdoor Santa is a whopping 17 feet and the giant snowman is 15 feet tall.

Too far to visit in person? Don’t worry – you can visit their on-line store at http://www.bonners.com, where you can browse thru and purchase approximately 3,000 items. Don’t like to shop on-line? You can order from the retail catalog. Over 3 million Bronner’s Christmas Favorites catalogs are distributed annually.

Bonner’s is located in the quaint town of Frankenmuth, Michigan, also known as “Michigan’s Little Bavaria”, which is about 2½ hours north of Detroit. You can find out more information on Bonner’s at http://www.bronners.com and on Frankenmuth at http://www.frankenmuth.org.

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Christmas Traditions & Customs Around the World

Many of you reading this page know the Biblical story of Christmas. But do you have any idea about how some of the customs and traditions of Christmas came about? What do the Italian children do at this time of the year? What kinds of food is served in Spain for Christmas? During this festive season, I would like to share a bit of the history of some of these celebrations in various parts of the world.

I’ve also included some suggestions so you and your family can create your own Christmas traditions and customs.

I hope you enjoy our travel around the world at Christmas.