Fancy Tales Related to Christmas

A lot of what is widely regarded as true about Christmas or held as a
tradition cannot or has not been verified, or, has changed through the years.
Even Christmas Day itself, Dec. 25, has been questioned about whether that is
the exact day on which Jesus was born. Skeptics have asked why would shepherds
be out in the cold watching their flocks by night during the winter. Those
skeptics have put forward the thought that Jesus may really have been born in
the spring instead. It is therefore little wonder that there are many fancy
stories and tales that are told about Christmas and the Christmas season.

The most common fancy tale that everyone tells, particularly to children,
is about Santa Claus, also called St. Nicholas. But even if it were accepted
that Santa Claus existed, where does he live and how is he able to get to all
the houses of good boys and girls on Christmas Eve?

In the United States, there are rumors that Santa Claus has two homes. There is a home in Torrington, Connecticut, which is used as a distribution point for Santa and his many helpers, who are elves, to hand out gifts. And then, a second home is said to be located in Wilmington, New York, and that is where Santa Claus and his delivery reindeer crew are located.

But Santa can be visited in Cyberspace at anytime and what about the
widely held belief that Santa Claus really lives in a village at the North Pole?

The people of Finland also claim that their country is the official
residence of Santa Claus. That's because in Finland, you can actually visit a
village any time during the year and see Santa's workshop and observe Santa and
his elves hard at work as they prepare for their very important Christmas gift
delivery job on Christmas Eve. The only day when Santa's workshop is closed to
visitors is of course, on Christmas Eve.

Maybe a very smart visitor could visit Santa's workshop on the day before
Christmas Eve to see if there are any clues to how Santa and his reindeers plan
to make their trip the next day. That's because as the tale goes, in Finland
Santa Claus and his reindeers do not reach their destinations around the globe
by flying.

Finland welcomes visitors to Santa's workshop but there is nothing said
about whether visitors actually have any chance of having a word with the man
himself. While the chances of doing so are believed to be non-existent, among
the questions that inquiring minds could ask Santa is whether Rudolph is the son
of Donner (and to confirm the spelling - Donner or Donder) or whether Santa
spotted him in a different reindeer village one foggy Christmas Eve when he had
already started on his Christmas toy-delivery mission.

Questions about these things are often included in letters written to Santa Clause. Not surprisingly, in letters from Santa Clause children are sometimes surprised to learn that Santa wonders about things like whose idea was it to have Christmas trees and for the gifts to be placed under them.

The tradition of Christmas tree as it exists today comes from Germany by
way of immigrants. But it isn't clear how the tradition really gained a foothold
in Germany. One story is that Christians in Germany during the 16th century
started to bring trees that were decorated into their homes. Some of those
Christians would build pyramids for Christmas. The pyramids were made of wood
and would be decorated with evergreens and candles if wood was in short supply.

It is however Martin Luther, a Protestant reformer, who is said to have
been the first to add lighted candles as decoration to a tree based on his
inspiration from the brilliant light of twinkling stars that shone through
evergreen trees as he walked home one winter evening.

As the legend goes, Martin Luther placed a tree in a primary room of his
house and placed wires with small, lighted candles around the branches of the
tree. And that is how, as the tale goes, the Christmas tree as known today, was
started.

Letters From Santa Clause

This is just a short post about a wonderful Christmas Tradition that anyone can appreciate. First of all, it is important to understand the importance of holiday traditions.

When you think back over your past holidays - especially ones from your childhood, what do you remember the most? While many of us will remember a special gift received at one time or another, most of us will always treasure the memories of the love and security we felt during a holiday event. This might be a time that family and friends traditionally visited, or a time when the family did something together to celebrate in a special way.

Of course, it's wonderful if you can afford great things during the Christmas season - if a vacation can be added into the holiday fun that is definitely a way to make it special. But the reality is that most of us cannot do that. Even if we have the money we probably do not have the time. The fact is that money can hold us back from doing a lot of things that could make the holidays more memorable.

But the good news is that there are some wonderfully amazing ways to make Christmas magical without spending much money at all. A favorite in my home is taking at least one Saturday to create homemade Christmas decorations. The whole family gets involved.

We have a craft box that we use to hold things like extra buttons, styrofoam balls and other pieces of styrofoam (the kind used for packing), remnants of cloth, pipecleaners, construction paper, glitter, pine cones, ribbons, lace, and, well, you get the idea....This craft box, as we call it is actually one of those large plastic tubs that are usually used for storage. We are constantly adding to it.

As we make our decorations Christmas music is playing and we are sometimes singing along. I usually throw a cake or other delicious baked goods in the oven. The house smells great and we have a wonderful time. I usually make a special holiday drink on that day - it's a tea with orange and cinnamon flavor - very tasty and has just the right hint of specialness because I save it for the holiday season.

Besides the Christmas decorations we spend time writing letters to Santa Clause. The funny thing is that even the non-believers and full grown adults seem to enjoy this. Christmas really is magical - it seems to bring out the best in everyone.

The best part about writing a letter to Santa Clause is when he writes back! There is a website that offers this service for a very small price. The letters are personalized and look authentic enough to turn almost anyone into a believer again!

Simple traditions like these can make Christmas special and leave lasting memories that will always be cherished. If you don't have a craft box yet now's a good time to start collecting items that can be used for fun projects. And if you haven't written Santa in a few years, why not give that a try too? Surprise your kids with a genuine letter from Santa. The looks on their faces will be true Kodak moments!