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4 Steps To Saving Money At Christmas Time
The holidays are here. It's a great and wonderful time that just
about everyone waits the whole year for. December is a great
month...until the bills start piling in around mid January. Then
you have a crisis. Here are a few tips to keep December...
Budgeting over Christmas
Christmas is one of everybody's favourite times of year, but it
can also be one of the most expensive. Most people want it to be
a special and happy time, and are willing to pay for the little
luxuries that make Christmas what it is, but they...
Christmas: A Light in the Darkness
People often ask me how I get anything out of the Christmas
story anymore since I am a progressive Christian who doesn't
take the Bible literally. They assume that just because I no
longer believe that things happened exactly as they...
Christmas Decorating Ideas
As the holidays approach, it is time to start thinking of how you would like to decorate your home. As you will probably have numerous friends and family during the holiday season, the sooner you start to consider you Christmas décor the better. The...
Christmas Gifts Advice
Yes its that time of year again. So what's your plan this year? Where you just going to leave it to the last minute again and compete with the rest of the country for the last few items on the shelves come Christmas Eve? I know that with this...
How To Buy Christmas Presents And Not Break The Bank
I have kids that are 16, 13,10 and 6 years old. We all know that when kids get to this age that they want gifts that are expensive. All their friends have new mp3 players, high tech video games, cell phones, etc. As working parents we know how...
How To Save Money On Christmas Gifts
How many times have you spent more that you could afford on Christmas gifts for your family and friends? How many times have you bought gifts that weren't what you were looking for and on top of that, paid top dollars for them? It has...
Planning a Christmas dinner party
Entertaining friends and family in your home during the Christmas holiday is one of the most popular activities of the holiday season. Many people choose to host small, informal gatherings in their home, while others plan extravagant dinner parties...
Sticking to a Gift Budget at Christmastime
The Christmas season is upon us, and with it one of the most difficult times to stick on a budget. It’s so easy to go overboard on gifts for those you love. There’s always some cute, cheap item that is just perfect, but when you find things like...
What Gift Can I Give A Bird Lover This Christmas?
Choosing gifts for any animal lovers can be quite a pleasure, as it is often a gift that is shared by the recipient with her animal friends or pets. This is especially so with bird lover gifts. People who really love birds tend to want them to...
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The Top 10 Holidays That Are Coming Up Besides Christmas and Thanksgiving
Are you ready for the holidays? Who’s holidays are you ready for? If you’ve got global and multicultural clients and friends as I do, here’s a list to help you get it organized.
1.Eid al-Fitr (Muslim) – lunar, when new moon is sighted, so around November 25 depending upon location
Eid Al-Fitr, or the Celebration of Breaking the Fast, marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Money is given to the poor, and to children, and everyone gets a new set of clothing.
2. Saint Nicholas Day (Christian) -- December 6
Popular for centuries esp. in Northern Europe, celebrating Saint Nicholas, a 4th century bishop of the city of Myra (in what is now Turkey), who was known for his kindness and generosity. Good children receive candies, cookies, apples and nuts, while naughty children receive switches or lumps of coal in their shoes.
3. Bodhi Day (Buddhists) – December 8
aka Rohatsu, celebrates the day in 596 BC when the Buddha achieved enlightenment.
4. Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexican) -- December 12
One of the most important dates on the Mexican calendar, dedicated to the Mother of all Mexicans.
5. St. Lucia Day (Swedish) -- December 13
Each family awakens a young girl who dresses in a white robe with red ribbon around the waist, and wears a crown of candles on her head. She then brings breakfast to the family -- sweet buns flavored with saffron. The boys (called star boys) wear long white shirts and pointed hats and help carry the sweets. What do you say? God Jul!
6. Hanukkah (Jewish) -- begins December 19
Known also as Festival of Lights, this 8-day, 2,000-year-old holiday celebrates God's glory, an
ancient victory of the Jews over their enemies, and the freedom Jews enjoy today.
7. Winter Solstice (Various) - December 22
Long before Christmas, people celebrated the Winter Solstice on the eve of the shortest day of the year. They burned a Yule log in a great bonfire, danced, sang, hung mistletoe from doorways of their home, and decorated with evergreens. In Iran, the celebration is called Shabe-Yalda. The Chinese call it Dong Shi.
8. Kwanzaa (African American) -- begins December 26
Habari Gani? That's Swahili "What's the News?", the Kwanzaa greeting. Kwanzaa's seven days of celebration focus on seven principles: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani). Kwanzaa is Swahili for "first fruits of the harvest."
9. Boxing Day (Australian, Canadian, English, Irish, Scottish) -- December 26
Way back when, servants had to work on Christmas, but were given the 26th off to visit their families. Their Landlords gave each servant a box with gifts and bonuses, and churches opened their alms boxes for the poor. Nowadays most people have the day off, and visit, go shopping and celebrate.
10. Omisoka (Japanese) -- December 31
The family gathers to get ready to celebrate the new year. They clean house (susu harai), put things in order and decorate. In the evening they have toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles) and then go to temple to make wishes known to buddhist or shintô divinities. At midnight, in all buddhist temples, the bell (bonshô) is rung 108 times to announce the new year.
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