Since time immemorial, Christmas has been the season of spreading good cheer, of spending time with your family and of sharing, caring and giving. Of love and compassion and of family bonding. Last night we attended Alex's Christmas program which included songs, reciting and just a great time of fellowship.







Christmas Traditions

It is believed that Christ was born on the 25th, although the exact month is unknown. December was likely chosen so the Catholic Church could compete with rival pagan rituals held at that time of year and because of its closeness with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a traditional time of celebration among many ancient cultures.

Christmas Trees in 16th-century Germany were used to symbolize the Garden of Eden-the Paradise Tree. It was a fir tree hung with apples, roses, gilded candies, and colored paper.

Mistletoe was used by the Druid priests 200 years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations.

The Candy cane symbolism holds that the color white represents Christ's purity, the red the blood he shed, and the presence of three red stripes the Holy Trinity.

Poinsettias; one legend has it that a young Mexican boy, on his way to visit the village nativity scene, realized he had no gift for the Christ child. He gathered pretty green branches from along the road and brought them to the church. Though the other children mocked him, when the leaves were laid at the manger, a beautiful star-shaped flower appeared on each branch. The bright red petals, often mistaken for flowers, are actually the upper leaves of the plant.

SUSAN