Merry and Bright

2011-12-21T14:08:00.002-07:00

Looks like I've let this little blog thing lapse for a bit. Now it almost Christmas and everyone is so busy. I'll be back soon. Promise.

2011-09-30T18:05:00.001-06:00

 I saw my first Christmas commercial today. It's a couple of years old, but it means the season has started.

Florin Street Band

2011-09-02T17:00:00.000-06:00

I found this on another blog from one of my followers: Joys of Christmas. It's a great new holiday song to add to your collection. They made this song (and video) without corporate backers, so if you like it, download it to your library to give them a helping hand. Enjoy!

Rudolph's Advantage

2011-08-15T11:28:00.001-06:00

Taken from Scientific American Aug. 2011 edition.

Haveyou ever wondered why Santa had chosen reindeer as the animal to pull his sleigh? It actually turns out that reindeer can see better than other animals against that harsh winter landscape. A study from the university of Norway found that the reindeer is "not only resistant to eye damage from the intense UV rays but is also able to perceive UV light." This means that the reindeer has a distinct advantage over many other mammals, like humans, which cannot see UV light. They can use this adaptation to forage for food and watch for predators.

So, when Santa takes his team out on this Christmas eve you'll know that his team pulling the sleigh has a great skill. They can see in the dark!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Christmas in July

2011-07-09T20:01:00.000-06:00

This July you can go out and take your pick of any "Christmas in July" sales. Typically, these sales are put out by retailers to get rid of excess stock, sometimes Christmas merchandise, to make room for the next season's stock. Places like Michael's starts putting out their holiday stock in September for all those people who are way ahead of schedule in getting their Christmas crafting done.

One thing I did see when I was out shopping for groceries was a local supermarket which was advertising "Christmas in July." On inspection I was delighted to read about purchasing an ornament in $5, $10, or $25 denominations to support the Food Bank. While the Food Bank's biggest time for donations is the holidays, this doesn't mean that the need for food disappears. Ironically, the need for donations actually lessens in December because of all the holiday parties, get togethers, and abundance of food that can be found all around. Many people fill up at office parties, or share in potlucks. This means one could stock up with leftovers for a couple of days.

Plus there are usually more free events celebrating the season such as church suppers which help the hungry survive the season. The season of giving helps many who are hungry. So, this summer celebrate the holidays by taking part in your Christmas in July. Buy a little extra and give to your local food bank. Make your summer merry and bright.

Growing Trees

2011-07-01T13:21:00.000-06:00

Well, we're about halfway through the year and there will be many places celebrating Christmas in July specials. So, get out to your local store and find those bargains!

Summer is in full gear now, so everything is in bloom and the trees are full. This got me to thinking about Christmas trees. There are many tree farms throughout the country, each wanting your business, so you can find that perfect tree. Just do a quick check online to find one in your area. When I was young we used to go out the country to cut our own tree, but those times have changed. You don't want to go accidentally trespassing on someone's property and cut down their precious trees. So please, this year use a local tree merchant.

I prefer the local tree sellers. The ones who are run by the scouts or give a portion of their sales to charity. Of course you could also try to grow your own. You would have to wait a few years to reap the benefits though. In the meantime you could decorate it outside and bring a little Christmas cheer to your lawn.

Of course, there are many people who would disagree about a live tree. But trees that come from farms give off tonnes of oxygen into the atmosphere and clean the air when they're growing. Plus, each tree cut down gets replaced with a new seedling. There is no clear cutting. Be happy to know that your Christmas tree has already given its own gift of clean air.

Whatever you decide, adding the perfect tree to your home for your Christmas celebration will definately make your holiday merry and bright.

Christmas Cross Stitch

2011-06-19T17:05:00.000-06:00

One thing that I like to do to keep Christmas in my thoughts is to do some cross stitch. I have a few projects on the go, but it's a great thing to do on a rainy afternoon. Before you know it, a couple of hours have passed by and you have a great memento for the holidays. Some things are quick, like an ornament, or a bookmark. Others take a large amount of time, sometimes years to finish. A few years back I purchased a tree skirt which I haven't had the time nor the patience to finish. It seems a bit daunting, but I'll start it soon.

There are even some programs out there for the adventurous stitcher. One of the most popular is PCstitch. You can scan any picture you like and it converts it to a cross stitch pattern. So, find you most favourite Christmas picture, scan and stitch it! You can even choose how many colors you can use. From the simple 20-30 colors, to hundreds, if the picture is very colorful.

So, if you want to spend a lazy rainy afternoon to keep Christmas alive throughout the year, just pick up some thread and start stitching. If you can make an "X", you can stitch. Pretty soon you'll have your own handmade Christmas art to cherish all year long.

Christmas Cartoon

2011-06-09T18:38:00.000-06:00

We're almost done with the kitchen reno, but I came across this video from 1939: "Peace on Earth."

Enjoy and keep it merry and bright.

Christmas Kitchen

2011-05-07T19:40:00.000-06:00

We are doing a kitchen remodel in a couple of weeks, so I got to thinking about decorating the kitchen for the holidays. For the Christmas obsessed (like me), each room of the house gets decorated. Not just the living room with the tree. Each room has a Santa or some holiday pizzazz added to it. What do you do? Do you like to keep things simple or do you go all out? Here are some cute Christmas kitchen pictures I found online.

This first one is nice and simple. It's understated but gives the kitchen a cozy Christmas feel. I love the greenery in the windows. It complements the lovely green colour of the cabinetry. Could you image walking into this kitchen and smelling the wonderful scent of evergreen mixing with all the holiday baking? This country kitchen is the epitome of simple Christmas living.

This next one is a bit more eclectic. It's a modern Christmas palette. I like the monocromatic look of all the silver and blue. This seems to be a growing trend; moving away from the traditional reds and greens of the holiday.

This simplistic, yet elegant, display still captures the holiday spirit without feeling too cold.

I hope these ideas help you keep the joys of Christmas in your heart all year long. Remember, keep it merry and bright!

Christmas spider

2011-04-17T19:13:00.000-06:00

Up until a few years ago I had never heard of this Christmas folk tale. Coming from the Ukraine and Germany this tale of a holiday spider helps us remember that even the smallest can make the holiday merry and bright.

Once upon a time, long ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year.... The day on which the Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner in the ceiling to avoid the housewife's busy cleaning. They finally fled to the farthest corner of the attic.

T'was the Christmas eve at last! The tree was decorated and waiting for the children to see it. But the poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the Christ child's visit. But the oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could peep through the crack in the door to see him. Silently they crept out of their attic, down the stairs, and across the floor to wait in the crack in the threshold. Suddenly, the door opened a wee bit and quickly the spiders scurried into the room. They must see the tree closely, since their eyes weren't accustomed to the brightness of the room... so the crept all over the tree, up and down, over every branch and twig and saw every one of the pretty things. At last they satisfied themselves completely of the Christmas tree beauty.

But alas!! Everywhere they went they had left their webs, and when the little Christ child came to bless the house he was dismayed. He loved the little spiders, for they were God's creatures too, but he knew the mother, who had trimmed the tree for the little children, wouldn't feel the same, so He touched the webs and they all turned to sparkling, shimmering, silver and gold!

Ever since that time, we have hung tinsel on our christmas trees, and according to the legend, it has been a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the tree. Source

This is a great folk story to explain why we use tinsel on our trees. Tinsel was first invented in Nuremberg around 1610. Tinsel was originally made from extruded strands of silver. Because silver tarnishes quickly, people began to substitute other shiny metals in the tinsel-making process. Before the 16th century, tinsel was used for adorning sculptures rather than Christmas trees. It was added to early Christmas trees to enhance the flickering of the candles on the tree. Tinsel was also used to represent the starry sky over a Nativity scene.

Metallic tinsel was fragile and costly, made mainly from fool's gold (pyrite), so it was used in small quantities. Only wealthy people would have been able to afford enough tinsel to cover their tree. By the early 20th century, advances in manufacturing made it possible to produce cheap aluminium-based tinsel. This led to most people being able to afford to add tinsel and tinsel garlands to their trees. In fact, during the 1950s, tinsel and tinsel garlands were so popular that they frequently were used more heavily than Christmas lights by many people. The one drawback of the aluminized paper used to create tinsel at this time was that it was flammable. Early Christmas tree lights were quite hot and could start fires, especially when the aluminized paper tinsel got near a hot Christmas tree bulb. Newer Christmas lights are cooler and do not pose as much of a fire hazard. Source

I remember painstakingly taking each strand of tinsel out of the box and placing it on the tree branches as we decorated for the holiday. Inevitably the static charge would build up and it would stick to our hands and clothes. That's one thing I don't miss about those old style decorations. You would end up finding stands of tinsel hiding behind the couch months later. Or have it wrapped around the vaccuum brush when you did your post Christmas clean up. Now we use ribbon as garland and some white berries for contrast. Any way you look at it, tinsel and the legend of the Christmas spider makes every Christmas special.

Figgy Duff

2011-04-09T17:55:00.000-06:00

Originally coming from Newfoundland I wanted to share a little bit of my Christmas history. This pudding is usually served on Christmas Day for supper, with the leftovers (if there are any) fried up for breakfast. While it sounds like the name of a band or some sort of dance, figgy duff is actually a steamed, dense cake. And despite the name, there are no figs in this traditional Newfoundland Christmas dessert, usually raisins. For some reason, raisins are were called figs in many parts of the province. Also, many people in England, of which many Newfoundlanders originated, called any type of dessert a "pudding" unlike today where a pudding conjures up memories of a creamy, custard-like dessert. Closely resembling Spotted Dick, the pudding is boiled in a cloth bag or it can be steamed in a pudding mold.

Here's how you make it:

Sift together:

2 cups flour, ½ cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder

Add - 1 cup raisins and mix in.

Add 1/3 cup melted butter, ¾ cup milk, 2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all together with a wooden spoon just until a soft dough is formed. Put dough into a pudding steamer or a wet heavy cotton pudding bag, tying the bag with a piece of butcher string but leaving about an inch of slack at the top to allow the pudding to expand. Boil for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This is most often done in the pot with the boiled root vegetables, cabbage and salt beef included in a Jiggs Dinner but can be done in a pot on its own as well.

Santa Ads

2011-03-27T17:39:00.002-06:00

It's been a hectic time, so I regret not posting more frequently. I was thinking about something we are constantly bombared with every day: ads. The guy in the red suit has been used to sell many things of the years and I wanted to highlight a few of them.

First, the most recognized Santa is the one created by the Coca-Cola company in the 1930s.

Starting in 1931, magazine ads for Coca-Cola featured St. Nick as a kind, jolly man in a red suit. Because magazines were so widely viewed, and because this image of Santa appeared for more than three decades, the image of Santa most people have today is largely based on our advertising.

Before the 1931 introduction of the Coca-Cola Santa Claus created by artist Haddon Sundblom, the image of Santa ranged from big to small and fat to tall. Santa even appeared as an elf and looked a bit spooky.

The Coca-Cola Company began its Christmas advertising in the 1920s with shopping-related ads in magazines like The Saturday Evening Post. The first Santa ads used a strict-looking Claus, in the vein of Thomas Nast.

At this time, many people thought of Coca-Cola as a drink only for warm weather. The Coca-Cola Company began a campaign to remind people that Coca-Cola was a great choice in any month. This began with the 1922 slogan "Thirst Knows No Season," and continued with a campaign connecting a true icon of winter -- Santa Claus -- with the beverage.

Later on tobacco companies loved to use Santa in their holiday advertising. Usually showing an illustration of Santa Claus and the Christmas packaging of their products for that season. This picture shows the 1943 Chesterfield products.

Eventually with all that work Santa needs some time to clean up. So I found an ad in which Santa is selling some towels.

Visit the North Pole

2011-01-23T18:30:00.001-07:00

We all know that the north pole exists. In fact it has been shifting for some time now. But the North Pole I want to talk about is the one in Alaska. When you think of booking your next vacation, instead of some place warm, why not go to the North Pole.

Just outside Fairbanks, Alaska, lies the sleepy little hamlet of North Pole. It's "where the spirit of Christmas lives year 'round." Drop on by their website and recieve a warm welcome from their mayor. This small town of 2200 people is filled with all things Christmas. What fun would it be to have your mail stamped from the North Pole this holiday season. You can even visit Santa and his elves in his Santa Claus House.

This quaint little town has a unique history. It's a major power hub for the region and has a nearby Military base. Taken from their website:

In February, 1952, Dahl and Gaske Development Company bought the Davis Subdivision and the balance of the homestead, except for a few parcels.

Dahl and Gaske, who had bought the Davis homestead and subdivided it, thought if the growing settlement there were named North Pole it would attract business. They reasoned that some toy manufacturer might be induces to locate a plant there so his products could be advertised as having been made in North Pole. Also, someone might start a Santa Land which would become a northern version of Disneyland.

They approached Bon Davis to petition the United States District Court to change the name from “Davis”, which had been the official name since 1949, to North Pole. Bon Davis thought that their idea was far-fetched but acceded to their request. U.S. District Judge Harry Pratt held a hearing and issued a decree making North Pole the official name.

When it was proposed that the two subdivisions be incorporated into a city known as North Pole, residents of Highway Park rallied their forces and soundly defeated the measure at an election. They wanted no part of North Pole, incorporated or otherwise.

Those living in North Pole clung to the idea of incorporation. Another election was held after the proposed boundaries were reduced so that only the original Davis homestead and part of the one belonging to James Ford were included. Incorporation carried at that election and North Pole became a first-class city on January 15, 1953.

Snow

2011-01-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems to have been snowing for a while. It's funny how images of snow, sleigh rides, and getting outside into the crisp air brings a smile to our faces during Christmas. But when the holiday season is over we get sick of it pretty fast. In about a month or so it will start to warm up again and those below freezing temperatures will be a long forgotten memory.

Snow, ice and Christmas often go together, although why it should is a bit strange! There is no snow or ice in the Christmas story told in the Bible. However, snow does fall in Israel. Bethlehem and Jerusalem are on a range of hills that go north to south between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan valley. The top of these hills are about 1600 ft (500 m) high. The hills often have very cold weather from November to April and snow can often fall. So, although the Bible story may not have snow in it, Jesus may well have seen some snow in his life!

The reason that we think of snow and ice at Christmas is portably down to the Victorians! Although Christmas was taken over from the Pagan winter solstice festivals in Europe, it was the Victorians who gave us our 'traditional' Christmas in Europe and the U.S.A. At the start of the Victorian era, (1837) Britain was in a mini ice age that was from about 1550 to 1850. During this time, in London, a winter fair was held on the frozen River Thames!

One of the main reasons that the Victorians put Snow and Christmas together was the book 'A Christmas Carol' written in 1843 by Charles Dickens.

It tells the story of a mean old business man called Ebenezer Scrooge who hates Christmas. During the night of Christmas Eve, he is visited by three ghosts, one of Christmas Past, one of Christmas Present and one of Christmas yet to come. They show him how mean he really is. He realises that making friends is more important than making money. When he wakes up on Christmas Day, he is a changed man and give lots of money and presents away. (If you don't know the story, I recommend that you read the book or see a film of the story! A very famous film of it was made in 1951 [4 years after Britain had some of its heaviest snow of the 1900's], but my favourite version is the Muppet's Christmas Carol!!!)

When Charles Dickens was a child, Britain had very heavy snow falls around Christmas, so when he wrote 'A Christmas Carol' he put lots of snow and ice in it! He also put snow at Christmas in some of his other books like 'The Pickwick Papers'. Charles Dickens' books were very popular (and still are!) so when the Victorians read the books, they thought of snow and Christmas together!

Scotweb - Gifts for all Occasions

2011-01-09T18:58:00.002-07:00

My spouse's family is Scottish. We had the opportunity to visit Scotland for our honeymoon five years ago. I fell in love with the people, the landscape and the food. I must admit, I like haggis, even if I know how it's made. We hired a car (same as rented) and drove around the coastline, sightseeing and stopping every once in a while. We took a tour of Dunrobin castle and the Glen Morangie brewery as well as staying at a little Bed and Breakfast run by this quaint little old lady who came over from France during the war.

Even though it was in July, the temperature at night was in the single digits. I was wondering why there were two quilts on the bed when we went into our room. Needless to say, I found out that night why they were needed. I should have picked up a nice hand-knit cable sweater from Scotweb. When we got back to Canada, that's exactly what I did. I ordered one online and received it about three weeks later. It came with a tag saying it was knitted lovingly by a woman in Scotland. Now I wear that sweater, think of Scotland and all the memories there.

Scotweb is actually a great place to pick up gifts for that favourite Scot in your family or that special someone who loves celtic art or music. Not only do they have kilts from any tartan, and warm wooly sweaters, they also have stuff for the ladies. Or you can pick up a mug with your family's crest on it or even something for the wee pooch. From kilts to music, toys to art, there's always something at Scotweb.

I'd love to visit Scotland during Christmas. There would be plenty of parties, laughter and a bit of drinking. I would remember to bring my kilt and have a great kitchen party. Of course, I have to remember to bring my sweater.

Christmas Passed

2011-01-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

The tree is taken down, the cards are filed, and the decorations are put away. The Christmas season is finally over at my house, and now we can get back to our regular routine. One thing about life, it's full of routines. I, particularly, have a morning routine: get up, breakfast (usually a bowl of cereal), go to the computer, check email, read news and comics and then Facebook games. I have everything timed, even when I grab my shower, so I'm not late for my classes. This routine will change slightly when I'm finished school and start looking for a new job.

The holidays offer a routine as well. Routines give us structure and comfort, and we sometimes feel out of sorts when our routine gets interrupted. Despite its hecticness we can still find a bit of solace in the everyday routines we've created. We don't put up our decorations until advent starts and we don't take them down until Epiphany. I try to get my shopping done before the week before Christmas but there always seems to be some last minute thing to rush out for. There's our Christmas eve service at the church and I'm usually working at the hospital over the Christmas break.

Christmas day has its routines, as well. We end up going over to my parents' house for Christmas dinner. The same dinner has been made for as long as I remember: turkey with stuffing, and boiled vegetables, usually consisting of potatoes, turnips, carrots, and cabbage. I remember, one year, my mother wanted to change it up a bit and asked up to prepare one part of the meal and we would get together and serve dinner. While the meal was good, afterwards she felt that she missed part of her Christmas routine. So, things went back to "normal" for the next year.

So, take comfort in routines. Routines give us order, and can even help us cope with the hecticness of the season. First cobwebs, then cables, routines are there, creating memories of Christmases passed.

Christmas Recycling

2011-01-04T11:17:00.001-07:00

Well, the holidays are past us and we breathe a little sigh. Most of us, myself included, have been super busy getting ready and celebrating the holidays. Now that the kids are back in school and things are getting back to "normal," what to do with all those cards you received from friends and relatives this year?

There are a few things:

You can recycle them, but putting them into your recycle bin seems a shame for such beautiful cards.

Use them as gift tags for next year. Take some pinking shears, or just use regular scissors, and cut out gift tags for next year's gifts.

Make them into post cards for next year. This takes a little more organizing but it's fun. Cut off the cover of the card. Just make sure there's no writing on the back. Center the picture on the front and cut out a rectangle. Make sure the size is compliant for the postal service. Here are the standard sizes:

Minimum postcard dimensions 3 ½” x 5”
Maximum postcard dimensions 4 ¼” x 6”

Just pen a quick greeting on the back, put on your address and a stamp and you're ready for next year!

And for the ambitious: make a holly wreath. Taken from the Good Housekeeping website.

Recycle holiday greeting cards into holly leaves for this one-of-a-kind decoration. Using a holly leaf stencil, trace onto old cards and cut out holly shapes. With a glue gun, glue a toothpick onto the backside of each of the leaves to form a 1-inch pick at the "bottom" of each leaf. Take a 10-inch Styrofoam wreath and insert these leaf picks around the shape until it is completely covered, fanning and overlapping them as shown. Cut out more holly leaves as needed to cover the wreath with regifted greetings.

Some ideas to keep Christmas in your home and in your heart.

Happy Holidays!

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

May your new year be happy, safe, and be filled with hope and peace.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

Free Graphics - MySpace/Xanga/Friendster

Merry Christmas to everyone! Hope the holidays bring you peace, joy, love, and happiness this year. All the best in 2011.

The Season has Started

2010-11-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems to be the kickoff for the holiday season. At least for our American readers. Thanksgiving weekend is the unofficial start of the holidays usually with the Black Friday sales. An interesting phrase "Black Friday." It's supposed to mark the part of the fiscal year when sales go up and businesses start going into the black instead of the red for accounting. I guess it's because most of them have gone into the red buying all their Christmas stock for the upcoming season.

But in reality, how many of these businesses are really into the red? How many have gotten so far into debt that six weeks of increasing sales will help them survive another year? I'm guessing not that many. If you haven't noticed, most of the stores which have the ads for this weekend really have no money issues whatsoever. They've been around for years, decades even. I think that they are doing well enough without the added boost financially this year.

So, I propose this. Give something from the heart. Give homemade or give to a charity in lieu of a gift. The recipient will know that you've taken the time to actually think about what he or she is really like. A nice homemade quick bread or hand-knit scarf would give that person the warm feeling that everyone seems to look for during the holidays. Do you know an avid gardener? How about making some bread in a clay pot and giving it with some gardening gloves? Or an environmentalist? A nice donation to the World Wildlife Fund in his or her name would be appreciated. There always something out there that is simple and thoughtful.

The businesses clamouring for your money need to know that "pretending" fiscal dire straits won't endear me to them or want to save them from themselves. I'm keeping this year merry and bright by staying simple.

Annie Lennox: God Rest ye Merry Gentleman

2010-11-16T16:33:00.001-07:00

Christmas History: Jesus' Birth

2010-11-14T15:25:00.002-07:00

We all know that the world celebrates the birth of Jesus on December 25. That's the main reason it's called Christmas. It's Christ's Mass. But if you go back to scripture to find out why December 25 is the day we use, you might be a bit surprised with the answer.

Was Jesus born on December 25? There is no evidence for this date. So then, who decided that Jesus' birth would be celebrated on that date? The early Christian church did not celebrate Jesus' birth. It wasn't until A.D. 440 that the church officially proclaimed December 25 as the birth of Christ. This was not based on any religious evidence but on a pagan feast. Saturnalia was a tradition inherited by the Roman pagans from an earlier Babylonian priesthood. December 25 was used as a celebration of the birthday of the sun god. It was observed near the winter solstice.

The apostles in the Bible predicted that some Christians would adopt pagan beliefs to enable them to make their religion more palatable to the pagans around them. Therefore, some scholars think the church chose the date of this pagan celebration to interest them in Christianity. The pagans were already used to celebrating on this date.

The Bible itself tells us that December 25 is an unlikely date for His birth. Palestine is very cold in December. It was much too cold to ask everyone to travel to the city of their fathers to register for taxes. Also the shepherds were in the fields (Luke 2:8-12). Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time. They are in the fields early in March until early October. This would place Jesus' birth in the spring or early fall. It is also known that Jesus lived for 33.5 years and died at the feast of the Passover, which is at Easter time. He must therefore have been born six months the other side of Easter - making the date around the September/October time frames.

Other evidence that December 25 is the wrong date for the birth of Jesus comes from early writings. Iranaeus, born about a century after Jesus, notes that Jesus was born in the 41st year of the reign of Augustus. Since Augustus began his reign in the autumn of 43 B.C., this appears to substantiate the birth of Jesus as the autumn of 2 B.C. Eusebius (A.D. 264-340), the "Father of Church History," ascribes it to the 42nd year of the reign of Augustus and the 28th from the subjection of Egypt on the death of Anthony and Cleopatra. The 42nd year of Augustus ran from the autumn of 2 B.C. to the autumn of 1 B.C. The subjugation of Egypt into the Roman Empire occurred in the autumn of 30 B.C. The 28th year extended from the autumn of 3 B.C. to the autumn of 2 B.C. The only date that would meet both of these constraints would be the autumn of 2 B.C.

John the Baptist also helps us determine that December 25 is not the birth of Jesus. Elizabeth, John's mother, was a cousin of Mary. John began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. The minimum age for the ministry was 30. As Augustus died on August 19, A.D. 14, that was the accession year for Tiberius. If John was born on April 19-20, 2 B.C., his 30th birthday would have been April 19-20, A.D. 29, or the 15th year of Tiberius. This seems to confirm the 2 B.C. date, and, since John was 5 months older, this also confirms an autumn birth date for Jesus.

Another interesting fact comes from Elizabeth herself. She hid herself for 5 months and then the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary both Elizabeth's condition and that Mary would also bear a son who would be called Jesus. Mary went "with haste" to visit Elizabeth, who was then in the first week of her 6th month, or the 4th week of Dec., 3 B.C. If Jesus was born 280 days later it would place his birth on Sept. 29, 2 B.C. Some scholars interpret the 6 months to be in line with the Hebrew calendar or the August-September time frame. Since Mary's pregnancy commenced a little before the sixth month around July, Jesus would be born somewhere around March-June. But does it matter if Jesus was born on the spring, the fall, or on December 25? Does it matter, theologically, when Jesus was born? What do you think, does it matter what day we celebrate His birth?

source: http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/

Geek Christmas: Lego Ornaments

2010-11-07T17:36:00.001-07:00

Here's a fun craft for the ultimate Lego enthusiast. Make your own ornaments for your tree. Taken from the Mint in Box blog.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be showing you how to build a set of fun holiday items with Lego, all of which can be ordered direct from Lego.com via Lego Digital Designer. The first object we’ll tackle is an ornament for your tree—a build that was inspired by the spherical vehicles created by the incredibly talented T.Oeschsner. (Please click through to see his work!)

As this is complex build, I have taken the unusual step of providing a set of instructions along with the model file. I’ve also provided a second file with alternate builds, which will hopefully jumpstart your own creativity. And remember, you’ll need the Lego Digital Designer 4.0 to open the lxf files.

Red Ornament.lxf

Red Ornament Instructions.pdf

Alternate Builds.lxf

As you can see in the picture below, you can easily vary the color and design of the ornament; all you need to do is choose the paint tool and recolor the bricks as you like. You’re limited only by the colors available through Lego Digital Designer; unless, of course, you own a few buckets of Lego. Two pieces are hard to find in certain colors—1x2 jumper plates and the 2x2 corner plates are not available in green, lime green or orange—but you can still come up with some great designs.

The wrench stuck into the round brick at the top of the ornament is purely decorative, and I chose it because it was the closet match to the loop on a glass ornament. However, if you’re going to hang the ornament from a tree, you should replace the wrench with a short, notched axle piece and a Technic connector.

Have fun!

Christmas History: Caroling

2010-11-07T15:12:00.001-07:00

Our church is having their Lessons and Carols service on December 12, and we've started rehearsing for it already. This got me to thinking about where caroling comes from.

Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were not Christmas Carols. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Solstice celebrations as people danced round stone circles. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, usually taking place around the 22nd December. The word carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived!

Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christian songs to sing instead of pagan ones. In AD 129, a Roman Bishop said that a song called 'Angel's Hymn' should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome. Another famous early Christmas Hymn was written, in 760AD, by Comas of Jerusalem for the Greek Orthodox Church. Soon after this many composers all over Europe started to write carols. However, not many people liked them as they were all written and sung in Latin, a language that the normal people couldn't understand. By the time of the Middles Ages (the 1200s), most people had lost interest in celebrating Christmas altogether.

This was changed by St. Francis of Assisi when, in 1223, he started his Nativity Plays in Italy. The people in the plays sang songs or 'canticles' that told the story during the plays. Sometimes, the choruses of these new carols were in Latin; but normally they were all in a language that the people watching the play could understand and join in! The new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany and other European countries.

The earliest carol, like this, was written in 1410. Sadly only a very small fragment of it still exists. The carol was about Mary and Jesus meeting different people in Bethlehem. Most Carols from this time and the Elizabethan period are untrue stories, very loosely based on the Christmas story, about the holy family and were seen as entertaining rather than religious songs. They were usually sung in homes rather than in churches! Traveling singers or Minstrels started singing these carols and the words were changed for the local people wherever they were traveling. One carols that changed like this is 'I Saw Three Ships'.

When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans came to power in England in 1647, the celebration of Christmas and singing carols was stopped. However, the carols survived as people still sang them in secret. Carols remained mainly unsung until Victorian times, when two men called William Sandys and Davis Gilbert collected lots of old Christmas music from villages in England.

Before carol singing in public became popular, there were sometimes official carol singers called 'Waits'. These were bands of people led by important local leaders (such as council leaders) who had the only power in the towns and villages to take money from the public (If others did this, they were sometimes charged as beggars!). They were called 'Waits' because they only sang on Christmas Eve (This was sometimes known as 'watchnight' or 'waitnight' because of the shepherds were watching their sheep when the angels appeared to them.), when the Christmas celebrations began.

Also, at this time, many orchestras and choirs were being set up in the cities of England and people wanted Christmas songs to sing, so carols once again became popular. Many new carols,such as 'Good King Wenceslas', were also written .

New carols services were created and became popular, as did the custom of singing carols in the streets. Both of these customs are still popular today! One of the most popular types of Carols services are Carols by Candlelight services. At this service, the church is only lit by candlelight and it feels very Christmassy! Carols by Candlelight services are held in countries all over the world.

Perhaps the most famous carol service, is the service of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College in Cambridge, UK. This service takes place on Christmas Eve and is broadcast live on BBC Radio (and all over the world). In my house, we listen to it and it means Christmas has really started!! The Service was first performed in 1918 as a way of the college celebrating the end of the First World War. It is always started with a single choir boy singing a solo of the first verse of the Carol 'Once in Royal David's City'. Sing along to Once in Royal David's City! A service of Nine Lessons and Carols, has nine bible readings (or lessons!) that tell the Christmas story with one or two carols between each lesson. Sometimes you get carol services which are a combination of nine lessons and carols and carols by candlelight! So you have nine lessons and carols by candlelight!

Mariah Carey: Oh Santa

2010-11-02T17:27:00.002-06:00