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Hedling goes here
Date published: 11/29/2007
Brush up on your Christmas carol trivia
Don't head into the holidays without a little help on how to negotiate some difficult questions. Some little known facts about three favorite Christmas carols:
"O Holy Night": When it was written in the 1800s, religious leaders dismissed it for its "total absence of the spirit of religion."
"Joy to the World": It's a paraphrase of the 98th Psalm.
"O Come All Ye Faithful": It was originally written in Latin, probably in the early 1700s. Its Latin name, "Adeste Fidelis," translates to "be present or near, ye faithful."
Traditions bind us
Whether it's a grandmother's recipe for Hanukkah latkes, a certain plate for Santa's cookies or the battered board game that comes out after the holiday meal, families all have their traditions. That thought is what motivated Colleen Carmona to create a Web site devoted to them.
"Traditions are the glue that bind us together," she says. "They are the memories that we talk about year after year. They are the rituals that touch our hearts and create stronger relationships."
And at CafeTraditions.com you can share your traditions --for any of the year's many holidays--with other visitors or just read what they've done in their families over the years.
Have a merry first Christmas, newlyweds
If you're among the nearly 5 million Americans who will celebrate their first holiday season as a newlywed couple this year, you may have concerns about how to divide your time, how to get along with a new extended family or how to host your first holiday meal at your home.
Experts at The Nest, the print offshoot of the Web site for newlyweds and young married couples--thenest .com--say the most important thing is to set ground rules early:
Determine how much time you will spend with each family.
Agree on which family you will visit first (alternate each year and each holiday).
Decide how much you will spend on each gift (according to a Nest poll, the average individual purchases holiday gifts for 13 people, and the average amount spent on each gift is $33).
Agree on how to deal with difficult in-laws. A united front is a must.
And if you are going to host that holiday meal, visit the Web site for tips on how to deal with everything from in-laws who don't get along to preparing the food (try buying an already cooked ham or turkey and spend time on appetizers, sides and ambience).
Poll: Christmas has become too commercial
Date published: 11/29/2007
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