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 usWhether 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, newlywedsIf 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
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 According to a 2005 survey conducted for the Center for a New American Dream, nearly four in five Americans do not believe that it's necessary to spend a lot of money to have a fulfilling and enjoyable holiday. The poll showed that 78 percent wish the holidays were less materialistic. Yet, the center reports, the National Retail Fed
If you'd like to do things differently this year, go to newdream.org, where you'll find the center's free resources, including a "Holiday Survival Kit."
Recycle those live treesLive-cut Christmas trees can be recycled into a variety of uses, including mulch, compost and wildlife habitat, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
"Mulching, chipping or composting Christmas trees after the holidays is a wise alternative to just throwing them in landfills," said Paul Baldridge, chief of the ODNR Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention.
Trees can even be transformed into wildlife habitat, providing shelter for some creatures during the winter months.
--Copley News Service