DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

Why December 26 is a 'monster' shopping day: 4 theories    The day after Christmas is second only to Black Friday as the year's busiest shopping day — thanks, in part, to a tendency for people to buy themselves delayed presents 1. More people are spending on themselves Plan on hitting the mall today? You're not alone. In a recent American Express survey, 57 percent of Americans said they planned to go shopping on December 26, up from 43 percent in 2010. In fact, the day after Christmas is second only to Black Friday as the busiest shopping day of the year. But why are more Americans willing to circle around crowded parking lots than last year? Here, 4 theories: In the days leading up to Christmas, Americans are consumed with shopping for friends and family. After the 25th, the focus shifts. One out of five shoppers will be cashing in gift cards they got from Santa,  says Brad Tuttle at  TIME , with many purchasing holiday presents for themselves

   Laced with coffee liqueur, these sophisticated truffles feature a luscious combination of white and dark chocolates. Mocha Truffles ingredients 3/4 cup   whipping cream 2 tablespoons   butter 14 ounces   premium dark baking chocolate, chopped 1 tablespoon   coffee liqueur 15 ounces   white baking chocolate, chopped 1 tablespoon   shortening 1 tablespoon   instant coffee crystals directions 1. In a medium saucepan heat whipping cream and butter over medium heat just to boiling. Remove saucepan from heat. Add dark chocolate, but do not stir. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in coffee liqueur. Cover and chill for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until almost firm, stirring once or twice. 2. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Drop chocolate mixture in 1-inch mounds onto prepared baking sheet. Chill about 1 hour or until firm. Shape chilled mounds into 1-inch balls; return to baking shee

    India is a secular nation and houses every community. Christians are a minority here and form nearly 2.3% of the population. But the fact that there are only about 25 million Christians in India, in no way lessens the observance of the festival. Moreover, the occassion is celebrated not only by Christians but by people of other religions as well.     The tradition of Christmas observance was introduced here with the colonisation of Europeans. Though the country gained its independence in 1947, many European customs and festivals stayed on. The fact that there is the presence of a Christian community in India, helped the maintaining of these traditions in no less a way. Today, Christmas is the biggest and most-loved festival of Indian Christians. The festival is also enthusiastically celebrated by people of other religions residing here.     Like in many other countries, Christmas is observed in India on 25th December. Everyone gears up for the festival fr

This comes from www.wikihow.com . These are really a neat looking idea to hang on your tree or at your annual holiday Christmas party. Make alot or a little. This is a little more complicated than a two-dimensional paper snowflake, but it looks beautiful and is a suitable craft for children adept with scissors and patient in making crafts. It will produce a 6-armed three-dimensional snowflake decoration that makes a perfect tree decoration or window-hanger. --> Steps Assemble the materials. Assemble the materials . You can See the "Things You'll Need", are at the bottom of the page. --> Fold each of the 6 pieces of paper in half, diagonally . If the paper you're using doesn't make a perfect triangle, cut off the rectangular edge that sticks out and make it align perfectly. Cut 3 lines on each side of the triangle from the folded edge (as per video), making sure not to cut t

    In Russia , Christmas is annually celebrated on January 7th, thanks to the Russian Orthodox Church that has made it an official holiday in the country. Previously the occassion was observed on December 25th in much the same way as it was in the rest of the world, complete with Christmas trees and Christmas gifts , Saint Nicholas and the like. But after the 1917 Revolution , Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It was much much later, in 1992, that the holiday began to be openly observed again. However, the church in Russia still uses the old Julian calendar which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar used in the Western nations. This is why, Christmas is celebrated in Russia on January 7th. But these days, a few Russians have begun to celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December. A Christmas tree in Red Square     Today, Christmas is celebrated in the country in a grand fashion, with the faithful pa

   Dress up caramel squares by dipping them in sprinkles, crushed nuts, and bits of candy. Add a drizzling of dark or white chocolate to make them even prettier. Candy Box Caramels ingredients 12 ounces   chocolate- and/or vanilla-flavor candy coating*, coarsely chopped 1 cup   toffee pieces, crushed; finely chopped pistachios; and/or nonpareils 48 short plastic or wooden skewers (optional) 1 14  ounce   package   vanilla caramels (about 48), unwrapped 2 ounces   chocolate- and/or vanilla-flavor candy coating*, coarsely chopped (optional) directions 1. In a microwave-safe 4-cup measure, place the 12 ounces candy coating. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 3 minutes or just until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. 2. Place toffee pieces, nuts, or nonpareils in a shallow dish. If desired, insert a skewer into each caramel. Dip one caramel into melted candy coating; turn to coat as much of the caramel as desired, allowing exces

The Original Christmas Tree Ship     The story of the beginning of the Christmas Tree Ship is the story of the Schuenemann family, and most particularly the story of Capt Herman Schuenemann and his last ship, the Rouse Simmons. In approximately 1885 August and his brother Herman Schuenemann moved to Chicago to seek out their fortune. Chicago’s Harbor was one of the busiest in the world at this time with over 20,000 vessels entering and leaving annually. As competition was fierce, the brothers became excellent businessmen as well as sailors. Although they made a relatively good living, two-thirds of their annual income was generated between Thanksgiving and Christmas with the sale of trees. August had become a truly competitive trader and by 1895 had a well-established reputation as a Christmas tree merchant. In early November of 1898, August was in Sturgeon Bay looking for trees that he would bring to Chicago on a ship named the S. Thal. He purchased 3,50

This diy comes form www.centsationalgirl.com . Very good gift idea for the coming New Year. Enjoy! DIY: Colored Chalkboard Vases Greetings, I hope you had a lovely weekend! I spent mine mostly indoors with big rainstorms hitting our area, so I had a little fun inside doing some crafting. I had two quarts of tinted chalkboard paint sitting in my garage, waiting for some projects I plan to get to in the near future. I couldn’t resist the idea of ‘sampling’ the colors this past weekend making some colored chalkboard vases. Fun fun fun! Something about the notion of leaving sentimental or seasonal notes on glass appealed to me, so I tinkered around creating a few versions around the house. Every time I bring home fresh flowers, whether from the grocery store or farmer’s market, my 7 year old asks me for a single stem for her room. Love that! I thought it would be sweet to make a little chalkboard vase for her in a bright colored paint , one where I could write li

During Christmas in Costa Rica, people like to decorate their houses with beautiful tropical flowers. A model of the nativity scene, called the Pasito or Portal, is the center of the display. It's also decorated with flowers and sometimes fruit. Some of the scene take a long time to make and all the family is involved. As well as the traditional figures, people add other models including houses and lots of different sorts of animals. Christmas wreaths are made of cypress branches and are decorated with red coffee berries and ribbons. Most homes, shops and important buildings are decorated with Christmas lights. In Costa Rica, the gift bringer is often 'Niño dios' (Child God, meaning Jesus) or 'Colacho' (another name for St. Nicholas). On Christmas Eve, everyone puts on their best clothes and goes to Midnight Mass. In Costa Rica it's called the 'Misa de Gallo (Mass of the Rooster); it's also called that is Spain. After Midnight Mass t

In Brazil , Christmas is one of the most important festive days, or "dia de festas". It is celebrated on 25th December. Having a multicultural population, the festivities in the country are influenced by ethnic ways. As a former Portuguese colony, they have retained some of the Christmas customs of their former masters. Notable among these is creating a nativity scene or "Presepio". The word "Presepio" comes from "presepium" meaning the bed of straw in which Jesus first slept after birth in Bethlehem. This custom is common in places of north eastern Brazil like Bahia, Sergipe, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba, Maranhao, Ceara, Pernambuco, Piaui and Alagoas. A Franciscan friar named Gaspar De Santo Agostinho is believed to have first introduced the tradition in the city of Olinda (in the state of Pernambuco) in the 17th century. The practice of setting up presepios continue to this day. Every December, presépios are created during Christmas