DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   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...

   This diy comes from www.allisonwaken.squarspace.com .  Cute and clever. Enjoy! Super easy Christmas or Holiday craft | DIY modern holiday decorations Sunday, December 6, 2009 We’re working on lots of fun stuff, but I made this up this evening and thought I’d share. I wanted some fun framed holiday decorations, and something that was a little more modern. First, I had this 12x12 shadow box frame I had picked up on sale at Hobby Lobby. Then I found a piece of scrapbook paper, you could use patterned but I found this shimmery silverish color I found these little tubes of cute little bows for $1 and figured I could do something fun with them, so I figured, why not frame them? I wanted them in a square, but you could do any shape. A circle or triangle like a tree would be fun. I measured, and penciled in a square, I ended up going with a 2 1/2” border. Then just lay out all of the little bows into the shape. 25 little bows fit nicely into my s...

   Give the gift of great recipes this holiday season. Surprise someone special with one of these favorite food gift ideas—Christmas cookies, fudge recipes, Christmas candy and more! Gingerbread Cookies Recipe 60 Servings Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling 30 10 40 Ingredients 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 3/4 cup molasses 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt Vanilla frosting of your choice Red and green paste food coloring Directions In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight or...

   This diy comes from www.thriftyparsonageliving.blogspot.com .  They look like they been outside and the snow and ice has crystalized on them.  Very nice.  Enjoy! DIY Epsom Salt Ornaments and Candle I know there's been candles and ornaments made with Epsom salt floating around blog land for a while now, but I thought I'd share my version which utilizes simple things most of us have lying around our homes. Here is what I had and you'll need if you're going to make these. 1. Styrofoam balls 2. Candle 3. Paint 4. Mod Podge or Glue 5.Epsom Salt I made this project for mere pennies because every thing I used I already had in my home. Three styrofoam balls - from a "free" box at the local thrift store. Paint (deco art) given to me by a friend who no longer had a use for it. Glue I didn't have any Mod Podge in the house, but you can substitute glue watered down with a few drops of water as a homemade version. Begin ...

This diy comes form www.misscutiepiegoes80s.blogspot.com . Very cute and unique. Printable vintage style christmas tickets Hi all! I'm slowly recovering from my flue. Been sick for almost 3 weeks and I can't wait to get back to my normal life again. Meanwhile I want to share something a bit different with you all. These tickets were inspired by old vintage photos, Christmas cards and all around Christmas spirit. They are ready to be printed (in a high photo quality for the best result) cut and used on your paper scrap layouts, Christmas cards, gifts and altered projects. All I ask in return is that you link back to this blog if you post your finished projects online. This way more people can find their way here and download the tickets :) ♥ Download Vintage Style Christmas Tickets ♥ To make your tickets more personal use the edge of your scissors to distress the edges and for an aged look use a bit of fluid chalk around the edg...

   This recipe comes from www.bravetart.com .  A change of pace than your average egg nog recipe.   Probably better to consume and enjoy as well.  Good luck! Egg Nog Shake ·  (serves 4) I originally shared this recipe for my column on Serious Eats. You can read more about the terrifying ingredients found in a McDonald's Egg Nog Shake , but I’ll give you the short story: there are thirteen ingredients in the cherry alone . Not kidding. So, skip the drive through and make something you don’t have to be scared of. What gives this egg nog its distinctive flavor is chopped, not grated, nutmeg. Whether with pre-ground nutmeg from the jar or freshly grated as needed, most people only use nutmeg in its smallest form. Now imagine if you only used garlic that way in cooking. No sliced garlic. No whole cloves smashed open. No chopped garlic. No minced garlic. Only garlic paste. Yeah. More than vampires would die in the aftermath, that’s for sure. Used lik...

  Christmas celebrations in Puritan New England (1620–1850?) were culturally and legally suppressed and thus, virtually non-existent. The Puritan community found no Scriptural justification for celebrating Christmas, and associated such celebrations with paganism and idolatry. The earliest years of the Plymouth colony were troubled with non-Puritans attempting to make merry, and Governor William Bradford was forced to reprimand offenders. English laws suppressing the holiday were enacted in the Interregnum, but repealed late in the 17th century. However, the Puritan view of Christmas and its celebration had gained cultural ascendancy in New England, and Christmas celebrations continued to be discouraged despite being legal. When Christmas became a Federal holiday in 1870, the Puritan view was relaxed and late nineteenth century Americans fashioned the day into the Christmas of commercialism, liberal spirituality, and nostalgia that most Americans recognize today. The Purit...