During Queen Victoria’s reign however, Christmas became to look a lot like the festival that we
celebrate today. Looking in particular at Christmas cards, they maintained a tradition that was to
sweep the globe.

The Victorians introduced the idea of posting cards to friends and family at Christmas time.
The ‘Penny Post’ made this possible for many people to take part in the activity (soon to be
tradition). This ‘Penny Post’ was essentially the Christmas post. It cost one penny for a penny
stamp that would allow a card or letter to be delivered anywhere within Britain. This made sending
Christmas greetings easier and novel.

This then gave the green light for the greeting card tradition to be born. Sir Henry Cole then
commissioned the first Christmas card in the 1840s which proved to be very popular indeed.

By the 1870s the ‘Penny Post’ was replaced by a postage that cost only half a penny. This was
largely thanks to Brunel and his creation of the railway network meaning post could be delivered
more quickly and cheaply than ever before. And so the Christmas card tradition was born.

Today we send our cards in mass by airmail, email, Royal Mail and even still by hand. The tradition
is one which allows greetings to be sent from friends and family to loved ones, colleagues, local
businesses and neighbors. Many people will include letters and photos and so the tradition of
sending letters is still alive behind the facade of the card.

In the 1800s it appears cards were even delivered on Christmas day. In addition, it seems that the
common picture of a robin delivering a card was derived from the postmen themselves who wore
red and were consequently named Robbins.

The Victorians have a lot to be thanked for as they gave us so much down to the industrial
revolution. This Christmas spare them a thought when you pop your cards in the post box.

In addition to the books we treasure from our own childhood, we also pick up more recently published books when we look for new ones to include for our own children.

There are lists and lists of special Christmas books out there and everyone has a favorite.  Perhaps your favorite is The Polar Express, or Eloise at Christmastime.

One of the best ways to discover wonderful new books is by asking your friends for recommendations.  I recently asked a well-read friend of mine which Christmas books meant a lot to her.  One of the authors she recommended was Patricia Polacco.  She is both an author and illustrator.  Below is a listing of some of Patricia’s Christmas stories:

The Trees of the Dancing Goats

Christmas Tapestry

Welcome Comfort

Babushka’s Doll

The Keeping Quilt

Babushka’s Doll is suitable for both Christmas and Hanukkah reading or for a blending of the two religious traditions.

Check out online reviews of these books to get an idea of the story lines.  Then try one or two and see if you don’t add them to your favorites.

The age of calendars will matter greatly to a collector.  The older it is generally correlates to the amount it will be valued at.  Of course other factors need to be taken into account; namely the number of calendars available in that particular design, who it was made by and whether it is indeed genuine.   As with any antique there are originals and there are copies.

Vintage calendars are a lovely way to celebrate advent.  If you are lucky enough to have your very own piece of history, it should be treasured by every family member.  They are not easy to find because of their nature as well as popularity.

If you would like to find yourself an antique calendar however, keep your eyes peeled on internet auctions and antique fairs.  They date from around the 1850s in Germany and tend to be made of fabric or card.  There is plenty of information to be found on the internet about the history of the calendar and the people responsible for the craze, so start researching.

If you cannot manage to pin up an original Vintage calendar think about making your own family tradition and investing in a permanent calendar such as one which is made of a series of numbered drawers.  If it takes your fancy you could make the decorations to go inside or you could purchase chocolate coins.  Mix the two ideas if you are a creative chocoholic. These will give children a great sense of enjoyment and no doubt become a bit of a family tradition, maybe an heirloom.   It will feature fondly in the memories of everyone and add some sentiment to the month of December.

Chocolate has not always been the focus of advent either.  Although candy was used in the calendars occasionally, when they were first introduced many designs incorporated pictures, religious verse or small gifts.

Now of course, each year chocoholics around the globe make that vital decision of which advent calendar to purchase this year.  Some chocolatiers will offer luxury calendars laced in flowing satin ribbon and delicious melt in your mouth chocolate while others will contain your basic milk chocolate moulded into little Christmas shapes.

The latter come in all sorts of themes and you can no doubt choose anything from Minnie Mouse, a country Christmas theme to Brad Pitt’s torso; the choice is yours.  These calendars are often reasonably priced and you can find them lined up in supermarkets ready for the taking.

Calendars can also come in a more permanent form.  Some consist of wooden drawers which hide little gifts for the recipient or decorations which you can put on the tree each day.  You can start a family tradition with one of these by purchasing one from a good Christmas craft fair or decoration store (failing that the internet).

Some families turn their hands to making advent calendars.  These can be as simple as stringing up candy which is taken each day until Christmas Eve or with the help of the internet you could find more adventurous crafting ideas.  This makes a lovely activity to get you into the Christmas spirit.

Advent calendars are definitely icons of advent and whether you choose to have one with the traditional 24 doors, or whether you feel you are cheated by this and find one with 25, everyone loves the excitement of a countdown.

Roses are reddish
Violets are bluish
If it weren’t for Christmas
We’d all be Jewish.  Benny Hill

Oh, for the good old days when people would stop Christmas shopping when they ran out of money.   Author Unknown

Christmas is the season when you buy this year’s gifts with next year’s money.   Author Unknown

The Christmas season has come to mean the period when the public plays Santa Claus to the merchants.   John Andrew Holmes

A Christmas shopper’s complaint is one of long-standing.  Unknown

Santa Claus wears a Red Suit,
He must be a communist.
And a beard and long hair,
Must be a pacifist.
What’s in that pipe that he’s smoking?  Arlo Guthrie

I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew no white man would be coming into my neighborhood after dark.  Dick Gregory

I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph.  Shirley Temple

What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus? Claustrophobic.

The Christmas cactus has been a favorite houseplant for generations.  Not only have these plants been around for generations, but they may, quite literally, be with a family for more than one generation.  They have such a long life and are easy to grow.

In Swedish and Finnish, poinsettia means “The Star of Christmas”.

Poinsettias are sub-tropical plants, native to Mexico.  What beauty and color they bring to our homes during the Christmas season!  These plants are available in red, white, yellow, pink, and other color combinations, including marbled.

Holly is another highly desired Christmas plant.  The stunning evergreen foliage and bright red berries bring color to the winter scene.  Just be careful what you purchase, as some English holly plants can grow very high (15 feet!).

And what would Christmas be without a kiss under the mistletoe? Traditionally, young men and women were able to kiss under the mistletoe.  Each time they did so, a berry was plucked from the plant.  When all the berries were gone, there was no more kissing allowed under that plant.  White mistletoe berries provide a nice addition to red holly berries in the house at Christmas.

Then in the 19th century things began to change. Previously, Christmas celebrations were akin to Mardi Gras celebrations, very rowdy and riotous. However, Christmas celebration began to change for a number of reasons.

First, Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon. Irving thought that Christmas should be a peaceful, loving holiday that brought people of all social and economic status together. Many believe that Irving’s book actually initiated our current traditions, by implying that things were in reality, celebrated as he portrayed.

About the same time Charles Dickens created the now well-known book, A Christmas Carol. The message he offered stressed the importance of charity, benevolence and compassion towards all.

In addition, families were requiring their children to be a bit less disciplined. Christmas allowed parents the opportunity to concentrate on their childrens’ emotional needs a bit more by providing them with gifts and attention.

As Christmas came to be enjoyed more by families, Americans took pieces of other customs, including decorating trees, sending cards, etc. and an American Christmas was born.

(see www.history.com for more information)
The Development of Christmas Traditions

Mistletoe has long been regarded as possessing magical powers, as far back as with the Druids in the first century and early Vikings in the 8^th century.  It has been known for its ability to raise people from the dead, to cure diseases, provide fertility, protect from evil spirits, as an antidote for any poison, and more. Ancient Scandinavians called it the “plant of peace”. Most recently, Suzanne Sommers has highlighted research pointing to mistletoe as a possible cure for breast cancer.

Mistletoe is actually a partial parasite…partial because it is capable of photosynthesis.  But typically, it attaches to trees as a parasite.  It has no ground roots.  Instead it puts a root structure down into its host tree in order to extract nutrients.

But how did we come to kiss under the mistletoe?  The tradition actually stems from more than one source.  According to Norse legend, when Balder was killed his mother wept and her tears fell on mistletoe berries and her son was brought back to life.  To express appreciation, she kissed everyone who walked underneath the mistletoe.  Belief in mistletoe’s aphrodisiac and fertility enhancement abilities may have also added to the kissing tradition.

We seem to have lost one element of the historical tradition of kissing under the mistletoe.  Originally, a berry was supposed to be plucked off of the mistletoe each time someone kissed under it.  When the berries were all gone, the mistletoe could no longer be used.  Perhaps this is because we typically use plastic mistletoe these days!  This isn’t a bad idea since the berries are poisonous.

Whether you like instrumental music, classic Christmas songs, or silly songs for the kids, sending custom holiday CD’s are a quick, easy and inexpensive way to let someone know that you are thinking about them.

Don’t forget to decorate the disc using permanent marker or have Christmas photos printed for the cover.

Custom mixes aren’t just for the holidays either.  Create musical gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, vacations or anything!

Caroling is a great activity for teachers, too.  Educators love giving back to the community and students love getting out of the classroom for an afternoon.  Caroling with children will always result in a smile from even the biggest of Grinches.

Popular Caroling Songs:

• Joy to the World
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• Deck the Halls
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
• Good King Wenceslas