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Archive for January, 2010

Many radio stations have started playing Christmas songs so early in
November in the past few years that one wonders if we may soon start hearing
Christmas songs around Halloween time. That would be a bit weird, even creepy
perhaps. But some early Christmas shoppers likely will have Christmas Carols
silently playing in their heads even before then.
That’s because shopping, much like Santa Claus, is a staple of Christmas.
Santa never gives away any secrets to shopping for all those gifts, but he must
certainly have a strategy to be so successful every Yuletide season. The early
Christmas shopper is someone who is very organized and has a strategy to fulfill
Christmas shopping before the season kicks into high gear.
The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is the official retail
start to a shopping season that is always hoped to be a robust one. The strategy
of retailers is to advertise Christmas sales, specials, pre-Christmas markdowns,
giveaways, special-hour sales and other promotions. The reason for the frenzy of
retail advertising during Christmas season is because it is the single biggest
shopping time of the year. Christmas shopping that begins the day after
Thanksgiving accounts for well over half – with some estimates of up to 70% —
of annual revenue for stores.
Since retailers clearly have a strategy for Christmas shoppers seeking the
perfect gift, then shoppers also need to implement their own strategy.
The savvy and early Christmas shopper is the one who may start silently
singing Christmas Carols and songs very early to get in gear for shopping.
Starting from as early as the beginning of October, the early Christmas shopper
can begin to make lists of gifts and begin browsing to check the availability,
variety, and most important, the price of items.
By browsing before the Christmas shopping season officially kicks off, the
early Christmas shopper is more likely to get more bargains, better prices, and
is also better able to do comparison shopping when the season officially kicks
off.
It’s important to know that retailers won’t offer true ‘rock bottom’ or
‘close-out’ sales, or the very lowest prices during Christmas sales. It’s also
important to remember that retailers are likely to offer earlier sales starting
in early October to near mid-November.
Two significant pre-Christmas sales are for Columbus Day, which falls on
Monday, Oct. 9, and Veterans Day, which will be on Saturday Nov. 11. The early
Christmas shopper who already has gifts in mind can benefit from price markdowns
during both sales periods. And of course the early Christmas shopper will also
have the benefit of shopping during the season, therefore extending the thrill
and joy of shopping.
If there is any disadvantage to being an early Christmas shopper and doing
Christmas shopping very early, it is that some retailers, particularly makers
and sellers of toys, wait until the official start of the season to introduce
some new items into stores. The strategy in doing this is to build anticipation
for a new toy that they hope will be very popular and to also target and capture
a larger majority of shoppers.
During every Christmas season there always is one, or maybe two toys, that
are regarded as the ‘must-have’ toys for Christmas. And it has become a present-
day phenomenon for shoppers to arrive from the wee hours in the morning to get a
prime spot near the doors of some stores so that they can be among the first in
those stores to make a mad dash for the ‘hot’ toy of the season.
But being doing or starting Christmas shopping early does not mean that it
has to be over before the Christmas shopping season starts. What it means is
that most or a significant part of your shopping will be done by the time Black
Friday rolls around.
What is most important to making an early start to your Christmas shopping
is to get the best deal and to do so with as little hassle as possible, by
avoiding a crowded store for example. Both of those will be accomplished for
those who are organized and motivated to get into the spirit of Christmas before
the season really begins.

While adults indulge in the festivities and revel in enjoying the spirit of
Christmas, undoubtedly it is more fun for children because they are able to lose
themselves in the wide-eyed wonders and glorious splendor of the season.
Activities at Christmas that children can enjoy include all of the sights,
sounds and scents that put the magic and a festive spirit into Christmas.
At major shopping centers like malls, children can enjoy various window displays
and arrangements inside stores that show Christmas sceneries. The displays,
which can be moving, stationary or interactive, can be so numerous and
mesmerizing that parents often arrange a trip to such malls just for children to
view the many displays.
Shopping malls are also a popular place where Santa Claus is sure to be found.
For a small fee, children can get to sit or stand with Santa Claus, talk with
him and most importantly, get a picture taken with Santa. Those children, like
pre-teens and teenagers, who may be too old for Santa Claus can also be
entertained by the various grand Christmas displays as well as one of their
favorite activity – shopping.
Various colorful and twinkling lights is certain to be a part of the displays at
malls and shopping centers, but other arrangements of Christmas lighting can
also be a delightful activity for children to enjoy. Because Christmas displays
have become so common, everyone has some form of lighting arrangement at their
houses. This has led to neighborhoods where it is common to see an increase in
traffic during the Christmas season because of the fanciful, landscaped displays
of outdoor Christmas light decorations. These usually include figures of
reindeers, Santa, sleighs, angels, shepherds and animals that are a part of the
story of Jesus’ birth. It can therefore become an activity to take a tour of
these neighborhoods with children for them to feast their eyes.
In a similar manner to the grand Christmas lighting that can be found in some
neighborhoods and the occasional home, there are also themed-lighting at quaint
villages and special large, Christmas light displays at venues like some public
parks. The displays can be similar to those seen in neighborhoods except that
they are usually on a larger and grander scale. As an example, a typical home
lawn display will have a Christmas display that includes Santa, a sleigh and a
reindeer or two all as separate pieces. A Christmas display at a themed-village
or park would have a large and possibly moving display of Santa Claus with elf-
like figures in a sleigh that is being pulled by reindeers as one big structure.
These Christmas sights are what often bring out the wide-eyed wonder in children
as their faces express awe and amazement.
While children will have a beautifully decorated Christmas tree at home to
enjoy, it will also be fun for them to go to other lightings of Christmas tree
because again, those trees are usually bigger and decorated on a grander scale
than the ones in their living rooms at home. Just about every town, city or
municipality will have a Christmas tree lighting in a central location.
Sometimes local firehouses will also have a special Christmas tree lighting. At
these events, children can see a local official or personality flip a switch to
symbolically turn on the Christmas tree, in a similar like they would have seen
the President do on television.
Those local events are likely to include Christmas treats and goodies, a Santa
Claus to present Christmas gifts to children and the singing of Christmas
carols.
Taking time out to engage in activities just for the enjoyment of children will
make them feel special, experience the magic of Christmas and create memories
that will last a lifetime.

The tradition of caroling and Christmas carols is believed to have
originated in England when wandering musicians would go from town to town and
visit castles and other homes of the rich to give impromptu performances. But
there also is the belief that singing carols at Christmas likely came from the
group of angels, shepherds and Wise Men who visited Jesus at his birth, because
they worshiped the holy child, sang and proclaim praises unto Him. And after
their visit, they continued their proclamations in the street.
The origin of the word carol however, is thought to come from the word
‘caroller,’ which is a French word that describes a circle dance with singers.
And from the twelfth through the fourteenth centuries, the carol was highly
popular as a dance song. The use of carols then evolved to festivals where they
were sung as processional songs and others were used as part of religious
mystery plays in Europe. Some traditional qualities of a carol was that the
words expressed should celebrate a topic that was seasonal, have verses and a
chorus arranged alternately and have music that was suitable for dancing.
Although many of the carols that are now popular at Christmas time are very old,
there are others from earlier times that didn’t survive. During the 17th century
when the Protestants, led by Oliver Cromwell were in power in England, many
Christmas caros were banned and consequently some were never heard again. The
Christmas carols that survived the Protestant Reformation period didn’t become
very popular again until the mid-19th century to the start of the 20th century.
Many of the Christmas carols that were banned, and early Christmas carols in
general, had lyrics that expressed joyous and merry themes instead of the
serious somber words found in church hymns. During the time when carols were
banned, some composers and musicians wrote non-religious songs that had highly
varied choral music, which they called carols, for Christmas. After Christmas
carols again became popular, many of those songs were re-arranged with new
Christian lyrics and used by the church.
Making changes to Christmas carols continues in a different way today with pop
artistes singing the carols to different tunes and melodies to give them a style
that characterizes the particular artiste. Having Christmas carols with tunes of
contemporary or popular music of today means that they are also more likely to
survive because younger listeners will be interested in hearing any music that
is done by their favorite or other popular singers.
The popularity of Christmas carols in the United States increased in the 19th
century, as it did in England, because many of the traditions related to
Christmas came to the United States from England. The United States and England
also have closely linked religious observances, which also accounts for the
popularity and similarity of Christmas carols that are enjoyed in both
countries.
Today, radio stations are the first to play Christmas carols, usually starting
toward mid-November, to signal the coming season. At the start of December when
the Christmas season official begins, mall stores and other retail
establishments will begin to pipe Christmas carols and songs through their
places of business.
The singing of carols at churches, schools, and by groups performing at malls
usually will be a common sight starting in early to mid-December. Carol singing
as a part of Nativity plays and concerts at churches and schools is usually in
full swing by mid-December as the Christmas season gets into high gear and the
countdown to Christmas Day begins.
Whether it’s the traditional tune or popular makeovers of Christmas carols that
you enjoy, listening to them is part of an old Christmas tradition. And any
version of a Christmas carol that is played will serve the purpose of putting
you in a festive mood for Christmas that you may even want to dance, just like
the music of original carols was meant to do.

Maybe it’s the undeniable alliterative appeal of Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer
that makes him the most known or popular of all Santa’s nine flying reindeers.
It certainly doesn’t seem as easy to come up with a similar catchy description
for the others – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and
Blitzen – as named in the song.
The story of Rudolph whose glowing red nose made him a standout, first appeared
in 1939 when Montgomery Ward department stores distributed about 2.4 million
booklets with the poem in the form of a story about “Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer.” It was written by Robert L. May, who worked in the store’s
advertisement or marketing department, to be used to attract more people into
the store. When the booklet was reissued in 1939, sales soared to more than 3.5
million copies. But it wasn’t until a decade later, in 1949, that the story
really gained immense popularity when Gene Autry sang a musical version of the
fable. As a Christmas song, it is second only in popularity to ‘White
Christmas.’
Rudolph, the ninth reindeer whose lighted nose guides Santa’s sleigh through the
night, is now known worldwide as the song has been translated into more than 20
different languages and an animated television movie has also been based on the
story. Rudolph and his noticeable nose have also become the subject of jokes and
sparked more interest in reindeers which has led to much research into Santa and
the flying reindeers who pull his sleigh through the sky.
Along with the catchy rhythm of the lyrics, Rudolph’s story is also appealing
because of the moral lessons it contains. As the story goes, Rudolph was
ostracized by the other reindeers, which laughed and teased him about his shiny
red nose. But on a foggy night, when Santa must have been concerned that he may
not be able to deliver his Christmas gifts around the world, Santa spotted him
and kindly asked if he would step to the front as the leader to ‘guide my sleigh
tonight.’ His shiny red nose would after all be very useful in lighting the way,
Santa thought. From then on ‘all of the other reindeers loved him,” and rightly
predicted that he ‘would go down in history.’
Among the moral lessons the story can impart is that an attribute that is
perceived as negative or as a liability can be used for a positive purpose, or,
become an asset. It also makes the point that an individual should not let the
negative behavior of others define him or her and limit expectations of what can
be achieved. And it also illustrates how quickly opinions and attitudes about a
person can change.
The question still lingers however of where Rudolph came from. He is commonly
regarded as the son of Donner (or Donder), one of the original eight reindeers.
But the Snopes.com site rejects this however, saying that he dwelled in a
reindeer village elsewhere and it was there that he was seen by Santa who had
already started on his Christmas Eve journey to deliver gifts. And in a more
modern evolution of the story according to Wikipedia.com, an animation by the
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) introduced a son, named Robbie, of
Rudolph. That son has now become the tenth reindeer.
It’s also interesting to note that the idea of Santa’s sleigh being pulled by
reindeers was originated in the poem, ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.’ That
poem tells the story of St. Nicholas, who is Santa, calling his eight tiny
reindeers by their names, as previously mentioned, just before he came down the
chimney of a house to start filling the stockings from a sack full of toys he
carried on his back.

In Finland, Christmas Eve is the traditional time to set up the Christmas tree
and it’s also traditional to visit the sauna and for families to listen to a
broadcast of the national ‘Peace of Christmas’ on the radio. Christmas Dinner
generally consists of a main dish of boiled codfish that is snowy and fluffy in
appearance, served with cream sauce and boiled potatoes. Christmas dinner is
rounded out with roast suckling pig or roasted fresh ham and vegetables. Among
peasants, there is a tradition to tie a sheaf of grain, with nuts and seeds, to
a pole that is put in a garden for birds. Many peasants will wait until after
the birds have eaten before having their Christmas Dinner. And Santa Claus is
expected to visit homes in person with his Christmas elves to give out Christmas
gifts.
Christmas in France is called Noel, from the phrase ‘les bonnes nouvelles,’ or
‘the good news,’ which refers to the gospel. On Christmas Eve, cathedrals and
churches are beautifully lit and filled with the sounds of Christmas carols,
ringing church bells and carillons. The tradition among children is to put their
shoes by the fireplace for Pere Noel or le petit Jesus to fill them with gifts.
In the north of France however, children receive gifts on Dec. 6, St. Nicholas
Day, instead of Christmas. Most French homes will have a Nativity scene or
crèche on display during the season. In Southern France, some people will burn a
log in their home from Christmas Eve until New Years Day, which comes out of a
farming tradition of using the log for good luck in the coming harvest. The
French also make a traditional cake called the buche de Noel, or Christmas Log,
which is shaped like a Yule log and is part of a late supper called le reveillon
held after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The main dish for this meal generally
consists of poultry, ham, salads, cake, fruit and wine but varies according to
region. The main course in Burgundy is turkey with chestnuts and in Paris it’s
oysters, foie gras and the buche de Noel cake. The wines generally served are
Champagne, Muscadet, Sauterne and Anjou. An annual tradition of puppet shows,
particularly in Paris and Lyons, is popular during Christmas time. In Paris,
it’s also popular for big department stores to have grand, animated window
displays.
Christmas in Italy is called ‘Il Natale,’ or ‘the birthday.’ Christmas season
starts eight days before Christmas, a period called the Novena, and runs for
three weeks. During the Novena, children dress as shepherds and go from house to
house saying Christmas poems, singing and playing pipes. They often receive
money to buy gifts during this activity. The Nativity scene, called the
Presepio, has miniature figures, carved in great detail out of clay or plaster,
of the Holy Family in the stable and is the center of Christmas for families.
Families say prayers and children recite poems around the Presepio. Christmas
Eve dinner, called cenone, is a traditional dish of roasted, baked or fried eel.
In some regions, various types of fish is prepared for this dinner, as well as
pork, sausage in a pig’s leg or turkey stuffed with chestnuts. Christmas sweets
are called panettone and traditionally have nuts and almonds. On Christmas Eve,
children set out their shoes for a kind, old woman or ugly witch called La
Befana, who rides on a broomstick down chimneys, to fill them with gifts of toys
or candies. If they were bad, their shoes will be filled with coal. Some
children wait until Jan. 6, the Epiphany, to receive gifts.
Norway is where the tradition of the Yule log started and which gave rise to
log-shaped cakes, cheese and other desserts during the holidays. Norwegians
today often go into the forest to cut their own Christmas trees, which is
secretly decorated on Christmas Eve to surprise children. After the Christmas
tree is revealed, Norwegians engage in ‘circling the Christmas tree,’ a
tradition in which everyone joins hands forming a ring around the tree. They
then walk around the Christmas tree singing carols. Gifts are distributed after
this ritual is finished.