Some Funny Christmas Clips

Here's a few Funny Christmas clips...

Santa's Flamenco Dance



Merry Christmas - Fun With Santa



You can see more funny clips here

Christmas Online Games

Beware - the World Wide Web is being taken over by online games!!! On Christmas, here's a few to liven up your moments...

Slingshot Santa



Santa Snowboards

Christmas Mistletoe-Is it Love during Christmas

A lot of hearts are joined and cherished underneath the mistletoe and it all adds to the joy and fun of Christmas and the holiday season.

During the early times, before technological advancements made themselves known to us, people made it a point to visit each other for company and fellowship, specially during the holidays. A common custom at Christmas was to place a sprig of mistletoe above the door frame or hang it from the ceiling of the home. But with the passage of time, people started using mistletoe in all aspects of Christmas celebrations, be it in the wreaths or home decorations or the decoration of the Christmas tree and gift wrapping.

The mistletoe was also considered to bestow fertility and life. It acquired a reputation of being both a protection against poison as well as an aphrodisiac. For it's supposedly mystical powers, mistletoe has played the pivotal role in many folklores. One such is associated with the Goddess Frigga and the story ends with a decree that who ever stands underneath the humble mistletoe, no harm would befall on them. Only a kiss as a token of love would come their way.

Decking the halls with boughs of holly is absolutely the perfect thing to do for a Christmas decoration. But for some real holiday cheer, mistletoe wins hands down ! Nicknamed as holiday revelry, kissing under the mistletoe has been a 'fun' Christmas ritual for years. Though the pagan significance has been overshadowed by the 'fun' tag, the custom still goes strong. All Lovers wishing to send Christmas cards for the Holiday Season can check our these Greetings cards which are free to send.

Inverted Christmas Trees:Inverting Tradition or Mere Consumerism

Christmas trees are generally triangular .Is this a law that needs to be strictly followed? Perhaps not. Christmas trees are no longer just a symbol of Christianity but a “product” in the era of todays consumerism. So, now we can put up trees whenever they are available in the market and can hang them in an upside down position.

People have already started liking the topsy-turvy Christmas trees. These kind of trees are popularly known as “inverted trees”. They were in high demand during the last Christmas shopping season. The trend started in 2003. Holiday shoppers like these new inverted trees as they can see the ornaments better because they don't get hidden behind the branches.

It would be wrong to claim this trend a modern one. Puritans are quite furious with whatever is going on to secularize Christmas. The argument is – the tip of the Christmas tree should point towards the Heaven but in this case it is pointing towards Hell. Hence, the upside down position is sacrilegious. The liberals give out a powerful counter argument on this issue. Why the same trend was not considered sacrilegious in 7th century? Yes, here we have a big question mark. A monk from Devonshire traveled to Germany with a triangular shaped fir tree to spread the message of The Holy Trinity of God, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Almost in every houses the trees were hanged upside down from the ceiling as a sign of Christianity for the next five centuries.

The Middle age trend faded away under the the influence of conservatism. But one should not forget that present is always a reflection of the past. The inverted trees are generally artificial ones. The question is then why it is becoming so popular?

Shopping Stores are happy as the inverted trees take a little space and so they can be well accommodated in departmental stores. Moreover they are free from fire hazards. The customers are also going for artificial inverted trees as they can be used for years and are definitely less expensive. In modern days when one cannot devote much time and energy on nurturing the Christmas trees. Even children get the scope of decorating them with bigger gifts and ornaments which generally do not go well with natural trees. As the lower portion of the inverted Christmas tree is spacious, so the gifts can be well displayed.

They are popularly called “holiday trees” in U.S. and Canada to give the essence of winter holiday season without any religious connotation. The conservatists have attacked the men of “war on Christmas” on this score. Common folks are not sure whether inverted trees are sacrilegious or not. In order to avoid the controversy many of them are buying the inverted Christmas trees along with the so called traditional ones as the second option. All these prove Christmas tree is no longer a religious icon but a consumer product which has been modified to suit the temperament of modern life style.

Christmas Tree History

Christmas Trees can be artificial or natural. For natural trees, Silver Fir, Norway Spruce, and Noble Fir and Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir, Douglas, Scots and Stone Pines are widely used in North Europe and North America. But artificial trees are more convenient and more popular as they are less expensive.

In U.S. 70% of the trees are artificial. Modern artificial Christmas trees were first produced by the companies which made brushes. Initially the trees were made with pig bristles, plastic bristles, dyed pine green color, or twisted wires.

But the people dealing with environmental issues are not very satisfied with all the new things coming up as PVC trees are highly toxic. The experts opine that the dust or leaves from the trees should not be eaten or inhaled. Polythene trees are less toxic but more expensive than PVC trees.

Christmas tree decorations underwent several changes. In 16th century Christmas trees were decorated with roses which are generally associated with Virgin Mary. Paper roses, wafers, nuts, lighted candles, and sweets were the popular decorative items for the trees in 17th century. Till mid 19th century cookies, chains of popcorn, raisins, nuts and pretzels were used but in the later half of the century toys, bells, garlands and paper decorations were the most popular decorative items. Stars, angels, or flags were placed at the top of the tree. It was the Germans who provided the variety of ornaments to the world market ranging from butterflies, stars to miniature musical instruments.

The first known decorated Christmas tree was the one at Riga in Latvia in 1510. Georgian kings from Germany brought the first Christmas tree to England. The Royal Court was not following the custom of putting up Christmas trees at that point of the time. It was the Germans who started the tradition in 16th century with the pyramids of wood ornamented with evergreens and candles.

The popular story goes like this- It was a winter evening in Germany around 16th century. Martin Luther King was mesmerized by the sight of the glittering stars in the sky through the tree branches. He tried to explain his experience to his family. He took a small fir tree from the wood and brought it indoors and decorated it with candles. This is how the trend of decoration began.

The whole concept is based on the idea – evergreen trees are magical symbol of life. They remind us of the spring sunshine. Candles and electric lights are used as decorative items so that the light of spring can overshadow the darkness of winter.

Selection of Christmas trees is considered to be a great art. It is an annual tradition which marks the official start of this season. Otherwise there is temporary retail lot in shopping centers and discount stores.

Christmas trees had a long journey from the date of Martin Luther King till today. From religious icon the trees are transformed into a product of the growing Christmas industry. So, wait for more experiments!

Types of Christmas Trees

Listed below are some of the more popular Christmas tree types available around the world, collected from ChristmasTree.Org

The Arizona Cypress...

is a steeple shaped tree with a pale-green to gray-green color. The leaves are extremely tiny and quite plentiful. They lay close to the branchlet surface in a scale like arrangement and are about 0.1 inches long.
The bark is thin and delicate with a reddish brown color. It splits into strips along the length of the tree.
The cones are spherical in shape and woody. They mature in two years. Tiny yellow flowers are visible in the fall of the year. Heights of 80 feet and trunk diameters up to 3 feet have been recorded. The Arizona cypress has a pleasing aroma.

Colorado Blue Spruce

Colorado blue spruce, or blue spruce, is an attractive tree often used for Christmas trees or as ornamentals, particularly in the eastern United States and Europe. It is the official state tree of both Colorado and Utah. The species generally reaches a height of 65-115 feet at maturity with a diameter of 2-3 feet. It has a narrow, pyramidal shape and cone-shaped crown. As trees become older, they often take on a more irregular appearance. While blue spruce grows relatively slowly, it is long-lived and may reach ages of 600-800 years.
Blue spruce is finding increasing popularity as a Christmas tree as a result of its symmetrical form and attractive blue foliage. The species has an excellent natural shape and requires little shearing. Additionally, needle retention is among the best for the spruces. Its popularity as an ornamental leads many consumers to use blue spruce as a living Christmas tree, to be planted after the holiday season.

Balsam Fir

Balsam fir is a medium-sized tree generally reaching 40-60 feet in height and 1-1 1/2 feet in diameter. It exhibits a relatively dense, dark-green, pyramidal crown with a slender spire-like tip.
As a Christmas tree, balsam fir has several desirable properties. It has a dark-green appearance, long-lasting needles, and attractive form. It also retains its pleasing fragrance. Nine to ten years in the field are required to produce a 6-7 foot tree.

Canaan Fir

Canaan (pronounced "Ka-naan", with emphasis on the last syllable) is a relative newcomer to the Christmas tree market. It has many similarities to both Fraser and balsam firs in growth and appearance. Bracted balsam fir is found from Labrador to Ontario, and from the coast of Maine to the higher mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. Because of the similarity of Canaan fir to the other eastern firs, its uses are similar, although inaccessibility of stands limits the amount of wood which can be harvested.

Douglas Fir

Douglas-fir is not related to the true firs.
This wide ranging species grows from 70 to 250 feet tall. The branches are spreading to drooping, the buds sharply pointed and the bark is very thick, fluted, ridged, rough and dark brown. The cones open in the late summer to disperse the seeds and will continue to hang on the trees through the fall. The Douglas-fir has been the major Christmas tree species used in the Pacific Northwest since the 1920's. During the following 40 years, nearly all trees were harvested from forest lands.

Norway Spruce

Norway spruce is one of the most important species on the European Continent. More than 100 forms and varieties have been named. Although not native to the Western hemisphere, the species and a number of its varieties are commonly planted here, particularly in southeastern Canada and northeastern United States. The species has a reddish bark, giving it the nickname of "red fir", which flakes off in scales as the tree matures.

Scotch Pine

Scotch or Scots pine is an introduced species which has been widely planted for the purpose of producing Christmas trees. It is an extremely hardy species which is adaptable to a wide variety of soils and sites. As a Christmas tree, it is known for its dark green foliage and stiff branches which are well suited for decorating with both light and heavy ornaments. As a Christmas tree Scotch pine is known for its excellent needle retention and good keepability and holds up well throughout harvest, shipping and display. . It resists drying and if permitted to become dry does not drop its needles. When displayed in a water filled container it will remain fresh for the normal 3 to 4 week Christmas season. Like all natural trees it is readily recyclable and has many different uses following the Christmas holidays.

Virginia Pine

The Virginia pine's needles occur in pairs. They are twisted and range from 1.5 to 3" in length. They are relatively short when compared to those of other pines.
Virginia pine has been the staple for the Christmas tree industry in the south since its inception. But in prior times it was not considered to be commercially significant to the forest products industry. Cones begin forming in about the fifth year. They are about 2 inches long and are protected by quite prickly scales. Pollination occurs in early June and cones mature in late September to early November of the following year.

White Spruce

White spruce is a medium-sized conifer found in northeastern United States and throughout Canada. It is the state tree of South Dakota As a Christmas tree, white spruce has excellent foliage color, short stiff needles and a good natural shape. Needle retention is better than some of other spruce species White spruce has a cone-shaped crown, and when grown in the open develops a conical crown which extends nearly to the ground. This habit along with the spreading branches give it a nice appearance for use as an ornamental.

Christmas Decorations

In the Western world, rolls of paper with secular or religious Christmas motifs are manufactured for the purpose of wrapping gifts. Common motifs include Christmas trees, holly, poinsettias, mistletoe, swags, wreaths, Santa Claus, the Nativity, angels, carolers, nutcrackers, toy soldiers, sleighs, sleds, drums, drummer boys, bows, reindeer, Christmas tree ornaments, gingerbread people and gingerbread houses, candies, stars, snowflakes, snowmen, and penguins.
Christmas trees may be decorated with lights and ornaments. The interior of a home may be decorated with garlands and evergreen foliage, particularly holly and mistletoe. In Australia, North and South America and to a lesser extent Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures.Since the 19th century, the poinsettia has been associated with Christmas. Other popular holiday plants include holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis, and Christmas cactus.

Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well. Christmas banners may be hung from street lights and Christmas trees placed in the town square. In the U.S., decorations once commonly included religious themes.More