Recently in General Category

If I were to ask anyone why we celebrate Christmas on December 25^th, there is no doubt that everyone would say that it marks the birthday of Jesus.

But does it?

(Yup, another post that originally appeared on Christmaswatch on December 3rd, 2007. Not really about writing, but it's December and it's interesting!)

The Christmas tree is, when one thinks about it, one of the most bizarre Christmas traditions. Yet no house would feel complete at this time of year without the inclusion of a brightly decorated evergreen taking up a corner of the room.

Almost everyone knows, these days, that Santa Claus came to us over the centuries from Saint Nicholas. But why do some people still insist on calling him Father Christmas?

The truth is that there is a huge case of mistaken identity happening here as both names have distinctly different origins.

I have now had three days of wedded bliss since all those weeks of frustration and stress finally came to an end on Sunday and we finally got to say our “I dos”. I was encouraged by some fantastic people and businesses that helped Shelley and me enormously in preparing for the day. Yet, there were other frustrations that demonstrate common mistakes by wedding suppliers marketing themselves online.

Celebrating Christmas has always been about lots of food, lots of family and a general all round celebration of emotional warmth, but celebrating Christmas in forty degree heat has always been a bit of a challenge.

Although I’m English – and therefore all of my associations with Christmas are of the traditional English variety – I’ve lived in Australia for half my life. Each year, I am struck by the irony of celebrating a winter festival when the sun is blazing and my Santa hat is drenched in sweat.