Christmas Joys

How Rudolph Became A Christmas HelperBy Randy Stocklin

Did you know that the story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was originally created by a department store? The mega-department store Montgomery Ward wanted to create a new Christmas story in 1939 that they could give away as a free promotion to their customers. They gave the job of creating this story to one of their store writers, a man by the name of Robert May. It was something that Montgomery Ward did every year. It gave away books, coloring books, and other holiday knickknacks as a way to attract customers and keep the loyalty of old ones.

May worked tirelessly to find the new story, and he actually got inspiration from past stories such as the one about the Ugly Duckling, and even his own childhood. Just like the Ugly Duckling, May used to get picked on as a kid because he looked different. That was the story hook he needed for his new Christmas story—the story of a reindeer that was teased because he was different. Rudolph, you see, had a red glowing nose.

May also had help from his 4-year-old daughter, Barbara, who would listen to his story every night to make sure it was kid tested and approved. Next, May had to sell his boss on the idea. Unfortunately, at first glance, Rudolph was not liked by May’s boss. The manager thought that the red nose might not be suitable for Christmas stories and children, since red noses were often associated with drinking too much alcohol.

How did May overcome the trepidation of his boss? He had a friend, Denver Gillan, go to the local zoo to sketch photos of deer. He added the famous red nose, and voila, the cute image was too hard to resist. Next, they needed to come up with a name. At first, May leaned toward Rollo, but then he decided that didn’t sound right for a story that started out so sad. He then considered Reginald, but that name sounded too stuffy and pompous for a little reindeer. Finally, he came up with the name that stuck: Rudolph.

When the story was all finished, it started off as a smash hit. May and the Montgomery Ward store gave out 2.4 million copies of Rudolph’s story in 1939, and would continue to hand out another 3.6 million more over the next 6 to 7 years.

Today, the song about Rudolph is heard in classrooms and holiday parties around the world, and several television shows and cartoons have been made about the little hero who saved Christmas. The song and story have changed a bit since May wrote it. Did you know that in the original version Santa discovered Rudolph while delivering presents to his house? And Rudolph didn’t even live in the North Pole! One thing that is the same in all versions, however, is Santa’s love for his bright nosed reindeer.

About the Author: Randy Stocklin is the co-owner of Mail from Santa Claus. Mail from Santa Claus offers memorable letters from Santa Claus that help keep the Christmas spirit alive. For more information about Mail from Santa Claus and to purchase a Santa letter please visit http://www.mailfromsantaclaus.com/ .

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A Puppy For Christmas: Are You Sure?By Nathalie Lafleur

Have your kids been harassing you for months to get a puppy? You may be gradually warming up to that idea and now that Christmas is coming up soon, you might be thinking: why not give the kids a cute little puppy on December 25th. If you have been considering the idea of giving a puppy to your kids for Christmas, please read this article very carefully.

First, the Holiday Season is probably the worst time to get a dog. A puppy needs a routine and we all know how crazy our schedule is during that time of the year. Remember that you’ll have to get up once or twice in the middle of the night to get your puppy outside to do his business. So, if you’re already tired from shopping, cooking and the office parties, not having full night sleeps won’t help!

A dog is not a toy that you throw away once the magic of the first couple of months is gone. A dog should be considered an integral part of the family exactly as your kids are. You don’t give your kids up for adoption if they break your favorite vase, so a dog shouldn’t end up at the shelter if he chews on your favorite pair of slippers. In fact, if your puppy destroys anything in the house, you should bang YOUR head on the wall…. A puppy has to be supervised and needs safe toys to chew on.

Another thing you have to plan before getting a puppy is the costs associated with it. Getting a puppy requires you to get a crate, toys, food, bowls, leash, collar, etc. Furthermore, your puppy will need a vet checkup, his annual shots, etc. Also, as we talked earlier, if you don’t want to lose both your dog and your slippers, you will have to train your cute little puppy. Put on your list of things to do for your dog a puppy socialization and/or an obedience class.

You also have to plan what you are going to do with your dog when you go on vacations. Will you bring your dog with you, ask a friend or family member to babysit or have him stayed at a good kennel? You’d be amazed by the number of dogs who end up at the humane society because the owners decide to leave the country for a couple of weeks and don’t want to pay $20 a day in kennel fees.

If you think that a dog belongs in the garage or tied to a chain in your backyard, please DO NOT get a puppy. Dogs are social creatures that absolutely need the interaction with their pack: you. They need to be with you, to live with you, to play with you, to feel protected by you. In other words, they want to be in the house with you. And for that dog to be a well-behaved pet inside the house, he has to be housetrained. Consequently, housetraining your puppy will be your first job as a new dog owner.

If after reading this article, you know that a puppy would be a great addition to your family. You don’t mind at all spending the time and money required to train and live with a well-behaved and happy dog, then I would be more than pleased to help you with your first job.

About the Author: As a dog trainer I have helped thousands of new dog owners housetrain their puppy. My method is simple and stress-free, but most of all it works for all breeds. Visit: www.puppy-housetraining.com for more information and tips on how to housetrain your puppy.

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Appreciating ChristmasBy Cyreous

What a wonderful Christmas it was this year. My oldest son asked me what about this Christmas did I enjoy and I answered, “Just having you here”. It is true, seeing my family around me was the biggest joy of my life. I missed one son who could not make it, but to have the majority of my family with me brought me supreme joy. After they all left my wife and I cuddled for a few moments with a cup of hot chocolate and our thoughts to just appreciate the moment of happiness we both felt. It is about appreciation I must write about, seeing it is directly after Christmas. William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher once said, “The deepest craving in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” I knew it was true of me of course for I know my soul so very well, but to imagines it is also true for others is a bit of an eye-opener for me. To think that all of us, each and every human being on earth craves being appreciated more than anything else, even heavenly beings! Wow!

It makes so much sense though as I consider this point, that appreciation is so important to everyone. It makes the wonder and magic of Christmas come alive with explanation. It is the essence of all great writings having to do with Christmas such as “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. Also “The Greatest Gift” written by Philip Van Doren Stern which became one of the most endearing and enduring Christmas stories ever put to film by Hollywood, in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. These stories are all about appreciation. I will leave out the greatest Christmas story of all and the real meaning of Christmas for just a few minutes longer as I continue to tell you of my appreciation.

I am struck with a spirit of love and appreciation that is so strong during Christmas. If I had the money I would shower everyone with gifts. In our family we have a great gift-giving-arrangement which takes all the waste out of Christmas, we tell each other what we want and we get what we want at Christmas. No one is too extreme in their requests as we follow the unwritten rule that we would not ask of others what we ourselves could not give. Everyone is happy. We all get the “presents-thing” out of the way and we go on to enjoy our relationships and have fun. This year my youngest son dazzled us with a mind teaser game that made everyone think and laugh.

Of course Christmas is not always fun. There are the moments of emotionalism that are tied to past hurts, anger and guilt, and marred relationships that we must deal with; however these often turn into opportunities for healing. Some of us have no families and we spend Christmas alone or with other families and that makes for lonesome times and unhappiness. I feel sorry for those who are alone, and my wife and I try to make room for such ones to enjoy with us the holidays if possible.

Overall I am glad for Christmas though I have been known to be somewhat of a scrooge myself in dragging my feet in putting decorations up and getting in the spirit; but in the end I am always happy that Christmas has come with all of it’s emotions bad and good. I didn’t get to spend Christmas with everyone I would like to this year, but I did spend it well with those I was with. Though my wife had to put up the tree herself this year, I eventually showed up for the celebration. It is because during Christmas I eventually find the power of appreciation. I am reminded of the things I am grateful for; small and large – and that is what Christmas should be about.

The real Christmas celebration is about appreciating the birth of one that came to be our savior. And in truth it is not the birth alone we celebrate. The birth was important for if it had not happen we as a race of people would be doomed to death. That is why we celebrate along with the angels and praise his name and sing our glory Alleluias as the angels did that very first Christmas night; however, he was born, lived, and more importantly died so that we would not have to stay in our graves but would be raised up as he was to live life eternally if we choose to. This is what we should really be appreciating and celebrating with our families. Life! Not life as we know it in this corrupt dying world, but life eternal in an incorrupt world. This is the greatest gift of all! The gift of eternal life is what we should appreciate. The birth of that Hebrew baby in Bethlehem was the birth of our hope and the beginning of our salvation.

Santa Clause, Rudolf the Red-nose-Reindeer, the ghost of Jacob Marley and Scrooge are all just make believe characters that help entertain us and also help the grand marketers to exploit the advantages of our giving spirits during the holidays. If we are not careful, they can consume the entire holiday and block out the true meaning of Christmas like a magic trick right before our very eyes. Don’t let that happen. Keep the holidays, but keep them as they aught to be kept by remembering the Christ child’s birth and what it means to mankind. Our appreciation of this fact should illuminate us and make us want to give to the poor and needy, just as Scrooge eventually did with his recourses.

As I ponder over what William James said, that the deepest craving in human nature is to be appreciated; I can only wonder if this applies to the Christ who was born human himself. Surely if we were made in God’s image I would say it is highly likely that He too longs to be appreciated. As they look down upon us during this Christmas season from their high station above, I hope my appreciation is seen. May I prove it through my own giving this holiday season. May this holiday find you showing your appreciation too.

About the Author: John Cyr, is a retired workforce development trainer and motivational consultant who publishes articles and editorials under the pen-name Cyreous. He advocates transformative learning as the key learning method for trainers and educators and shares this information at http://www.cyreousquotes.com.

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Begginning Of Christmas CardsBy Roger Thompson

This year, many people around the globe will send Christmas cards to share holiday greetings with family and friends. The annual holiday letter has become a popular method for folks to stay in touch and update their circle of acquaintances with family news and events. These traditional cards and letters have evolved over the generations to become the newsletters and greetings that they are today. But there is a long history of the Christmas cards that goes back beyond the modern society to an entirely different century and culture.

England was the country that saw the first Christmas card more than 150 years ago. In 1843, a man by the name of Sir Henry Cole wanted to find a way to alert his friends to the plight of the poor that Christmas season. He commissioned John Calcott Horsley to paint the first Christmas card with a picture of a happy family surrounded by people helping the poor and needy. The sentiment inside the card simply read, “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.” This simple greeting card was the humble beginnings of what has become a multi-million dollar industry today.

Although Americans were quick to jump on the Christmas card bandwagon, there were no Christmas cards available for purchase in this country for the first 30 years of the trend. Instead, people had to have their cards shipped from England. However, in 1875 that all changed, when a German immigrant named Louis Prang opened his own lithograph shop and sold the first line of American-made cards. Within six years this industrious entrepreneur was producing more than five million cards every year! Today, collectors still enjoy his work with many winter scenes, glowing fireplaces and playing children. You can still find copies of these cards in a variety of collections today.

We have come a long way since the beginnings of Christmas cards. Today, you can find Christmas cards in all shapes and sizes; from the spiritual to the humorous and everything in between. You can also find cards for any of the holidays that are celebrated during this time of the year, allowing many to send warm wishes whether they celebrate Christmas or another holiday. Sending Christmas cards and letters has become a holiday tradition for many families, and the source of many humorous anecdotes in this country. But the best part of Christmas cards is to share the wishes and greetings of the season and to keep in touch with friends and family members that you may not have the chance to see or talk to otherwise.

Modern Christmas cards can be bought individually but are usually sold in packs of the same or varied designs. A revival of interest in paper crafts, particularly scrapbooking, has raised the status of the homemade card and made available an array of tools for stamping, punching and cutting. Advances in digital photography and printing have provided a more technological way to personalize cards with photos, messages, or clip art. Technology may also be responsible for the decline of the Christmas card. The estimated number of cards received by American households dropped from 29 in 1987 to 20 in 2004. Email and telephones allow for more frequent contact and are easier for generations raised without handwritten letters - especially given the availability of websites offering free email Christmas cards.

About the Author: Roger Thompson writes for Leading Portal for Home Improvement,cash back rewards,weight loss & hoodia.

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What Are Western Christmas Cards?By Morgan Hamilton

It is special occasion and you want to spend your joy with everyone this holiday season. Western greeting cards are not even in the minds of some people while others think it as the way to reach all the friends out there, in a manner that brings cheer to the recipients. People has been sending and receiving the same season’s greeting cards just like everyone and his sister do. I send western Christmas cards while not seeking any validation, but to send my cheers to my friend or receiver of the western Christmas card. Ever since I started sending out western Christmas cards I have been receiving compliments on my creativity and thinking about them in my time of joy.

Why should people rename Christmas season as holiday season and people send season’s greetings? It is Christmas for me and I will send only Christmas cards, sorry western Christmas cards. You may be wondering what exactly a western Christmas card is. I would like to explain it as an attempt to slight moving away from the tradition of repetition. Our regular Christmas cards come with all sort of things that usually come to minds – like snow, sleds, Santa, and the likes. People in desert areas too celebrate Christmas. Thus a cactus with a beautiful flower is equally appealing as snow and Christmas trees. Thus western Christmas cards give you a unique way of expressing thought. One big attraction of western Christmas cards is the motifs, borders and backgrounds. They always come with something quirky.

Some may wrinkle their foreheads, but definitely brings the spirit of Christmas. Christmas is so universal. The western Christmas cards I send out make my friends think about the idea. Traditional Christmas cards have an unmistakable Scandinavian flavor – you see they all have thick forests, snow, pine trees, reindeers, sledges, Santa wearing thick woolen coat. Do you think it snows in Bethlehem or in many Asian countries? Sending western Christmas cards is acknowledging the universal nature of Christmas. Think about the images of Christmas. I know I sound a little rebellious. I like to be. But let the thought be with you. Don’t you think it appropriate to give Christmas symbols from around the globe?

About the Author: Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning holidays . Get more information by visiting http://www.holidayfunsite.com/holiday-fun/holidays–special-occasions/what-are-western-christmas-cards.html

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