Christmas Joys

Tell most people that you are looking forward to a Christmas dinner of lutefisk, you will typically get a look of disgust. Or pity. Or “what is lutefisk?” First of all, let me say that I am not on the pro-lutefisk bandwagon. I have been subjected to the foul stench every Christmas I can remember.

Our Scandinavian heritage dictates we serve this delicacy (I use this term only in honor of my dearest mother). I am not caught up in the fervent pursuit of this revered tradition, but somehow it would not be Christmas without it.

For the uniformed, lutefisk is dried cod that is soaked in lye (yes, the caustic POISON), then soaked again in water to remove the aforementioned caustic POISON. I won’t bore you with a lutefisk history lesson, but that is the Reader’s Digest description. Being from Minnesota, it is certainly a familiar site in the grocery stores and meat markets around Christmas, although it seems to me to have become less prominently advertised and displayed as it had been when I was younger.

Perhaps this is just another case of how ones’ memories and perceptions become skewed as we grow older. Or not. I would not be at all surprised if the per capita consumption of lutefisk is rapidly declining as the geriatric market for it is drying up as our loved ones pass on. This is not intended to be harsh, but let’s face it: lutefisk is not on the cutting edge of the culinary arts. At least I haven’t seen it as the secret ingredient on the Iron Chef.

So the big day is here: Christmas. We celebrate the birth of our Savior and the expansion of our waistbands. Mom has been cooking and baking for weeks. Swedish meatballs, potatoes, gravy, lefse, herring, cookies, coffee bread, and all the other Nordic Christmas staples. And then there is the lutefisk. How does one cook and eat lutefisk?

Well, we have tried a few methods, none of which are successful (if by success you mean an edible product.) Traditionally it is boiled, but you need to be careful because it has a tendency to fall apart into a liquefied mass of goo. Hence, you wrap it in cheesecloth. Now you have an intact liquefied mass of goo. We have baked it. Goo. Microwaved it. Goo. I think the preferred method of late has been the microwave. I’m not sure, I try to avoid this step.

They say if you cook it right, you don’t get the gel-like consistency we have come to know and not love. I guess I have never seen it cooked right. Some people put a white cream sauce over it. We don’t, as it masks the viscous quality of the natural product.

There is a process my brother has perfected. You get some lutefisk on your plate. Mash up some boiled potatoes right next to it. Drench the whole mess in melted butter. It must be REAL BUTTER. Nothing fake to mask the residual lye flavor. Next, salt and pepper. Then you take a bit of potato on your fork, then a bit of fish. They say if you put melted butter over anything it will taste good, but personally I haven’t found this to be true.

When Mom brings out the first plate of lutefisk, you can almost hear the ooo’s and aah’s from around the table. The plate QUICKLY passes by those of us non-believers, patiently waiting for the Swedish meatballs. As it passes from person to person, the omnipresent stench (I mean odor) wafts under our noses like a freight train.

Someone inevitably makes a comment on how well it jiggles this year. Of course, someone also yells out “Where are the straws?” Ok, I’m guilty. That’s usually me. The list of jokes and comments continue, until dinner is over and we are safe for another year.

Learn more about Christmas traditions around the world by visiting Christmas Ways Around the World and find the best gifts for your loved ones at the Christmas Ways Gift Shoppe.

Many of the modern day Christmas songs, written around themes of Santa Claus, reindeer and bags full of toys started in the Netherlands and Belgium, from Saint Nicolas, “Sinterklaas”, often called “De Goede Sint” - “The Friendly Saint”.

Sinterklass’s annual feast on the 6th of December came to be celebrated in many countries with the giving of gifts. In 16th-17th century Europe, many Protestants changed the gift bringer to the Christ Child or Christkindl, and the date of giving gifts changed from December the 6th to December 24th.

In the British colonies of North America, in 1773, Sinterklaas was Americanized into “Santa Claus” while losing his bishops apparel. Nearly 50 years later, in 1821, the book “A New-years present, to the little ones from five to twelve” is published in New York. It contains “Old Santeclaus”, an anonymous poem describing an old man on a reindeer sleigh, bringing presents to children. The poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (better known today as “The Night Before Christmas”) in the Troy, New York, Sentinel on December 23, 1823 later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. Many of Santa’s modern day characteristics are established in this poem, such as riding in a sleigh that lands on the roof, entering through the chimney, and having a bag full of toys. St. Nick is described as being “chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf” with “a little round belly”, that “shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly”. The reindeer were also named: “Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen, On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem”.

Robert L. May created Rudolph in 1939 as an assignment for Montgomery Ward. The retailer had been buying and giving away coloring books for Christmas every year and it was decided that creating their own book would save money.

Hopefully now you know a little more about the Christmas, and how the foundation of modern day Christmas songs came to be. Christmas songs always have a fun story to tell.

Best Christmas Songs

If you really want to bring people into the Christmas spirit when they come to your home during the holidays, here are several Christmas door decorating ideas that can be an excellent first step. Your entrance way is the first thing that people see when they come to your home so it might be the most important part of your Christmas decorating.

One of the interesting Christmas door decorating ideas that some people have tried is to make your front door look like it is a giant wrapped present. In order to do this, wrap the door up to the edge and fold the paper back under itself rather than wrapping around the edge. Use pieces of double stick tape to stick the paper onto your front door. You can use the same trick to put on large pieces of ribbon and then leave a big bow in the center. You may want to test the tape on your door to be sure it does not bother the paint.

For a twist on this idea, make a matching smaller door out of cardboard for the elves to use. Cover the cardboard with the same color that you covered your real door. Add a small wreath or ribbon to match your real door. Set it next to your real door and post a little note that says “Elves enter here!”

If you would like to try something different and you have someone artistic in your family, you can cover your door with Bristol board that shows a scene of what it looks like inside. When people walk up to the door, it will look like the door is already open and they will be greeted with a festive scene. You can make it look just like the front hall of your home only you can add Santa, some elves or whatever your imagination can come up with. If you use Bristol board instead of paper it is something that you could use again next Christmas.

There is nothing quite as traditional and charming as a beautiful wreath on your front door. That idea never goes out of style. Go to your craft store or browse a magazine for an idea that you enjoy. Whether you make it yourself or purchase a ready-made wreath, you can have a lot of fun. Invite a friend or neighbor to make a wreath with you. Instructions for making Christmas wreaths can be found online in blogs, forums and videos.

Those evergreen wreaths that you purchase at the craft store need to be “fluffed up” each year. Take a little time to perk up the evergreen sprigs. Add a beautiful bow for a simple but stunning wreath. Or decorate the entire wreath with ornaments or natural materials like berries, pine cones and grasses. Place the largest items on the wreath first and then fill in with the smaller items. You can use a hot glue gun or the wires on the wreath - wrapping each item very snugly.

Some other fun Christmas door decorating ideas include taking things from inside and using them outside. If you have extra stockings that you do not use any more, you can hang them from the door for something different than the traditional wreath. The same goes for old Christmas tree decorations or collections of bows from old Christmas presents.

Whenever it is that you choose for Christmas door decorating ideas this holiday season remember to have lighting on your porch. Extra lighting gives your porch a festive look and also makes it a little safer for guests. Enjoy the holidays without adding extra stress to your schedule. If you enjoy making decorations for your home and have set aside time to do that, then have a ball! Purchasing a beautiful wreath or other ornament for your door is fantastic as well. Enjoy the season!

Mary Morris is a self-proclaimed porch lover and grandma to 7 awesome grand kids. Mary is one of the co-founders of http://www.front-porch-ideas-and-more.com/, a site about everything related to front porches and more.

Check her website often for fantastic seasonal and holiday porch decorating ideas at http://www.front-porch-ideas-and-more.com/porch-decorating.html. Life is short. Enjoy your porch!

This year has been a bumper year for the PlayStation 3, especially with the release of the Slim version. With Christmas coming soon, many game publishers are pushing their products to the consumer. In the UK the following games will probably in many peoples Christmas stockings, and are recommended purchases for anyone planning to give a PlayStation 3 game as a present.

Shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

The sequel, has already broken many sales records, making $310 million in the first 24 hours of its launch. This is a combat game where you join an anti-terrorist squad out to stop Russian ultra nationalists. The missions will make you travel from Rio de Janeiro, Afghanistan and Russia, as where you can be powering a snow-mobile down a sheer cliff, or piloting a drone as you cower under a kiosk in a bullet-ridden petrol station. The other major aspect of this game is the multi-player combat that is played by connecting to the Playstation network. So make sure, you or the person you are buying this game for, has an internet connection.

Sports: FIFA 10

Since most parents and kids are into football in the UK, FIFA 10 will be a popular present. This football action game has great graphics, physics and a much improved control system with the new 360 degree dribbling. The AI ensures team mates and opponents stay close to the ball, and move with purpose. The multi-player option allows you to all play on the console, or if you have internet connection, play with someone halfway across the world if you want.

Action and Puzzle: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

This sequel to Drakes Fortune, is termed as a ‘character driven storyline’ game and you control the main character Nathan Drake through gunfights, treasure hunting, and jumping trucks with fully destructible landscapes, as he tries to tries to solve the mystery of Marco Polo’s last voyage. There are more puzzles to solve, with stealth and parkour based tatics to help you deal with the enhance artificial intelligence. Also, you can now play with a friend with the multiplayer co-op mode. This game will make you think a bit, rather than being just an all out action game.

Action: Assassins Creed II

Another sequel with more depth and a deeper plot. You play Ezio Auditore who want to bring revenge on the perpetrators responsible for disgracing his family in 15^th Century Italy. The game is more freeform than it’s predecessor, allowing you to roam around the cities meeting historical figures such as Lenardo da Vinci, and visit landmarks such as St Mark’s Basillca. The missions have more variety and the combat has been improved with a bigger range of weapons.

Racing: Need for Speed: Shift

For those who cannot wait for Gran Turismo 5 to be released, Need for Speed Shift is a worthwhile alternative as offers many features that make this installment of Need for Speed franchise a level above the previous versions. The in car/cockpit view makes this more of a simulation rather than arcade. The display for example, will blur the cockpit, and zooms in the road ahead, as it try to recreate your eyes focusing on the distance as you speed up. The cars are faithfully rendered in an improved graphics system, so NFS is good choice for those who want a racing game for Christmas.

Visit the Top PS3 Games website for a price comparison on the best selling games in the UK.

This Christmas Holiday season 2009 is a time of excitement and celebration, while on the other hand, a season of high pressure and chaos. Searching for the perfect gift during the holiday season can be somewhat stressful especially if you are on a tight budget. However, it doesn’t have to be that way for you this season. Our goal is offer a few tips that will make your shopping easy-street. Want to learn about the Best Selling Christmas Gifts for 2009 at the best prices?

Perhaps one of the most popular gifts for men this holiday season is Vuzix AV310. Vuzix Widescreen is a lightweight wearable display (worn like glasses) transforming your small video screen into a large 52-inch widescreen home theater. Never before have virtual displays come this close to the real widescreen movie experience. He will love you for this.

A top unique Christmas gift for Her is Keurig’s B40 Elite 1500 watt single serve Home Brewing System. This Hot item brews a fresh cup of gourmet coffee or tea in less than 1 minute. Two brew-size options include a 7 ¼ ounce cup and 9 ¼ ounce mug. Keurig Elite is lightweight and doesn’t use much counter space. This is a great gift idea especially for women on-the-go.

Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Dragonoid is another Top Christmas pick. Those of you unfamiliar, Bakugan is an inventive strategy game based on the popular Anime TV series. The Bakugan themselves are magnetic spring-loaded marbles, when exposed to a metal “gate card” burst open to reveal a fearsome warrior. Maxus Dragonoid is one of the biggest and most powerful Bakugan yet. Maxus Dragonoid allows children to use their imagination, while using his or her problem solving skills.

Another great Christmas gift for 2009 is Mattle Mindflex Game. Mindflex Game is currently the # 1 Best Selling Game your child is sure to enjoy. This game features a headset containing sensors, which measures your brain wave activity. When you focus your concentration, a small foam ball will rise. Relax your thoughts and the ball will descend. Your child will be entertained for hours.

Gift Cards are an easy Great Christmas Gift. With Gift Cards or Gift Certificates, you can never go wrong. Gift Cards are a perfect way to give them exactly what they’re hoping, even if you don’t know what it is.

Nintendo Wii is another Top Christmas Gift for this year. Nintendo Wii is considered the Christmas Gift bringing people of all ages and video game experience together to play. Wii Sports is included along with plenty of games to keep the whole family occupied for hours.

Finally to complete the Top 7 Christmas Gifts of 2009 is Ultra-Soft 100% Cashmere Scarf for Him and Her. This simple, affordable yet elegant gift idea is the perfect gift and the perfect season to wear this timeless gift. This Seasons Cashmere Hot Picks include: Black & White Hounds Tooth, Dark Plum, Violet, and Chocolate. Some shopping places, will save you up to 77% on Cashmere Scarf’s. Talk about a super holiday bargain!

No matter what gifts you purchase this year, it is important to research what you will be buying, in addition to comparing prices. Making an intelligent and well informed decision will reduce Holiday stress and anxiety. Want to learn more about Top Christmas Gifts for 2009? Looking to save money while you shop? This organized site provides Top Christmas Gifts for everyone. Check out Top Christmas gifts for 2009. Save yourself time and money, while avoiding Holiday stress and chaos.

Mr. Doug Kirkland RN

http://www.top5christmasgifts.net

Looking to save money while you shop? This organized site provides Top Christmas Gifts for everyone. Check out Top Christmas gifts for 2009. Save yourself time and money, while avoiding Holiday stress and chaos.