30 Christmas Novels to Start Reading Now www.southernliving.com/christmas/best-christmas-books-for-adults

30+ Best Christmas Books for Readers of All Ages That Aren't "The Night Before Christmas" www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/g23743657/christmas-books/

Best Christmas Themed Books/Stories www.goodreads.com/list/show/3743.Best_Christmas_Themed_Books_Stories

Books on Hanukkah www.theholidayspot.com/hanukkah/books.htm Christmas Book Lists www.goodreads.com/list/tag/christmas Suggested Reading: Christmas Around the World easyfunschool.freeunitstudies.com/article1885.html

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Last Updated: 30-Nov-19

Christmas Joys

Things to do for

yourself and others

to make this the best

Christmas ever!

25 Ways to Make This the Best Christmas Season Ever

Begin with gratitude.

Set a budget.

Release expectations.

Keep it simple.

Spend time in nature.

Listen to beautiful music.

Create and sustain traditions.

Entertain without perfection.

Light candles.

Buy gifts mindfully.

Bring nature inside.

Go caroling.

Wrap creatively.

A baking party.

Feed the birds.

A family project to serve.

Create simple, healthy meals.

Support the arts.

Send a letter or gift to a soldier.

Rediscover meaning and purpose.

Write a love letter.

Reach out to someone lonely.

Take a drive or a walk.

No last minute shopping.

Make Christmas Day last.

www.pickthebrain.com/blog/25-ways-to-make-this-

the-best-christmas-season-ever/

75 Christmas Traditions Around the World greenglobaltravel.com/christmas-traditions-around-the-world/

Christmas Around the World - Christmas Cultures www.whychristmas.com/cultures/

Christmas Around the World: Christmas in . . . www.the-north-pole.com/around/

Christmas Around the World: How Children Celebrate Christmas www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/christmas-around-the-world.html

Christmas Celebrations Around the World www.soon.org.uk/en/articles/christmas/around-the-world.html

Education World: December Holiday Lesson Plans and Activities www.educationworld.com/holidays/archives/december.shtml

History: Christmas Traditions Worldwide www.history.com/topics/christmas/christmas-traditions-worldwide Howstuffworks: How Christmas Works people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays/christmas.htm

Merry-Christmas.com www.merry-christmas.com/ NORAD Tracks Santa www.noradsanta.org/

Santa Claus and Christmas at the North Pole www.northpole.com/

Santa's Net: Christmas Traditions Around the World www.santas.net/aroundtheworld.htm

Santa's Net: How "Merry Christmas" is Said Around the World www.santas.net/howmerrychristmasissaid.htm

LET’S LEARN ABOUT XMAS . . . This abbreviation "Xmas” for Christmas is of Greek origin. This shorter form “Xmas” was first used in Europe during the 1500s. It is derived from the Greek alphabet X (Chi). This is the first letter of the name of Christ in Greek namely, “Xristos”. Hence “X” has been used to denote Christ in this context. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ's name, "X" in place of the word Christ in Christmas as shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ's name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook "Xmas" as a sign of disrespect. The word “Christmas” means “Mass of Christ” which was later shortened to “Christ-Mass.” This was further changed to “Christmas”. ejabidinginchrist.blogspot.com/2010/12/story-of-

christmas_24.html

The abbreviation of "Xmas" for Christmas, long reviled by many conservative and Low Church Christians, is not nearly as blasphemous as many contend. Rather than a sacrilegious removal of "Christ" from Christmas and replacing him with an unknown, as some claim, the "Xmas" abbreviation has a long history in the church. In Greek, the language in which the New Testament was first written, "chi" (c or C), which is almost identical to the Roman alphabet "X," is the first letter of the word "Christ" (cristoV, or as it would be written in older manuscripts, CRISTOS). In fact, the symbol of the fish in the early church came from using the first letter of several titles used for Jesus (Jesus Christ Son of God Savior) that when combined spelled the Greek word for fish (icquV, ichthus). In the early days

of printing when typesetting was done by hand and was very tedious and expensive, abbreviations were common. The church began to use the abbreviation C for the word "Christ" in religious publications. From there, the abbreviation moved into general use in newspapers and other publications, and "Xmas" became an accepted way of printing "Christmas." www.crivoice.org/cyxmas.html

^ Hang an ornament from your car's rear view mirror

^ Wear outrageous Christmas socks

^ Listen to the Barking Dogs Jingle Bells--Once

^ Be creative with gift-wrapping, use maps, funny pages, posters,

yellow pages, magazines

^ Take some time to sit in the mall and watch youngsters having their

pictures made with Santa

JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT . . .

EASY DOES IT . . .

^ Three rules for reducing holiday hassles:

Plan ahead Begin early Keep it simple

^ Wrap gifts as you purchase them

^ Divide the Christmas cards you send by 10, address 10 each day

^ Buy a big wall calendar, ask family members to write down their

activities

^ Don't shop during peak hours

^ Allow extra time to navigate through Christmas traffic

^ If you feel stress, sit quietly & reflect on the real meaning of

Christmas

^ Set aside a few minutes each day to re-group, have a cup of tea,

and put your feet up