Christmas

THOUSANDS of Christmas related pages.  You can search for what you’re looking for or click on the related tags (on the sidebar)

The photo of the Angels for the avatar for this page was taken by the amazing Mark Mabry

Here are a few to start with but this doesn’t include the words to Christmas songs, etc. which is  another thousand Christmas pages.
Christmas Stories
Christmas Poems

There are at least 1000 Christmas songs but they aren’t tagged yet.  Best to search for what you need.

The Night Before Christmas
Sister St. Thomas, B.N.D. de N

A more spiritual version of the famous Christmas story

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the town,
St. Joseph was searching, walking up roads and down;
Our Lady was waiting, so meek and so mild,
While Joseph was seeking a place for the Child;

The children were nestled, each snug in their beds,
The grown-ups wouldn’t bother, there’s no room they said;
When even the innkeeper sent them away,
Joseph was wondering, where they would stay;

He thought of the caves in the side of the hills,
Lets go there said Mary, it’s silent and still;
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
Made pathways of light for their tired feet to go;

And there in a cave, in a cradle of hay,
Our Savior was born on that first Christmas Day!
The Father was watching in heaven above,
He sent for His angels, His couriers of love;

More rapid than eagles God’s bright angels came;
Rejoicing and eager as each heard his name;
Come Power, Come Cherubs, Come Virtues, Come Raphael,
Come Thrones and Dominions, come Michael and Gabriel;

Now fly to the Earth, where My poor people live,
Announce the glad tiding My Son comes to give;
The Shepherds were watching their flocks on this night,
And saw in the heavens and unearthly light;

The Angels assured them, they’d nothing to fear,
It’s Christmas they said, the Savior is here!
They hastened to find Him, and stood at the door,
Till Mary invited them in to adore;

He was swaddled in bands from His head to His feet,
Never did the Shepherds see a baby so sweet!
He spoke not a word, but the shepherds all knew,
He was telling them secrets and blessing them too;

Then softly they left Him, The Babe in the hay,
And rejoiced with great joy on that first Christmas Day;
Mary heard them exclaim as they walked up the hill,
Glory to God in the Highest, Peace to men of good will!

Found at one of my favorite sites! AppleSeeds.org!  Check them out (but come back here

September 23, 2008 (to Mom from São Leopoldo)

Hi Mom,

That will be really nice to have the pen drive. I need somewhere to put my photos. And it will be a lot cheaper to have somebody put my photos on my pen drive than having to buy a CD every time.

Yeah books on those types of things would be really cool. It shouldn’t be too hard to find. Another book like the missionaries book of answers would be nice. Like a books that has tough questions and how to answer them.

During our zone conference our MP asked if anybody had questions and one of the missionaries asked about drinking Coke. The MP said that there is no gospel commandment about caffeine and you’re still temple worthy if you drink it. So he said we could drink it.

I don’t really need anything like that. I don’t like watches so I wouldn’t want that. I really want a ring though. I’m pretty sure 7 would be fine. What size is your finger? Cause your ring fits me.

I understand what your saying about the music. But we aren’t allowed to have headphones so we have to listen to it with speakers so for sure I wouldn’t be able to listen to things I’m not supposed to.

For Christmas….I don’t know. But about the garments. Please DON’T send nylon garments. Hahaha because of the humidity they are brutal. They stick to you and it’s not very fun. I like the half cotton half polyester kind. It feels like cotton but its a little thinner. And I like the T-shirt neck line.

Candy is always good for Christmas. CDs would be nice too. I need some more music. More brownie mix. If you can find any church movies in Portuguese that would be sweet too. Movies made by the church like The Testaments. That would be nice to have. I already have Finding Faith in Christ, Lamb of God, Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration….and I think that’s it. I don’t know what else there is. But if you see something that you think could help us teach then that would be cool. Movies are always a good way to invite the spirit.

I love you!
Elder Hill

Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect

Long, long ago, in a land far away, lived a perfect little tree names Small Pine. Small pine hoped to maintain its perfect form and be selected by the Queen as her Christmas tree. But as the warmhearted little tree gave shelter to birds, rabbits, and deer n the forest, its branches became damaged. Fortunately, the Queen had a different idea of perfection.

The Queen, Queen’s family and al the villagers said that Small Pine was the finest Christmas tree yet. For in looking at its drooping, nibbled branches, they saw the protecting arm of their father or the comforting lap of a mother. And some, like the wise Queen saw the love of Christ expressed on earth.

So if you walk among evergreens today, you will find, along with rabbits, birds and other happy living things, many trees like Small Pine. You will see a drooping limb which gives cover, a gap offering a warm resting place, or branches ragged from feeding hungry animals.

For, as have many of us, the trees have learned that living for the sake of others makes us most beautiful in the eyes of God.

Why Rudolph’s Nose is Red

The Great North Wind is usually quite peaceful. He’ll go his way and let you go yours. But very once in a while he gets totally fed up with the human race. He gets tired of sharing the air with airplanes and balloons and rockets and kites. “I’m going to get rid of them,” he roars. “And I’m going to get rid of all the people who make them, too!”

When the Great North Wind gets like that, watch out! He’ll blow and blow until he blows your brains out, if he can!

One year Santa and the elves were working hurriedly, trying to get ready for Christmas. It seemed that everything was going wrong-and Christmas Eve was getting closer and closer.

Then the bad got worse for them. One by one, they all got the flu–Santa, then the elves, then the reindeer. For a while Mrs. Santa treated them with her powerful home remedies. But the remedies weren’t strong enough. And then she got the flu, too!

It was a sorry state of affairs. Here everything was behind schedule, and no one had the strength to work.

Then the worse got even more worse! Because about that time the Great North Wind decided to throw a tantrum. “I’m sick of it!” he bellowed. (The Great North Wind finds it impossible to talk nicely, even when he’s in a good mood.) “I’m going to get them all!” he shouted. And he began to get ready to attack all of the men and women and children on earth.

The reindeer were in their stables when the Great North Wind roared out his threat, and they shivered with the power of it. “We must warn Santa,” they whispered. “He must know about this!!”

So they went in to see Santa, and told him in sign language what they’d heard. “This is serious,” Santa said, sitting feebly in his bed, “very serious indeed!” He stroked his beard, his hand pale. “We must warn the people of the world. Who can we send? I’m too sick. All the elves are sick. Are any of the reindeer will enough to fly?”

“Only one,” was the answer. “Young Rudolph.”

“Then we must send him,” Santa said. “I’ll write a message and he can deliver it to the people of the world.”

That night Rudolph took off on his solitary flight. He had barely begun when the Grat North Wind saw him flying through the air. “Arrgh,” the Great North Wind growled. “An enemy! I’ll destroy him!” And he sent a bolt of lightning down onto Rudolph.

It was too much for the tiny deer to withstand. The electricity of the lightning passed through his body, causing his heart to stop. His body shuddered, then died, and he fell, down, down toward the earth.

“Arrgh!” the Great North Wind shouted. “I got him!” And he sent another lightning bolt after Rudolph’s limp form.

Again the electrical current passed through his body-and it started his heart again! Rudolph came back to life, and quickly resumed his flight.

But a strange thing happened. The electrical charge remained in him, and his nose began to glow, brighter and brighter, until even the Great North Wind couldn’t bear to look at its brilliance. With his nose shining the way before him, Rudolph safely made his way through the Great North Wind’s terrible storm and warned the people of the world to stay indoors until the wind was gone.

When Rudolph returned the North Pole, some of the younger reindeer mocked him. “Hah,hah!” they said. “Red nose, red nose!” But Santa proclaimed Rudolph a hero, and let him retire from sleigh duty for life- except when the Great North Wind arises!

Why the Aspen Tree Quivers

An Old Legend

LONG, long ago, so the legend says, when Joseph and Mary and the Holy Babe fled out of Bethlehem into Egypt, they passed through the green wildwood. And flowers and trees and plants bent their heads in reverence.

But the proud aspen held its head high and refused even to look at the Holy Babe. In vain the birds sang in the aspen’s branches, entreating it to gaze for one moment at the wonderful One; the proud tree still held its head erect in scorn.

Then outspake Mary, his mother. “O aspen tree,” she said, “why do you not gaze on the Holy Child? Why do you not bow your head? A star arose at his birth, angels sang his first lullaby, kings and shepherds came to the brightness of his rising; why, then, O aspen, do you refuse to honor your Lord and mine?”

But the aspen could not answer. A strange shivering passed through its stem and along its boughs, which set its leaves a-quivering. It trembled before the Holy Babe.

And so from age to age, even unto this day, the proud aspen shakes and shivers.

THE END

Zither Carol (version 2)

Girls and boys – Leave your toys – Make no noise
Kneel at his crib and worship him
At thy shrine – Child divine – We are thine
Our Savior’s here

Chorus:
“Hallelujah” the church bells ring
“Hallelujah” the angels sing
“Hallelujah” from everything
All must draw near

On that day – Far away – Jesus lay
Angels were watching ’round his head
Holy Child – Mother mild – Undefiled
We sing thy praise
repeat 3 lines of chorus
Our hearts we raise

Shepherds came – At the fame – Of thy name
Angels their guide to Bethlehem
In that place – Filled with grace – Saw thy face
Stood at they door
repeat 3 lines of chorus
Love evermore
Wise men too – Haste to do – Homage new
Gold, myrrh and frankincence they bring
As ’twas said – Starlight led – To thy bed
Bending their knee
repeat 3 lines of chorus
Worshipping thee

Oh, that we – All might be – Good as he
Spotless, with God in unity
Savior dear – Ever near – With us here
Since life began
repeat 3 lines of chorus
God head made man

Cherubim – Seraphim – Worship him
Sun, moon and stars proclaim his power
Every day – On our way – we shall say
Hallelujah
repeat 3 lines of chorus
Hallelujah

Who is This So Weak and Helpless

William Walsham How

Who is this so weak and helpless, Child of lowly Hebrew maid,
Rudely in a stable sheltered, coldly in a manger laid?
‘Tis the Lord of all creation, Who this wondrous path hath trod;
He is God from everlasting, and to everlasting God.

Who is this, a Man of sorrows, walking sadly life’s hard way,
Homeless, weary, sighing, weeping, over sin and Satan’s sway?
‘Tis our God, our glorious Savior, Who above the starry sky
Now for us a place prepareth, where no tear can dim the eye.

Who is this? Behold Him shedding drops of blood upon the ground!
Who is this, despised, rejected, mocked, insulted, beaten, bound?
‘Tis our God, Who gifts and graces on His church now poureth down;
Who shall smite in righteous judgment all His foes beneath His throne.

Who is this that hangeth dying while the rude world scoffs and scorns,
Numbered with the malefactors, torn with nails, and crowned with thorns?

‘Tis the God Who ever liveth, ‘mid the shining ones on high,
In the glorious golden city, reigning everlastingly.

101 Easy Ways to Decorate Your Home for Christmas

Christmas is coming and you’ve got a million things to do! We’re here to help. We have 101 Easy Ways to Decorate for Christmas. These ideas are all quite simple, but they’ll will give you lots of quick, easy, inexpensive ways to add some Christmas cheer to your home.
1. Create a charming display of teddy bears dressed for the season. Gather together three or more teddy bears and arrange them on a table or on the floor in a corner. Dress the bears with touques, scarves and mittens. Place candy canes in their hands or tie bows around their necks. You can even wrap up some small, empty boxes with Christmas wrapping paper to place in the bears’ hands.
2. Make simply bows from Christmas print ribbon and pin them to your curtains.
3. Display a collection of nativity scenes from different cultures.
4. Hang a collection of Christmas stocking on your mantle, a shelf or the wall (even if you don’t stuff them). The more the merrier.
5. Revisit your childhood. Cut snowflakes from white paper and hang them in all of your windows.
6. Use red and green 3-dimensional fabric paints to trace simple Christmas patterns (like stars, bells, Santas, stockings, etc.) on a white tablecloth. Click here to print out our basic Christmas shapes.
7. Buy a clear plastic shower curtain. Use a hot glue gun to attach Christmas decorations to the outside of the curtain. Don’t use breakable ornaments – instead, try small wooden or plastic ornaments (remove any hooks), bows, garland, etc.
8. Dress up your house plants – hang small Christmas ornaments on them.
9. Tie a red ribbon around a tall, slim drinking glass. Fill the glass with candy canes and display on a shelf or side table.
10. Fill a small glass bowl or decorative Christmas bowl with small cones and display on end tables, shelves, buffet tables, etc.
11. Purchase plain green or red place mats and attach Christmas ribbons, bows or small wooden ornaments with a hot glue gun.
12. For quick ornaments, hang Christmas cookie cutters with ribbon. Hang them on your tree or in a window.
13. Decorate plain red, white, green or gold candles with 3-dimensional fabric paint. Draw stars, bells, angels, snowmen, etc. If you make a mistake, let the paint dry and peal it off, then start again.
14. Create a cookie wreath centerpiece for your table. Just arrange Christmas cookies in a wreath shape right on the table cloth. No need to attach them to anything ’cause everyone will want to nibble at them. If you like, place a pillar candle on a small plate in the center of the wreath.
15. Pile a collection of Christmas books on a side table.
16. Purchase an inexpensive mail box. Spray paint it red or green. Use craft paints to add simple Christmas shapes (use our patterns), or attach store-bought ornaments with a hot glue gun (make sure your ornaments will be able to stand up to the elements).
17. If you have a large, bare outside wall, try this simple idea. Cut a Christmas silhouette from a piece of plywood (a silhouette of Santa, a snowman, etc works well). Using screws, attach your silhouette to a short post that you can drive into the ground. You’ll want the silhouette to stand right a ground level several feet away from the wall. Position a spot light on the other side of the silhouette so that it will shine on the silhouette and project a large shadow on the wall. We’ve seen this done with a silhouette of Joseph leading Mary who is sitting on a donkey. It’s beautiful.
18. Wrap indoor Christmas lights around a railing or banister. Secure periodically with tape. Be careful to tape down the electrical cord so that no one trips over it.
19. Add color to a room with vases of red and white flowers. Use roses, carnations, mums, daisies, etc. Or, float the flowers in large crystal or glass bowls.
20. Wrap an assortment of medium to large sized boxes with Christmas wrap. Attach ribbons and/or bows. Pile the boxes in a corner from floor to ceiling.
21. Sew scraps of Christmas print fabric into a patchwork tablecloth. Simply cut your fabric into square pieces and stitch together. Hem the entire cloth. Sew ribbon the edges, if you like. Make smaller cloths to cover end tables, night tables, TV trays, shelving, etc.
22. Cover an end table or a shelf with white paper. Arrange cut evergreen boughs on to cover the table top. Place tall tapered candles in glass candleholders here and there on the table top. Before lighting candles, be sure that the greenery is not close enough to catch fire.
23. Use pliers to bend coat hangers into a simple wire-frame tree shape. Wrap a string of outdoor Christmas light around the frame, attaching with electrical tape or duct tape. Stick the decoration in a flower bed or on your front lawn.
24. Hang mistletoe everywhere. Use false or fresh mistletoe.
25. Wrap your doors in Christmas wrapping paper and attach large bows make from fabric or purchased at your local craft store.
26. String a ribbon from one end of a wall to another. Attach the ribbon to the wall (at each corner) with thumbtacks. Clip Christmas cards to the ribbon with clothespins. If the ribbon is too long, the weight of the cards will pull it off the wall, so tack it here and there with more thumbtacks.
37. Purchase a large glass plate. Paint the underside of the plate with gold craft paint. Dry. Place the plate on a table and fill with several white or off-white pillar candles of varying sizes.
28. Make basic sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies. Before baking, make a hole toward the top of each cookie using a straw. Bake and cool. String a ribbon through each cookie and hang them on your Christmas tree.
29. String popcorn, cranberries, cereal, beads, etc. and hang the garlands everywhere.
30. Make some old-fashioned tree decorations. Wrap nuts with aluminum foil; use a needle and thread to stitch a thread through the foil for hanging. Glue ribbon to pine cones for hanging. String popcorn streamers. Make paper chains. Cut snowflakes from white paper.
46. Add a few drops of food coloring to white glue. Put the glue into a squeeze bottle or icing piping bag. Draw simple Christmas star outlines on waxed paper. Pipe glue onto the paper, following your drawn outlines. Dry. Peel glue ornaments off of the waxed paper and hang in windows with thread or ribbon.
32. Cut pictures out of old Christmas cards and create a collage by gluing them onto a piece of poster board. You can frame the poster board if you like or simply hang it on the wall.
33. Wrap a lampshade with translucent Christmas tissue paper. Put the paper on the outside of the lamp shape, overlapping the edges just a little and tape the edges down on the inside. Be careful that the tissue paper doesn’t come too close to the light bulb or it may catch fire.
34. Replace your fish tank background mural with a piece of Christmas wrapping paper or a collage made out of pictures cut from Christmas cards.
35. Twist garland or popcorn strings around railings or banisters and secure here and there with tape.
36. Using a glue gun, glue candy canes, side-by-side (standing on end with their hooks at the top) to the outside of a terra cotta pot. Tie a red ribbon around the pot. Place a small poinsettia inside the pot or fill the pot with wrapped candy.
37. Tape a doily to the outside of a glass canister or clean glass mayonnaise jar. Spray the outside of the container with artificial snow. Dry. Remove the doily. Fill the container with cookies, candy, ornaments, etc.
38. Remove your favorite pictures from their frames. Wrap the frames with Christmas wrap and replace the pictures.
39. Make a gingerbread house. They make wonderful centerpieces or decorations for any table top.
40. Use scraps of Christmas print fabric to create quick sachets. Place two pieces of fabric right sides together. Pin a paper pattern of a Christmas shape to the fabric (use our basic patterns). Cut the shape out of both layers of fabric. Stitch the fabric layers together all along the edge, leaving a one inch gap. Turn the sachet right side out. Fill the sachet with potpourri. Hand stitch the gap closed. Place your sachets in a basket by the front door so you can hand them to departing guests (meanwhile, they’ll fill your entryway with wonderful scent).
41. Use a child’s Christmas pop-up book as a centerpiece. Just open the book up to a desirable picture and place the open book in the center of your table.
42. Hang a large December wall calendar on your wall. Count down the days to Christmas by gluing a brightly-colored bow on each passing day.
43. Tie five or six cinnamon sticks into a bundle using red ribbon. Create a bunch of these bundles and display them in a bowl or on a plate. Or, tuck bundles into nooks and crannies on shelves and table. They add a nice scent to your room.
44. Pull out your old toy trains. Run the track around the perimeter of the Christmas tree.
45. Paint the inside of a glass white to simulate milk. Display the glass along with a plate full of cookies and a hand-written Santa’s wish list. It looks great if you take a bite or two out of one cookies.
46. For easy Christmas tableware, tie red, green, or gold ribbons to the stems of wine glasses or the handles of cutlery.
47. To make a decorative cookie plate, glue cinnamon sticks and whole cloves to the edges of a large plate.
48. Cut pictures from Christmas cards and Christmas wrap. Decoupage the pictures to the inside of a serving tray. Be sure to cover the entire surface of the tray. Once all the pictures are in place, cover the entire inside surface of the tray with one or two more layers of decoupage medium.
49. Screw small hooks into the ceiling and hang indoor Christmas lights from them.
50. Print your favorite cookie recipe on Christmas stationary (or print it on a white piece of paper and have it photo copied onto Christmas stationary). Roll each recipe up like a scroll. Tie the scroll with ribbon. Place the scrolls in a basked by your front door so you can give them to departing guests. You could also bake up a batch of cookies. Wrap each cookie separately in plastic wrap and attach one cookie to each scroll with ribbon (string the ribbon through a hole in the plastic wrap).
51. To add a lot of color to a room quickly, use red or green towels, blankets or even scraps of fabric as throws for your chairs, couch, tables, etc. Large pieces of polar fleece make great, cuddly throws.
52. Display colored glass ball ornaments or even beads in bowls instead of hanging them on your tree.
53. Wash and dry half a dozen small jars (it’s better if they’re all different sizes and shapes). Fill each jar 2/3 full of water and add a couple of drops of red or green food coloring to each jar. Stir. Place one sprig of evergreen in each jar and display the jars in a group on a table or line them up in a row on a shelf or window sill.
54. Use children’s bath crayons (for coloring in the bathtub) to draw Christmas decorations on your mirrors and windows.
55. Spray paint the outside of large, clean coffee cans with gold, red or green paint and use them as cookie cannisters. Once painted, you can decorate further by using decoupage medium to glue Christmas card cutouts to the cans, or use a hot glue gun to attach small plastic or wooden ornaments, tinsel, garland, whole spices etc.
56. Using a small brush, paint the tips of pine cones with gold craft paint. Place on a rack or piece of waxed paper to dry. Display cones in bowls or vases or attach a ribbon and hang them on your tree.
57. Spruce up plain red or green bath towels with Christmas ribbon attached using a hot glue gun or ironed on with fusible web.
58. Create an easy wall hanging using a piece of sheet music for a Christmas carol. Cut a piece of red poster board a few inches larger than the sheet music and glue the music to the center of the poster board. Use a hot glue gun to glue a small sprig of artificial holly to the top right-hand corner of the sheet music.
59. Create an inexpensive set of Christmas glassware. Purchase a set of glasses or mugs and paint holly leaves and berries on the outside of each glass or mug using red and green glass paint.
60. Dress up your dinner table: cover the table with a plain red, green or white tablecloth and sprinkle with red, green or gold cut-outs from your party decorations store. Or, make your own cuts out with specially shaped hole punches and solid colored wrapping paper.
61. Turn an old blanket chest into a treasure chest. Place the chest on the floor against a wall and open the lid (prop the lid up securely if it’s prone to closing by itself). Line the inside of the chest with fiber fill to create the illusion of snow. Drape strings of beads and white indoor Christmas lights over the chest. Fill the chest with wrapped presents or wrapped empty boxes. Sprinkle with gold-wrapped chocolate coins.
62. Create personalized gingerbread men as place cards for your dining table. Use colored icing to decorate each gingerbread man with a guest’s hair color and usual clothing. Using icing to print each person’s name across the chest of the gingerbread man.
63. Paint a terra cotta flower pot gold using craft paint. Let paint dry. Glue on plastic or glass “gems”. Let glue dry. Pipe white glue in a circle around the perimeter of each “gem”. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle on gold sparkles. Let glue dry. Fill pots with flowers, nuts or candy.
64. Create an eclectic centerpiece using a large glass plate. Place a collection of containers on the plate. Use small bowls, vases, candle holders, flower pots, clean ash trays, etc. Fill each container with a different type of nut or candy.
65. Purchase inexpensive plain lampshades for your lamps. Use a hot glue gun to attach fabric bows (in Christmas prints) to the shades.
66. Trim door frames, window frames and the edges of mirrors with Christmas garland (secure with tape).
67. Place 1/2 cup of whole cloves on a plate. Apply white glue to the outside of a small terra cotta flower pot. Roll the pot in the cloves so that the outside of the pot is completely covered with cloves. You may have to press more cloves onto the pot in places. Let the glue dry. Tie a red ribbon around the outside of the pot – knot the ribbon. Tie three cinnamon sticks into the ribbon (knot the ribbon around the sticks). Tie the ends of the ribbon into a bow. Use the pot as a flower pot or fill it with potpourri.
68. Decorate with mittens, gloves, touques and scarves. String jute cord from one end of a room to another and clip knit items to the cord with clothespins.
69. Purchase small bells from your craft store. Tie each bell to a piece of ribbon between 6″ and 18″ in length. Gather all of the ribbons together and knot together at the top. Drape the bells over a door knob so that they ring when someone enters or exits.
70. Poinsettias are a beautiful way to add Christmas color to a room. But don’t just stop at one. Create a stunning display using at least six plants – all different sizes. Group them together, larger plants in the back. Tie a large gold fabric ribbon around the whole group of pots. Sprinkle the plants with gold glitter.
71. Wrap a large empty coffee can in Christmas wrapping paper (leave the top open). Place and the floor, add some water and fill with evergreen branches. This looks wonderful on its own, or you can hang ornaments from the branches.
72. Replace your usual curtain valence with a large piece of Christmas print fabric, draped over your curtain rod.
73. Tie bows around door knobs.
74. Create an easy wreath. Tear Christmas print fabric into strips (or use ribbon, instead). Wrap a styrofoam wreath with the fabric or ribbon. Hang the wreath as is, or hot glue Christmas picks, ornaments, nuts, candies, etc. to it.
75. Wrap a table in Christmas wrapping paper.
76. Purchase cork place mats or coasters, Christmas print stamps and red/green/gold stamp pads. Then, stamp shapes onto your coasters and place mats. You can even stamp shapes onto your table cloths and napkins.
77. Cut pictures of people and objects from Christmas cards. Glue each object to a magnet sheet. Cut the pictures out of the magnet sheet. Stick the magnets to your fridge. Visitors can arrange your magnets into scenes.
78. Put some color into your bathroom. Display red and green glycerin soaps, bath gels and oils.
79. Use florist wire to wire Christmas picks to railings, banisters and door knobs.
80. Make a snowman. Better yet, make a whole snow family or even a whole snow village!
81. Wrap your front door in plain white paper and decorate with a large bow. Place red and green pens by the front door and have guest sign the door as they leave your home.
82. Cut pictures from Christmas cards and pin them to your curtains or bedspread.
83. Purchase inexpensive white bathroom accessories (soap dish, toothbrush holder, garbage can, etc.). Paint holly leaves and red berries on the accessories using craft paints. Or, use a hot glue gun to attach bows, sequins, beads, buttons, etc.
84. Create an red and green display in your kitchen using a collection standard food items. Jars of olives, sun dried tomatoes, pickles, red peppers, cans with red or green labels.
85. Quick wreath: Use a glue gun to attach nuts or wrapped candies to a styrofoam wreath. Attach a large red ribbon.
86. Paint nuts gold with craft paint (use a variety of nuts of different shape). Line a large bowl or basket with Christmas greenery (artificial or real), fill the bowl wit oranges, apples and the gold nuts. Add a large red bow.
87. Display a large collection of photos from Christmases past. This makes a sensational conversation piece. Use a collection of odd frames or create frames using colored cardboard or craft foam. Instead of displaying each picture individually, you can create a collage. Use a large piece of red craft foam. Cut photos into interesting shapes (just cut around what’s important in the photos). Glue the photos to the foam, overlapping them and leaving a 1″ – 2″ border of red foam showing. Cut holly leaves from green craft foam. Glue three leaves to each corner of the red foam frame. Cut small circles from left-over red foam (these are the holly berries). Glue them next to the holly leaves.
88. Make a Christmas bedspread. Trim the edges of a large piece of red polar fleece with pinking shears. Stitch a collection of mittens to one side of the fleece.
89. Put a Christmas screen saver on your computer.
90. Paint Christmas stars or bells on the outside of your bathtub or on your shower curtain using washable children’s soap crayons.
91. Place a plate full of wrapped Christmas baking by the front door as parting gifts for guests.
92. Remove your mugs from their cup hooks and hang Christmas ornaments in their place. You can do the same thing with spoon racks or key racks.
93. Shred colored paper and use it to line a basket. Fill the basket with red and green scented votive candles.
94. Make a fresh flower garland using red carnations. You’ll need a few dozen carnations. Cut the stems off just below the bud. String a length of double thread on a needle (make the thread as long as the garland you want to make). String the buds together by pushing the needle through the bud and out the top of the flower. Tie the ends of the garland together, if you wish. This garland should be stored in the fridge.
95. Decorate with giant cookies. Mix up your favorite sugar cookie or gingerbread cookie recipe. Roll out the dough. Instead of cutting into small cookies, cut out one tree shaped cookie using a knife. Don’t bother using a pattern. A hand-cut shape has more charm. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake. Cool. Cover with icing made of confectioner’s sugar, green food coloring and water (no butter). While the icing is still wet, decorate your tree with peppermint candies, M&M’s, jujubes, etc. Let the icing set. Your giant cookie can be displayed on a plate or you can wrap up a box in colored foil wrap and glue your cookie to the front of the box with dollops of icing. The box can be displayed lying down or standing on end.
96. Make simple Christmas puppets. Cut Santas, angels, snowmen, etc. from old Christmas cards. Paint craft stick red or green. Attach one cut-out to each stick using tape. The kids can play with these or, you can display them in a vase or a bowl. Just fill the vase or bowl with beads, nuts, candies, etc. and stick the puppets’ sticks into the bowl.
97. Wrap your plant pots in red or green foil wrap. You don’t even have to remove the plants first.
98. Create a display by your front door with unused boots. Assemble a group of boots and fill them with wrapped gifts or empty boxes.
99. Purchase an inexpensive glass vase (or better yet, three or four vases). “Paint” the vase with white glue and roll in red or green sparkles. Use the vase to display a large collection of white or red carnations.
100. To create an easy Christmas card display, purchase a large red bow that has a vertical ribbon attached. Hang the bow and ribbon and pin Christmas cards to the ribbon, starting near the top.
101. Paint fruit such as apples and pears with egg white and roll in gold sparkles. Air dry on a rack and display in a basket along with nuts.

Why Santa Has A Beard

Audience Participation

SANTA-Hold hands on stomach while saying “Ho-ho-ho” NORTH POLE- Fold arms, hugging self tightly while saying “Brrrr-r-r” SLEIGH- Wave right arm from right to left across front of body, while saying “Swoosh-h-h” WORKSHOP- Hold hands over ears while saying “Bang, bang, clatter”

You’ve all heard many stories about SANTA and his WORKSHOP at the NORTH POLE. You have also heard stories about his SLEIGH and reindeer. But this is a story about SANTA that very few people know, so if you listen closely, I’ll tell you how SANTA decided to grow a beard.

As you know, the weather is very, very cold at the NORTH POLE where SANTA has his WORKSHOP. He works very hard throughout the year with his little elves, making toys for his Christmas Eve visit. Like everybody else, SANTA needs relaxation and a chance to get away from it all. His way to relax was to take a leisurely ride in his SLEIGH. With such cold weather, SANTA always had to bundle up tightly before taking a SLEIGH ride. Once, he forgot to bundle up tightly as usual and he failed to wrap his heavy wool scarf around his face, leaving only his eyes exposed as he went SLEIGH riding. When SANTA got back from his ride and walked into the WORKSHOP where Mrs. Claus and the elves were happily working, he had the most beautiful white icicles, covered with sparkling white snowflakes, hanging down the sides of his face and chin, just like a beard.

When Mrs. Claus looked up and saw SANTA, she squealed with delight. “Why, SANTA, you look absolutely marvelous with your sparkling white icicle beard.” Well, when SANTA saw how delighted his wife was, he was very flattered and decided right then and there to grow a long, flowing white beard and mustache. And that is what SANTA did!

Of course, by doing this, SANTA killed two birds with one stone. He made himself so handsome to Mrs. Claus that whenever she passes him by his NORTH POLE WORKSHOP, she gave him a big smile. This made SANTA blush so much that to this day, he is still blushing. That’s why his cheeks look so rosy. And now that he doesn’t have to wrap a wool scarf around his face when he goes SLEIGH riding at the NORTH POLE, Mrs. Claus has even started taking SLEIGH rides with SANTA because she is so happy that he grew a beard!

Why a Christmas Tree Is Better Than a Woman

Source: “Don and Mike Show,” on WAVA FM 105.1.

10. A Christmas tree doesn’t care how many other Christmas trees you have had in the past.

9. Christmas trees don’t get mad if you use exotic electrical devices.

8. A Christmas tree doesn’t care if you have an artificial one in the closet.

7. A Christmas tree doesn’t get mad if you break one of its balls.

6. You can feel a Christmas tree before you take it home.

5. A Christmas tree doesn’t get mad if you look up underneath it.

4. When you are done with a Christmas tree you can throw it on the curb and have it hauled away.

3. A Christmas tree doesn’t get jealous around other Christmas trees.

2. A Christmas tree doesn’t care if you watch football all day.

1. A Christmas tree doesn’t get mad if you tie it up and throw it in the back of your pickup truck.

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