King Herod orders the massacre of all the boys less than two years old in Bethlehem, but the family flees to Egypt and later returns to Nazareth. By day, the elegant rooms of Biltmore House shimmer, beautifully bedecked with Christmas trees, ribbons, garlands, and thousands of twinkling lights. Simple and creative use of Christmas décor makes decorating for the holidays a snap. The whole family will love the results and you’ll be able to use the Christmas products year after year. Keep in touch through the Grapevine to receive special offers and news about events.
In the U.S. there has been a tendency to replace the greeting Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays, which is considered inclusive at the time of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Humanlight. In the U.S. and Canada, where the use of the term “Holidays” is most prevalent, opponents have denounced its usage and avoidance of using the term “Christmas” as being politically correct. Supreme Court ruled in Lynch v. Donnelly that a Christmas display owned and displayed by the city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, did not violate the First Amendment. American Muslim scholar Abdul Malik Mujahid has said that Muslims must treat Christmas with respect, even if they disagree with it. In most Western nations, Christmas Day is the least active day of the year for business and commerce; almost all retail, commercial and institutional businesses are closed, and almost all industries cease activity , whether laws require such or not.
For Eastern Orthodox churches that continue to use the Julian calendar for liturgical observances, this date corresponds to January 7 on the Gregorian calendar. Gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve in most European countries and on Christmas morning in North America. Each year, million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States alone. There are about 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States, and trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.
His feast day, December 6, came to be celebrated in many countries with the giving of gifts. A special Christmas family meal is traditionally an important part of the holiday’s celebration, and the food that is served varies greatly from country to country. Some regions have special meals for Christmas Eve, such as Sicily, where 12 kinds of fish are served. In the United Kingdom and countries influenced by its traditions, a standard Christmas meal includes turkey, goose or other large bird, gravy, potatoes, vegetables, sometimes bread and cider. Special desserts are also prepared, such as Christmas pudding, mince pies, Christmas cake, Panettone and Yule log cake. Traditional Christmas meal in Central Europe is fried carp or other fish.
Both the displaying of wreaths and candles in each window are a more traditional Christmas display. The concentric assortment of leaves, usually from an evergreen, make up Christmas wreaths and are designed to prepare Christians for the Advent season. Candles in each window are meant to demonstrate the fact that Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the ultimate light of the world. Since the 16th century, the poinsettia, a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with Christmas carrying the Christian symbolism of the Star of Bethlehem; in that country it is known in Spanish as the Flower of the Holy Night. Other popular holiday plants include holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis, and Christmas cactus. In Britain, the Christmas tree was introduced in the early 19th century by the German-born Queen Charlotte.
There’s nothing sweeter for the holidays than baked goods, candy canes, and gingerbread. Bring your holiday to life with our candy inspired “Sweetest Season” Christmas tree decorations. We keep track of fun holidays and special moments on the cultural calendar — giving you exciting activities, deals, local events, brand promotions, and other exciting ways to celebrate.
Capture the joyful magic of the Christmas season with Santa and his elves as they prepare for the biggest night of the year. Make a magical trip with Santa Claus as he delivers gifts around the world – ensuring every child will find joy under the Christmas tree. The colors of the Christmas season are on glorious display with Yuletide Window, a radiant collection of iconic animated stained glass-displays. The spirit of Jacob Marley returns in this nod to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – at once a harrowing ghost story and a message of holiday grace. One reason may be that not all consumers are happy with the supersized shopping season. From real, live Christmas trees to fake Christmas trees, from tall Christmas trees to small Christmas trees – we have the right tree for your family’s style and budget.
The choice of that day was, of course, wholly arbitrary, for neither the exact date not the period of the year at which the birth of Christ occurred is known. For purposes of commemoration, however, it is unimportant whether the celebration shall fall or not at the precise anniversary of the joyous event. Some Christians and organizations such as Pat Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice cite alleged attacks on Christmas (dubbing them a “war on Christmas”). Such groups claim that any specific mention of the term “Christmas” or its religious aspects is being increasingly censored, avoided, or discouraged by a number of advertisers, retailers, government , and other public and private organizations. One controversy is the occurrence of Christmas trees being renamed Holiday trees.