Music for the Christmas Holidays
Music for the Christmas Holidays
by: Tony Wiseman
In our multi-cultural societies today the run up to Christmas is experienced in many different ways. The commercial version pioneered by Coca Cola's magazine advertisements which established the red suited Santa Claus image, washes over us all through the TV advertisements and the decorations in the High Streets and shopping Malls. They built on and reinforced the Victorian version of Christmas celebrations which was dramatised by Charles Dickens in 'A Christmas Carol' which established many of the associated food and garland rituals in the public imagination - and helped Coca Cola promote their winter beverage sales. Much of this is accompanied by 'seasonal' music in the form of carols and hymns - often coral arrangements but sometimes instrumental - especially brass bands and the dreaded sentimental Christmas pop songs.
Music is often a subtle way of getting under the radar and evoking emotional responses from our subconscious. The commercial focus on Christmas seeks to convert these feelings into purchases - sometimes in crude direct appeals to consume but often in a more indirect atmospheric ways. While the committed Christians concentrate on re-telling the Christmas story through as many media as possible, including music - using the Advent season to recharge their spiritual batteries and encourage others to join them. Their tunes and some times even the words are often hijacked by those who wish to evoke a warm hearted relaxed atmosphere for the sale of their particular goods.
Much of this activity assumes a common Christian heritage and must strike those who do not share that background very oddly, not to mention the truly seasonal issues for those in the Southern Hemisphere who celebrate Christmas in mid summer rather than the deep mid winter. There is also the rival celebration of New Year which is a predominantly secular affair with a very limited musical repertoire - mostly of Scottish origin for some reason and this eclipses Christmas in many countries. Christians adopted the pagan Winter Solstice celebrations as part of their missionary progress but those ties were loosened by the reformation and the French, American and Russian Revolutions amongst others.
The seasonal hit at Download2MP3.com is Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite with its Sugar Plum Fairy which fits neatly into the Victorian Christmas story telling context. While Debussy's Children's Corner with it's 'The Snow is Dancing' (Northern Hemisphere Christmas/Mid Winter associations) is another favourite and forms the backbone of our Children's Classics Collection which includes several of our shorter and lower priced recordings. Other beneficaiaries include our instrumental versions of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah and Gounod's Ave Maria
Recordings like these are an ideal way to personalize those iPod or MP3 player gifts for a few dollars more - perhaps introducing children to the classics in an accessible, amusing and memorable way.
6 Family Christmas Vacation Tips You Must Know
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6 Family Christmas Vacation Tips You Must Know
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by: Rosie Fletcher
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| A family Christmas vacation can be a wonderful experience. It can fill you with wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Christmas is a magical time to be surrounded by loved ones, friends and the spirit of the holidays. It’s also one of the busiest traveling times of the year. But, not to worry - there are still plenty of ways to enjoy a family Christmas vacation. A few tips will make your trip a breeze. Christmas Vacation Tip #1: Play Santa If you’re planning a Christmas vacation, be sure to wrap your gifts early if you are taking them for the trip. Always pack each gift carefully, especially if they are fragile, to avoid breakage or other damage. If you don’t have the extra room to travel with a gift, ship it before you leave home. If you ship to the address that you will be arriving at, the gift(s) should arrive within several days and will save you from traveling with them. Christmas Vacation Tip #2: Don’t Forget Make sure that you plan a trip that is enjoyable for everyone in the family. Before finalizing any details, sit down with your entire family and make sure they each person has something special to enjoy during the trip. Make sure that your trip is long enough so that everyone can enjoy their favorite activities. Christmas Vacation Tip #3: Weather Planning If you are planning outside activities, check ahead with the weather forecast. If you are going skiing, make sure to check with the local ski resort to inquire about their conditions. Christmas Vacation Tip #4: Arrive Early When making travel plans, always buy tickets as early as possible. Airlines and other forms of transportation, especially near the holidays, tend to fill up early. If you’re flying, call to confirm that your flight is on time before you even leave home. Upon confirmation, make sure that you arrive at the airport early. The same is true if you are traveling by train. Always call ahead to make sure that everything is on schedule because you certainly don’t want to be left standing in the cold. Christmas Vacation Tip #5: Don’t Forget The Chef If you are having a family gathering, which may include Christmas dinner, always pitch in to help with the cooking or clean-up. Catering to an entire family is a real job and it requires a lot of work. Therefore, any extra help that you can provide to the family member, who is acting as chef for the day, will definitely be appreciated. Christmas Vacation Tip #6: Santa Questions One of the best ways to enjoy a family Christmas vacation is by simply being together. When your children start asking questions like "How will Santa find me if I’m away from home," have your responses ready and reply with reassurance that Santa is always watching. It’s these little moments that will be treasured forever and nothing will ever take their place. About the author: For great family Christmas resources check out http://music.christmashub.com and my main site http://www.christmashub.com Circulated by Article Emporium  |
Welcome to Santa’s Site
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The 10 Christmas Decoration Tips You Must Know
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The 10 Christmas Decoration Tips You Must Know
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by: Rosie Fletcher
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| Decorating for Christmas is one of the best things about the holidays. The twinkling of lights, the sight of a perfectly trimmed tree and a perfectly placed wreath adorning your front door are all gentle reminders of the joyous Christmas season. When decorating your home, you want the décor to reflect your own personal style while keeping the Christmas tradition always present. A few tips can help make this holiday decorating season even brighter. Christmas Decoration Tip #1: Lights Out With each year that passes, Christmas lights tend to burn out at some point. Unless you have a strand that burns with the exception of the troublesome light, it can be a real headache to find the faulty bulb. Consider investing in a light tester, which will check each individual light and detect the one that needs replacing. These can be found with the Christmas supplies at most department stores. Christmas Decoration Tip #2: Angels Nearby Whenever possible, decorate your home with angels. They add a touch of peace and tranquility to your home and we all need to know that there are angels watching over us. Christmas Decoration Tip #3: Be fruity Prepare a fruit-filled clear glass bowl as a centerpiece for your dining room table. Nothing smells like Christmas as much as an orange or a nice fruit combination. Decoration Tip #4: Add a personal touch If you hang Christmas stockings, consider personalizing them with your name, your spouses name and those of your children. These days, even pets have stockings, so don’t forget to add Fido’s name on a stocking. You can easily personalize a traditional stocking using a glitter pen, preferably one that writes in silver or gold. A personalized stocking is a nice idea and a special added touch. Christmas Decoration Tip #5: Pucker up Decorate your home with poinsettia and mistletoe, which are both holiday traditions. A nice artificial poinsettia plant will always be beautiful and is easy to take care of - no water required. A mistletoe is always a nice touch and especially if you just need one more reason to smooch. Christmas Decoration Tip #6: Working with wreaths .Don’t forget to place a beautiful green wreath on the front door of your home. Make sure to add a red bow for a brightening touch! Artificial wreaths will last year after year, but real wreaths do have a wonderful scent. If you want to add wreath’s to the windows in your home, consider purchasing a magnetic wreath hanger. This type of hanger comes in two parts - one goes on the inside of your home and the piece with the hook will go on the outside. These hangers have been around for years, but they are steadily beginning to gain in popularity. The magnets are so strong that they can work through doors and windows, which is ideal for hanging wreaths on the outside of your home without the fuss of a traditional plastic wreath hanger, which drapes across the top of your door. Christmas Decoration Tip #7: A perfect fit When choosing a Christmas tree, make sure to measure the preferred location from side to side and from floor to roof. You will want to make sure that perfect tree fits when you bring it home. Artificial trees are easy care, but a real tree requires plenty of water. Christmas Decoration Tip #8: It’s all about tradition It’s nice to start a family tradition by decorating your tree on a certain day each year. Perhaps after Thanksgiving dinner, the whole family can spend the evening dressing their home for Santa. Christmas Decoration Tip #9: Shop smart Make sure that all electric decorations are UL listed to ensure that they have been tested for quality and safety. Don’t forget to unplug everything before you leave home or go to bed at night. Christmas Decoration Tip #10: Say Cheese Always remember to have plenty of film and batteries for the camera. Now that you have the perfect decorations, don’t forget to capture them on film. About the author: For more great Christmas decoration related resources check out http://decorations.christmashub.com Circulated by Article Emporium |
Christmas Tree Ornament Tips
Christmas Tree Ornament Tips |
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by: John Morris
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| When it comes to decorating, we are all perfectionists about our Christmas tree. After all, it happens only once a year and the decorations are a treasure to behold. The finishing touch, for any Christmas tree, is the ornaments. Perhaps you have memories of a personalized ornament given to you as a child or maybe it’s the tradition of hanging them with your family - making sure that each is perfectly spaced from its neighbor for that added touch of beauty. The Christmas ornaments for Christmas trees, which we choose, should be a reflection of ourselves and our family. There are all types of Christmas ornaments for Christmas trees. From glass to unbreakable, there is something for everyone. Glass ornaments are among the most expensive, in part, because they require such intricate detail and add a touch of elegance to any Christmas tree. Glass ornaments pick up the reflection of lights and beam them across the room with, perhaps, even a twinkle or two. These ornaments are often hand-painted, which adds to their uniqueness. |
There are a variety of unbreakable ornaments, also available, in a multitude of colors. If you have a child who loves to be near the Christmas tree, glass ornaments may not be the best option. Or, if you have a pet that enjoys the mystique of the tree a little too much, you may opt for something unbreakable. This is why there are plastic ornaments, which are much safer for your inquiring family members whether they be small or furry.
If you have children, there are plenty of ways to make beautiful Christmas ornaments for Christmas trees at home.
Using gold ribbon, tie a bow and place it on the tree. Repeat these steps until your tree is filled with golden memories of your child’s imagination. You can also purchase plain white ceramic ornaments and, together with your children, paint them into beautiful Christmas ornaments for Christmas trees.
What’s good enough to eat and also looks beautiful on a Christmas tree? Give up? It’s a candy cane, of course. These pretty little symbols of Christmas are everywhere during the holiday season. If you can resist the temptation of eating them, candy canes make terrific Christmas ornaments for Christmas trees. Leave them as they are or tie little red bows around them for an added touch of Christmas.
If your child would like a personalized letter from Santa, contact one of Santa’s helper services and inquire about Santa also sending your child a personalized ornament with his/her name engraved. This will truly be one of the most special ornaments on the tree and your child will treasure it forever.
Christmas ornaments for Christmas trees truly are the icing on the cake. Let them reflect you, your family, your home and your love for the holidays. The most precious ornaments are those we decorate with love. Not so surprisingly, these are also the most beautiful.
About the author:
For more great Christmas ornament related resources check out http://ornaments.christmashub.com
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http://adsense.en101.cz/christmas/
Music for the Christmas Holidays
Music for the Christmas Holidays
by: Tony Wiseman
In our multi-cultural societies today the run up to Christmas is experienced in many different ways. The commercial version pioneered by Coca Cola's magazine advertisements which established the red suited Santa Claus image, washes over us all through the TV advertisements and the decorations in the High Streets and shopping Malls. They built on and reinforced the Victorian version of Christmas celebrations which was dramatised by Charles Dickens in 'A Christmas Carol' which established many of the associated food and garland rituals in the public imagination - and helped Coca Cola promote their winter beverage sales. Much of this is accompanied by 'seasonal' music in the form of carols and hymns - often coral arrangements but sometimes instrumental - especially brass bands and the dreaded sentimental Christmas pop songs.
Music is often a subtle way of getting under the radar and evoking emotional responses from our subconscious. The commercial focus on Christmas seeks to convert these feelings into purchases - sometimes in crude direct appeals to consume but often in a more indirect atmospheric ways. While the committed Christians concentrate on re-telling the Christmas story through as many media as possible, including music - using the Advent season to recharge their spiritual batteries and encourage others to join them. Their tunes and some times even the words are often hijacked by those who wish to evoke a warm hearted relaxed atmosphere for the sale of their particular goods.
Much of this activity assumes a common Christian heritage and must strike those who do not share that background very oddly, not to mention the truly seasonal issues for those in the Southern Hemisphere who celebrate Christmas in mid summer rather than the deep mid winter. There is also the rival celebration of New Year which is a predominantly secular affair with a very limited musical repertoire - mostly of Scottish origin for some reason and this eclipses Christmas in many countries. Christians adopted the pagan Winter Solstice celebrations as part of their missionary progress but those ties were loosened by the reformation and the French, American and Russian Revolutions amongst others.
The seasonal hit at Download2MP3.com is Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite with its Sugar Plum Fairy which fits neatly into the Victorian Christmas story telling context. While Debussy's Children's Corner with it's 'The Snow is Dancing' (Northern Hemisphere Christmas/Mid Winter associations) is another favourite and forms the backbone of our Children's Classics Collection which includes several of our shorter and lower priced recordings. Other beneficaiaries include our instrumental versions of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah and Gounod's Ave Maria
Recordings like these are an ideal way to personalize those iPod or MP3 player gifts for a few dollars more - perhaps introducing children to the classics in an accessible, amusing and memorable way.
http://adsense.en101.cz/christmas/
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