Holiday Reading List 2018

CLICK HERE to go to the list on Goodreads!

Holiday Movie Marathon 2016!

Odds are I'm not going to still be here at Christmas time.  

So...next month (August)...in celebration of my 40th. (ack!) birthday...I am going to do my annual holiday movie marathon...

For more information on any of the movies just head over to www.imdb.com :c)

August 01:  A Flintstone Christmas, A Garfield Christmas
August 02:  The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Family Christmas
August 03:  Deck the Halls
August 04:  How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon)
August 05:  Barbie in a Christmas Carol
August 06:  Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special
August 07:  Beauty and the Beast: the Enchanted Christmas
August 08:  Christmas With the Kranks
August 09 [my 40th. birthday]:  White Christmas
August 10:  Prep & Landing, Prep & Landing Stocking Stuffer, and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
August 11:  Holiday Inn
August 12:  A Charlie Brown Christmas
August 13:  It's Christmastime Again Charlie Brown
August 14:  It's a Wonderful Life
August 15:  A Christmas Carol (with Patrick Stewart)
August 16:  How the Grinch Stole Christmas (with Jim Carrey)
August 17:  The Santa Clause
August 18:  The Santa Clause 2
August 19:  The Santa Clause 3
August 20:  Arthur Christmas
August 21:  Christmas in Connecticut
August 22:  Santa Claus is Coming to Town
August 23:  The Year Without a Santa Clause
August 24:  Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration
August 25:  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
August 26:  Scrooge
August 27:  The Jetsons Christmas Carol
August 28:  Frosty the Snowman
August 29:  A Flintstone Christmas Carol
August 30:  The Vicar of Dibley: The Christmas Lunch Incident
August 31:  Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas Live

Holiday Movie Marathon 2015!

We are going big this year for the marathon!!!  55 days!!!

You will notice occasional break from the holiday theme.  All "off topic" movies are explained...Have fun!!!

For more information on any of the movies just head over to www.imdb.com :c)

November 01:  A Flintstone Christmas
November 02:  The Muppet Christmas Carol
November 03:  A Garfield Christmas
November 04:  Muppet Family Christmas
November 05:  Babes in Toyland
November 06:  [my father's birthday] The Sands of Iwo Jima
November 07:  Deck the Halls
November 08:  How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon)
November 09:  How the Grinch Stole Christmas (with Jim Carrey)
November 10:  Barbie in a Christmas Carol
November 11:  [Veteran's Day] They Were Expendable, Battle Cry, The Fighting SeaBees, and Midway
November 12:  Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special
November 13:  The Nutcracker
November 14:  Beauty and the Beast: the Enchanted Christmas
November 15:  Christmas With the Kranks
November 16:  Prep & Landing, Prep & Landing Stocking Stuffer, and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice
November 17:  The Santa Clause
November 18:  The Santa Clause 2
November 19:  The Santa Clause 3
November 20:  Christmas With the Chipmunks
November 21:  The Madagascar Penguins In A Christmas Caper
November 22:  Shrek the Halls
November 23:  Merry Madagascar
November 24:  DreamWorks Holiday Classics
November 25:  While You Were Sleeping
November 26:  [Thanksgiving, U.S.A.] A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
November 27:  The Jetsons Christmas Carol
November 28:  Radio City Christmas Spectacular
November 29:  A Flintstone Christmas Carol
November 30:  The Vicar of Dibley: The Christmas Lunch Incident
December 01:  A Charlie Brown Christmas
December 02:  Lady Gaga & The Muppets' Holiday Spectacular
December 03:  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: the Island of Misfit Toys
December 04:  Arthur Christmas
December 05:  Barbie: A Perfect Christmas
December 06:  [first day of Hanukkah] Eight Crazy Nights
December 07:  [Pearl Harbor Day]  Tora, Tora, Tora, From Here to Eternity, and In Harm's Way
December 08:  Holiday Inn (B&W) & Holiday Inn (colorized)
December 09:  I'll Be Home for Christmas [1988]
December 10:  Orla Fallon's Celtic Christmas
December 11:  Frosty the Snowman
December 12:  Love Actually
December 13:  A Diva's Christmas Carol
December 14:  Scrooge
December 15:  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
December 16:  Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration
December 17:  It's Christmastime Again Charlie Brown
December 18:  Christmas in Connecticut
December 19:  Santa Claus is Coming to Town
December 20:  A Christmas Carol (with Patrick Stewart)
December 21:  Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas Live
December 22:  [first day of winter] Frozen
December 23:  The Year Without a Santa Clause
December 24:  It's a Wonderful Life
December 25:  White Christmas

Review: Feast: Food That Celebrates Life

Feast: Food That Celebrates Life by Nigella Lawson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars







View all my reviews

It's a St. Patty's Day Party!

Rounding Up Your Favorite Food Gifts

25 Days of Holidays Movie Marathon 2013!

25 Days of Holidays Movie Marathon 2013!

The full list of movies with links to more information can always be found HERE!

December 1: Christmas Carol: The Movie
December 2:  The Mistle-tones!
December 3: Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special
December 4: Eight Crazy Nights
December 5: How the Grinch Stole Christmas [1966]
December 6: Barbie in 'A Christmas Carol'
December 7: A Christmas Carol [1999]
December 8: Miracle on 34th Street [1955]
December 9: A Flintstones Christmas Carol
December 10: How the Grinch Stole Christmas [2000]
December 11: Orla Fallon's Celtic Christmas
December 12: The Muppet Christmas Carol
December 13:  A Chipmunk Christmas
December 14: Yes, Virginia
December 15: Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
December 16: Christmas With the Kranks
December 17: Deck the Halls
December 18: A Charlie Brown Christmas
December 19: Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration
December 20: Love Actually
December 21:  I'll Be Home for Christmas
December 22: Christmas in Connecticut
December 23: It's a Wonderful Life
December 24: Holiday Inn
December 25: White Christmas

Valentine's Day Movie Marathon!

Here are my movies for Valentine's Day...what will you be watching?

I Hate Valentine's Day

A florist, who abides by a strict five-date-limit with any man, finds herself wanting more with the new restaurateur in town.

Love Actually

Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely and interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

An Affair to Remember

A couple falls in love and agrees to meet in six months at the Empire State Building - but will it happen?

Must Love Dogs

A forty-something preschool teacher looks to the personals for a change of pace and a relationship, with hilarious results.

Santa's Laundry

Who is Santa Claus

By Lady SpringWolf

[all grammatical & spelling errors are from the original article]

As we pagans already know, many of today's Christmas celebrations are rooted in pagan practices. And Santa isn't an exception.

The winter solstice is a time to celebrate the return of the sun following the shortest day in the year. It's no wonder the church adopted these holidays as the birth date of their Savior. But from ancient Celtic and Norse mythology we also enjoy such holiday traditions as holly and mistletoe (sacred to the druids), the yule log, and even Santa Claus in his aspects of Father Time, or Father Winter, or the Holly King as part of our Yule History.

The Pagan Origins:
We have to go back a bit find the pagan legend and myth associated with Santa. One of the first places to start is with the Germanic people and the Norse God Odin. The 13th Century Poetic Edda is a complication of stories and poems from Scandinavian history, some as early 985AD. In this work and from Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda we learn about Odin riding an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir, that can leap great distances. At Yule, Odin leads a great hunting party through the sky in celebration. This story gives rise to comparisons of Santa and his 8 reindeer flying through the sky.

In some traditions of Odin's Yule time ride, children could place their boots near the chimney filled with treats for Sleipnir and Odin would reward them for their kindness with food, candy or gifts. The tradition still continues Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In other Germanic countries the practice has been replaced with hanging stockings.

On the Celtic side, the origins of the Holly King are little dubious, but there are links to the Great Kings of Ireland and the legend of the Holly King. With going too far into the history of Ireland, Between 8000-7500 BCE the Ice bridge between Scotland and Ireland collapses. Tribes of around 50,000 to 60,000 hunter gatherers are now "trapped" in Ireland. The population dwindles to about 10,000 as animals and food run out sustaining themselves in a variety of methods, including the consumption of mildly poisonous Holly berries. Around 6500-5500 BCE the Cuilleain ("Holly" (holy) men step onto the scene. Also known as the "Shining Ones" of Wicklow Hills, these men save the dwindling population from barbarity and are the first priest kings to preach self-wisdom, organized religion for humanity and salvation. Through their efforts to save their people, some of these early Priest Kings sacrifice their lives in battle. From these early priest kings, the concept of the Holly King who saved his people from the depths of the winter ice is born.

Through these early mythical legends, The Holly King begins his battle with his twin brother the Oak King at the Summer Solstice. As the year is wanning the Holly King prevails and begins preparations to save and maintain his people through the cold winter. In order to accomplish his mission, he travels the land to hunt, fish and harvest. Transporting these life saving items in a wagon or sled pulled by eight deer. These 'gifts' of life are provided to all his people, and in exchange they provide care and comfort to his team of deer.

There is also suggestion that the 8 reindeer plays pagan significance. Just follow along here, it comes together in the end. Even in those ancient times the number 9 was an important spiritual number. 9 witches often made up a coven. 9 feet was the diameter of a perfect circle. And maybe that's why "the whole 9 yards"; which refers to the 9 yards of material for a Great Kilt worn by many Celtic highlanders is so important. When we think of Santa we think of Santa and his 8 tiny reindeer. And most people focus on the 8 reindeer. Well now add Santa. 9 souls traveling through the winter sky to bring presents for the rebirth of the year. It's a stretch, but there are those who believe this is where the 8 reindeer got their start.

The Holly King lived way up North, where he could survive in the cold during the reign of his brother in the spring and summer. The Oak King who needed the warmth to survive, lived in the warm forests in the south and falls into sleep while his brother of the cold reigns over the world during the fall and winter months.

Ancient pagan deities such as Befana (a gift-giving Roman goddess); the Holly King (a Celtic Winter god); and Thor and Tomte (Norse gods who, respectively, rode across the sky in a chariots drawn by goats and gave presents to children at the end of the year) have all fed into the Santa legend.

In many of these early pagan legends, presents are given to children or young families to represent abundance and fertility. After all this is the time of the rebirth of the Sun. Presents were exchanged to honor that rebirth and to give wishes or hopes to the person receiving the gift for abundance and fertility in the coming year. Now don't assume that 'fertility' means giving birth to a child. Remember these people had to live off the earth and the crops they grew. They didn't have grocery stores on the corner to trot down to and buy food for their families. So in most cases the fertility was for the coming growing season.

Santa didn't become a Christian figure until the 3rd century with Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra. He lived on what is now the coast of Turkey. Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD which became a festive day to honor this Bishop and his life. It's still a day recognized in many European countries as St. Nicholas Day. His parents died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. Many stories are told of his generosity, and caring. Especially his protection and care of children. Because of his life work, he became synonymous with Santa Claus. Though many of the stories retold today cannot be verified and are likely just oral stories that were created to entertain children and to further incorporate pagan legends with Christian figures.

It's impossible to point to the one real 'first' Santa, because Santa is a culmination of mythological legends and stories. But from many of the earliest pagan stories and legends we can find pieces of the Santa legend in our Celtic and Scandinavian mythologies

The Evolution Of Santa:
Santa gets his name from Dutch legend in the form of Sinter Klaas or "Sinterklaas". Historical documents suggest that Sinter was brought by settlers to New York in the 17th century. As early as 1773 the name appeared in the American press as "St. A Claus," but it was the popular author Washington Irving who gave Americans their first detailed information about the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas. In his History of New York, published in 1809 under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, Irving described the arrival of the saint on horseback (unaccompanied by Black Peter) each Eve of Saint Nicholas.

This Dutch-American Saint Nick achieved his fully Americanized form in 1823 in the poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas by writer Clement Clarke Moore. Moore included such details as the names of the reindeer; Santa Claus's laughs, winks, and nods; and the method by which Saint Nicholas, referred to as an elf, returns up the chimney. (Moore's phrase "lays his finger aside of his nose" was drawn directly from Irving's 1809 description.)

There are many Celtic scholars who point Santa's beginnings to the Celtic Holly King, who has been depicted with a Holly wreath as a crown. Or as the Druid Holly King who wore holly in his hat. In both cases, the Holly King traditionally wore green garments with red accents. What else would a "holly" king wear.

His clothing seems to have changed color in the late 1800s when Santa started wearing the modern red. The Dutch "Sinterklaas" is an elderly, serious man with white hair and a long, full beard. He wears a long red cape over a traditional white bishop's alb. Some point to the influence of the Catholic church and it's attire for the different levels of the Priest Hierarchy for this color combination.

In the 1840s, an elf in Nordic folklore called "Tomte" or "Nisse" started to deliver the Christmas presents in Denmark. The Tomte was portrayed as a short, bearded man dressed in gray clothes and a red hat. As migrations of people traveled through Scandinavia their traditional influences also began to merge. By the end of the 19th Century, Norway and Sweden had also began integrating these images into their winter cultural celebrations. Most notably replacing the Yule Goat, who brought presents with the Dutch influenced Sinterklaas.

British and Dutch versions of the gift-giver merged even more as migrations from Europe came to the Americas. "Santa Claus" by name, was first used in the American press in 1773, but he had lost his bishop’s apparel, and was at first pictured as a thick-bellied Dutch sailor with a pipe in a green winter coat. The influence of Scandinavian cultures continued as "A New-year's present, to the little ones from five to twelve" is published in New York in 1821. In this little seasonal book, an annonymos poem "Old Santeclaus" is described as an old man on a reindeer sleigh, bringing presents to children. Later in 1823, The Sentinel in Troy New York prints "A Vist From St. Nicholas", better known today as "The Night Before Christmas". In this poem and story Santa is still a small old elf and the original reindeer were named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem (Dunder and Blixem came from the old Dutch words for thunder and lightning, which were later changed to the more German sounding Donner and Blitzen).

One of the first modern images of Santa came in 1863 by American cartoonist Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly. In 1869 a color collection of Nast's pictures were published in which Santa appears in a red suit. This collection included a poem by George Webster "Santa Claus and His Works", which places Santa's home near the North Pole in the ice and snow. Images of Santa in red became more popular in the large cities of the east and midwest, but it still hadn't caught on throughout the rural countryside or even around the world.

By the 1900s additional images depicting Santa in a red suit sprang up each season furthering the image around the country.
Regional images however still held onto old cultural traditions. This was especially true throughout Europe. It wasn't until the Coca-Cola Company commissioned Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop advertising images using Santa Claus in 1930, that his image began it's world wide view as we know it today. Even though Sundblom didn't invent the image of Santa in a red coat, their advertising strongly helped emphasize this image into rural American and around the world. Like Nast before him, Sundblom made his version a human-sized version of Santa Claus, rather than the elf of Moore's poem. [Coke Lore & Santa History]. In modern versions of the Santa Claus legend, only his toy-shop workers are elves.

Similarities:
Modern Christmas traditions have a lot more in common with Pagan legends and practices than some want to admit. Just knowing there might be an association between the two can cause some fundamentalists to discard centuries of celebration for fear of aligning their beliefs with Paganism. But the fact is, through our evolution, humanity began it's walk here on Earth through honoring and worshiping nature. They had to in order to survive. At some point everything and everyone in the world was some type of Pagan practitioner. So it's reasonable to think that as humans evolved, so did their beliefs. But that doesn't mean they totally discarded all of those early perceptions. We influence each other each and every day. And certainly our past influences our views and beliefs today.

We are all much more a like than we are different. And there is enough room in the world for each of us to honor the Divine force in our life, without degrading or impeding the choices of others to honor and practice in their own way too. After all, on both sides of the fence, Christian, Pagan, or Jew isn't that what this time of the year is all about? Peace and compassion?

25 Days of Christmas Movies 2012

It's that time of year again!

Here is the list for this year's marathon :c)  We start December 1 :c)

Each title is hot-linked with more information about the movie :c)

"Like" us on Facebook for daily discussion about the movie of the day and bonus movies that aren't on the list!

**Don't own the movies on the list?  Check out TubePlus (watch movies online free & legal!!!!)**

1 - Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

2 - Christmas in Connecticut

3 - Deck the Halls

4 - A Flintstones Christmas Carol

5 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

6 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

7 - Tora! Tora! Tora! (Pearl Harbor Day)

8 - I'll Be Home for Christmas 

9 - Eight Crazy Nights (first day of Chanukkah)

10 - Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special

11 - The Muppet Christmas Carol

12 - Prep & Landing and Prep & Landing Stocking Stuffer: Operation: Secret Santa and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (these are all less than 30 min., so I decided to clump them together)

13 - Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

14 - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town!

15 - Scrooge

16 - The Year Without a Santa Claus

17 - Holiday Inn

18 - The Santa Clause

19 - The Santa Clause 2

20 - The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

21 - Frosty the Snowman

22 - Barbie in 'A Christmas Carol'

23 - The Osmond Family Christmas Special

24 - A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown

25 - White Christmas

Pagan Roots...

If a christian won't believe you when you tell them that christmas has pagan roots? Ask them about what "The Twelve Days of Christmas", "Deck the Halls" and/or "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" have to do with christianity.

(HINT: The correct answer is "absolutely fuck-all". All three songs are survivors from pre-christian solstice celebrations. Every single thing your true love gave to you in Twelve Days is a pagan symbol :)

A Soldier's Christmas

‘WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF

PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO

IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT

CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED

A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO

OF WHOM I’D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,

THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN’T HELP WONDER

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT

BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES

AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

SANTA DON’T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE,

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON’T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.”

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER

AND SOON DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN’T CONTROL IT,

I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED

FROM THE COLD NIGHT’S CHILL.

I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR

SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, “CARRY ON SANTA,

IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.”

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

 MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.”

--Author Unknown

Nigella's Christmas Kitchen

Holiday Eating Tips

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit.  In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately.  Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can.  And quickly.  Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even
 rarer than single-malt scotch.  You can't find it any other time of year but now.  So drink up!  Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip?  It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something.  It's a treat.  Enjoy it.  Have one for me.  Have two.  It's later than you think.  It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it.  That's the whole point of gravy.  Gravy does not stand alone.  Pour it on.  Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes.  Fill it with gravy.  Eat the volcano.  Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with  skim milk or whole milk.  If it's skim, pass.  Why bother?  It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating.  The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free.  Lots of it.  Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's.  You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do.  This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge.  Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention.  They're like a beautiful pair of shoes.  If you leave them behind,
you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies.  Apple.  Pumpkin.  Mincemeat.  Have a slice of each.  Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin.  Always have three.  When else do you get to have more than one dessert?  Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake?  Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost.  I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention.  Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

History of the Yule Tree

By Donna Arbucci-Schilling in Universal Life Coven

Yule Trees aka Christmas trees are a central part of the holiday celebrations around the world. Families gather around them to exchange gifts, cities put them up in squares and town halls, you'll find them in nearly every hotel and shopping mall... Although there's some debate as to whether the Yule/Xmas tree as it's used today has Pagan origins, it's clear that several non-christian cultures brought evergreen plants indoors at the time of the winter solstice.

Dating back centuries before Christ, cultures brought evergreen trees, plants, and leaves into their homes upon the arrival of the winter solstice, which occurs in the northern hemisphere between December 21st and 22nd. Although the specific practices were different in each country and culture, the symbolization was generally the same: to celebrate the return of life at the beginning of winter's decline.

Egyptians particularly valued evergreens as a symbol of life's victory over death. They brought green date palm leaves into their homes around the time of the winter solstice.

Druid priests in Great Britain also used evergreen plants and mistletoe in pagan ceremonies, and the mistletoe plant was the symbol of the birth of a god. Celtic Druids and Norseman of Scandinavia also used mistletoe in a mysterious ceremony just after the winter solstice.

Romans had a public festival called Saturnalia, which lasted one week beginning on December 17th, and included a variety of celebrations around the winter solstice. Curiously, the Roman winter solstice was marked on December 25th on the Julian calendar. These celebrations are thought to have merged with pagan practices of hanging mistletoe and the burning of the Yule log.

In Britain, the Yule log was originally seen as a magical amulet, and eventually made it into the hand's of Father Christmas. In Italy the Yule log is still burned for the "Festa di Ceppo". In Catalonia, the log is wrapped in a blanket until Christmas Eve, when it's unwrapped and burned for the custom of "fer cagar el tio". And in Serbia, families bring the Yule log (known as a "badnjak") into their homes on Christmas Eve to be burned along with prayers to God to bring happiness, luck, and riches.

In the mid 1500's, Germans began using evergreen trees as a symbol of hope for the coming of spring. This practice is likely to have gradually evolved from Pagan rituals of past, and merged with the celebration of Xmas leading to the tree's being shared as it were by other religions.

The History of Christmas and Its Pagan Origins

Many people suffer from the misconception that Christmas is a Christian holiday. The earliest history of Christmas is composed of "pagan" (non-Christian) fertility rites and practices which predate Jesus by centuries. The truth is, in short, the real history of Christmas has nothing to do with Christianity. Many of the traditions which we hold dear, such as decorating Christmas trees, singing Christmas carols, and giving Christmas gifts, are rooted in the traditions of non-Christian religions.

We do not observe Christmas on December 25th because it was the date in history when Jesus was born. Nobody knows exactly what that date was, but references in the Bible show it most likely did not take place in winter. Rather it is because this was the date that the Romans historically celebrated the winter solstice. This celebration was about dies natalis solis invicti: the day of the birth of the unconquerable sun, which took place on December 22nd. The winter solstice held the promise of the return of springtime and earthly renewal. In Roman history, this was the time of Saturnalia, honoring the God of Agriculture, for the week before the solstice, and Juvenalia, a feast in honor of the children of Rome, around the same time. On the 25th of the month they celebrated the birth of the sun-god Mithra. Masters and servants traded places temporarily, and everybody had a rollicking good time. It was during Saturnalia that the tradition of exchanging gifts was established. They gave one another Stenae or fruits which were intended to bring good luck. The Romans placed an enormous amount of pressure on the early Christians to rejoice along with them, and around the time of the fourth century, they began to celebrate Christmas around the same time. It was inevitable that Christians should make a connection between the rebirth of the sun and the birth of the Son.

In the Middle Ages, Christmas was a raucous, drunken celebration which resembled a carnival. Poor people would go on a Christmas"trick or treat" around the richer neighborhoods, causing them misery if they didn't get what they wanted.

Many other pagan traditions have been incorporated into Christmas. Yule was celebrated by the Norse in Scandanavia around the time of the winter solstice by bringing in large logs for the fire, in recognition of the eventual return of the sun. It could take as much as twelve days for the log to burn down. Meanwhile, the Norse would feast. The holiday usually lasted through January.

The Germans did not so much celebrate as honor the winter solstice. They believed that their god, Oden, flew through the sky at night passing judgment on his people. Generally, they would stay indoors during this season. When the Germanic people were converted to Christianity, their winter festival was naturally adopted as a celebration of the birth of Christ.

To the pagans, evergreens served as a symbol of winter's inability to stop the cycle of renewal. They were important fertility symbols which were highly revered by many cultures, including the Germans and the Celts. They helped to soothe the pagans' fears that the sun would never return, and that winter would reign eternal.

Contrary to popular belief, the tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree, bringing it into the home and decorating it is not pagan in origin, and did not appear until centuries after Christ's broth. The Romans decorated their homes and temples with evergreen clippings, but allowed the trees to remain intact, often decorating live trees with religious icons. The Druids tied fruit to the branches of live trees, and baked cakes in the shape of fish, birds and other animals, to offer to their god, Woden. We also inherited the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe from the Druids. The Christmas tree tradition we currently practice had its origins in 16th century Western Germany. "Paradise trees" were cut down to commemorate the Feast of Adam and Eve, which took place on Christmas eve every year.

Many Christians were opposed to the merrymaking and pagan origins of the Christmas festivities, especially the more solemn Christians such as the Puritans. In England in 1645, Christmas was actually canceled. In Boston between 1659 and 1681 Christmas was outlawed, and merrymakers incurred fines for their mirth.

Early carols were sung in a circle dance by European Celts in medieval times, as a part of their fertility rituals, and were later adopted as a way to celebrate Christmas. As a result they became unpopular among Christian authority. Over the ages multiple attempts have been made to ban Christmas carols. Christmas carols enjoyed a revival when St. Francis of Assisi began to favor a more joyous celebration of the Christmas season. Another pagan custom called wassailing, or singing from door to door, also became very popular among Christmas celebrants.

Many people mistakenly state that "Jesus is the reason for the season." They do so, because they believe people have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas. It simply isn't true. Christmas can be celebrated as completely secular because ultimately it is not a Christian holiday. Christmas goes beyond religious and cultural differences, and addresses something universal in all of us. For this reason it has become popular in non-Christian countries such as Japan. The truth is that Christian and pagan traditions have a great deal in common. The real need behind all of these traditions was to find a source of joy, happiness, hope, goodwill and generosity. There was a need to find ways to cope with our fears about the darkness and cold of wintertime, and to celebrate the return of the sun and the longer days of spring.

In fact, Christianity and pre-Christian pagan religion have a great deal in common. Various pagan religions shared the Christian practice of worshiping a god-man who could offer salvation in the form of heaven or condemnation in the form of hell. The concept that a son of God could be born of a mortal woman is seen in many different religions spanning the globe. These concepts are universal, except to those who are extremely divisive and have a tendency to pick nits.

The pagans were smart people who had quite a few good ideas. They respected the earth, and we have benefited greatly from their practices. There is no reason for Christians to fear "pagan" universal and earth-centered traditions. At Christmas, rather than fretting that non-Christians have forgotten about Jesus we should focus on the deeper purpose of the holiday. The main problem is that Christmas has become far too commercial and this has gotten us away from the pagan tradition of connecting with the earth. Instead, we spend the whole holiday trashing the planet with excessive buying, and cutting down millions of Christmas trees which must then be discarded less than a month later. Environmental destruction and consumerism has passed for merrymaking for many years now, but it's an empty tradition. Celebrating the fertility of the earth is better by far. There is a strong need for a return to the family- and society-centered traditions which were established in Roman times and reestablished in the 19th century. Washington Irving's writings helped Americans to establish Christmas as a time of giving to those who are most in need, and bridging the gap between the rich and the poor. These traditions had their roots in the practices of the real St. Nicholas, who lived in Myra in the fourth century A.D. He was born rich and inherited a great deal of money on the death of his parents, all of which he gave away. St. Nicholas is said to have thrown bags of gold into the windows of dowerless girls to save them from lives of prostitution or slavery. He was also well know for his love and protection of children. St. Nicholas is the figure behind our modern day Santa Claus myth of a generous man who delivered hand-made toys to children all over the world.

So rather than viewing Christmas as a time to break the bank, we can take advantage of it as a time to help the less fortunate. Many people ask that their friends and loved ones give to charity rather than buy them a gift. This sort of gift giving is popular among yogis who see Christmas as a way to extend their practice.

Fortunately there are many ways to reconnect with the original purpose and meaning of Christmas. Small traditions, such as placing apples or cookies on the tree, or decorating a live tree instead of a cut one, are a good way to get in touch with the way that our ancestors celebrated Christmas. Respecting the planet and understanding its powers and its limitations are important. The pagans were aware of the changing seasons and found earth-centered and social ways to cope with them. They were aware and appreciative of the sun. They exchanged gifts, but their gift exchange was not commercialized. Instead the focus was on bringing good fortune. Giving gifts of fruit has been a common practice throughout history, and is still popular today.

The Christmas holiday season is about unity, not divisiveness. At the holiday season we should forget about our religious differences, abandon commercialism and think about what is best for the planet and for humanity.

Holiday Infographs

5 Tips for a Stress Free Holiday Season

Here are 5 tips for (hopefully) having a stress free holiday season (remind me to follow them as well!):

1. Perhaps the most common piece of advice out there in terms of reducing stress during the holidays is to create and stick to a budget when shopping.  It’s so easy to overspend when we’re buying gifts for the people we love but if you create a budget you can keep an eye on store flyers and sales and still buy that special someone the perfect gift, without going into debt.

2. Plan ahead!  This goes for everything holiday.  Try and get at least a few presents purchased before the holiday season even begins.  If you have a quiet week night in November, do some holiday baking.  If you have holiday parties to attend, find out in advance what is required of you (Pot luck? Gift exchange?) and take care of as many details as you can well before the date.

3. Learn to say no!  The holidays are busy for everyone and undoubtedly you will be called upon to pitch in at a holiday party, your children’s school, or a charity event.  The season is all about giving to others but remember that you are no good to anyone if you are chronically stressed and unorganized because you have too much on your plate.  People will understand if you have to say no and this way you can give 100% to those yes requests.

4. Check in with other family members during the season to ensure your little ones are not about to have a meltdown capable of taking out the North pole just before getting to grandma’s house.  Kids show stress in different ways – are they over tired, weepy or grouchy?  Check in and share your understanding of how the holiday season can be overwhelming for everyone.  Offer extra hugs, and perhaps an earlier bedtime to make up for the excitement to come once Christmas is here.

5. Take care of yourself.  Don’t abandon healthy habits just because it’s the holidays.  Eat healthy (but enjoy your favorite treats in moderation, hooray for holiday food!), get enough rest, and take a breather when you feel your stress barometer begin to rise.  Healthy habits will work to help avoid getting sick during the holidays, which is no fun for anyone.

We all get stressed over the holidays, but hopefully the celebration, excitement and togetherness that the holiday season brings outweigh those times when we’re feeling the holiday stress creep up.

Bizarre and Fascinating Facts about Christmas

Christmas is one of the most popular holidays in the world, and its celebration every year is a major global event. We’ve all grown up with Christmas in our hearts, and have grown to love its many familiar traditions. That’s what makes the holiday so great — there’s just so much to love about it. In fact, even the not-so familiar facts are a lot of fun. Here are 32 things you might not have known about the holiday season’s climax:

Jesus Wasn't Born on December 25 — It’s a little funny how many people celebrate Jesus’ birthday without really knowing when it is. The actual date of Jesus’ birth has puzzled scholars throughout history; differing calculations have placed the special day on March 28, September 11, and November 18, among other dates. It’s widely believed that we celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December because of the Catholic Church’s efforts to convert the masses. In order to gain more followers, the Church began to incorporate several Pagan beliefs and rituals into its practice. Among these was the Saturnalia festival, which ended on December 25. By promising the practitioners of Saturnalia that they’d still be able to celebrate their festival as Christians, the Church was able to welcome more people into the fold. Just so Saturnalia would have some Christian sentiment to it, the Church then moved Jesus’ birthday to the date of the festival’s end.

Not Just for Halloween — Many Ukrainian families decorate their Christmas trees with webs and spiders. This odd tradition has its origins in a popular folktale from Ukraine. According to the story, there was once a woman who was so poor, she couldn’t afford any decorations for her Christmas tree. However, she awoke one morning to find that spiders had trimmed her tree with their webs. To her surprise, the webs turned into silver and gold in the sunlight! Because of the tale, spider webs on Christmas morning have been regarded as a sign of good luck and prosperity.

Spider Webs, Vol.2 — Another version of the story above doesn’t think as fondly of spiders. In this version, the poor woman, determined to give her children a happy Christmas, puts her blood, sweat, and tears into surprising them with a Christmas tree. Unfortunately, spiders came and destroyed the tree while she slept, covering it in webs. The Child Jesus, having seen what happened, decided to spare the poor woman from heartbreak, and turned the webs into silver. It’s from this version of the story that tinsel became a holiday tradition.

Bah, Humbug!, Said Cromwell — Sometime between 1649 and 1660, the English Parliament abolished Christmas. The Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell believed that a the day celebrating Christ’s birth should be used for solemn reverence of the occasion, not for merry-making. Instead of the feasts and gift-giving, Christmas was celebrated with prayer and sermons from the clergy.

71 Years in the Making — Christmas wasn’t always one of the country’s national holidays. In fact, Alabama was the first to declare the day a legal holiday in 1836. The other states followed suit, but not as quickly as you’d think. Oklahoma was the last state in the country to declare Christmas a legal holiday, doing so in 1907. That means it took a whopping 71 years for Christmas to officially become a national holiday!

The Christmas Day Truce — True to the holiday’s spirit of goodwill to all, a brief Christmas truce was held during World War II. On midnight, December 24, 1941, firing from the German trenches suddenly stopped. To the surprise of the Allied forces, a German brass band began playing Christmas carols. German soldiers then came to the Allied lines bearing Christmas greetings. The ceasefire lasted a few days, wherein both sides sang, feasted, and exchanged gifts.

A Claus by Any Other Name — Santa Claus isn’t the only gift-giving spirit during the holidays. Different cultures have different present-bringers; while some differ from good old St. Nick only in name, others are an entirely different shape and size.

England calls Santa Father Christmas, whereas France names the jolly old soul Pere Noel. Some families in Italy, on the other hand, await a kindly old witch named La Befana. In some parts of Russia, children look forward to the grandmother figure Babouschka bringing their presents. In other areas of Spain and South America, gifts are brought by the Three Kings, who gave presents to the newborn Jesus.

Season’s Beatings — Hot Cockles was a popular Christmas game in the Medieval era. One player would be blindfolded and made to stand in the middle of the group. One by one, the other players would hit the blindfolded victim. The blindfolded player then had to correctly guess who it was that hit him, or else the game would go on. Strangely enough, this game was enjoyed during the holidays, up until people found their sanity in the Victorian era.

Dog Day Holidays — British dogs have reason to look forward to Christmas. According to surveys, roughly 70 percent of the furry old chaps get presents from their owners during the holiday season. Who said a dog’s life was a bad one?

Shopping Daze — lot of people tend to think that Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving) is the busiest shopping day of the year, since it’s generally accepted as the kick-off to the holiday shopping season. However, most would be surprised to learn that it’s only around the fifth-busiest. The days where shoppers go their wildest are the Friday and Saturday before Christmas, proving that a lot of us really do put things off until the last minute.


Not-So Famous Words — Charles Dickens immortalized the phrase "Bah, humbug" in the well-loved story A Christmas Carol. Few people know that the words might not even have seen print if Dickens hadn’t changed his mind. His original plan was to have cranky old Ebenezer Scrooge say "Bah, Christmas" instead of the line we all know and love.

Sugar High — Candy cane is a holiday favorite, tickling the sweet tooth of kids and adults alike. People loved candy cane so much, candy manufacturers are all too eager to produce the popular confections. During the holiday season alone, the average production of candy canes is more than 1.76 BILLION pieces!

Smokey the Bear Would Be Proud — Every year, we light up our trees and homes with brightly-colored Christmas lights. We owe this tradition to Ralph E. Morris, who pioneered the use of the tiny bulbs in the Yuletide season. The reason he opted for using electrical bulbs was a practical one: he realized that they’d be less of a fire risk than candles, which were the popular choice in his day.

Not Quite the Elves You Were Expecting — Some families in Greece follow a notably different Christmas tradition. During this time of the year, they ask a local priest to toss a small cross into the village’s water. They also sprinkle holy water in the dark corners of their houses. This is done to keep the kallikantzari, devious little gremlin-like critters, away. Alternatively, it’s believed that the scent of a burning shoe or salt is just as effective.


Sticks and Stones — We’re all quite familiar with the Nativity scene. In it, the child Jesus is depicted surrounded by his family, a few animals, and the Three Kings inside a wooden manger. Historically speaking, though, the scene is all wrong. Back in Jesus’ time, the preferred place to keep animals was in caves, to keep them away from the intense heat of daytime. The wooden manger itself may be inaccurate, as stone was a more widely-used building material than wood was in those days.

More than Just for Kissing — Long before people locked lips underneath hanging mistletoe, the plant enjoyed a more revered existence. The early Celtics and Teutonic tribes believed it had divine powers, among which were the ability to ward off evil, heal wounds, and increase fertility. The plant was so sacred that it had to be cut with a golden sickle, and was not allowed to touch the ground.

The Un-Christmas Gift — Treasure Island author Robert Louis Stevenson had a friend who very much disliked her birthday, which fell on December 25. As a parting gift, he stipulated in his will that he would bequeath his own November 13 birthday to that friend, so that her special day wouldn’t be overshadowed by Christmas.

It Takes Three — The image of Santa Claus as we know and love him today was actually the product of three different minds. The description of St. Nick was originally laid out in Dr. Clement Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas, or what we know today as ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. Thomas Nast, a cartoonist, slowly evolved his elf-like Santa to closer resemble the version in the poem. The artist Haddon Sundblom added the final touch, changing the color of Santa’s outfit from green to red. The change was actually requested by Coca Cola, who had commissioned the artist to include Santa in their product labels. The red was meant to bring Coca Cola’s identity to the illustration.


It Takes Three, Part 2 — The familiar Christmas carol, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, was also the product of three creators. The carol started out as a poem written by Robert May to act as a promotional tool for the Montgomery Ward department store. Each kid who visited the store’s Santa Claus received a booklet in which the poem was printed. The booklet became so popular, more than 2 million copies were given away. Ten years later, May’s friend, Johnny Marks, suggested that the poem be put to music, and he composed the well-loved tune. Marks got Gene Autry to sing it, and the rest went down in history.

Eat Your Greens — Hungry during the holidays? Look no further than your living room. Christmas trees are actually edible, and can be good for your health. Pine nuts and pine cones have long been known to have decent nutritional value. Feeling a little more adventurous? Trying munching on the needles; they’re reportedly very rich in vitamin C.

(Don’t) Eat Your Greens — There are three general Christmas plants: holly, mistletoe, and poinsettias. We deck the halls with them, kiss underneath them, and decorate our home with them. It’s rather interesting to note, then, that out of these three well-known plants, poinsettias are the only ones that aren’t poisonous.

On Dasher, On Donner, On… Camel? — Ever since most of us can remember, Santa’s always gotten around on his magic sleigh and flying reindeer. However, in Syria, things can be pretty different. Those that follow a different tradition may not even be waiting for Santa at all; instead, Christmas gifts are said to be brought by the smallest of the Three Kings’ camels.

Pucker Up — The tradition of kissing underneath mistletoe traces all the way back to Celtic times. The druids believed that mistletoe was a sacred plant, and dedicated it to their goddess of love. It was from this belief that people began kissing underneath the mistletoe. In the tradition’s early days, every time a boy would kiss a girl, he would pluck one berry from the plant hanging overhead. He’d then give the berry to the girl. This continued until all the berries were gone, at which point the kisses would be, too.

Plucky Tree — Christmas trees have been a long-running tradition. However, not everyone could bring home a pine tree to decorate their homes. This led to the invention of the artificial Christmas tree in Germany. Unlike the ones we have today, which are made of plastic, the first artificial trees were made with goose feathers that were painted green.

What’s in a Name? — Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has long been a Christmas mainstay. People of all ages embrace the reindeer with the glowing nose. Little do people know that the reindeer they’ve come to know and love was pretty close to being named differently by its creator. Other than "Rudolph", Robert May considered naming the star of his poem "Reginald" or "Rollo", but both names were eventually rejected.

Speedy Santa — Based on population counts, Santa has to visit over 42 million homes within a 12-hour period on Christmas Eve. With a little math, we see that St. Nick travels through over 900 houses per second. If you didn’t think that was fast enough, you’d be surprised to know that this figures only for North America and Europe; if you take the whole world into consideration, Santa travels even faster.

Right Song, Wrong Occasion — Jingle Bells may be one of the most popular Christmas carols out there, but it wasn’t originally meant to be one. The song actually has three verses more than what is usually sung, and in its entirety tells a story of a boy’s sleighing adventure. He takes a girl, Miss Fanny Bright, out on a sleigh, when he loses control and falls off. To his dismay, a rival comes along and makes fun of the accident. The song closes with the boy relating his story to a friend, and gives him advice on picking girls up on horseback.

In Space, No One can Hear You Jingle — Jingle Bells also bears the distinction of being the first song played in space. The song was played as the closing part to a prank, in which astronauts aboard the Gemini 6 reported a strange-looking satellite circling the Earth. It was led by eight smaller satellites, and was piloted by a strangely familiar-looking fat man in a red suit. The astronauts then whipped out a harmonica and sleigh bells and began to serenade Mission Control with the carol.

The Postman Always Rings a Billion Times — Despite e-greeting cards reducing the amount of Christmas cards being sent through the mail, tons of people still prefer to send their greetings through the old route. On average, the US Postal Service delivers roughly 3 billion Christmas cards a year! No wonder some of them are so disgruntled!

That’s a Lot of Forests — The centerpiece of a home’s Christmas decorations is almost always the Christmas tree. It’s no wonder, then, that we buy so many of them when the holidays roll around. According to a study by the National Christmas Tree Association, roughly 37.1 million real Christmas trees are bought in the country alone. Environmentalists don’t need to worry much, though — 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in place of every tree harvested.

Frosty Would Have Been Proud — In 1999, residents in the state of Maine set out to make the biggest snowman in history. They succeeded, creating a snowman that stood a whopping 113 feet tall! To put things in perspective, that makes the snowman taller than most houses, and higher than most average-sized buildings.

Elves Sell Toys, Too — In 1914, toymaker Charles Pajeau couldn’t quite put his finger on why his Tinker Toys weren’t selling as well as he’d hoped. In an effort to drive up interest in his inventions, he hired several little people to dress up as elves and play with Tinker Toys in a department store window during Christmas. The gimmick was a resounding success, and within a year, Pajeau had sold over a million sets of his toys.