Essential Christmas Message in Rembrandt’s Nativity Scene of Peace


In Rembrandt’s portrayal of the nativity scene, the attention was entirely focused on the Babe in the manger. He did this by painting a shaft of light so that it falls exclusively on the Christ-child. Although he included other figures, they are shrouded in shadows. Rembrandt wanted nothing to detract from the significance of that Baby—who was God in the flesh. The painter wanted Christ to be the sole object of adoration.

Christmas Choices: Not Everyone is Excited About Christmas



The glitter of bright and colorful decorations, the sounds of joyous Christmas carols, the happy children, and the cheerful greetings of “Merry Christmas!” may give the impression that everybody is glad that Jesus came to our planet. But reality is, that isn’t true, and it never was.

Christmas Decor and Safety Concerns during the Holidays



Here are basic tips on how to keep your home and your loved ones safe during the holiday season.

Holiday Cherry Cheesecake



A sumptuous and enticing cheesecake perfect for the holidays.

See recipe here: Holiday Cherry Cheesecake

My Most Unforgettable Christmas Songs


Why some Christmas songs are more special to me than others, let me tell you the Reason. As the Christmas season approaches, more and more Christmas and holiday tunes are resounding wherever we go. It reminds us that we need to finish our shopping list, too.Numerous songs have been written for and about this glorious season of the year, but I have kept a steady list of my favorites. Most of which are classics and in the minor key. I have ten of my most loved Christmas songs. I know, I know... Christmas is a joyous occasion, to some it's all about tradition, pretty decor, happy gatherings, festivities, the pomp, the show, and some do celebrate of the Messiah's birth. I personally prefer the contemplative peaceful side of the Christmas mood.

Christmas Carols and the Victorian Era


On the first Chirstmas Eve, nearly two thousand years ago, the hills around Bethlehem echoed with song. Sleepy shepherds learned of Jesus' birth from angels singing praises to God and journeyed, amazed, to visit the infant in the manger. As they walked back to their flocks the shepherds, too, sang songs of rejoicing.
The Victorians loved music so it is no surprise that they revived the old medieval carols and also composed new ones, both secular and religious.

The Nostalgia of Victorian-Inspired Christmas Cards

Victorian art is synonymous to opulence, timeless beauty and nostalgia. Its style holds a timeless charm especially when used in items pertaining to the Christmas celebration.
All the more, if these cards were given personally to someone special, I believe it could still release in the magic of Christmas even at this modern age, even in the most "Scroogiest" personalities.

Practical Guidelines on Gift Giving

Christmas is indeed one of the busiest, if not the busiest, season of the year. It pays to plan ahead in order to avoid the burned-out feeling of the Christmas paranoia. Due to this, sometimes we tend to forget to enjoy the reason for the celebration. Here are three basic rules you may apply in your gift giving practices.

Getting More Out of Christmas

Christmas can be a perfect time when less can be more.
A few days before Christmas, some of us will still do the last minute Christmas shopping. Many are weary of shopping because the store merchants began urging us to start buying our gifts and treats long before Thanksgiving. Some purposely wait up to the last minute in the hopes of getting in on some sales.

The Schizophrenic Holiday Called Christmas

Christmas may carry Christ’s name but someone else gets most of the attention.

Don’t misunderstand. I’m no Scrooge dedicated to banishing innocent make-believe. On balance, Santa Claus has probably made the world a happier place for thousands. But it seems significant that we have invented a fantasy-figure for our children and ourselves that resembles the Savior so closely.

Full Article: The Schizophrenic Holiday Called Christmas

Homemade Dips And Spreads As Christmas Gifts


Make up a basket of treats for a friend, neighbor, or a loved on with choice dips and spreads as gifts.

Christmas Cookie Bonanza



Seven different cookies all from one basic recipe!

1 cup sugar

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda


SEE RECIPE HERE: Christmas Cookie Bonanza

Homemade Relishes for the Festive Holidays

Enhance any holiday table with one of these flavorful relishes. Label your gift jars and add a pretty holiday greeting sticker.

Marinated Olives
Mexican Relish
Cranberry Orange Relish
Mushroom Relish
Peppery Relish

See recipes here: Homemade Relishes for the Festive Holidays

The Inspiring Story Behind the Song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

As the holiday of 1938 came to Chicago, Bob May, 34-year old ad writer for Montgomery Ward, a father of a four-year old girl, was exhausted, broke, and about to lose his wife to cancer.

One night, Barbara, his daughter aked him, “Why isn’t mommy like everybody else’s mommy?” As he struggled to answer his daughter’s question, Bob remembered the pain of his own childhood. A small, sickly boy, he was constantly picked on and called names. So he began to spin a tale about a reindeer with a bright red nose who found a special place on Santa’s team.

Read the rest of the story here: The Inspiring Story Behind the Song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Yule Log Cake Recipe



Here’s a special cake you may serve as a centerpiece for Christmas dinner. This would also make a perfect gift for family and friends.

See the recipe here: Yule Log Cake Recipe

The Messiah: Handel’s Musical Legacy

image source

The most remembered work of Handel is his oratorio Messiah – the single work that made him a household name. Paul Henry Lang, in his exhaustive study of the composer writes, “Messiah is perhaps the only major work about which public sentiment is unanimous. Its freshness, its warmth, its beautifully rounded forms and sculptured melodies offer universal experience to men of all walks of life and all shades of faith.

Read the whole article here: The Messiah: Handel’s Musical Legacy

The Nutcracker Suite: A Memorable Christmas Ballet



One of the landmarks in ballet history was Pyotor Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s creation of the Nutcracker Suite. With Swan Lake (1876) and The Sleeping Beauty(1879) behind him, he was commissioned by the director of St. Petersburg’s Imperial Theater to write a new ballet to a book by Marius Petipa, who completely outlined the moods and dances the musical score was to fit. The first night was not as triumphant as that ofSleeping Beauty’s. It was confusing for the Russian audiences of that day to see a performance dominated by children in the first act, and they did not exactly favor the German story on which it was based either. Today, however, there is hardly a major world dance company or regional ballet that does not mount an elaborate Christmastime production of The Nutcracker.

Homemade Giftable Mix Recipes


Imaginative and different, these recipes are sure to please as gifts. Be certain to label each bottle or jar and give directions on how to use the mix.

See recipes here: Homemade Giftable Mix Recipes

Homemade Gifts for People Who Love Sweets: Dessert Toppings



What lovelier gift for that someone with a sweet tooth, than a trio of delectable dessert toppings!

See recipes here: Homemade Gifts for People Who Love Sweets: Dessert Toppings

Your Christmas Gifts Reveal Something About You

The nearer Christmas gets, the more frantic we become, until finally we rush out to buy something—anything. We’re bothered about these choices because we want the receiver to like his or her gift because we fear people’s opinion of us, based on our gift.
You can carefully choose the gifts and you don’t have to buy them in bulk. You can buy gifts in a series of shopping trips. But no matter how early one plans the gifts to give, it is quite realistic to say that no Christmas ever dawns that doesn’t bring its own disappointments, regrets, and plain old sulking...



Read whole article here: Your Christmas Gifts Reveal Something About You
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)