Design Crafters

According to Daniel Boorstin in his book "The Americans", Christmas was not such a big deal, in fact it was pretty much a "non-event" in the US until the 1860s. In 1867, Macy’s department store in New York City led the way by remaining oopen until midnight on Christmas Eve. 1874 was the first year that Macy’s dedicated a window display with a Christmas theme. It has only snowballed from there.

According to the 1994 "Britannica Book of the Year," there are 1.8 billion Christians in a total world population of 5.5 billion, making it the largest religion worldwide. A large majority of Americans claim to be Christians (with the moral decline I see in this country, I would challenge that). Because Christians follow Jesus, the birth of Jesus is important to them, hence a celebration.

In the US, the weeks leading up to Christmas are the biggest shopping weeks of the year. Many retailers claim to make up to 70% of their sales for the year in the month or weeks preceeding Christmas, which explains all the hype and commercials beyond belief during that time.

Christmas has also become a great time and excuse to touch base with clients, family and friends by sending  Personalized Business Christmas cards  or personal Christmas cards with well wishes for the New Year.

If you had an alien visiting you or even just as odd, someone
from the "Bush" who had never heard about Christmas would you be able
to answer all their questions about it? If they showed up any time after
Thanksgiving, decorations would be up everywhere and I’m sure he/she would have
many questions.

First of all what is Christmas and why is it such a big deal? What’s with all
the decorations? Why do we "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly? Why do we
exchange Christmas presents? Why do we have an evergreen or a "fake"
evergreen tree in our living room and why is it decorated with ornaments and tinsel?
Why do we have garland hanging over our mantel and/or staircase and a wreath on
our front door?

What is a nativity scene and why are there oversized stockings hanging from
your mantle? Why is mistletoe hanging from the doorway? Why are there
poinsettias on the hearth and a big log in the fireplace? Why is every radio
station playing Christmas songs over and over again all day long and why are
there people walking around the neighborhood singing Christmas carols in the
evening?

Who is this Santa person and this reindeer named Rudolph? What exactly are the
12 days of Christmas and why is Christmas Eve celebrated? Why so many fruitcakes
and why does everyone dream of a white Christmas? Why is Christmas sometimes
spelled Xmas, and why are the malls so crowded with people carrying heavy
shopping bags? Why are there Christmas cards lying all over the coffee table?

We will attempt to answer some of these questions for you in case you may need
some help duing the next few days.

Whether you teach your children to believe in Santa or not, is a personal choice.  Most do, and having to tell your child at a later time that it all was a fantasy is always hard on everybody and a bit of a disappointment and let down for the child, but they can still learn the concept and joy of giving to others as they have learned by example from Santa (their parents).

Be prepared for the fact that they will quickly be able to put two and two together and on their own after being told that Santa was not real, they will figure out that the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are also fantasy. It is one of the hard things to have to deal with in growing up. But many feel that the initial disappointment soon passes as their child has learned how much fun it can be to give anonymously.

Some families choose not to let
their children believe that Santa Claus is a real man. There are many reasons for this, but mostly
it is because they believe that the birth of Jesus Christ is the reason for the
season, and they do not want anything to diminish that truth. Just because children know that Santa is not
a living breathing person who will actually visit their house on Christmas Eve,
does not mean that these children will enjoy Christmas any less than children
who do believe in Santa. 

Remember the story about little Virginia who wrote to the New York Sun asking if there was a Santa Clause? Find the heartwarming answer at this Christmas site.