The Little Drummer Boy is a popular Christmas song that was also the inspiration for a 1968 animated TV special by the same name. The song, written by Katherine K. Davis and later arranged by Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone, was originally written in 1941, but didn’t become a hit until it was rearranged and released in 1958. It wasn’t released until November of that year, but it still managed to quickly rise to #13 on the holiday charts. It’s been a holiday favorite ever since.

The Little Drummer Boy Lyrics

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
When we come.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,
On my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum

I found this commentary on eZine Articles and like what the author had to say about Christmas stress. For too many people, the holidays can become a source of stress, rather than a wonderful time to share with family and friends and remember the simple pleasures of life. This author reminds us to slow down and think of others during the holiday season.

Christmas Stress
By Mindy Adamson

I made a very obvious discovery this Christmas season; that no matter how much we try, say and attempt to create a stress free season, it seems to never simplify but gets worse with every passing year. I hear so many people say “this year I am going to do things different”, but to no avail. The stores fill more and more with potential gifts, cards and stocking stuffers. How did we lose our way, the true meaning of the birth of our lord and savior? I want to see if I can crack the code to making a Christmas different. It is too late this year to start seeing what good can be done this season, but we have a whole year to figure out what we can do differently. I can’t change how other people deal with this time of year, but I really want to examine how I can make a difference. I challenge you, the reader, to do the same.

What I want to take a look at is the gift giving we go crazy over. How many people do you know, including yourself, worry themselves into a frenzy finding “just the right gift” for every person they know, have ever known and the people they suspect might get them a gift? Why is it that we go into debt so we have to spend all year trying to pay it off, to get gifts for people who very likely do not need for anything? I have seen for as many years as I have been on this planet, the piles and piles of presents given in vain. Where do these gifts go? Don’t you ever wonder what will happen to all these gifts? I would be willing to bet that many of them end up in garages, junk drawers or at the next family yard sale. So this is how we lost the Christmas meaning, we have focused on things instead of the truly important things in life. Loving one another and putting Christ in the center. Add up the money you spend on all aspects of Christmas; from presents, cards, wrapping paper, trees, decorations and much more and I ask that you evaluate whether this is really where your money is needed. If, like me, you have decided that this is foolish to the extent it is currently. There is another way.

There are people in true need. Not far away in Africa, but right here in the land of the “American Dream”. The idea of a house with a white picket fence, a husband and wife and 3 kids is far from reality for so many Americans. Instead of piling our houses with knick- knacks and more gadgets than we could ever possibly enjoy, we have the chance to help those who can’t help themselves. Instead of spending ourselves blind on gifts, let us give to the homeless, hungry and sick. There are many reputable charities out there that strive to bless those in need. If Jesus were here on this Earth today, how would he spend his earnings? I believe he would serve others and help those in need, just as he did in his time. There is so many things that can distract us from what God intended us to do with our money, let us not forget the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Show your gratitude for what you have been blessed with by blessing others. Next year is a new opportunity, will you continue the cycle of materialism, or will you chose a new path…one of giving and love?

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mindy_Adamson

http://EzineArticles.com/?Christmas-Stress&id=3539982

Looking for something fun and different for your Christmas meal? Try Rosca de Reyes (also known as Three King’s Cake), a traditional cake made in Spain and Mexico. Made out of bread dough, Rosca de Reyes is decorated with dried fruit and usually contains a figure of the baby Jesus hidden inside.

This article includes a recipe that will have you making this delicious treat in no time!

A Traditional Mexican Christmas with Recipe for Rosca de Reyes
By Jen E Carter

The Mexican Christmas festivities last for several weeks, starting on Dec 16th when the first of the Posada parties start. The celebrations remember Mary & Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. Although initially a religious celebration, the Posada parties are now a big social celebration of the holiday season.

Every night until Noche Buena, December 24th, a party is held in a local home. The end to each posada is celebrated by the breaking of piñatas filled with candy and toys. On the night before Christmas, families often attend Midnight Mass together.

Although traditional children had to wait until January 6th, more families are allowing them to open their presents on Christmas Day. However, there are more celebrations to come.

On January 6th which is Epiphany, celebrations include:-

1. Freshly baked Rosca de Reyes – a big oval wreath made out of bread dough and decorated with dried fruit and sugar
2. Chocolate Caliente – steaming mugs of hot chocolate
3. Tamales – can be a lot of work to make – steamed dumplings of rich, spicy filling wrapped in corn dough. There are three important components to a tamale: the wrapper, the dough and the filling. Although it’s rather complicated to make, no-one wonders why after they’ve taken their first bite!

Recipe for Rosca de Reyes

Ingredients

1 packet yeast

¼ cup of lukewarm milk

3 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups of sugar

7 eggs

125 grams butter

1/4 aniseed

100 grams raisins

1 tsp vanilla

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Pinch of salt

50 grams candied figs

50 grams candied orange

50 grams candied lemon

50 grams candied cherries

50 grams candied citron

1 beaten egg

sugar

flour

1. Heat oven to 360° F ( 180°C)
2. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk
3. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, eggs, butter, cinnamon, aniseed, raisins, vanilla and salt
4. Kneed for five to ten minutes until pliable
5. Place in a bowl, cover with a teatowel and place somewhere warm to rise (1-2 hours)
6. Cut the candied fruits into strips
7. Form the dough into a ring or rosca.
8. Add the baby Jesus figurine.
9. Place the ring on a baking tray decorating the top with the candied fruit.
10. Leave to rise again for 20-30 minutes.
11. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle over with sugar.
12. Bake for 40-45 minutes

Remove from the oven and serve to celebrate Christmas the Mexican way. Remember, tradition says that whoever finds the figurine of the baby Jesus has to host the next party!

Visit our website for further ideas for Mexican recipes and Christmas Recipes.

Find more recipes & cookbooks at the One Dollar bookstore.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jen_E_Carter

http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Traditional-Mexican-Christmas-with-Recipe-for-Rosca-de-Reyes&id=305448

If you’ve Elf Yourself-ed too many times to find it funny anymore, grab your digital photos and head over to FunPunch.com to check out their “You’re the Star” ecards for the holidays and Santa yourself. They’ve got some great free ecards for the holidays that let you add your own photo. Put on a Santa costume and dance with the rocking reindeer (shown here) or don an elf outfit to dance by the fireplace. You can also check out some of the racier options, such as the Xmas stripper cards. (Don’t worry – the animated characters don’t bare it all.)

You’ll need an account to send your cards or post them on Facebook, but it’s free, so have fun!
They’re all free, so go have some fun!

The Elf on the Shelf Gift Set is a cute rhyming storybook with an accompanying Santa’s elf. The elf is a scout for Santa Claus, and every night he returns to the North Pole to report on who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. When the kids wake up, he’s hiding in a new place each morning. The book has been around for a few years, but I recently learned of it and bought the set based on positive reviews on Amazon.

One parent said, “After hearing from friends and reading reviews how great this was, we bit the bullet and got it. I cannot say enough about how cute this was for our two boys (age 6 and 3). They bolted downstairs every morning to find the elf, and the oldest cried when he touched it accidentally because he thought it would lose its magic. The story and elf was the sweetest thing. Note, however, that parents have to remember to move the elf around every night, or come up with creative excuses for why the elf decided to come back from the North Pole into the same spot! .”

Yes, indeed, if you buy the Elf on the Shelf gift set, be prepared to come up with a new hiding spot every night!! This has been my biggest challenge, as the holidays are a busy time already, and remembering to move the elf every night can be difficult if you don’t make a habit of it. But it’s definitely worth it if you want to bring a little Christmas magic into your house.

More on the Elf on the Shelf Gift Set and Other Elf Toys and Books.

It’s always been hard to capture real Santa pictures. He has to fly at night to avoid air traffic and all those questions little kids would ask at every house if he tried to visit during the day when they were awake. And his magic reindeer are faster than the speed of sound or he’d never make it around the world in one night. So getting real pictures of Santa has traditionally been darn near impossible.

So I love this new website – Capture the Magic of Santa. Through the magic of digital technology, they can help you capture real Santa pictures right in your home. You might find St. Nick in your living room, your kitchen, perhaps even your child’s bedroom. He might even be talking to your pets or standing outside your front door. In fact, with this site you can capture photos of Santa in any room of the home you choose.

You simply upload a photo of some place in or around your home (or a photo of any location), and select from dozens of images of Santa. Then, with the miracle of modern technology, you can finally get a photo of Santa in your house to prove to your child that he really DID visit while everyone was sleeping. You might even be able to capture a photo of the jolly old elf looking over your child while he or she is snoozing. You never know!

So have some fun and check it out.

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is one of the great classic animated TV specials, and part of its charm is the music. Dr. Seuss himself wrote the Grinch theme song, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” as well as the song the Whos sing on Christmas morning (Fahoo Forays). If you’ve always wanted to sing along as the Grinch is slithering through Whoville and throwing bags out the chimneys for poor Max to catch (well, try to catch), here are the lyrics.

The Grinch Theme Song: “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.
You really are a heel.
You’re as cuddly as a cactus,
You’re as charming as an eel.
Mr. Grinch.

You’re a bad banana
With a greasy black peel.

You’re a monster, Mr. Grinch.
Your heart’s an empty hole.
Your brain is full of spiders,
You’ve got garlic in your soul.
Mr. Grinch.

I wouldn’t touch you, with a
thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole.

You’re a vile one, Mr. Grinch.
You have termites in your smile.
You have all the tender sweetness
Of a seasick crocodile.
Mr. Grinch.

Given the choice between the two of you
I’d take the seasick crocodile.

You’re a foul one, Mr. Grinch.
You’re a nasty, wasty skunk.
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk.
Mr. Grinch.

The three words that best describe you,
are, and I quote: “Stink. Stank. Stunk.”

You’re a rotter, Mr. Grinch.
You’re the king of sinful sots.
Your heart’s a dead tomato splot
With moldy purple spots,
Mr. Grinch.

Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing
with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable
rubbish imaginable,
Mangled up in tangled up knots.

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch.
With a nauseous super-naus.
You’re a crooked jerky jockey
And you drive a crooked horse.
Mr. Grinch.

You’re a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich
With arsenic sauce.

Copyright Dr. Seuss

Americans send about 2.1 billion cards during the holidays, and most of them end up in the trash after the holidays. Here are some ideas for reusing your old cards.

1. Bookmarks – This is an easy craft that’s great for readers. Simply cut your old cards into long strips about one to two inches wide and use them to keep your place in your favorite book.

2. Gift tags – Probably one of the most useful ideas, and it will save you money next holiday season. Just cut square or rectangle shapes from your old cards, and then fold them to use as gift tags.

3. Post cards – Cut off the picture side of the card and draw a line down the blank back to use it as a postcard. Write your message on the left and address on the right.

4. Dinner placecards – If you host the big family dinner every year, this is a great idea for table place cards. Cut off and discard the back portion of the cards and cut the picture on the front into a rectangle. Then fold that in half to create a placecard.

5. Christmas placemats – Kids will have fun with this one! Cut pictures from your cards into fun shapes and arrange them, collage-style, on a sheet of 11×17″ paper, then laminate.

6. Christmas tree ornaments – Cut a picture from one of your holiday cards, punch a hole in the top, put a string through it and use it as an ornament on the tree.

7. Christmas tree spiral ornament – First cut the card into a circle. Then turn it into a spiral by cutting from the outside of the circle and working your way in. Then pull the spiral apart slightly and put a hole and string in the top to hang it three-dimensionally on the tree.

8. Scrapbooking – No explanation really needed! Simply cut out pictures from your holiday cards and use for scrapbooking projects.

9. New cards – This is a fun way to reuse your cards the next year. Go to a crafts store and buy blank cards. Then cut out some pictures from the cards you receive this year and past them on the blank cards to create cards for the next year.

10. Jigsaw puzzle game – Cut 5 -6 cards into several pieces, mix them all together, and have the kids try to put them back together.

Craft ideas from Where to Buy Recycled Christmas Cards… and What to Do with the Old Ones on Squidoo

Kids love jokes, and the sillier, the better. Here are some clean Santa jokes you can share with your kids.

Where does Santa Claus stay when he’s on vacation?
At a ho, ho, ho-tel

Why did Santa take his tree to the dentist?
To get a root canal

Who delivers Christmas gifts to pets?
Santa Paws

What goes oh, oh, oh?
Santa walking backwards

What does Santa like to have for breakfast?
Mistle-toast

How does Santa take photos?
With his North Pole-aroid camera

What kind of motorcycle would Santa Claus ride?
A “Holly” Davidson

What does Santa Claus do in his garden?
Hoe, hoe, hoe

What’s red and white and falls down the chimney?
Santa Klutz

What would you call Santa if he became a detective?
Santa Clues

What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?
Claus-trophobic

What did Santa Claus say to all the toys on Christmas Eve?
Ok, gang, time to hit the sack!

It’s fun during the holidays to pick out just the right Christmas cards or create your own holiday photo cards. But once you stick these carefully selected greetings in an envelope, all cards pretty much look the same – like boring rectangles of paper.

The US Postal Service found a way to liven up our holiday mail years again when they issued the first Christmas stamp, and today you can still count on the USPS to release holiday-themed postage every winter. But now you no longer have to wait for the post office to get festive postage for your mail.

Today you can create your own personalized USPS stamps or buy some of the many designs available on sites such as Zazzle. This North Pole stamp is a great example of what’s available.

This stamp shows Santa’s workshop at the North Pole surrounded by snow and trees. Use it to liven up your Christmas cards and letters or add another touch of magic to a Santa letter.

You can add even more fun by getting an official North Pole postmark from North Pole, AK.

Santa Claus loves to get mail, and every year he gets letters from children all around the globe. If you’d like to encourage your kids to write to old St. Nick, here’s a free printable Dear Santa letter template you can print out.

For tips on helping your kids write a letter to Santa, try How to Write a Letter to Santa at HowToDoThings.com.

This dear Santa letter template is a .pdf file that can be printed out on standard letter-size paper with a margin. Simply click on the image, which will open in a new page, and print it or save it.

More Letter to Santa Templates:
Christmas Letter Tips.com offers a free lined Dear Santa Letter template that includes an image of Santa and a North Pole sign.

Disney’s FamilyFun offers a letter to Santa postcard with a cute red design with Santa Claus and some toys.

I bought Ideas for Writing Creative Christmas Letters That People Are Actually Eager to Read by Janet Colbrunn based on the title alone because I wanted some inspiration for my annual holiday updates. Unfortunately, the book’s publisher must not have provided a description for bookstores because neither Amazon or Barnes and Noble has any details on the book. That’s a shame because it’s well worth the money if you’re looking for creative Christmas letter ideas.

The book’s website says, “You can quickly learn to transform a traditional letter into one that is so entertaining that even the busiest holiday reveler can’t lay it aside.” In fact, I enjoyed reading all of the sample letters inside the book, despite the fact that I don’t know the author or her family. Colbrunn’s creative examples prove that holiday letters don’t have to be boring or bragging.

The author doesn’t just give a list of ideas. She gives real examples of actual letters she has sent over the years, from the 1988 Diary letter to the 2005 End of Year Statistics letter and many in between.

Personally, I really enjoyed the 1995 Monopoly-like trivia game, which included a game board with squares around the outside with answers such as “Surprise Un-Birthday Party” and trivia cards you had to match up, such as “Stick around longer at Cousin Corrie’s and Christy’s graduation party and it magically turns into Grandma Chamber’s 75th Surprise Birthday Party…” (At least, I think that was the card that went with that square. There’s no cheat sheet in the book!)

I also enjoyed the very creative Christmas letter that was a compilation of fake letters to Santa and the “2003 by the Numbers” letter that included info such as:

3 times we visited the Toledo Zoo with friends and family. The kids liked the monkeys best
30 toddler teeth brushed at the beginning of the year
60 toddler teeth brushed at the end of the year
98 hours per week that Jen works as a full-time triplet mom

The book inlcudes a brief explanation of each creative Christmas letter and then offers work space for you to make notes for your own version of each one. Some of the other examples you’ll find inside:

- List letters to highlight your family news as top 10 TV shows or best selling books.
- Format letters to disguise your update as a crossword puzzle or a board game. (Both very fun!)
- Perspective letters that appear to be written by the baby, the family pet or a guardian angel.

There’s something in here for everyone. After reading Ideas for Writing Creative Christmas Letters That People Are Actually Eager to Read, you will almost assuredly find at least one creative Christmas letter idea you can use for your own holiday updates. Have fun!

More links:
Creative Christmas Letter Ideas

How to Write Christmas Letters People Will Actually Enjoy Reading

(This article originally appeared on HubPages: Review: Ideas for Writing Creative Christmas Letters by Janet Colbrunn)

One of the busiest U.S. post offices during the holidays is the one in Santa Claus, Indiana. The only post office in the world named after Santa Claus post helps keep ol’ Kris Kringle’s magic alive by offering special “picture postmarks” during December.

The city has been offering a picture postmark every year since 1983. Each year’s unique postmark is designed by a local high school art student as part of an annual contest.

“The holiday postmark has become one of the most popular in the nation over the past two decades,” said Santa Claus Postmaster Marian Balbach in a 2008 USPS press release. “Postal patrons world-wide request the picture postmark. Also, many customers traditionally drive hundreds of miles to personally obtain the cancellation on their holiday mail.”

In 2008, the Santa Claus post office expected half a million pieces of mail to come through the office between November 15 and December 20. During the rest of the year, the post office processes only about 13,000 pieces of mail per month.

The postmaster offers these guidelines for individuals interested in getting a Santa postmark:

- Allow at least a two-inch by four-inch space in the stamp area for the picture postmark;
- Have postage applied to cards or letters before bringing or mailing them to the post office;
- The picture postmark is only available during the month of December;
- In order to ensure a good postmark imprint please do not enclose large or bulky items in your holiday mail (i.e.; reindeer food, snow flakes, glitter, stickers, etc.);
- There is no charge for postmarking—however there is a limit of 50 picture postmarks (hand cancellations) per person per day.

Customers who wish to have the Santa Claus Post Office mail Christmas cards should package them—with postage stamps affixed—in a sturdy envelope or box, and mail to:

Santa Claus Postmark
Postmaster
Santa Claus Station
Santa Claus, IN 47579-9998

Make sure you send your envelopes early. The post office should receive them no later than December 15 to ensure delivery to your recipients by Christmas.

Instaletter is a new service that lets you create printable Christmas letters from Santa (as well as the Easter Bunny, Cupid and soon the Tooth Fairy) and customize both the text and art with simple drag-and-drop simplicity. It’s easy enough for anyone to use.

The best part about the service is that you can create as many letters as you like with your annual membership, which is just $14.99 for a whole year. So if you’ve got two or more kids, nieces, nephews, or grandkids, you can create Christmas letters from Santa Claus for all of them for one low price.

Instaletter makes it easy to customize both the text and the artwork. First they give you several types of letters from which to choose, such as letters for kids who made Santa’s good list or just visited Santa. Then you can select up to three types of text customization to add to the letter (friends’ names, accomplishments, hometown, etc), and see a preview of how it will look in the final letter.

Once you’re happy with the text, you can choose from a variety of Christmas backgrounds for your letter. You can even add to the background artwork by dragging and dropping images of Santa, elves, reindeer, Christmas trees and more. It’s easy to create just the look you want. The quality of the artwork is great, and you can also create an envelope to go along with the letter.

If you’re looking for a truly customized Christmas letter from Santa, try Instaletter.

Here’s a fun Christmas cooking project you can do with kids to give to friends or family members for a laugh. It’s a simple “reindeer poop” recipe for chocolate cookies that you then deliver with the special “reindeer poop” poem. Here’s the simple recipe and poem.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
Mix butter, sugar, cocoa and milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper and let sit for 30 – 60 minutes to harden.

Then pack a few treats in a sandwich bag and attach this reindeer poop poem:

Santa’s got a special gift
He’s bringing just for you.
Just a little something extra,
And it comes from Rudolph, too!

He knows that you’ve been naughty
Instead of being nice.
Once again you’re on the bad list
And he’s checked it over twice.

Santa hopes this little poem
Doesn’t throw you for a loop.
All you’re getting this year
Is a bunch of reindeer poop!

There are other variations of the poem, too, such as this reindeer poop poem and recipe.

If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to bake, you can also make reindeer poop by simply filling the bags with malted milk balls, Milk Duds or some other type of chocolate candy that is small and round. Happy holidays and have fun!