Featured Christmas & New Years Web Sites
Special Note:
Because some of these sites are hosted on FREE servers, and because this is the peak season for this information, some sites might be unavailable during high traffic periods.
As the holiday season rapidly approaches, thoughts of gift giving, food and family gatherings consume the thoughts
of many. The joy associated with the company of loved ones presents each person with their own special memories.
A Search for the Meaning of Christmas explores the celebrations associated
with Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa by sharing traditions, food and literature from around the world. The site's
educational approach with an emphasis on historical tradition replaces the common present-giving theme often
associated with the holiday season. Find out about the nine days prior to Christmas in Mexico when people hold
festivities to represent the time Mary and Joseph sought shelter before the birth of Jesus. Learn to sing the
reggae-style Christmas carols of Jamaica. You may even want to visit Bethlehem. Or closer to home, see how we
celebrate differently in regions right here in the United States. And what tradition doesn't include some
involvement with food? Your search for the meaning of Christmas wouldn't be complete without clicking the
"Holiday Foods" link to see what's inside Mrs. Claus' Cookbook or some of Santa's favorite foods from
around the world. Much of this site takes on a religious perspective offering the "true" meaning of
Christmas without the commercialized aspects. The content almost acts as a directory of links to help
you find your personalized meaning.
The Internet is full of sites dedicated to Christmas traditions from various countries.
Mexico Connect
explores the customs that make Navidad celebrations
so important to the people of Mexico. Scroll down the page to see more than 20 articles from various authors
who have shared their stories, recipes and traditions. Countries and continents are covered at
Christmas Around The World. From Australia to Venezuela, you'll find the spirit
of Christmas is celebrated just about everywhere. Be sure to move down to the bottom of the list to find
out how to say "Merry Christmas" in 123 languages.
Looking begin your own family tradition? At the Christmas Traditions page
there are 21 ideas for creating a custom that your family can share for years. Best of all, these suggestions
won't put a dent in your wallet and many are designed to help people in need. What about Christmas caroling
as a possible tradition to start? You'll find the lyrics to just about any holiday song you can think of at
Christmas Carols Music and Lyrics
. Warning: the pop-up windows that plague this site
can get annoying.
Maybe a traditional food is your family's favorite.
Robin's Christmas Cooking page has recipes for sweets, bars, baklava,
biscotti, candy, fudge, cookies and drinks. She even has pets covered with treats for birds, cats and dogs.
Speaking of food, HolidayOrganizer.com recommends gifts in a
jar as an inexpensive solution for holiday presents. While you're there, check out their favorite Christmas
cooking links to cookies, gifts in a jar and gingerbread houses. A bonus to this site is their effort to offer
tips and ideas for the frugal consumer. Ever thought of buying your Christmas meal the day after Thanksgiving?
Bargains are plentiful with items that didn't sell for the holiday, so buy early and save.
In what is probably welcomed by parents everywhere, the people at HowStuffWorks
have prepared a Christmas-related guide to children's most frequent but hard to answer
question -- Why? Why do I keep hearing the same songs over and over again? Why is there a big log in the
fireplace? Why do people give presents on Christmas Day? Now these answers and plenty more are readily available.
If you can get by the hard-to-read black text on dark green background, the
Not Just for Kids! Christmas website
covers some additional topics geared toward adults. You can learn tips on
buying a Christmas tree or photographing holiday lights, as well as gather a few more traditions. Kids
will enjoy the "Fun" link which includes Christmas craft ideas and odd holiday tales from Grandpa Tucker.
Make this year's holiday season a memorable one by exploring the world's traditions and maybe even starting one of
your own. We hope these sites will help spark ideas to bring joy to you and your family.
Happy Holidays!