Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Christmas Screensavers - Countdown to the Holidays

As the holidays approach and excitement builds, the countdown to Christmas Day begins. There are several ways to keep track of how many days remain until Christmas. For some, it is a simple matter of marking bold "X's" on a calendar, but many others look for something more interactive and entertaining.

Some folks enjoy Advent or Christmas calendars with little windows to open and tiny chocolate treasures inside. Then there are those who look forward to the local radio stations adding Christmas songs to their daily programming. Yet others religiously watch their favorite Christmas movies as the TV stations provide their version of the Christmas countdown.

Christmas Day

What many people may not realize is that there are also free Christmas screensavers designed to help build excitement as the holiday season draws near. Christmas Countdown and Santa's Workshop 3D are two such screensavers. These free downloads add fun Christmas scenes to your screen and keep you engaged during the thrilling build up to Christmas Day.

Christmas Countdown Screensaver begins with a tinsel laced evergreen tucked into a snowy mountain scene. Prior to December, beautiful and calming piano music plays while a gentle snow falls. An occasional animated animal will visit the scene and add their voice to the mix while shooting stars brighten the darkening sky. On Dec. 1, a transformation begins as the screensaver becomes a countdown calendar. Each day, a calendar "door" will open to reveal a new addition to the pristine setting. The lovely evergreen becomes even more enchanting as Christmas decorations are applied and new wildlife comes to visit. A snowman, cozy cottage, and other surprises add a bit of winter wonder to the mountainous landscape. When Christmas Day finally arrives, your screen is filled with a full holiday scene.

Christmas Countdown progresses daily towards a festive backdrop, but Santa's Workshop 3D Screensaver is a snapshot from the North Pole right from the beginning. As the "Nutcracker Suite" plays in the background and snow floats lazily to the ground outside, a roaring fire keeps Santa's helpers warm and toasty while they busily prepare for Christmas Day. Above the hearth, a calendar reminds you and the elves how many days are left until Christmas.

With so many ways to get into the Christmas spirit, let the countdown begin! Mark "X's" on your calendar, set your radio to the station that plays the best Christmas songs, watch your all-time favorite Christmas movies on TV, and don't forget to download a fun and free Christmas screensaver for the holidays.

Christmas Screensavers - Countdown to the Holidays

Holidays: 7 Things Not to Do on Christmas Day

One way to make Christmas Day a great day is to avoid these seven things.

1. Get up before 6 AM, even if you are a kid. My sister used to wake up before 6 AM and start ringing some stupid bell to get everyone up. What a great way to start a day. Don't get up too early, you might interrupt Santa.

Christmas Day

2. Travel ouir of obligation. This is especially so if you have a young family. It's time to start your own traditions. If friends and family want to see you, it's important to remember that the roads and airspace go both ways.

3. Set yourself up for disappointment. If you convince yourself that this will be or has to be the best Christmas ever, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

4. Don't push the day. Some people get so anxious that certain things MUST happen and/or people MUST feel a certain way. You can really shoot yourself in the foot by pushing so hard for a certain outcome that you essentially prevent it.

5. Take the Peggy Lee approach Peggy Lee's famous song "Is That All There Is?" captures the way some people can fall into feeling on Christmas Day. Focus on appreciation and not lack.

6. Use up everything the first day. If you use, open, play with every single thing you got that day, you are bound to experience a big let down the next day. Pace yourself.

7. Compare this day to other Christmas Days The joy is to be found in today, not several years ago.

Holidays: 7 Things Not to Do on Christmas Day

Christmas Gifts For Women - Top 10 Things to Do For Your Girlfriend For the Holidays

Christmas is right around the corner and before you know it its Christmas eve and you still don't have a gift. If you're looking for something to show how much you love her, here are some good examples of Christmas gifts for women.

1. A nice eternity necklace is the perfect gift to those who want to show their woman that they want to be with them forever. Your girl will love it and it will definitely make you look good!

Christmas Eve

2. A promise ring always works when wanting to say "I love you."

3. Teddy bears will never die out! Girls love stuffed animals, especially if you spray a little of your cologne.

4. If she had ever told you what she wanted try to keep that stored in your memory. Get what she asked for, she will love it because that was what she wanted initially and because YOU ACTUALLY REMEMBERED!

5. Get her a his/her gift. They have so many couples gifts that it makes it easy to shop for her perfect gift. For example, his/her rings let her know that you want people to know your taken by her and vice versa. There are also tee shirts, hats, teddy bears, and even jewelry.

6. An easy way out is to get her perfume. If you know what she wears get her a new bottle, if not then shop around, smell them. Pick out one you would like her to wear.

7. Take her out shopping. A girl will go crazy if you tell her, "babe for Christmas I'm taking you shopping." Most girls will not believe their ears because lets be real, guys never do this. But hey, it's one day out of the entire year, we have to give in sometime.

8. Get her a pet! A puppy, kitten, bunny, even a hamster. Girls love little fuzzy animals, especially if they are babies. She will keep it for a long time and always remember that special Christmas.

9. Make her a card. Yes guys I said MAKE not BUY. Making her a card shows that you are actually putting in the effort of what to write, how to decorate, and how you feel. She will love it and this will probably get her emotional and most likely you may get lucky.

10. Put yourself in an oversize box and surprise her. Yea this is cheesy and its always been a thought in our heads but in actuality how many guys actually done this? I'm sure not many. Let you be her first, it will make her smile and she will love it. Of course when you do this gift be sure to add one of the previous gift ideas I mentioned. Yea the girl will love it, but we all know that will not satisfy her crave for gifts.

It's Christmas, you know she's expecting more this time of year!

Christmas Gifts For Women - Top 10 Things to Do For Your Girlfriend For the Holidays

How Do You Spend Your Christmas Holidays?

There are so many different ways that people in the United States spend Christmas. When there are children in the home, Christmas morning usually starts off very early with the wonders of what Santa Clause brought. Usually a child at some point will be known to sneak out during the night and take a peek. They get so excited they just can't sleep.

In the morning most families with children like to get the whole family together. As the children come out to see what Santa Clause brought them the parents are there to take picture after picture of the excitement on their children's faces, and pictures of the unwrapped gifts Santa has left them.

Christmas Day

Now it's time to open presents. While some just start opening their presents other families like to take turns so they can see what each other got.

After the toys and presents are opened it's time for breakfast. Some families are known to make a big breakfast others just have something to hold them over until their big meal.

The time people eat their holiday meal, and where they eat it differs greatly. Usually Christmas dinner will start anywhere from noon until 8:00 in the evening. This is a time for family and friends so if people are not serving dinner in their homes they are most likely on their way to friends and family.

What's for dinner is a whole variety of family traditions. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, corn, fruits and breads are some of the traditional Christmas foods. A lot of people substitute the turkey with ham or duck. Other people may have something totally different. One family I know isn't going to have Christmas without Oyster Stew. Now that is different!

I come from a large family. We have always had a traditional Christmas dinner, but we have it on Christmas Eve with not only turkey, but ham and all the trimmings. After our Christmas dinner and the kitchens clean, we open presents form one another. The children start opening their presents then the grown-ups join in.

When all the presents have been opened, and we have all had a chance to see what each other received it's time to eat again. There are homemade cookies, fudge, more chocolates, and a variety of pies.

It is usually very late by now so everyone with small children head for home. There is still a lot to do to get ready for Santa. While the mothers get their children ready for bed everyone else is running around getting the hidden surprises placed under the tree and the stockings in place.

On Christmas morning the children are always up early. We hustle to get everybody in place to take pictures and have the children come out to see what Santa brought.

While they play with their new toys we finally have a chance to rest. Our Christmas Day dinner will be leftovers and they are always better than on Christmas Eve.

How Do You Spend Your Christmas Holidays?

The birthday of Jesus Christ has been celebrated on December 25th since AD 354 In the Western world, replacing an earlier date of January 6th. The Christians had by then appropriated many pagan festivals and traditions of the season, that were practiced in many parts of the Middle East and Europe, as a means of stamping them out.

There were mid-winter festivals in ancient Babylon and Egypt, and Germanic fertility festivals also took place at this time. The birth of the ancient sun-god Attis in Phrygia was celebrated on December 25th, as was the birth of the Persian sun-god, Mithras. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of peace and plenty, that ran from the 17th to 24th of December.

Public gathering places were decorated with flowers, gifts and candles were exchanged and the population, slaves and masters alike, celebrated the occasion with great enthusiasm.

In Scandinavia, a period of festivities known as Yule contributed another impetus to celebration, as opposed to spirituality. As Winter ended the growing season, the opportunity of enjoying the Summer's bounty encouraged much feasting and merriment.

The Celtic culture of the British Isles revered all green plants, particularly mistletoe and holly. These were important symbols of fertility and were used for decorating their homes and altars.

The birthday of Jesus Christ has been celebrated on December 25th since AD 354 In the Western world, replacing an earlier date of January 6th. The Christians had by then appropriated many pagan festivals and traditions of the season, that were practiced in many parts of the Middle East and Europe, as a means of stamping them out.

There were mid-winter festivals in ancient Babylon and Egypt, and Germanic fertility festivals also took place at this time. The birth of the ancient sun-god Attis in Phrygia was celebrated on December 25th, as was the birth of the Persian sun-god, Mithras. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of peace and plenty, that ran from the 17th to 24th of December.

Public gathering places were decorated with flowers, gifts and candles were exchanged and the population, slaves and masters alike, celebrated the occasion with great enthusiasm.

In Scandinavia, a period of festivities known as Yule contributed another impetus to celebration, as opposed to spirituality. As Winter ended the growing season, the opportunity of enjoying the Summer's bounty encouraged much feasting and merriment.

The Celtic culture of the British Isles revered all green plants, particularly mistletoe and holly. These were important symbols of fertility and were used for decorating their homes and altars.

New Christmas customs appeared in the Middle Ages. The most prominent contribution was the carol, which by the 14th century had become associated with the religious observance of the birth of Christ.

In Italy, a tradition developed for re-enacting the birth of Christ and the construction of scenes of the nativity. This is said to have been introduced by Saint Francis as part of his efforts to bring spiritual knowledge to the laity.

Saints Days have also contributed to our Christmas celebrations. A prominent figure in today's Christmas is Saint Nicholas who for centuries has been honored on December 6th. He was one of the forerunners of Santa Claus. Another popular ritual was the burning of the Yule Log, which is strongly embedded in the pagan worship of vegetation and fire, as well as being associated with magical and spiritual powers.

Celebrating Christmas has been controversial since its inception. Since numerous festivities found their roots in pagan practices, they were greatly frowned upon by conservatives within the Church. The feasting, gift-giving and frequent excesses presented a drastic contrast with the simplicity of the Nativity, and many people throughout the centuries and into the present, condemn such practices as being contrary to the true spirit of Christmas.

Christmas is the most widely celebrated festival world over, and also the most popular festival globally.

Christmas is the celebration of Christ. We celebrate together on December 25. The word "Christmas" is a transliteration from the English antiques that "Christes Maesse" the means of mass worship Christ. Because the mass Ceremony is the most important traditions that Christians hold in practical terms that Christmas Christes Maesse first found in ancient documents in English in a harbor in 1038 and turned it into words. Christmas greeting that we often hear in this festival is that Merry Merry Christmas words in English, traditional means peace and peace of mind.