Many Similarities Between Christmas And Hanukkah Traditions

Christmas and Hanukkah both have their own sets of traditions, in which Christian and Jewish people, respectively, participate. According to the Jewish Hanukkah story, Maccabees and his people went to the temple and cleaned and repaired it.

The temple had been looted and destroyed during the Maccabees revolt. After the repairs and cleaning was done, the people wanted to rededicate the temple. They had to light the Hanukkah menorah for the rededication ceremony.

However, there was only a small flask of oil available that would only burn for one night. They decided to light the menorah. The oil kept burning for eight days, just enough time for them to get more oil.

This miracle is commemorated by the Jewish people by lighting candles on the Hanukkah Menorah for each day of Hanukkah, which is eight days. Christmas, on the other hand, is the Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus.

While holiday foods may be traditional, you do not have to participate in Christmas and Hanukkah to enjoy them. One Hanukkah traditional food is jelly doughnuts, which do not have a hole but are very popular in Israel.

The doughnuts are called sufganiyot and are sold over the month before Hanukkah begins. To make the doughnuts, one drops the dough into hot oil without shaping it. The result is a funny and odd shaped doughnut that is then covered in powdered cinnamon or sugar.

While these doughnuts are not traditional in the Christmas holiday, cookies can be found in great abundance during the Christian celebration.

For both Christmas and Hanukkah, people exchange gifts and cards as part of their celebrations. Many traditions are largely celebrated within both the Hanukkah and Christmas holidays.

Both are religious holidays, however Christmas is also celebrated by individuals who do not participate in the religious traditions. For many, Christmas is more of a cultural celebration.

To read more Many Similarities Between Christmas And Hanukkah Traditions

Celebrating Christmas With The Holiday Feast

The holiday feast of winter solstice dates back roughly three centuries preceding Christ. In celebration of the harvest, people ate whatever was in abundance, while also taking a moment to pray to the gods for a good season coming up.

While we may not eat the same things, the communal meal on Christmas is still a focal point of our festive gatherings and one that borrows from many other cultural traditions.

Colonial America had a different sort of Christmas day meal. Culinary historians say the holiday feasts of 1769 included eggnog, Virginia ham, biscuits, corn pudding, chicken and oyster pie, pumpkin chips, cucumber pickles, mincemeat pie, Filbert pudding, honey flummery, plum pudding, coffee and walnuts.

In Williamsburg, feasters also ate cheese wafers, chilled crab gumbo, mushroom dressing, turkey, celery with pecans, ambrosia and drank wassail. In Mount Vernon, onion soups, half-shell oysters, broiled salt roe herring, boiled rockfish and baked acorn squash were readily available.

On the side, they had candied sweet potatoes, spiced peaches, Port wine, cranberries, cherry pie, apple pie, plums in wine jelly, roast turkey and hominy pudding too. Each table showcased a bountiful harvest from all the hard work America's earliest pioneers underwent.

The holiday feast just wouldn't be complete without Christmas candy! While today chocolate and candy are associated with everything from Christmas to Halloween, to Valentine's Day to Easter, these treats were reserved only for holiday season treats for the wealthy because sugar was very expensive.

The candy canes we so commonly chomp on today were originally manufactured as lozenges, and as medicine to treat coughs, colds and infections. Today, down the aisles of supermarkets, there are Christmas-themed chocolates, Peeps, M&Ms, Snickers bars, foil wrapped Santas, suckers and candies of all types marketed as Christmas gifts.

To read more Celebrating Christmas With The Holiday Feast

Planning A Christmas Party For Kids

Everyone knows that kids absolutely love Christmas, as there are lots of presents, visits with Santa Claus and no school. There are some really great ideas for a Christmas party for kids that work perfectly if you have a neighborhood full of children, and the grown-ups will probably have just as much fun as the children.

After running around having all that fun in the cold they will probably appreciate going to the next Christmas party house where they can have their fill of hot chocolate and other goodies.

At this house you may also want to include some type of craft making, perhaps they can make their own Christmas party decorations and ornaments. Have several different materials laid out so that they have plenty to choose from. You may also want to consider having a small tree here so that everyone can add their decorations to the tree.

By the time the scavenger hunt is over everyone will probably need a pit stop at yet another house, where there could be more hot chocolate and some musical fun. A home with a piano would be great, yet it is not necessary.

Just have a bunch of sheet music and start a Christmas party for kids sing-a-long. Perhaps a nice fire in the fireplace for some serious marshmallow roasting would be in order as well. This gives everyone a chance to talk about what a great time they have had.

To read more Planning A Christmas Party For Kids

Planning For Your Christmas Holiday Party

The holidays are a time to remember the joys of Christmas past, while dreaming up great ideas for Christmas present; just like you would do as a kid, except then those new ideas were usually on a much larger scale.

Actually, maybe not, as party ideas allow you to think about the many different Christmas party themes that you can come up with and then start planning your holiday party, using any one of a dozen different ideas.

Utilizing this kind of Christmas party idea makes it viable for either an at home party or one at a rented hall or ballroom.

The Christmas party theme should include some great decorations, such as some all white Christmas trees, twinkling white lights everywhere and possibly one of the outlined carriage yard ornaments with white lights on it, making any site a great place for a holiday party.

You can incorporate what you plan on serving for food into the Christmas party decorations by choosing white foods, such as rice pudding and white chocolate mousse or fondue. You can serve white wine and punch along with different types of white sodas for those who don't drink.

To make your holiday party more special, use white poinsettias on white table cloths, with white napkins, white plates and white serving dishes, and anything else that goes along with your festive party theme.

To read more Planning For Your Christmas Holiday Party

Party Ideas For Christmas Day

During the holidays, one of the most popular items on many people's "to-do" list includes planning a Christmas family party, which can be a great deal of fun. There are so many different party ideas that you can explore for this particular holiday; the possibilities are endless.

Anything that can make the holidays a little calmer is a great help. If you would normally bake cookies or other goodies, either as desserts or gifts, then you can send out a Christmas party invitation to each of your friends inviting them to your house for a cookie baking and decorating party.

This is one of those really great and fun party ideas where the guests can bring their favorite Christmas cookie recipe and the necessary ingredients to your house to get a head start on their holiday baking. Be sure to include the kids by having them decorate one batch of cookies while you and your friends get another one ready to bake.

Party ideas do not have to be centered on one particular religion or event on Christmas. Perhaps last year everyone was reluctant to invite a neighbor over because their religion was different; maybe they celebrate Hanukkah instead.

So this year your Christmas party invitations could include those neighbors by adding a few things that may make it more comfortable for everyone.

It does not have to be much, just a few simple touches such as goodie bags for the kids that include dreidels and gelt (gold wrapped chocolate coins); or even serving one traditional food such as potato latkes.

To read more Party Ideas For Christmas Day

Victorian Themes For Christmas Parties

This year when you are celebrating the Christmas holidays with your friends and families, you should ponder the beginnings of our customs. Did you know that the Victorians started the many traditions of the season?

The Victorian Christmas parties focused on the church and their children, as well as on big family dinners and celebrating with friends. For a fun and different Christmas party theme, perhaps you should step back in time with truly Victorian festivities.

The Victorian Christmas decorations were not complete without decorating the fireplace mantels with boughs of holly that also included clusters of different fruits, such as pineapples, pomegranates, oranges, apples and berries. Staircases were wrapped with garland and lots of burgundy ribbon and bows would complete the Christmas parties theme.

Of course it wouldn't be complete without a Christmas meal authentic to the Victorian era; for this you will need to include food such as pheasant, venison or roast goose.

Sugarplums, made with butter, cream, sugar, candied cherries, dates, prunes and vanilla were a favorite at Victorian Christmas parties. They were also partial to oysters and mincemeat with mulled wine, and for dessert fruit and plum pudding would finish up the feast.

To read more Victorian Themes For Christmas Parties

Celebrating With Christmas Party Games

Party games can be a fun addition to any party; you can even tie them in with Christmas party themes. Of course, it is not necessary to have a particular theme in mind when coming up with game ideas, as there are many different holiday games around that are great fun for kids and adults, or both.

If you need another idea for adult party games, then consider one called "ice breakers." You can write down a bunch of generic Christmas related questions or statements such as, (blank) has gone Christmas caroling, or (blank) has made Snow Angels, or something along those lines.

The guests take the list around to other guests and try to get someone's name next to each statement. This is a great game for a group of people who really do not know each other that well. Check the Internet for other adult related holiday party game ideas, as there are many sites that have this information.

For a kids Christmas party consider having something similar to pin the tail on the donkey, but change it to pin the nose on Rudolph or pin the star to the top of the Christmas tree.

Party games for kids can also include taking a small decorative jar and filling it with Christmas candy (that you have already counted) and have the kids write down their guess as to the number of pieces in the jar. The child who guesses closest to the correct amount gets the jar full of candy.

To read more Celebrating With Christmas Party Games

Ideas For Christmas Holiday Parties

Planning any type of a party can be time consuming and stressful, yet planning holiday parties can be even more so.

When you are making it a Christmas family get-together, with the in-laws thrown into the mix, it can seem even more frustrating and intimidating. However, keep the faith, as there are some things that you can do that should keep the stress levels down.

With Christmas family holiday parties it can be a little tricky when it comes to serving alcohol, as it may prompt someone to mention things better left unsaid.

In order to avoid this consider serving something like an eggnog or setting up a fancy coffee bar; complete with different flavored creams and a few liqueurs. This adds to the festiveness of a party but will limit the intake of alcohol, which may help to avoid any unnecessary unpleasantness.

Holiday parties can also be a little difficult when you have to come up with a gift for Christmas party attendees that includes family. Sometimes people may feel that someone else got a better present, etc.

There are a few ways around this, as you can just pass out gifts for the children and let them open them and give small, similar presents for all of the adults to take home and open, perhaps something that you have made yourself, or perhaps a goodie plate with cookies and candy or similar type items.

To read more Ideas For Christmas Holiday Parties

Planning With Beach Ideas For Christmas Parties

It is only natural to think about cold weather when you think about Christmas; after all Santa lives at the North Pole. However, if you are looking for some good ideas for Christmas parties, then why consider a tropical Christmas party?

You know, think beach! For your party invitations you can do something like sending a message in a bottle with all of the party details. For the party decorations consider a tree skirt with a Hawaiian or Polynesian print. If you are unable to find one, then use plain white felt and decorate it with palm trees or shells.

If you need ideas for Christmas parties for kids, then consider having a Candy Land Christmas with candy cane and lollipop party decorations. The lollipops can be made by cutting out large circles and covering them with colored plastic wrap, attaching them to dowels and placing them around the yard and house.

Consider taking gumdrops and stringing them together to use as garland on the tree or other decorations for the party. A cute idea for each party invitation is to write the details on a piece of paper, roll it up like a scroll, cover it with colored plastic wrap, twist the ends and tie them with colorful ribbon or yarn.

Naturally, there are many other ideas for Christmas parties, such as a Winter Wonderland theme with white twinkling lights and fake snow as part of your decorations.

Another festive party theme could be decorating with Gingerbread people; with a little imagination you are sure to come up with many more ideas.

To read more Planning With Beach Ideas For Christmas Parties

Entertaining Your Family With Christmas Ideas

For those people who live in a warm climate, new and unique Christmas ideas may be difficult to come up with. In that case, there are some Christmas holiday party ideas that may work well to shake things up a bit if you want to try something different.

For instance, snow in the warmer climates is not a possibility, so you may want to consider creating a kind of snowy and cold Christmas.

A few Christmas ideas for making snow include taking a big piece of styrofoam and using a sharp paring knife to shave off some fluffy "bits" that you can put on your tree. Or you can combine 2/3 cups of liquid starch, 2 cups of soap flakes (you can make your own using a cheese grater and bar soap) and 3 tablespoons of water.

Combine the starch and the flakes, then add the water while blending with a beater. Once totally blended, you simply paint the mixture onto the tree branches.

One Christmas party game idea is to have snowball fights. Of course since it can't be real ones you can make your snowballs by wrapping several marshmallows together in plastic wrap and tying it closed or something similar.

There are many other Christmas ideas that you can use in a warm weather climate, just use your imagination.

To read more Entertaining Your Family With Christmas Ideas