Merry Christmas

Thank You! & Enjoy yourselves!
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The earliest known Christmas tree decorations were apples. At Christmastime, medieval actors would use apples to decorate paradise trees (usually fir trees) during “Paradise Plays,” which were plays depicting Adam and Eve‟s creation and fall.
Welcome to Merry Christmas Party 2014
Christmas – More than a Religious Holiday
A Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, who was believed to be born on Dec. 25th.
Some Interesting Facts about Christmas
In A.D. 350, Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, proclaimed Dec. 25th the official celebration date for the birthday of Christ. Alabama was the first state in the United States to officially recognize Christmas in 1836 while Oklahoma was the last to declare it a legal holiday in 1907. Christmas wasn‟t declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870. In Germany, Christmas Eve is said to be a magical time when the pure in heart can hear animals talking.
A public holiday in many countries worldwide such as Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the U.S.. Today, more and more Non-Christians see Christmas as a cultural event and a time for family and friends to get together and exchange gifts.
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Some Interesting Facts about Christmas
Most of Santa‟s reindeer(驯鹿) have male-sounding names, such as Blitzen, Comet, and Cupid. However, male reindeers shed their antlers(鹿角) around Christmas, so the reindeer pulling Santa‟s sleigh are likely not male, but female or castrati. The traditional three colors of Christmas are green, red, and gold. Green has long been a symbol of life and rebirth; red symbolizes the blood of Christ, and gold represents light as well as wealth and royalty. The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers.
A special day for children – they receive gifts that they have been longing for.
Christmas cards Special Christmas Day services in many churches, such as choirs, joyous singing, and meet-andgreet opportunities after the church services. An exclusive family affair for some cultures – sees relatives travel from different geographic regions to unite.
Festive activities – exchanging presents, joining in Christmas feasts, and listening to Christmas-themed music or watch movies.
How People Celebrate Christmas
Some Interesting Facts about Christmas
Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone. Two weeks before Christmas is a popular time for couples to break up. Christmas purchases account for 1/6 of all retail sales in the U.S.
How People Celebrate Christmas
Decoration – Christmasthemed decorations everywhere.
Christmas parties Holiday – have a day off work and spend time with their families and loved ones.
Some Interesting Facts about Christmas
• Christmas is a contraction of “Christ‟s Mass,” which is derived from the Old English Cristes mæ sse (first recorded in 1038). The letter “X” in Greek is the first letter of Christ, and “Xmas” has been used as an abbreviation for Christmas since the mid 1500s.
Santa Claus is based on a 4th century bishop called St. Nikolas of Myra who lived in today‟s Turkey during the 4th century. He is the world‟s most popular non-Biblical saint and the patron saint(守护 神) of banking, pawn broking(典当), pirating, butchery, sailing, thievery, orphans(孤儿), royalty, and New York City.
Christmas trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.
According to the Guinness world records, the tallest Christmas tree ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir that was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington. President Teddy Roosevelt, an environmentalist, banned Christmas trees from the White House in 1912.
Some Interesting Facts about Christmas
There are approximately 21,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States. In 2008, nearly 45 million Christmas trees were planted, adding to the existing 400 million trees.
Origin of Christmas
Christmas is short for “Christ„s Mass”, a kind of Church service. Who can tell us the story of the birth of Jesus?when Christmas cards appeared in 1846 and the concept of a jolly Santa Claus was first made popular in 19th Century.