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There is not enough room here to put a fully comprehensive list of information about each and every National Park in Tanzania; these descriptions of only ten of our National Parks serves to give a cross-section of what is on offer.

1. Katavi National Park: In 2001 the Serengeti had 100,000 visitors; in contrast the Katavi National Park in the remote and almost inaccessible west of Tanzania had only 83 visitors. The only other people you are likely to meet in this park are other guests and the staff at the one [tented] lodge in the one million hectares of this park. This is the personification of the term ‘well off the beaten track’. It is famed for its huge herds of buffalo up to four thousand in a single herd.

2. The Serengeti: As you stand on the southern grass plains, you experience the vastness of this park and witness one of the greatest concentrations of plains animals left on earth. The Grunmeti Western Corridor stretches almost to the shores of Lake Victoria, and is an important part of the migratory routes. Lobo Northern Woodland is where the wildebeest move from June-December to feed on the longer grasses that persist in the area. Seronera in the central Serengeti, with year-round water, this is perhaps the most reliable area in the park to view wildlife.

3. Ngorongoro Crater is a true marvel and I believe unique in Africa; it is located between the lake Manyara National Park and the Serengeti. It was formed from an ancient volcano that erupted and then collapsed into the crater we see today. The crater floor is spread across one hundred square miles and is home to many thousands of animals. Ngorongoro Crater enjoys a year round water supply and so nearly all animals remain here as permanent residents.

4. Tarangire National Park, deserves a closer look than in normally receives from visitors. It has a high Elephant population and an amazing bird life and anyone keen on bird watching will be well rewarded. In the dry season, many animals come to the Tarangire River as this river never dries and continually has water on offer to the thirsty.

5. Lake Manyara National Park is home to millions of flamingos, pelicans, storks and other bird life, as well as many hippos that can be observed at close range. Hot springs trickle into the shallow waters. Lake Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions are another reason to pay this park a visit, along with the largest concentration of baboons in Tanzania.

6. Arusha National Park: This lovely park is set between the peaks of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro. Its area is only 53 square miles and therefore tiny when compared to the vast Serengeti or the huge Selous. The Park is as outstandingly beautiful as it is small and can be visited easily from the nearby town of Arusha. The highlands of this park are forested with the peak of Mount Meru rising above the forests to dominate the area.

7. Ruaha National Park is where eastern and southern African have met together and many species of fauna and flora overlap. In the dry season, July to November, the river is an excellent place for observing large numbers of game including lions, leopards, hunting dogs, giraffe, waterbuck, eland and warthogs. This park is remote, unspoiled, untamed and rarely visited. With few lodges and tourists in the park, each group on safari has the impression of having the whole of Africa to themselves.

8. Gombe Stream &The Mahale Mountains are a mixture of grass, woodlands and forest, although it is mostly forest with the majority of its mammals being primates. These forests are lush and green rising up to 15,000 meters above the waters of Lake Tanganyika. With over twenty years of research, the chimpanzees have become habituated to humans. However, this does not make it easy to find them. Trekking through the forest, which can be quite dense, with steep and often slippery sloping terrain, can be strenuous, dirty work. It is well worth it though to get to see the chimpanzee in their natural habitat. You must expect to walk for three or four hours per day in search of these primates.

9. Udzungwa Mountains: Also known as the Galapagos Island of Africa: this park was created primarily for the protection of flora rather than fauna. There are no roads in the park and you have to be prepared to do lots of hard hiking; indeed this is a hiker’s paradise. Many regard the Udzungwa forests to be among highest-ranking destinations for bird watching in Africa. The Udzungwa hosts animals that are found in most Tanzanian parks including elephants, buffaloes, lion and leopard; also including the African wild dog, which is only found in Southern Tanzania. However, most of these are not present in large numbers. A park ranger and/or guide must accompany all hikers.

10. Saadani is where the bush meets the sea. This colorful clash of ecosystems is found nowhere else along the coast of East Africa. Imagine this is the place where the hippopotamus compete with coral reefs, lions roar at the surf and baboons race along the beach. Your hotel room not only looks out over the African bush but it also has a sea view! Walking safaris are allowed in the forest and on returning from your walking safari to your hotel - take off your boots - and have a refreshing walk in the surf; this park also boasts a special night walk trail.

For further information on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania and the islands of Zanzibar see http://betheladventure.co.uk using tourism to fund community initiatives focused on the education of the young and the medical care for the whole family. Using tourism to change lives.

Redlands California is the premier location for living in the Inland Empire. For many reasons, the least of which its location, the city is a highly sought after location both for businesses and residences.

The city of Redlands, located about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, has been referred to as the crown jewel of the Inland Empire. Though many of the orange groves have been torn down to make way for development, there are still plenty of groves that still reside in the city of Redlands. Because of this, along with the scenic hillside, historic downtown area and beautiful Victorian homes, It is like the perfect blend of east coast design with southern California sensibilities.

One thing that is greatly lacking in Redlands is an abundance of design firms that are able to keep up with the emerging trends of the city. Redlands web design is like many elements of the city, charming old. This becomes a problem when you are considering that in web design old is bad. It is not really the cities fault, as they are not the trendiest of residence, but it is time for them to grow to the next level. Hopefully some of the newer firms in town will help with the Redlands web design problem.

One wonderful landmark is the city is the old bell tower. The tower was created in 1923 and stands 34 feet off the ground. Perched on top of the main Methodist church it stands as an iconic symbol of what Redlands used to be, and what it now still offers the city.

Next time you are in the Southern California Area, you should check out the city of Redlands. Although their websites are bad, there real sites are amazing.

Windsor Castle is the biggest colonised castles on the planet & the oldest in nonstop inhabitation (in excess of nine hundred years). It is 1 of Queen Elizabeth’s three main homes, & is regularly held to be her most liked home. The Royal colours flutters above the Round Tower of Windsor Castle each & every time Queen Elizabeth is in palace - at other periods, the Union Jack banner flies in its place.

Samuel Pepys once commented Windsor Castle to be “the single most romantic castle around.” That was said in sixteen-sixty-six & the same is true even now. Visit Windsor Castle UK today with Enjoy England.

Windsor Castle Exciting History:

The construction of Windsor can be found in the beginning of the seventh century Saxon settlement of Windlesora, where the existing day dwellings of Old Windsor is. The settlement of Windsor is correctly recognised as the “New Windsor” - the word “new” being taken in a loose sense!

Windsor Castle was formally erected by William the Conqueror, as a result of his hit of England in ten-sixty-six. The original frame was assembled from wood with earth walls. Windsor Castle held a comprehensible tactical location on a steep mound high above the River Thames, and was part of a number of of palaces surrounding the Capital, with the Tower of London, one day’s march away, at its hub.

The Palace was then later redesigned in stone, and rose in worth over the centuries. In recent times Henry II assembled the Round Tower & the original stone outer wall. Following the English Civil War, the building’s crucial role became that of a royal dwelling. Windsor Castle has remained almost totally unaffected since the early 19th century, apart from the reconstruction effort after the recent fire.

Min Bahadur Sherchan last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism.

The Chinese were flying their airplanes over the Mount Everest and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. Sherchan just 21 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Mt Everest. As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Chomolungma or Mount Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

The 74-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Mount Everest. This season climber Anthony Loeff is reporting the scales for Everest after reaching the peak of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania earlier this year.

More than 3184 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

Indeed, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Andrew Brash with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. “The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on Chomolungma. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though Mt Everest is shared by two countries. However, he was all too aware of the potential dangers Mount Everest could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused His first found him within 195 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. Two years later, Andrew Brash, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Chomolungma to finish what he had started.

They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. “Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Min Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. Now that Bahadur Sherchan has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. Nepalese man, 75, oldest person to climb to the summit of Chomolungma or Mount Everest Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Min Bahadur Sherchan returned a hero to Calgarians.

Now that Bahadur Sherchan has successfully scaled the tallest mountain in the world, he is once again ready to focus on his family. As he planned for the climb, Sherchan told reporters he wanted to inspire fellow senior citizens. He also said many Nepalese have established records on Chomolungma or Mount Everest, so it was only fitting that the record for the oldest climber to reach the summit should also belong to a Nepali. Min Bahadur Sherchan last attempt resulted in the rescue of Lincoln Hall, an Australian climber who was left by his team in the “death zone.”

The Chinese were flying their airplanes over the mountain and had Chinese officials in Kathmandu. However, the decision to actualize a long-time personal goal left Andrew Brash with some internal uncertainties, he cited the political actions of China and Nepal as providing the greatest adversity he faced on his journey. “Mt Everest this year became a political pawn,” he said with some frustration.

He was reported in good health as he began making his descent. They basically coerced the Nepali government to not allow any climbers past camp two on the Nepali side. Min Bahadur Sherchan returned this week from Nepal after successfully climbing to the summit of Chomolungma. “The Chinese weren’t allowing anybody on the mountain. They ended up commandeering it for themselves, even though the mountain is shared by two countries. They flexed their muscles this year all the in name of the Olympic spirit, but it was hardly spirited at all.”

Further, he was all too aware of the potential dangers the mountain could bring. Certain parts of the climb are more dangerous than others and it is important for climbers to remain focused Hall was frostbitten and severely disoriented due to altitude sickness. Andrew Brash returned a hero to Calgarians. Bahadur Sherchan and four climbing guides reached the 29,035-foot (8,850-meters) summit of the world’s highest mountain early Sunday, said Ramesh Chretri, an official with Nepal’s ministry of tourism. This season Anthony Loeff the French climber is reporting the scales for the Mount Everest after he reached the peak of Mont Blanc earlier this year.

Sherchan just 12 days away from his 77th birthday beat the age record set last year by 71-year-old Japanese teacher Katsusuke Yanagisawa.

The 76-year-old man from Nepal is now the oldest person to have reached the top of Everest. With the Chinese preparing for the impending summer Olympic Games, Bahadur Sherchan noted that the government’s actions hardly reflected the Olympic spirit. His first found him within 160 metres of the peak when his team stopped to help a fellow mountaineer who was left for dead. One year later, Bahadur Sherchan, a University of Calgary alumni, returned to Mount Everest to finish what he had started.

More than 3148 people have climbed to the summit since it was first conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary, who died in January, and Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay.

New York City is known for many things - the bright lights of Broadway, fine cuisine and corner vendors, glamour and excitement. Yet for those interested in the paranormal and unexplained, the Big Apple may very well be renamed the Big Haunt.

Once you’ve seen the popular sights the city has to offer, why not take a trip down the eerie side of the city many call home…years after they have departed? If you’re in the mood for a frightfully fun stay in New York, and can’t wait until the Halloween, the city is not without yearlong otherworldly charm.

Certain times of the year, Merchant’s House Museum presents ghost tours and lectures on various topics, including the art of dying. If you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of any of the curious spirits known to wander the property.

It’s said, too, that spirits haunt the Hotel Chelsea, and that the ghost of Dylan Thomas (who died after drinking too many spirits at the White Horse Tavern) haunts the pub to this day. Of course, he was taken to the Chelsea after collapsing outside the pub, so maybe he’s pulling double duty?

Did you hear the one, too, about the Ziegfield Follies showgirl who haunts the New Amsterdam theater? Many have claimed to see Olive Thomas strutting the stage in her beaded costume.

The ghost of Roxy Rothafel is said to haunt the theatre he built, Radio City Music Hall, and various members of the Algonquin Hotel’s Vicious Circle are rumored to have continued their stay at their favorite table and elsewhere in the hotel.

If you’re interested in more contemporary ghosts, it’s said the ghost of John Lennon has been seen outside the Dakota, where he was fatally shot.

When you do decide to come to New York, the ghosts are waiting. Hop in a limo and you just might see a few wandering around Manhattan.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance travel writer who writes professionally for many travel bureau and travel company websites, including NYCLimousine.com.

Thwart wedding bell apprehension when you explore your nuptial options.

The mayhem of a marital union can evoke enough tension to make the happiest bride say, “I don’t.” A second wedding, overbearing family personalities, cultural differences and financial restrictions are just a few reasons people skirt the mega marriage ceremony. For the woman, who has never envisioned the fairytale wedding, the ill trepidation of walking a mile of aisle can morph those butterflies into caterpillars.

According to a market report released by the National Association of Certified Wedding Coordinators (NACWC), the average cost for a wedding in America ranges between $20,000 to $25,000. Over the last four years, the cost of tying the knot has increased by 18 percent. As people wait to get married, they are tergiversating the expense. Annually, an approximated 15 percent of newlyweds pass on the wedding circus and forego the City Hall route.

Prior to actualizing, you do not wish to produce the “event” of the year, (your wedding) there is a 5-letter word that will need nullifying, g-u-i-l-t. Family guilt is one of the most potent forces of resistance to wedding rights of refusal. Unless your family insists on doling the expenditures for the big day and you are 100 percent confident that the stress will be well worth the backlash - resist the temptation. In collaboration with your spouse to-be, consider your other wedding alternatives.

An Intimate Wedding Union

Less is more. A low-key wedding can be just as memorable and meaningful as an elaborate wedding event. If your guest list includes a total of 50-75 friends and family members, figure $5,000 to $10,000 for a sit-down dinner. The intimacy of family, close friends melded with an exchange of vows can set the stage for a magical wedding event.

The ideal location can be simplified if you don’t mind being hitched at home. Beware of losing sight of the budget especially, if finances are an issue. Bringing in additional tables, seating, lighting et al can add up - rapidly. Concerning other reception venues, do not rule out places like your family’s place of worship (church or synagogue), country clubs, or social clubs/lodges.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship has its privileges. If you can find local businesses to donate their products and services in return for advertising at your reception, sponsorship may be a consideration. More couples are bartering a bit of promotion along with their nuptials, for complimentary or discounted goods and services.

Not all vendors will chomp at the bit to sponsor your special day. Certain vendors will appreciate the benefit of branding their company, directly to a target audience. Plan to approach a minimum of 100 vendors. Smaller and newer companies are more apt to participate. The ideal sponsorship situation is a win-win, for all. In example, the media buy for advertising costs 3-4 times the cost of the average sponsorship.

Sample Wedding Sponsorship Letter

Dear Marketing Department:

We’re seeking sponsorship in exchange for media coverage and free publicity. On Halloween, we are getting married in Las Vegas, Nevada. As recent college graduates, we’re a young couple with mortgage and car payments. As a court reporter, I possess many media contacts for top quality publicity in exchange for various items for our wedding.

Our wedding ceremony is being held at the Bellagio Hotel, an exceptional venue to showcase your business and demonstrate your company’s generosity. The details of our day are simple. Our guests are the perfect target audience, young single professionals.

Thank you for your consideration, I can be reached at 345.555.6666.

Appreciatively,

Mary Budgetwright

The Elopement

Elopement is self-indulgent bliss. There is nothing more relaxing then a well-planned elopement. Select an island: Kabel Santorini, Portofino, Turks and Caicos, Aruba, or wherever you prefer. If your preference is to remain in the states, conduct a search on Google.com, using the key word combination, “place to elope,” will return some 8,000 possibilities.

Then work backwards, set a target budget for your wedding/honeymoon and let the destination dictate your wedding. Bear in mind, the average cost of a honeymoon is almost four thousand dollars. Without the added expense of a wedding, hopefully you can afford to spend a little more on your romantic getaway. Once you and your fiancé have agreed on a destination, take 1 - 2 weeks to conduct a cost analysis and logistic research.

7-Top Reasons People Elope

• Affordability
• Timesavings
• Maintain serenity
• Alleviate stress
• Exhilaration
• Minimal planning
• The freedom of tradition

The Cocktail Soirée

Think outside of the bridal gown. A low-lost location, Veuve Clicquot, finger food and guests clad in casual attire is a nice way to celebrate your connubial union. Moreover, a historic landmark, a public garden or the local art gallery may feature inexpensive rental fees. With the cocktail party, all the elements that go into planning a full-blown wedding are unnecessary (fittings, rehearsal dinners, transportation, gift registration, et cetera).

Regardless of your marriage ceremony decision - it a choice you will have to live with for the rest of your life. But then again, after you are married, you have the rest of your life to plan the perfect celebration.

Holly Bentz runs a media services boutique, fruitionMedia.net. Her company is committed to providing a menu of media services designed to inform, educate and entertain. Information products, web content and esales letters are just a few of the writing products provided by her company, fruitionMedia.net.

holly@fruitionMedia.net

Tropical Chinese, located in Westchester near Tropical Park, is our favorite Chinese Dim Sum restaurant in Miami. Sit Down and relax while the Dim Sum comes around in steaming carts. If you are unfamiliar with Dim Sum, it is small dishes of Chinese food served as snacks. This Miami restaurant has been around for years and usually is packed on Saturdays and Sundays for lunch so try to get there early. Dim Sum is not served for dinner, buy you can still order some exotic dishes.

The Menu: In addition to the traditional Chinese restaurant dishes, you can order exotic dishes such as Sliced Abalone with sea cucumber in a hot clay pot or Braised Sea Cucumber with spicy sauce.

Red Lantern, in Coconut Grove, is our favorite Chinese delivery restaurant in Miami. When Red Lantern says that the delivery will take 30-40 minutes, the food usually arrives under 20 minutes. If you do not live in the Grove, delivery may be limited and may take longer.

The Menu: We recommend the Fried Noodle Dish ($10) with chicken or pork and the General Tso’s Chicken ($11).

New Chinatown, in Sunset/South Miami, is our favorite Chinese dinner and a movie restaurant in Miami. New Chinatown, located on the corner of Sunset Place, is close to shopping and the movies. New Chinatown prepares Szechuan, Mandarin, and Cantonese dishes, so it should not be too difficult to find something you like.

The Menu: From the Cantonese menu, we recommend the Tree Treasures ($20), which is lightly fried scallops, shrimp and calamari mixed with garlic and broccoli. From the Mandarin menu, you will find more typical dishes such as Kung Pao and Orange chicken; however, the Ta-Chien Chicken ($12) is worth a try. It is diced chicken with stir fried mushrooms, baby corn and a special sauce.

China Grill, in South Beach, is our favorite upscale Chinese restaurant in Miami. China Grill, the Sister restaurant to New York’s China Grill, has a spectacular atmosphere created from the Egyptian limestone, wraparound bar, and wood floors. There is even an ice-top sushi bar and bar that wraps around the restaurant.

The Menu: Exquisite items that we recommend include the Stir Fried Lobster Pancakes with red chili and scallions, the Black Fettuccine topped with grilled garlic shrimp, and the Tempura Sashimi.

To get more information on Miami Chinese Restaurants or to view Miami Restaurant Menus, visit http://www.restaurantplace.com

Finding flights to India is as simple as entering your information into any one of the dozens of airfare sites out there, but finding discount flights to India can be a bit trickier. Unless you are in Thailand or in that region, chances are this is going to be an expensive plane ticket no matter what.

The best place to start is to look for flight into Mumbai, since this is the largest city and has the most frequent service. If you want to go to Goa it’s usually cheaper to fly from your city into Mumbai and then take the train the rest of the way. You can also buy flights on discount airlines to Goa, but the train will always be cheaper.

The problem with this Mumbai train idea is that it takes about 12 hours to get to Goa, and unless you reserve a good sleeper cabin on the train this can feel more like 12 days. The flights are more expensive, but if you factor in the whole day you spend on the train they really are a better alterative for most people.

If you are coming to India from the east then flying into Delhi is usually your best bet. From there you can take a discount airline to Goa, but forget about the train because that takes almost two full days and it’s just not worth it.

Christmas Is The Most Celebrated Holiday In Christianity. Some Consider It The Most ‘Holy’ Day Of The Year.

The exaltation of Christmas is in itself a travesty. Most historians, and Christian scholars know that Jesus was not born on December 25th. They realize that his birth date was probably in the fall. This is backed up by circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth.

People knowingly follow a false date - set aside to exalt Jesus. Not only is the date a fraud, but also so are the practices. Many manmade traditions have been mixed in with the worship of God. This is like mixing ‘dung with balsam’.

The majority of the activities associated with Christmas have no relationship to Jesus. Sure there is an adopted religious (paganish) Nativity scene about Christ. But there are many more adopted pagan customs that are totally unrelated.

Christmas originated in Rome in the 4th century. The tradition came after the Council of Nicaea met in 325 C.E. For kingdom unification, the Council adopted the idea that Jesus was God. Christmas was a Christian substitute for the pagan celebration of winter solstice.

The winter solstice usually occurred around December 25th on the ancient Julian calendar. This celebration was a part of another Roman celebration called Saturnalia. Saturnalia began each year on December 17th. At that time the Romans honored Saturn, the ancient god of agriculture. Also celebrated was the lengthening of daylight following the winter solstice. Romans did this by glorifying Mithra, the ancient Persian god of light. These and other winter festivities lasted until January 1.

The Roman Catholic Church chose December 25 as the day for the Feast of the Nativity. This was in order to give Christian meaning to existing pagan rituals. The Church replaced festivities honoring the birth of the Mithra by commemorating the birth of Jesus. They called Jesus the light of the world. The Church hoped to draw pagans into its religion by overlapping their revelry.

Traditionally, the sacred Christmas season starts with Advent. Advent continues to Christmas Day. During Advent, Christians make preparations for commemorating Jesus’ birth on December 25th. They also look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.

About 600A.D., Pope Gregory I decreed that Advent start the fourth Sunday before Christmas. He decreed that the season end on Epiphany, January 6th.

Over the next 1200 years, Christmas observances followed the expansion of Christianity. It expanded throughout Europe, into Egypt, and eventually into America. Along the way, Christian beliefs combined with other pagan feasts and winter rituals. This created many distorted long-standing Christian traditions of Christmas celebrations.

Some examples are:

1)The ancient Europeans believed that the mistletoe plant held magic powers to bestow life and fertility, to bring about peace, and to protect against disease. They associated the plant with the Norse goddess of love, Freya, and developed the custom of kissing underneath mistletoe branches.

2)The Roman Catholic Church first introduced the midnight Mass in the 5th century. The dramatization of the biblical story of Jesus’ birth was a practice begun by Saint Francis of Assisi in the 13th century.

3)Many cultures continue the pre-Christian custom of burning Yule logs during the midwinter season; the Yule log symbolizes the victory of light over the darkness of winter. According to ancient tradition, the ashes provide protection against bad luck during the year.

4)The German custom of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmastime has become one of the most popular images of Christmas around the world. At one time, Germany supplied the world with almost all of the decorative glass ornaments for Christmas trees. On the evening of December 5th, children wait for a visit from Saint Nicholas, who brings them gifts. Most children also receive gifts on Christmas Eve. In some parts of Germany, Santa Claus distributes gifts, but in other regions Knecht Ruprecht, a mythical figure dressed in animal skins, delivers children’s treats. On Christmas Eve, families traditionally gather around Christmas trees decorated with lights, ornaments, and Lebkuchen, which are spiced cookies cut into decorative shapes. Worshippers holding candles illuminate Church services on Christmas Eve. The Advent wreath, which consists of four candles anchored in a circle of evergreen branches, originated with German Lutherans; many churches and families have adopted the tradition. At the beginning of each of the four weeks preceding Christmas, Christians light an Advent candle as they say a prayer.

5)In Italian folklore Santa Claus is not a prominent figure. Instead, Italian children wait for La Befana, a good witch who rides her broom to their homes on Epiphany to distribute gifts. According to folk belief, La Befanawhose name refers to the word Epifania (Epiphany)was too busy to accompany the Three Wise Men on their journey to visit the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. Now, to atone for her failing, she visits all good children, leaving treats. She also visits bad children and leaves them lumps of coal or bags of ash.

6)In England religious customs of Christmas celebrations center on recounting the story of Christ’s birth. Most people who celebrate Christmas also participate in such secular customs as watching Christmas plays, feasting, singing, and helping the poor. Before Christmas Day, children write wish lists to Father Christmas, who is the British version of Santa Claus. They then throw these letters into the fire. Children believe that if a draft draws the letter up through the chimney, their wishes will be fulfilled. Children open their gifts on Christmas afternoon. Many people in England also make charitable contributions to churches and to the needy on the day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day. They also give small gifts known as Christmas boxes to those who have performed personal services throughout the year.

7)America has become a melting pot for many world Christmas traditions, with many new customs, many of which started in the 19th century. Before then Christmas had been an ordinary workday in many communities, particularly in New England, where early Puritan objections to Christmas celebrations remained highly influential. Families almost never exchanged Christmas gifts among themselves.

These early Christmas traditions in America quickly changed. Among some groups, Christmas became an especially boisterous event, characterized by huge feasts, drunkenness, and raucous public revelry. In an English tradition that survived in some parts of North America, Christmas revelers would dress in costume and progress from door to door to receive gifts of food and drink. Most holiday gifts were limited to small amounts of money and modest presents passed from the wealthy to the poor and from masters to their servants. The rapidly expanding industrial economy of the 19th century flooded the market with new goods for sale, and also helped establish a new middle class. Christmas gained increased prominence largely because many people believed it could draw families together and honor children. Giving gifts to children and loved ones eventually replaced the raucous public celebrations of the past, and Christmas became primarily a domestic holiday.

With the new custom of Christmas gift giving, the marketplace exerted an unprecedented influence on holiday celebrations. Commercial innovations such as department stores and mass advertising further expanded the custom of exchanging Christmas gifts. Seasonal retail sales helped fuel the economy, causing merchants and advertisers to become some of the season’s most dedicated promoters. Many holiday celebrants regretted these changes and began voicing the now common grieve that Christmas has become too commercial. With the influx of immigrants, who introduced a wide variety of religious and cultural practices to North American life, celebrating Christmas became a way for people from different parts of the world to create a sense of community in the cities. The holiday forged a sense of nondenominational Christian spirit in the communities, as it promoted a sense of collective good will.

Christmas, the most ‘Holy’ Day of Christianity, has many built-in errors and influences. Although it has become a Day to reflect on goodwill toward mankind, the core of Christianity’s foundation (Jesus’ birth) has pagan roots. Just imagine how many more pagan customs are embedded into other Christian holidays and beliefs. All of the Christian traditions need to be investigated thoroughly, if one is to take them literally.

With Christmas, like other holidays, Christians give reverence to images and symbols. With Christmas there is the symbol of the Christ child. In Rome this image is called ‘Santo Bambino Jesu’.

There are also other pagan images, adopted for various reasons. Some of these images include: mistletoe, prayer cloths and beads, people, spirits, Crucifixes, etc. To include the worship of any image or object is an abomination. God wants our total dedication to Him only, in spirit only.

Biblical Scriptures read:

“Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:” - Deut. 5:8.

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” - Deut. 6:5.

Jesus said:

“Have ye ever seen dung mixed with balsam?”

“Now I tell you that there be in the world greater madmen, because with the service of God they mingle the service of the world. So much so that many of blameless life have been deceived of Satan, and while praying have mingled with their prayer worldly business, whereupon they have become at that time abominable in the sight of God. Tell me, when ye wash yourselves for prayer, do ye take care that no unclean thing touch you? Yea, assuredly. But what do ye when ye are making prayer? Ye wash your soul from sins through the mercy of God. Would ye be willing then, while ye are making prayer, to speak of worldly things? Take care not to do so, for every worldly word becometh dung of the devil upon the soul of him that speaketh.” - GB: 84.

More is revealed on this subject of: False holidays and customs, as well as on the subjects of: God’s Knowledge and Worship, and the Judgments of God, in the Guide Book: ONE GOD ONE WORD: The TRUTH About The KNOWLEDGE and WORSHIP of GOD.

Visit website:
http://OneGodOneWord.com/ for additional information.