A family Christmas vacation can be a wonderful experience. It can fill you with wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Christmas is a magical time to be surrounded by loved ones, friends and the spirit of the holidays. It is also one of the busiest traveling times of the year. But, not to worry – there are still plenty of ways to enjoy a family Christmas vacation. A few tips will make your trip a breeze.

Christmas Vacation Tip #1: Play Santa

If you are planning a Christmas vacation, be sure to wrap your gifts early if you are taking them for the trip. Always pack each gift carefully, especially if they are fragile, to avoid breakage or other damage. If you don’t have the extra room to travel with a gift, ship it before you leave home. If you ship to the address that you will be arriving at, the gift(s) should arrive within several days and will save you from traveling with them.

Christmas Vacation Tip #2: Don’t Forget

Make sure that you plan a trip that is enjoyable for everyone in the family. Before finalizing any details, sit down with your entire family and make sure they each person has something special to enjoy during the trip. Make sure that your trip is long enough so that everyone can enjoy their favorite activities.

Christmas Vacation Tip #3: Weather Planning

If you are planning outside activities, check ahead with the weather forecast. If you are going skiing, make sure to check with the local ski resort to inquire about their conditions.

Christmas Vacation Tip #4: Arrive Early

When making travel plans, always buy tickets as early as possible. Airlines and other forms of transportation, especially near the holidays, tend to fill up early. If you are flying, call to confirm that your flight is on time before you even leave home. Upon confirmation, make sure that you arrive at the airport early. The same is true if you are traveling by train. Always call ahead to make sure that everything is on schedule because you certainly don’t want to be left standing in the cold.

Christmas Vacation Tip #5: Don’t Forget the Chef

If you are having a family gathering, which may include Christmas dinner, always pitch in to help with the cooking or clean-up. Catering to an entire family is a real job and it requires a lot of work. Therefore, any extra help that you can provide to the family member, who is acting as chef for the day, will definitely be appreciated.

Christmas Vacation Tip #6: Santa Questions

One of the best ways to enjoy a family Christmas vacation is by simply being together. When your children start asking questions like “How will Santa find me if I’m away from home,” have your responses ready and reply with reassurance that Santa is always watching. It is these little moments that will be treasured forever and nothing will ever take their place.

Christmas Trees!

Every year, our senses are bombarded with the wonderful sights and sounds of the Christmas holiday season. For many people, the Christmas tree majestically standing in a well chosen spot and decorated with loving care is the main feature of the Christmas holiday decorations.

Christmas trees are not only the main focus of homes that have been decorated for the holidays, they can also be found in many public places such as offices, malls, and squares. These trees make the holidays feel much more festive. To most people Christmas doesn’t really begin until after the traditional lighting of the town’s official tree; thus starting a month-long string of holiday events.

Interestingly, the history of the Christmas tree can actually be traced back to when prehistoric pagan practices became Christianized. In the pagan belief, the evergreen tree, which is what is used for the vast majority of Christmas trees, was used to symbolize the renewal of life.

Many different folk tales describe the origins of the Christmas tree as we know it today. Germanic tribes held the belief that Patron trees were sacred, and medieval myths referred to the miracle of evergreen trees “flowering” during the Christmas season. The shape of an evergreen has also been linked with the holy trinity of Christian belief, which is symbolized by a triangle.

The origin of the much-loved traditional Christmas tree is accredited to the Germans, as they are thought to be the first people to bring live evergreens into the home to decorate. This was long before electricity was first used. Looking back, it’s hard to imagine anyone placing lit candles on a very flammable Christmas tree, but that was the tradition. The tips of the tree’s branches would support tiny candle holders, complete with actual candles that were attached very carefully.

For the last century or so, a wide variety of festive lights have taken the place of the candles that used to be placed on the tree. Some families enjoy choosing Christmas tree lighting that adds technological flair to the holidays – chasing, changing, and flashing lights run by tiny computer chips. Others select lighting reminiscent of their own childhood Christmases.

A family’s ornaments are a visual record of the memories of past holidays. Children especially attach emotional importance to the Christmas ornaments. While the traditional decorating scheme of holiday ornaments is most commonly used, many people choose to forego tradition by creating theme trees, such as a beach tree covered in seashells.

The purchase of a single special ornament for each individual child every Christmas is what some families cherish. This way the children will have their own collection of favorite ornaments to use as the basis of their Christmas tree decorations when they get older.

The family Christmas tree will most likely continue to be the main focus of family traditions and one of the primary symbols of Christmastime, bringing with it a perpetuation of giving, awe, good will towards men and the creation of new memories to be treasured for a lifetime.

Artificial Wreaths can be used for Christmas or any other season. There are a lot of people who put up an Artificial Wreath for Christmas but why not put other wreaths in that place year round.

Artificial Wreaths are not just the traditional pine wreaths with red bows. Now there are many choices in wreaths to dress up a wall or entryway. While the pine wreath is a seasonal favorite, floral and foliage wreaths are finding a place in home décor as well. These fake wreaths are taking the place of more traditional wall hangings like pictures because they are more dimensional.

The great thing about these wreaths is that they are available in countless colors, styles and sizes. Regardless of the size wall you have, you are sure to find the perfect wreath to fit the wall.

Wreaths generally come in 5 styles. The traditional pine wreath is available in both lit and unlit. These are the Christmas Wreath favorite. Floral wreaths typically use a combination of flowers and foliage to create a lovely wreath. Some silk floral wreaths use only flower buds. Foliage leaves are available with fall colors or with greenery. Berry wreaths mix foliage or evergreen branches together to create a stunning combination. Lastly there are decorator wreaths that use feathers, glittered greenery and other unique features to make a wreath to fit a special look.

Artificial Wreaths are popular for entryways but also work well in other areas like on a dining wall. Because of the variety these can work with both traditional and contemporary decorative schemes. They can also be used for Christmas.