Christmas! Even the word itself is magical! No other holiday in America boasts such a wealth of traditions and customs. Not only do we enjoy our uniquely American traditions, but we also celebrate in ways that reflect the diverse backgrounds of our immigrant ancestors. Their holiday traditions, transplanted here from many countries, have taken root and thrived. Each country in the world celebrates Christmas with its own unique set of traditions and customs, yet at the heart of Christmas everywhere, lies the birth of the Christ Child and the universal message of hope, peace on earth, and good will to all. From all of us at By Loving Hands, "May the joyous spirit of Christmas be yours always!"

The symbols of Christmas. Many traditions and symbols have been gathered into the rich treasury of Christmas lore. The holiness of the Nativity, the brilliance of the Star of Bethlehem, the joyous heralding of bells, and the benevolence of Santa Clans are just a few symbols of Christmas that give meaning and inspire emotion. As you decorate your home for the holidays, be aware that you're participating in the most beloved and popular celebration in the world. So as you string the lights on your tree, set the candles on your table, and hang the wreath on your door, remember you're apart of Christmas, from the song in your voice to the light in your heart! And a
Merry Christmas One and All!

Each year, amidst all the boxes and bags of Christmas decorations, lies one box, set apart from the others. We all have one— a box full of extra-special treasures that warm our homes and our hearts in a most remarkable fashion. We begin our decorating by unpacking our keepsakes first, or we save them for the very last, so we can take time to savor the cherished moment, of once again, releasing the magic of memories. Our enchanting musicals and ornaments have all the makings of a collectible, all they need is a loving home.

Memories are made everyday but it is memories that are shared over and over again that become traditions. The stories that are told the live on year after year, like the stories of Christ, or Santa. These are all apart of the way we grow, the way we believe, the way we love and share with others. So lets share our family memories or traditions this holiday season.


The future belongs to our imaginations, where the anticipation of what may be is colored with our visions and decorated with our dreams. In our musings of things to come, fantasies become real and whimsy flows freely, creating a world of possibilities that's only limited by our own minds. And Christmas, being magical in it's own right, transforms into a winter wonderland where Santa Claus, with the help of animal friends, brings the promising spirit of tomorrow into our homes today!

May all your Christmases be magical and full of promise!

BETHLEHEM

A little town of Bethlehem, what a miracle you witnessed long ago. It was in this sleepy little herders' town, that Joseph and Mary found the humble manger where Jesus was born. Nestled in the hills of Israel, Bethlehem is home to the Church of the Nativity, built above the original cave of the Nativity. People travel from around the world to visit this sacred place in celebration of Christ's birth. To this day, the old vigil over the flocks is carried on the same way it was when David tended his sheep in the fields surrounding Bethlehem many many years ago. Capture the spiritual beauty of Bethlehem with keepsakes celebrating the First Christmas.

BRAZIL

Christmas Eve in Brazil is a time of surprises and revelry. The Christmas tree is seen for the first time, after being decorated in secret. Santa Claus and his many heifers, walk about the streets giving small gifts to the children. Everyone sings carols, children put out their shoes for Papa Noel to fill, the last candle of the Advent wreath is lighted, and the Christ Child is placed in his crib in the pesebre (nativity). All-night festivities prevail in a carnival-like celebration, the air filled with the sound of bells, music, happy voices, and firecrackers!

BRITISH ISLES

Christmas in Great Britain retains much of the same essence as it did over a hundred and fifty years ago when Charles Dickens gave us the beloved "A Christmas Carol." It is to our English cousins that we owe many of our most cherished Christmas traditions. Holly and mistletoe to name a few, and the yule log, from which sprang the custom of Christmas candles. Capture the mood of benevolence and sentimentality that pervades the English Christmas with distinctive figurines and ornaments, recalling traditions from England, Ireland, and Wales.

HOLLAND

In Holland, gifts are referred to as "surprises" and are exchanged, on Saint Nicholas Eve (December 6th). These "surprises" are carefully concealed in pudding, gloves, even in a head of cabbage! The greater the ingenuity in disguising, the greater the fun! This lighthearted mirth of the holiday is welcome during the bitter winter cold and the formality of Dutch society throughout the year.

ICELAND

Iceland has not one Santa but thirteen! Known as the Christmas Men, they begin visiting Icelandic homes, one per day, on the 12th of December, and by Christmas they've all arrived. They are quite mischievous and very playful. No one sees them, but each one leaves a gift. and some other signal of his presence. Door Slammer wakes people by slamming doors; Candle Beggar makes off with a few candles; and Meat Hooker, might even make off with the Christmas roast! However, the wonderful gifts they leave behind compensate for their antics!

ITALY

The Italians contributed two essential symbols of the season — the creche and the Christmas carol. And today, the many Italian-American communities across the country adorn their homes with Nativities, and celebrate Christmas in bursts of light and song with a brio (energy) that is nothing short of infectious!

GERMANY

From the big cities with their bustling Christmas markets, to small Bavarian towns whose Christmas lights glitter against the snow, to the Austrian Alps
where wooden houses are decked with holly and garlands of spruce, nowhere is Christmas celebrated with more enthusiasm than in Germany. The Christmas tree, the wonderful world of toyland, and the fanciful realm of baubles and tinsel are all of German origin. But of their many contributions to an American Christmas, none is more significant than the German's unbounded zeal for the holiday.

KENYA

The desert terrain of Africa resembles that of the Holy Land, making it an ideal setting for living Nativities and Christmas pageants. Christmas in Kenya is celebrated during the summer season, so cookouts are popular and beaches and campsites are packed. The traditional Christmas Day church service is observed and homes are decorated inside only, usually with Christmas trees. The only time snow is seen by the people of Africa is on the Christmas cards they exchange with friends and family.

MEXICO

In Mexico, Christmas is a rich festive blend of Indian, Spanish, and Mexican cultures. Christmas approaches in a twinkling of lights, a blaze of poinsettias, and to the captivating rhythm of dancing feet. Living Nativities, glowing luminaries, and dynamic pinata parties are around every corner. From the first festive posada, commemorating Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem, till late on Epiphany night, the Mexican Christmas, in light and pageantry, se alborata con ardor— "bursts forth with joy. "

POLAND

In Poland Christmas eve (Wigilia - also known as Festival of the Star) is when celebrating occurs. The gleam of the first evening star means that the long fast of Advent will soon be ended. And end it does, in a lavish meal charged with symbolism — twelve courses are served, representing the Twelve Apostles; bits of straw are placed beneath the table to recall the manger at Bethlehem; and empty plates are set out for the Christ Child and absent friends and relatives. The Star Man (sometimes the village priest in disguise or a well-informed neighbor) is the bearer of gifts for Polish children in the countryside, but only after they answer his questions about religion.

SCANDINAVIA

Christmas preparations in Scandinavia begin early in December, for no festival is more greatly loved. All the department stores hum with activity, the Christmas mart in Stortorget Square, known as the medieval section of Stockholm, Sweden. There festive, old-fashioned Christmas booths are set up, filled with handmade items fashioned from wood, metal, or textile, as well as homemade candy in colorful wrappers.

SWITZERLAND

Christmas in Switzerland is colored by the customs of four distinct linguistic regions-German, French, Italian, and Swiss. Switzerland's international flavor is represented in a wide variety of folklore that appears as decoration during Christmas. In Zurich, cookie ornaments are made from a mixture of flour and honey, known a tirggel. Fashioned from superbly carved wooden molds, tirggel is edible sculpture at its best. Christmas subjects are popular as motifs for this holiday delicacy as are characters from fairy tales like Jacob Grimms' Hansel and Gretel.

U.S.A.

HOMETOWN

Christmas at the turn-of-the-century in North America had a definite English flavor peppered with German and Scandinavian traditions. Garlanded and beribboned Victorian homes and quaint storefronts were scattered like big beautiful presents over a mantel of glistening snow. An abundance of leisure time allowed for the enjoyment of Christmas to its fullest— caroling, ice skating, sleigh rides, and wassailing abounded!

FAR NORTH

Brrrr ... is it ever cold at Christmastime in Alaska! But the animals don't mind, in fact, the snowy terrain is their playground— a winter wonderland full of magical possibilities, like meeting Santa, who doesn't mind the cold either, after all he comes from the North Pole! Alaska produces her own Christmas light
display with the colorful "Aurora Borealis" (northern lights) illuminating the night sky with florescent moving bands of light— a natural phenomena of remarkable beauty that echoes the magic of Christmas year-round!

FAR WEST

As the early settlers trickled into the expansive Western territories of the United States they discovered Spanish and Native Indian cultures as colorful as
the land itself. The European Christmas traditions they brought with them were given a spirited twist inspired by the daily adventure of life in the Wild West.
In the Far West Santa is known to wear a sombrero, the great Saguaro cacti are decorated as splendidly as Christmas trees, and English carols are played with the lilting romance of a Spanish guitar.

GREAT LAKES

It's a lumber Christmas near the Great Lakes of Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior. There's hay-wagon rides drawn by powerful Belgian draft horses through the snow-covered country-side and the telling of tall tales about loggers' exploits in the woods. But perhaps one of the more beautiful traditions takes place at the harbors and villages along the shores of the Great Lakes, where boats parade across the waters with masts and rigging aglow to usher in the holidays.

PRAIRIE

The Midwestern region of the United States enjoys Christmas traditions transplanted by the early European settlers. On their journey west, many of these pioneers fell in love with the vast rolling hills and decided to stay in the Midwest, instilling their bounty of European Christmas traditions. And being a new frontier, shopping was scarce indeed, so they got busy making their own Christmas toys and decorations. Little did they know, they would inspire a charming homespun style that is extremely popular to this day!

SANTA'S NORTH POLE

There's been a flurry of activity at Santa's Workshop. Santa and his elves have been hard at work creating one-of-a-kind specialities just for you! Their mission— to create toys that are as decorative as they are fun. After a peek into Santa's Workshop, we say, "mission accomplished, hats off to Santa and his crew." The jolly old elf and his helpers will take a few months off, then they'll be back to their workbenches and drawing tables, putting the "Merry" in Christmas with magical toys and decorations packed with Yuletide spirit!

SMOKY MOUNTAINS

At Christmas in the Smoky Mountains, fog moves gently over endless snow-covered mountains in a celebration of Winter whites. Colored lights twinkle in the silvery mist, while soft strains of country carols echo off the mountains. Those nestled in the hills and valleys of Tennessee and North Carolina cling to the traditions of the early frontiersmen, decorating their cabins and homes with crafts created from their own imaginations and fashioned from their own hands.

SOUTHERN AMERICA

In the Southern - region of the United States Christmas is a virtual celebration of ribbons, flowers, and lace— gracing tables, streaming from trees and flowing from the banisters of stairs in a shimmering pastel splash. Were you to venture back to Victorian England, you'd discover the same elegant angels, fragile glass baubles, and lacy beribboned trees that are favorite Christmas adornments in the Southern United States. And amidst all the lavish decorations, you'll also find tributes to the origin of Christmas, like exquisite Nativity scenes and the sharing of joy and reverence.