Saturday, October 7, 2017

The Holiday Season is Here

We start the season with Halloween, October 31.  It seems to me that Halloween gets bigger and bigger every year. The story of how the "Jack-o'-lantern" came about is very interesting.  In folklore it is said to represent a "soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell." This is the story about how it came about:

"On route home after a night's drinking, Jack encounters the Devil and tricks him into climbing a tree. A quick-thinking Jack etches the sign of the cross into the bark, thus trapping the Devil. Jack strikes a bargain that Satan can never claim his soul. After a life of sindrink, and mendacity, Jack is refused entry to heaven when he dies. Keeping his promise, the Devil refuses to let Jack into hell and throws a live coal straight from the fires of hell at him. It was a cold night, so Jack places the coal in a hollowed out turnip to stop it from going out, since which time Jack and his lantern have been roaming looking for a place to rest."

You notice they used a hollowed out Turnip.  The people of America are the ones who started using hollowed out pumpkins for their lanterns. Have you started making your Jack-O'-Lantern for this Halloween season? Do you prefer to carve a scary face or a friendly face? Whichever design you choose we wish you a happy and safe Halloween.

Be sure to check back for more holiday posts.

Monday, January 23, 2017

WHY DO WE CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY?

Valentine's Day was originally a religious holiday that started around the 5th century.  It wasn't until the 1300's that it became associated with love and romance when the tradition of courtly love blossomed with love letters delivered to the one you cared about.  In the 1700's lovers in England began to share their love for each other by giving gifts of flowers and candy and sending greeting cards known as "valentines".  Today's symbols of Valentine's Day include heart-shaped outlines,doves and cupid and they come in a large variety of mass-produced greeting cards.

What would your ideal Valentine gift be?  Do you prefer flowers, candy, or a romantic greeting card?  How about a romantic dinner for two - a table set with candles and flowers, soft music playing in the background, a bottle of your favorite wine and your favorite meal prepared and served to you?  Did you know you can do all of that with a special Gift Basket?  Chocolate is the language of love and a beautiful Gift Basket that includes a variety of chocolates would be greatly appreciated by anyone.

Romantic love is not the only kind of love to celebrate on Valentine's Day.  You also have the love of family and friends.  Don't forget to remember them on this special day.  A Gift Basket with their favorite snacking food would be good.  Or, how about one that includes coffee or tea with cookies or cake?  Just remember, we all want to be loved and cared for and a Gift Basket is a wonderful way to show you care.










Wednesday, December 28, 2016



CELEBRATING THE NEW YEAR 


How do you celebrate the New Year?  It has become a tradition in many countries to have large open air parties with 100’s to 1000’s of people attending:   Central London in London, England; Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia; the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France; the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany and Times Square in New York, U.S.A.  Cities and towns around the world celebrate in their own way.

Maybe your family hosts a party for your neighborhood with food, music and fun while waiting the countdown until midnight.  Some people like to go to a club where there is live music or a great D.J. to keep the dance floor jumping.  Or maybe there is a more formal event where you can dress up in your new evening gown and jewels and have a glamorous celebration.

Maybe you will attend a midnight service that’s held on New Year’s Eve, called a Watch-Night service.  This will often include food, singing and a message from the church’s pastor.
The best way to spend New Year’s Eve in our house is thinking back on all that transpired during the last year, consider ways to make the New Year a better year for all, and enjoying the festivities around the world by watching them on television.

What is your favorite way to welcome the New Year?

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

December is a month for Celebrations



 
Hanukkah 2016 will start the evening of Saturday,  December 24 and will end the evening of Sunday, January 1, 2017.  The eight-day  festival of light that begins with the lighting of the first candle of the menorah and ends with the lighting of the last candle on the eighth day.  The lighting of these candles celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality  over materiality.

Kwanzaa (/ˈkwɑːn.zə/) is a week-long celebration held primarily in the United States and in Canada. The celebration honors African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a feast and gift-giving. Kwanzaa  was created by Maulana Karenga and was first Celebrated in 1966–67.

Christmas or Christmas Day (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed most commonly on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide includes an Octave. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated culturally by a large number of non-Christian people, and is an integral part of the holiday season, while some Christian groups reject the celebration. In several countries, celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24 has the main focus rather than December 25, with gift-giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family. 


A beautiful gift basket would be a welcome gift on any of these wonderful holidays.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Gift Basket Ideas for Expecting Mothers

When it comes to celebrating the birth of a baby the traditional thing to do would be to hold a baby shower for the pregnant woman. Many people do this all over the world, and the baby shower is an important event because it includes pretty much every close friend and family member who is going to be a part of the baby’s life in some way or another. But those who are having the baby shower can invite pretty much anyone that they want. However, many people have trouble finding the perfect gift for the soon-to-be-mother.
An excellent gift for her and her unborn child, though, is a baby shower gift basket. There are plenty of ways to create the perfect baby shower gift basket and there are so many choices available that you’ll probably have trouble deciding what to include and what to leave out of the gift basket. But here are some suggestions if a gift basket is what you’re trying to create for the mother-to-be and her unborn boy or girl.

Baby Products

There are so many things that the mother is going to need right off the bat after the baby is born. Diapers are just one of those necessary items, although, diapers are also another frequently given gift. If you are going to include diapers in your gift basket, though, one suggestion for laying them out would be to line the inside border of the baby shower gift basket with diapers so that they are going all the way around.
A few of the other baby products that should be included are baby lotions, baby bath soap, baby wash cloths, and baby oils. All of these baby shower gifts are things that the mother will need for her baby when the little one arrives so preparing the mother with everything possible is a good idea!

Mother’s Gifts

Of course you also don’t want to leave out the mother when creating your baby shower gift basket. There are plenty of products that could be included for the mother-to-be, such as relaxation products that will help her to relax when she’s worried about her pregnancy and the near-future birth. A few ideas to include would be stress balls, votive candles, as well as a variety of hot tea products. It may be also a good idea to include lotions and bath products for the mother as well. Lotions, such as stretch mark reduction cream, will definitely be much appreciated in the baby shower gift basket.
Simply put, there are many gifts and possibilities that one has when creating the perfect gift basket for a baby shower guest of honor. Chances are that no matter what you fill the gift basket with the mother will appreciate everything inside. Baby showers are the one event where creativity can show through, so you may just want to put on your thinking cap before going out to buy things to put in the baby shower gift basket in the first place!