The History of New Years Resolutions

The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.

With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.

The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.

The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new.

The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.

In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.

The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, however. A year in a lunar calendar is less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21.

Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.

Ancient New Years

The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, Babylonians celebrated the beginning of a new year on what is now March 23, although they themselves had no written calendar.

Late March actually is a logical choice for the beginning of a new year. It is the time of year that spring begins and new crops are planted. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.

The Babylonian New Year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.

The Romans continued to observe the New Year on March 25, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the New Year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the New Year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

Global Good Luck Traditions

With New Year's upon us, here's a look at some of the good luck rituals from around the world. They are believed to bring good fortune and prosperity in the coming year.

AUSTRIA - The suckling pig is the symbol for good luck for the new year. It's served on a table decorated with tiny edible pigs. Dessert often consists of green peppermint ice cream in the shape of a four-leaf clover.

ENGLAND - The British place their fortunes for the coming year in the hands of their first guest. They believe the first visitor of each year should be male and bearing gifts. Traditional gifts are coal for the fire, a loaf for the table and a drink for the master. For good luck, the guest should enter through the front door and leave through the back. Guests who are empty-handed or unwanted are not allowed to enter first.

WALES - At the first toll of midnight, the back door is opened and then shut to release the old year and lock out all of its bad luck. Then at the twelfth stroke of the clock, the front door is opened and the New Year is welcomed with all of its luck.

HAITI - In Haiti, New Year's Day is a sign of the year to come. Haitians wear new clothing and exchange gifts in the hope that it will bode well for the new year.

SICILY - An old Sicilian tradition says good luck will come to those who eat lasagna on New Year's Day, but woe if you dine on macaroni, for any other noodle will bring bad luck.

SPAIN - In Spain, when the clock strikes midnight, the Spanish eat 12 grapes, one with every toll, to bring good luck for the 12 months ahead.

PERU - The Peruvian New Year's custom is a spin on the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at the turn of the year. But in Peru, a 13th grape must be eaten to assure good luck.

GREECE - A special New Year's bread is baked with a coin buried in the dough. The first slice is for the Christ child, the second for the father of the household and the third slice is for the house. If the third slice holds the coin, spring will come early that year.

JAPAN - The Japanese decorate their homes in tribute to lucky gods. One tradition, kadomatsu, consists of a pine branch symbolizing longevity, a bamboo stalk symbolizing prosperity, and a plum blossom showing nobility.

CHINA - For the Chinese New Year, every front door is adorned with a fresh coat of red paint, red being a symbol of good luck and happiness. Although the whole family prepares a feast for the New Year, all knives are put away for 24 hours to keep anyone from cutting themselves, which is thought to cut the family's good luck for the next year.

UNITED STATES - The kiss shared at the stroke of midnight in the United States is derived from masked balls that have been common throughout history. As tradition has it, the masks symbolize evil spirits from the old year and the kiss is the purification into the new year.

NORWAY - Norwegians make rice pudding at New Year's and hide one whole almond within. Guaranteed wealth goes to the person whose serving holds the lucky almond.

Chinese New Year

Except for a very few number of people who can keep track of when the Chinese New Year should be, the majority of the Chinese today have to rely on a typical Chinese calendar to tell it. Therefore, you cannot talk of the Chinese New Year without mentioning the Chinese calendar at first.

A Chinese calendar consists of both the Gregorian and lunar-solar systems, with the latter dividing a year into twelve month, each of which is in turn equally divided into thirty- nine and a half days. The well-coordinated dual system calendar reflects the Chinese ingenuity.

There is also a system that marks the years in a twelve-year cycle, naming each of them after an animal such as Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. People born in a particular year are believed to share some of the personalities of that particular animal.

The Real Meaning of Celebrating Christmas and New Years

Love makes a difference in handling Christmas excitement, expectations and depression.

One time when I was home from boarding school to New York City where my parents lived at age eight I got terribly excited when looking up at our tall Christmas tree that reached the ceiling that my father had to cut the top off, much to my child's regret.

What a great tree that was, all green and its spruce aroma filled the air of our apartment. Outside was snow spiraling the air with white fluffs smacking us in our crispy cool faces. If my father did not watch me I would be eating the fresh snow off the curb or making snowballs for you know what.

I would get so excited and happy at the advent of Christmas because here love was. My mother told me that people were always nicer to each other at Christmas. Yes, I did not know why yet, but there was magic in the air!

However, when we got the big tree up the stairs, my father and I, and into the apartment, cut off top and all, I looked up at it and fell into a faint and hit my forehead above my left eye against the radiator as I fell.

The plain truth which I realized later is that the promise of Christmas is the promise of love, of caring, of new life itself.

Have you ever felt disappointed at the Christmas presents you got? I certainly have. It seems like those who love us never can really get us the present we really long for. Is that not because we long for love in our life?

Why is it that families tend to go home to the parents at Christmas, or one of the siblings' houses?

It's called the family archetype. We return to the nest where our existence started. In nature at the darkest time of the year, the Winter Solstice, the new light is born. After the longest night and shortest day the days start getting longer and we know that after winter spring and summer will come. Inside us it's the birth of hope again, of another year of life, yet with new wonderful things possible.

It's the death-rebirth cycle. Not only nature goes into hibernation, and living things are still but not dead. It's also hibernation in the inner womb. It's the season of the inner light, and so the outer light of many candles lit in the afternoon and evening brings joy to our hearts.

Where I lived for awhile in Sweden and Norway both, they have the custom of lighting big candles that cannot be blown out by the wind and placing them outside shops and restaurants on the sidewalks. This represents the winter light when all is darkness.

Darkness represents depression, the withdrawal of light, of life force, of energy and enthusiasm for new projects. In England it seems like the whole month of December nobody works that hard in their companies. What are they doing? The good restaurants are full all afternoon and evening because companies take all their employees to company Christmas feasts. They stay for hours, believe me. And they are mostly in no condition to work after such a feast.

Ancient societies always had winter light festivals, whether snow visited them or not because of the climate.

Christmas, the birth of the Savior, was put by the Church fathers at near the time of the traditional winter solstice. Whether they knew it or not, they were intuiting the need for humans to go through their own inner death-rebirth cycles.

And we go through ours as well, whether we know it or not that consciously.

Here are a few suggestions that will guide you through the winter holidays. Don't worry about whether you are religious or not. Seek the spiritual significance of Christmas-Winter Solstice in your own inner being.

If you get caught up in a Christmas gift buying frenzy just remember that each of these material gifts symbolizes the One Great Gift really, which is the gift of life itself. Life comes through love.

If you don't have that much love in your life at the moment, don't get totally depressed by it, or if you are depressed, don't hide from it with alcohol or anything else you want to take to relieve your depression.

Don't let materialism take you over. In other words, don't give yourself totally away to others in gifts or time spent with so many people. Choose. Pick your close friends and family. Pick what you want to do during the holidays as well as go with some of what you feel obligated to do.

Relax into the festivities. Take time to be with fellow workers and friends. Remember that the spirit of this time is bringing light out of darkness. Take some time to write an old friend with something serious about yourself and how life is going for both of you.

After being with a lot of people celebrating, also suggest to some of those closest to you that you all go somewhere in nature for a walk.

Remember that your life is one year older, as is everyone's. You let go of the old year to make space for the new by acknowledging the old life, or the highlights of the year, and then you let them go.

In giving feast toasts you might ask each person to toast one highlight of your being or working together throughout the past year. Thus you are acknowledging the light, symbolically the high value times of the year.

If you just go along with things, or act happy when you don't feel so happy, or get totally stressed out with shopping and planning dinners and parties, then you will lose a lot of energy and feel depressed by the time Christmas arrives or right after.

Don't forget that New Years is soon to follow!

Seems like most of us want to be with other people during the transition into the new year. What is the tradition of kissing at twelve o'clock midnight but the symbolic hope of true love in the new year?

If you're not with somebody special, don't get depressed about it. If year after year you are not with someone, then make sure you go to a New Years special workshop or something.

Give up something old in transition into the new year. Yet also focus on something new for the new year.

Once I asked a group of twenty people who wanted me to lead their New Years celebration at the sea in Big Sur, California, on an estate, 'what is the worst New Years you ever had?' People told amazing stories. One theme dominated them all. It seems that when New Years approaches expectations are aroused. You are supposed to be supremely happy and optimistic. But what if you just don't feel that way?

Understandable, say we psychologists. Expectations are never as good as reality.

The best attitude to approach the Christmas and New Years time is to open to all the feelings without expectation of what should happen.

Strangely, Christmas fights are common in families that get together every Christmas. You don't have to fight but families do. Like my mother said, people are kinder to each other at Christmas. Was that a wish or a reality? She and her sister sometimes had horrible fights.

The problem is that most of us don't get or give enough love and appreciation during the year, so then at the time of love and new birth we feel secretly depressed over not having enough love in our lives. We fight each other and become sick and depressed, rather than choose to love as best we can everywhere we can.

Watch out then because Christmas symbolizes the birth of new life out of love, and New Years symbolizes the sacrifice of the old life for the new. Sacrifice your negativity and hurt and choose again to love.

Love is choosing to love fully despite disappointments and past hurts. You must love yourself first before you can love others. You must love others first before they can love you.

The only true gift at Christmas is love.

Love is accepting the unacceptable because you want new life for yourself and others.

Love is the sacrifice of old hurts and traumas so that you can love and share again.

Love is caring about what is important in life. Love is caring about who is important in your life.

Love is feeding the rat behind the door as well as the beautiful kitten in front of the door.

Love is not perfect but the choice to love is fulness itself.

Love does not end hate but it does offer a chance for change.

Love is exchanging old life for new. Lovers may be old but their love can always be new.

Yet don't expect perfection in love, or love's ideal. A rose may be almost perfect but you don't have to be.

You wont find your ideal gift or person probably out there. You have to allow times of quiet this holiday season to feel your inner person and to do things that are meaningful to you. Love yourself first and you will love others. Try to get love from others and you will be hurting yourself and them.

Don't try to buy love with Christmas presents. Relax. Slow down. The right gift at the right moment will come to you if you let it. Go for simple. If you have to work too hard at it why do it?

Don't just send Christmas Cards, if you still do. Send a few heartfelt sharing letters to a few people who have really counted for you in your life.

Don't just have parties or go to parties, or to family gatherings. Make sure you put in special times, like lunches together, for special friends whom you don't see that often because of the work-a-day world the rest of the year.

What people need is your love, not your gifts. You need to allow the time and inner receptivity to love and to allow love to come your way.

It's also a time for reminiscence. With that special friend or family member, make time for the two of you to sit down together, or go for an hour's walk in nature, just to tune in.

How has it gone with you this year? you ask. And you share some yourself about what you feel most good about, and also what has been difficult for you.

Remember, the real gift is love. We were born through an act of love and closeness and thus we become alive. We have the gift of life for as long as we have it. Don't worry about death. The real problem is to fully live when you are alive.

Don't rush around at Christmas and New Years any more than you have to. Slow down the pace. Don't drink or eat heavily to avoid a secret pain, or because you think you have to be happy all the time during the holidays. You don't.

If you are your real self you will feel the sadness of what didn't happen for you this past year, and the joy from what positive things have become the shining lights on your Christmas tree of life and love.

New Year's Activities & Traditions - 10 Ideas For Families, Groups, & Couples

Let's just assume that we all will stay up late on New Year's Eve, have a blast at a party with family or friends, eat a lot of candy and food, kiss someone 'special' at midnight - and then wake up in the morning (after sleeping in) and watch a parade, catch a football game, and make some New Year's resolutions.

In addition to these common traditions and activities on New Year's - here is a list of some more fun ideas for families and people everywhere of what to do as you bring in the New Year:

1) Campout in the Family Room: Let the kids stay up late, and everyone sleep out in the family room together. Have a party - play games together as a family, get lots of candy, watch the ball drop, rent a movie, etc. - just have a fun night together.

2) Predictions & Guesses: Each person in the family writes down their predictions for the upcoming year: will their be a marriage, a new baby, what world events will happen, who will win an election, what team will win the Super Bowl, or any other significant world or family event. Write them down, collect them, store them, and then look at them the next year to see who was right.

3) Christmas 'Thank You' Notes: Get out some cards and everyone write thank yous to grandparents, family, and friends who gave gifts to you that year.

4) Turn the Clock Ahead: If you have young kids, turn the clock ahead so that they can still enjoy the fun of celebrating the New Year.

5) Gift Giving: Considering all the gifts that the kids received at Christmas time, have each child buy or make a gift for someone in need. Go to the local orphanage, homeless shelter, or to sick kids at the hospital - and give a gift to a child in need.

6) Winter Camping & Vacation: Go camping with friends or as a family ... yes, in the winter time. Or, just make it a tradition to have a family winter vacation.

7) The Resolution: We all write resolutions that are kept for a good 3-4 days (right!). This year, choose just one habit to break, or one resolution to stick with, or one relationship to improve, or one talent to develop, etc. - and commit to it and DO IT!

8) Put Away the Christmas Decorations: Make it a yearly tradition to take down and put away the Christmas decorations together as a family.

9) New Year's Meals: Every year, sleep in and have a large brunch and dinner as a family. But, ensure you have the same traditional meal every year.

10) Family Resolutions & Planning: In addition to writing personal resolutions, write and commit to some family goals. Perhaps it is spending more time together, each child helping around the house more, parents being more kind and loving, have more 'family nights' together, etc. Also, pull out the calendar and plan for significant events and family vacations in the upcoming year.

Santa Claus in Different Cultures

To understand the differences in cultures, have a look at the different Santa's that exist in the world. Santa is one of the great symbols in the United Stated for Christmas but not all countries have the same Santa. Since Christianity in days of old was trying to bring more people into the faith, the church and newly converted people adapted local customs to make the birth of Christ easier for people to understand.

Santa may seem like a small way to measure cultures, but once you understand that something so simple as Santa is different in different markets, you can begin to understand how you have to change your selling style to match your different markets.

A Brief History Of Santa Claus

Saint Nicholas is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a Lycian saint and Bishop of Myra in Lycia of Anatolia. Because of the miracles attributed him, he is also known as Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and is now commonly identified with Santa Claus.

Sinterklaas is a traditional holiday figure in the Netherlands and Belgium, celebrated every year on 5 December, Saint Nicholas' eve, or on the morning of December 6. Sinterklaas is the basis for the North American figure of Santa Claus.

Santa, the red-suited man with a beard and a big belly, first appeared in a Coca-Cola advertisement in 1931. Before that, Santa was more like an elf.

In 1885, Thomas Nast sketched two children looking at a map of the world and tracing Santa's journey from the North Pole to the United States. The following year, the American writer, George P. Webster, took up this idea, explaining that Santa's toy factory and "his house, during the long summer months, was hidden in the ice and snow of the North Pole."

Finland

Finnish people believe that Father Christmas lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi, or Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. People from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus in Finland.

England

Father Christmas was originally part of an old English midwinter festival, normally dressed in green, a sign of the returning spring. He was known as 'Sir Christmas', 'Old Father Christmas' or Old Winter'.

In this earliest form, Father Christmas was not the bringer of gifts for small children, nor did he come down the chimney. He simply wandered around from home to home, knocking on doors and feasting with families before moving on to the next house.

Children write letters to Father Christmas about the presents they want to receive. Instead of sending the letter, the kids burn the the letters because they believe that Father Christmas would be able to determine their wishes through the smoke.

Germany

Martin Luther introduced das Christkindl (an angel-like Christ Child) to bring Christmas gifts and reduce the importance of Sankt Nikolaus (Protestants don't have saints). Later this Christkindl figure would evolve into der Weihnachtsmann in Protestant regions and would eventually cross the Atlantic to mutate into the English term "Kris Kringle."

Iceland

The Yule Lads, or Yulemen, (Icelandic: jólasveinarnir or jólasveinar) are figures from Icelandic folklore who in modern times have become the Icelandic version of Santa Claus. Their number has varied throughout the ages, but currently there are considered to be thirteen.

Two examples of the 13 are:

Gluggagægir, the Window-Peeper. He is a voyeur who looks through windows in search of things to steal. He starts visiting on 21 December and leaves on 3 January.

Stúfur, Stubby. He is abnormally short and steals pans to eat the crust left on them. He starts visiting on 14 December and leaves on 27 December.

Scandinavia

In much of the Scandinavian countries the Christmas Eve gift giver is the Jultomten or Christmas Gnome. Originally a goblin who brought good or bad luck to farmers; he became popular as the gift giver in the 19th century.

Russia

Babushka is a traditional Russian Christmas figure who gives gifts to children. Her name means grandmother and the legend is told that she decided to not go with the wise men to see Jesus because of the cold weather. Later she regretted not going and set off to try and catch up, filling her basket with presents. She never found Jesus, and that is why she visits each house, leaving toys for good children.

In a recent article in Russia, about Santa, he was declared an 'illegal immigrant' according to a top Kremlin official in Christmas 'Cold War'.

On 1 January, D'yed Moroz bring gifts and he arrives at the Kremlin celebration aboard a Sputnik-drawn sleigh.

Turkey

In Turkey there is Noel Baba who is related with New Year's Eve instead of Christmas since Turks do not celebrate Christmas. In today's predominantly Muslim Turkey, commercial interests have promoted Noel Baba to encourage gift giving at New Year's. Noel Baba is sometimes seen in shopping areas, on the streets, or in schools similar to Santa in Christian countries.

Holland

A legend existed that St. Nicholas put the Devil in chains and made him his slave and each St. Nicholas Day the Devil was working under orders from Saint Nicholas. The good Saint would direct "Black Peter" to drop gifts and candy down the chimneys into the children's shoes which were always there on St. Nicholas Eve. Eventually, the practice was carried over to Christmas which was actually a few weeks later.

Portugal

In Portugal, Pai Natal delivers presents and it is the baby Jesus who helps Pai Natal with the presents.

Italy

La Befana (Old Witch) is flying on her broomstick to give candies to kids in Italy. This is done on the night before Epiphany.

Austria

Heiliger Nikolaus give rewards to good children in Austria on 6 December. While Christkindl brings gifts on 24 December.

Belgium

In Belgium Pere Noel visits the children twice. First is every 4 December so he'll find out who have been good and bad among the children. Then good children would receive toys and candies while the bad ones will find twigs on their stockings on 6 December.

Hungary

Tel-apo or Mikulas has similar practice as in Belgium, delivering gifts on 6 December.

Brazil

Papai Noel, who usually wears a silk clothe, will bring the gifts for Christmas.

Sweden

A gnome called "Juletomten" brings gifts in a sleigh driven by goats.

Now that you have seen the differences in how people view Santa in different cultures, you can begin to work on how you will sell to these different markets.

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Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural eMarketer & International Sales Specialist, aligning businesses with different cultures. She has over 25 years field experience in international business development and helps mid-sized business owners create international business development strategies that shorten time to profitability.

Virtual Santa Clause - What Are Kids Telling Santa Online?

You may stand in line at the mall to see the real Santa, but more and more kids spend sometimes up to one hour chatting with a Virtual Santa Claus online. There are now plenty of online chat-bots talking to literally hundreds of thousands of children during the Christmas season.
It's known that children feel comfortable talking to Santa, but that's also true for an automated Santa software on the Internet. So, who are these artificial Santa Clauses? Where do you find them? And, what are the children saying to them?

Who are these Santa Clauses?
Various types of Santa bots exist online - from purely text based to fully-animated talking avatars of Santa Claus.

The famous santabot.com is a text-based chatbot using an Instant Message (IM) interface like MSN messenger or ICQ that kids a comfortable with.
The Santa bot developed by the A.L.I.C.E. foundation has a talking Santa head with a deep robot voice, text-to-speech, so you can actually hear Santa talk back to you.
Santa lives also in virtual worlds, such as one flash animated Santa Clause that sits behind the counter of a 'milk and cookies bar' ready to take your order.

What do kids say to a Virtual Santa Clause?

Kids will say about anything to Santa, and a unique insight into how kids interact with the Santa Claus bots online can be found in the statistics and trends collected from them.

The average time spend chatting with Santa is 18 minutes
Some conversations have lasted over 60 minutes
The popular questions year after year: "Are you real", "Sing me a song", "Do you know any jokes", "Can you take off your beard?", "Where is Mrs Claus"
New questions asked this season, most probably due to the economic downturn - "a job for my daddy", "can you send us money"
One chat in ten includes some form of insult. But kids will also usually be quick to apologize and ask Santa not to get angry
Almost gone are the bicycles and roller blades. The toys children ask for this season are "iPod", "Wii", "Xbox 360", and "PSP"

New Year -Complete Details of New Year

New Year is fast approaching and all of us must be wondering on how we can make our forthcoming days all the more happier and blissful. Making new resolutions, planning for the New Year party, purchasing New Year gifts etc consume most of our days prior to the occasion. Despite the yellow leaves, chilly mornings and cool winds breezing through, every heart holds warmth of mirth and enthusiasm in it. Irrelevant of cast, creed, religion and region people celebrate New Year in the most grand manner. The bygone year is bidden farewell to and the new year is embraced with arms wide open.

New Year History

A secular festival like New Year has a very ancient historic past attached to it. One of the earliest New Year celebrations was recorded in Mesopotamia in around 2000 B.C. But, it is considered that the celebrations of that New Year took place in the month of Spring on the first New Moon night. Whereas, a similar kind of celebration took place in Egypt and Persia on the Equinox, which falls in the month of winter season. The trend continued for many subsequent years until in around 150 B.C Romans fixed 1st January as the date to commence the cycle of the Gregorian New Year. The great King Julius Caesar made this attempt, which is followed till date. Thus, it is one of the old pagan festivals in the world.

New Year Traditions & Celebrations

However, there are many different traditions of celebrating New Year in different countries, yet the fervor and the intensity remains almost same all over. While some countries like United States of America and France hold parades in order to eulogize the occasion. While Chinese and Spanish people like to have a family dinner and then going out for celebrations, natives of Brazil enjoy New Year jubilations at street with colorful props. Making loud noises, having festive food and singing and dancing on jolly tunes is certainly the highlight of the day in any country across the world.

New Year Day Gifts

New Year day gifts are an expression of wishing all luck and happiness in the upcoming year. There is no scarcity of New Year gifts in the market. Make this New Year all the more special with exquisite decorative items, floral gifts, motivational gifts, good luck charm gifts and even ready to give New Year gift baskets. To lend to your gift a special, personalized feel add a New Year Day card to it. Enticing range of greeting cards are available at a gift shop near you. You can also send free New Year greetings via internet as many websites offer such a facility.

New Years Eve Party Ideas - Throw a Rockin' New Year's Eve Party

raditionally, New Years Eve parties were focused on couples only. Fortunately, not anymore! It is also not as exclusively formal as in previous decades. It is much more common to include the whole family and singles in the celebration as well. Alcohol, no alcohol, anything and everything goes these days.

Decorate with black, silver, and gold. Go all out with feather boas and top hats. Don't forget the noisemakers and party poppers to bring in the New Year.

Here are some fun activity ideas to bring in the New Year:

Resolutions Roast. Give each guest a turn roast their resolution for 2006. It is usually related to some sort of weight loss or self-improvement idea. For example, say "goodbye (name) and hello to a lighter, tighter me!" Costume or masquerade party. Don a mask and be a lady or gent of mystery! New Years around the world. Have guests bring dishes that reflect their ethnicities and countries of origin. Murder mystery party. Purchase murder mystery scripts or use a local murder mystery company to host the event. Create a time capsule to be opened in five years. Include some of 2005 items and a questionnaire about what they think it will be in 2010. Make a video of the party to include in her time capsule. Board games or card game championships Take a day cruise on a local body of water. Hire a bellydancer or salsa dancer to give lessons and give the guests a little spice for in their lives. Everyone will have a good laugh as they try out their new skills! Hold a couple's party and play the Newlywed Game to see who's most in tune with each other. Gambling on a winner? Choose a casino night for an easy to put together bachelorette party. Is a happy and prosperous year in the cards? Use a fortune telling theme complete with palm readings and crystal balls. Go out dancing at the host's favorite club.

Drop balloons at midnight and toast your friends and family!

About The Author

Dee Schrock has put together hundreds of theme party tips and fun ideas for easy (and budget conscious!) party planning.

Visit her website http://www.fun-theme-party-ideas.com/new-years-eve-party.html for tons of popular theme party ideas, including decoration, costume, game, and party drink ideas, as well as printable invitations.

New Year's Eve Party Secrets and Ideas

Some cultures have historically seen spring as a time of renewal but increasingly people today see New Years Eve in that perspective. It is certainly the beginning of the calendar year and marks the time when financial matters are settled. For lots of people it is occasion for resolving to embark on a course of self-improvement. Others just see it as time to start the arduous task of tax preparation. Neat-nicks take the opportunity to organize closets, garages and attics.

So whatever importance an individual places on New Years Eve it is never just another night. Whether wild street parties or expensive dinner reservations are made there is always something special before the clock strikes midnight. Many people spend New Years Eve quietly at home with a few friends or family members. Truth be told, these may in fact be the happiest revelers of all.

Expensive imported Champaign and platters of fancy meats may be standard fare but simpler foods can be just as appealing. Home buffets filled with bowls of chips or platters of inexpensive cold cuts are just as welcome and probably a better idea when budgets are still reeling from holiday gifting binges. Imported beers may be a nicer than usual treat that is still within budget constraints. These and wine coolers can eliminate the need to wash Champaign flutes afterward. Cans of juice or soda will help eliminate concerns about post party mishaps.

Decorating for New Years Eve is really a simple matter. If it glitters use it in your party decoration. Streamers and confetti in low light will turn any home into a more festive location. Fabric stores often have clearance priced yard goods from prom or Halloween that are reflective cloths and table toppers. Purchased New Years Eve paper party goods offer simple clean up.

Having Great New Year's Eve Parties With These Ideas

New Years Eve parties are everywhere you look once the big rush of the holiday season has wound down. You may be looking for that fancy outfit for the Midnight Ball or simply looking forward to a small gathering of friends. The choices are yours. Get ready to ring in the New Year with style and flair as you say goodbye to the old and hello to the new.

This very special occasion that New York City throws is world renowned. If you wish to attend any of the numerous parties and events there, then you are in for a great time. You can see the ball drop in Times Square that night, but attend a New York Broadway play during the day.

How about an exclusive hotel New Years Eve bash that may even bring you into close contact with celebrities and rock stars? That would definitely be worth the postcard and pictures to show your friends when you get back home.

What about a trip to the Windy City? A Chicago party on this special day may just be what you are looking for if you want to visit a city famous for its culture and history.

While you are booking your vacation, make sure and plan a little extra time to take in the museums and see the skyline from the lake view in Grant's Park. You cannot visit the city without a trip to the top of the Sear's Tower. The view is spectacular and worth the elevator ride up.

If you do not feel like paying a lot of money to travel to distant places, then there are usually great New Years Eve parties in town. Many local resorts and clubs host a party to ring in the New Year.

The entry fees are usually very reasonable and many times on New Years Eve hotels offer packages that include rooms, food, champagne toasts at midnight and live music. You need to make sure to book your room in advance, as most spots fill up early.

New Years Eve parties are a time to let go and enjoy yourself. You may be attending the party venues in London or at the local country club. The most important thing to remember is that you need to make it a safe time for everyone, including you and your family. Drinking and driving causes far too many casualties. Do your part by never driving while under the influence. Designate a driver to keep everyone safe and sound.

New Year's Eve Decorating Ideas

Make decorating your home for New Year's Eve party a pleasure instead of a stressful nightmare. Organization and planning helps you keep on top of your New Year's Eve party.

Create a gorgeous party planning notebook with an inexpensive plastic three-ring binder that has a space to insert an inspirational picture. Keep cutouts from magazines of ideas you love about decorating, themes, menus, and recipes. Keep notes about your party afterwards so you remember what worked well and what to do differently next year. Your personal party journal will be an invaluable assistant to help you avoid holiday stress.

New Year's Eve Decorating

Enjoy your home decorating for New Year's Eve. Don't try to do too much. Keep in mind that people love to come to homes decked out in festive array but that it doesn't take a lot of cluttering ornamentation to create a joy filled room. Just a few large decorations can add the desired impact without taking a lot of time to set out. Plus, too many little decorations get lost when you have many people standing around.

Where to decorate for impact:

1. Your front walkway: Greet guests at the entrance with lights surrounding your front door and two large floral arrangements or evergreen trees.

2. Your front door: A large swag of evergreen decorated with nuts, apples, raffia, and ribbon spiced up with cinnamon sticks and cloves makes a different statement than the usual wreath.

3. Your dining table: If you plan a sit-down dinner, avoid tall centerpieces that interfere with guests seeing across the table. White table cloths reflect the light, add a feeling of elegance, and don't interfere with colored china. Bold colors add drama. Have fun with your table decorations.

4. Look up: Because table decorations get in the way, add decorations above archways and doors.

5. Your powder room: Because guests use this room privately, they take the time to look around and notice decorations.

If your TV looks like a black hole in your room when it's off, play an old black and white classic movie with the sound turned off.

Enjoy your New Year's Eve decorating this year. Try some new ideas and keep a party planner for next year. You'll be ready for new holiday decorating ideas!

New Year Decorative Pieces

Now that New Year is approaching, expert scrapbook makers are all looking to make up scrapbooking embellishments out of old New Year decorative pieces to help save money. After all, spending again after spending so much on the event isn't really a good practice now that the world is in a financial crisis. It's truly a good idea to start buying for New Year scrapbooking embellishments and materials even before Christmas season comes in to avail of all good seasonal promos and discounts. Still, if you're looking for some original pieces straight out of New Year, here are some ideas you can use for your scrapbook.

Confetti

One of the most useful New Year decorative pieces that you can use for scrapbooking embellishments are the confetti. Confetti in New Year is used to throw around especially when the clock strikes 12. Now, confetti as in rice is different from that used in New Year. Creative people may use colorful pencil scraps that can also be used in place of glitter as scrapbooking embellishments. In the same way, others use small cut outs of colored paper - usually neon for brighter appearance at night - as confetti. The colorful cuts can be used to make an unorganized puzzle as a background in your scrapbook.

Party Poppers

Well, because New Year is one big party, party poppers are always used. You can only use these once, but when the Japanese paper is released from the popper, you can use these as scrapbooking embellishments in place of ribbons for your outline and border. Not only do you save money in buying expensive New Year ribbons, you get authentic, easy to use Japanese paper, already cut in strips straight for decoration.

Planning Your Home Christmas Decorations

The entire world waits with excitement for the Christmas season since it is the sign that this year is almost over and the New Year is just around the corner. A lot of people over the world start celebrating the festive season from the first day of December, or even earlier if you go be the displays in the department stores.

The Christmas cake, the Christmas tree, the Christmas decorations and most importantly, Santa Claus, are some of the things we are instantly reminded of every time we think of Christmas. Not only those, wreaths and stars are also inseparable from Christmas.

Everyone from small children to old people start getting busy planning for Christmas some time before the big day It does not have to be a lavish celebration for everyone. It is a time to be together with the family and simple cozy celebrations are also nice, with people having a simple Christmas tree and decorating it with some ornaments and a star.

Christmas decorations can be done both indoors and outdoors or both together. Most people use the Santa Christmas scene, snowmen and white snow as themes to brighten up their indoors decorations, all centered around the tree.

You can choose a Christmas tree according to your budget since there is one to suit everyone's pocket. They are generally decorated with swirls, ornaments, garlands, bells, stars and pine cones. To make it seem more like a 'real' Christmas tree, fake snowflakes are often sprinkled on the tree. If you cannot get these fake snowflakes, you can also use cotton swabs in their place. However, do not use too many accessories in the Christmas tree if you display it in a small room.

The Christmas garland can be fixed to the tree using polyester or velvet Christmas bows. This makes the garland look neat and pretty wherever it is attached. Stars traditionally symbolize Christ's birth and are available in a variety of sizes and colors. A lot of different kinds of Christmas wreaths are also available, including giant wreaths to go on the front door.

There are also animated decorations available in the markets which are appreciated by everyone, especially kids. You could get yourself a waving Santa, horse and carriage, riverboats, twinkling stars, or even a collectible animated ornament.

Good indoor lighting can make all the decorations look even better. Thus, invest in some good lights to brighten the festivities. Get yourself light strings, light bulbs, LEDs, mini lights and other popular Christmas lights to make your home look even nicer.

You could also try being innovative with the Christmas tree by getting a wrought iron tree this year. They are classy and come in various sizes, shapes and colors, which means you can get one to match your decor and other Christmas decorations. These trees are available in colors other than black and dark gray. You can also get wrought iron stocking hooks and wrought iron stocking holders, which also come in different sizes and shapes. Wrought iron can also be used to decorate the hooks and holders such as with traditional Christmas symbols and characters such as a snowman, a candy cane, a Santa Claus, reindeer, stars, snowflakes, wreaths, gingerbread men, nativity scenes, an angel, as well as the Christmas tree.

Decorating Christmas Trees With Style

When it comes to decorating christmas trees there are some style tips to follow so that they look more up-to-date and stylish.

STYLE TIP #1:

The big fat round artificial christmas tree is out and the slim artificial tree is in. This is because when it comes to decorating christmas tree the trends lately lean more towards tall and conical shapes rather than fat and round shapes.

This style is more reminiscent of the modernist trends from the seventies and strangely, the tall conical trees that were in favor during the Victorian era. It was Queen Victoria who insisted on the tallest tree possible for her living room and the narrow tree girth was also necessary in order to fit these tall slender trees into Victorian homes. The same could be said of modern day "cozy" condo lofts and apartments which often have tall ceiling heights but less floor space and suit a slim artificial christmas tree much better than a chubbier version.

Natural trees that tend to be tall and slim are the spruces and firs. They just have a slimmer girth than pines and cedars. When it comes to fake xmas trees, more and more manufacturers are releasing slim artificial trees that can fit more easily into our cramped urban lifestyle.

STYLE TIP #2

Artificial is in and natural trees are out. Okay, so maybe real christmas trees will never go out of fashion but if you are a bit of style snob then the trend is towards an artificial tree in the wildest color you can find. Basically the idea is to find a tree that looks like it would go well in Lieutenant O'Hura's bedroom on Star Trek.

Every year, artificial trees are looking more and more cartoonish. You can buy them in a spectrum of colors and in many different materials including PVC, vinyl and tinsel. The slim artificial trees in wild colors are very popular with younger people. Some sites sell xmas trees that are nothing more than a coiled spiral of yellow pink and blue lights that are free standing and merely emulate the shape of a christmas tree.

Probably the two most trendy colors for trees are the red and white. The red trees have an offbeat look to them that is reminiscent of a bad Kodachrome photograph from the seventies. However that is part of their appeal. The white artificial trees are just simply gorgeous, especially the prelit artificial trees with branches that have glowing fiber optic tips.

STYLE TIP #3

One of the secrets to decorating christmas trees in a stylish way is to be minimalist. To be truly fashionable, stick to decorating the tree in just one or two colors. For instance you could decorate a natural evergreen with only gold bows and natural crystals. A white christmas tree looks great with uniformly sized christmas balls from top to bottom. A sky blue artificial tree could be decorated in monochrome with glass balls that are a deeper shade of blue.

The minimalist approach also goes for the style of decorations that you choose. Stick to one or two shapes to keep the look of the tree uncluttered and sleek. For instance, forget the round glass balls and choose conical glass balls and flat spheres only to decorate an entire tree. By the way the craze for slim artificial xmas trees is similar to the current craze for slim conical christmas decorations. Conical decorations are very much identified with retro seventies styles.

STYLE TIP #4:

One of the first rules of fashion and also interior decorating is to break all the rules and the same applies to Christmas trees. This means deliberately ignoring christmas traditions with the idea of putting a new spin on them. For instance instead of using the classic angel or star as a tree topper you could try topping it with a spray of fibrous waving multicolored diodes or a design that you have constructed using christmas rope lights. One interesting idea is to make a star out of red velvet and decorate it with peacock feathers, faux gems and gold bows.

Another way to break a traditional rule is to decorate your tree with just one color. To be different you could also forget about putting largest decorations at the bottom and the tiny ones at the top, put the large ones on the top and the tiny ones on the bottom. Another idea is to make all of your christmas tree decorations the same size.

One big trend that has dominated Christmas style and design for the last few years is to hang your Christmas tree anyway you can think of, as long as it is not standing up. This includes hanging it upside down from the ceiling, suspending it sideways from the ceiling and buttressing it against a wall.

STYLE TIP #5

One of the secrets to decorating christmas trees is that the more personal it is the better. A good example is the chef who decorates his tree using only plastic forks and knives or the new mom who decorates her tree with baby bottles and baby toys. If you celebrate the Chinese New Year you might want to decorate your tree with Buddha figures and fortune cookies.

Another great way to personalize your christmas tree is to use baked goods. Tree ornaments made of pink and yellow gumdrops and toothpicks look nice on an artificial white christmas tree for example. Home made gingerbread men and short bread snowmen would go well with a red artificial prelit christmas tree.

One place to get inspiration is the candy store. Choose your favorite candies that you loved as a kid. A smaller tree looks fantastic decorated in candies wrapped in foil. However once again the key is to be minimalist. Don't decorate the tree with seven or eight kinds of candy. Decorate it with two to three kinds to give it a kind of uniformity.

If you haven't figured it out by now one of the keys to decorating christmas trees is repetition on a single theme. If you like teddy bears than decorate the entire tree in teddy bears and one other design element, such as red glass balls. Keeping it simple yet elegant is the key to decorating christmas trees.

Decorating New Year's Eve With Christmas Lights

December 31st is the day we celebrate New Year's Eve, but that wasn't always the calendar day it was celebrated in years past. Some 4,000 years ago, the Babylonians celebrated the beginning of the New Year following the first crescent moon after the first day of Spring in honor of the earth being "reborn" following the winter months. We celebrate one day in honor of the New Year arriving, but the Babylonians' celebration lasted for eleven days! Even though our special events and parties probably pale in comparison to the Babylonian celebrations, your New Year's Eve party can be sparkling, beautiful, and memorable when you decorate with lights.

Appetizers are great for New Year's Eve parties so guests can mingle and visit with everyone in attendance. Use white mini LED light sets or battery operated light packs along with champagne glasses, black top hats, lots of curly ribbon in colors of silver and gold, confetti, candles, and glitter on the appetizer table for a great presentation of your finger foods and drinks.

Are you and your guests planning to watch the ball drop on television? Surround your television with mini light sets, streamers and curly ribbon since it will be a focal point during the ball drop and possibly for some of the broadcasted festivities following the arrival of the New Year.

If you have a large room where you'll be celebrating, such as a living room, great room, banquet room, or reception hall, use several light sets on the ceiling. String them from a focal point in the middle of the room, suspending them with clear wire all the way to the corners of the room and in between. The ceiling centerpiece could be sparkling stars, moons, and streamers hanging down at varying intervals from the ceiling.

Welcome your guests by using Christmas light stakes to suspend traditional C7 or C9 traditional or LED lights along your driveway and walkway. Your friends will be in a festive mood before they knock on your door!

Battery operated lights add sparkle to any party hat, so consider adding them to your glittery party hat and make a real statement.

Balloons, streamers, and lights are a given at a great party, so use them liberally in your hallway, powder rooms, kitchen, dining area, basement, or any other room in which your guests will congregate.

A themed New Year's Eve party would be a big hit with your guests. Some popular themes for this holiday might include a Roaring 20's theme, a Black Tie event, a luau, an 80's or 50's theme, or an all American theme. No matter which theme and color scheme you choose, there are a wide variety of colorful mini lights to compliment or match your New Year's Eve party decorations.

Is the Christmas tree still standing? Leave the light sets on the tree and replace your Christmas ornaments with New Year's style decorations that either match or compliment your party theme or in a traditional style. Clear mini lights or warm white mini LED lights are the perfect backdrop for glittering stars, fancy top hats, and bulbs.

New Year's Eve gives us a reason to celebrate the coming year and to enjoy family and friends at the same time. Our mini lights, battery operated LED light sets, and our shaped lights offer a great variety of decorating options when it comes to bringing light, elegance, or whimsy to your New Year's Eve celebration.

Balloon Decorations

Once you make a customer or once you establish a customer who has purchased anything from you, don't "love'um and leave'um". Keep in touch with all of them on a regular monthly basis. The first thing that you must do is to enter all of the names, addresses, city-state-zips in your computer database program that is programmed to print out mail able labels for you, such as 33 entries per 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of mailing label sheets. You simply peel off the labels and stick them onto your monthly greeting cards that you send out to everyone in your files.

There Is A Holiday or Celebration of Some Sorts Practically Every Month

Every month, there is some type of holiday or celebration going on. In January, there is New Year's Day; in February, there is Valentine's Day; in March, there is St. Patrick's Day; in April, there is Easter. Even in months like September and August when nothing is going on, you can still send them a type of greeting card or postcard which says something like "Just a note to say hello." The idea is that you want to stay in the forefront of the mind of everyone you have had contact with.

What Big Companies Know The Most of The Rest of Us Don't

Have you ever noticed how big cola companies, software companies or breakfast cereal companies spend millions dollars on advertisement and billboards just to stay in the forefront of your mind?

Sooner Or Later Your Customers Will Be In The Mood For Your Services

The big corporations mentioned in the above example know that sooner or later you are going to be in the mood for drinking soda, buying software or eating cereal. When the urge hits, they want to be absolutely sure that when you are ready to buy anything that they offer, the mind will always automatically search in its memory for the most familiar products first. Just like all of the mega-corporations and well-known multi-national companies, you are operating your business with the same objectives. You too must keep your image always present in the minds of your contacts, clients and your referral source network, so that when the urge hits them, they will think of you first.

New Year Gifting Ideas

Celebrated on January 1, New Years Day is observed as a new beginning to a life filled with hope and optimism. Marking the end of a passing year, we are all urged to look back at the good times and the bad times gone by, to learn what we can from our mistakes and to carry forward all the positive experiences we have cherished.

New Years is an occasion of great joy throughout the world, with each country adding their own unique flavor to the celebrations. Carnivals, dances, sporting events and parties are popular traditions and usually keep the festivities going for days.

A common custom on New Years is one of making resolutions where one picks one thing about themselves they will try and change in the coming year to try and turn themselves into a better person. While a few do succeed in fulfilling their resolutions, most end up giving up in a few months, which has turned into a popular custom in itself!

Another major event is where family and friends gather together to ring in the New Year. At the stroke of midnight on January 1st, whistles and firecrackers go off, signaling the beginning of a brand new year. The exchange of gifts forms a very important part of this occasion. Stuffed toys, jewelery, cookies, candy, books and other such items are a popular choice to give your near and dear ones.

Fountains, musical instrument, clocks and wind chimes are a few other creative options. Items like drawing and coloring materials, toys and games are very popular amongst kids.

If you want your gift to stick with the theme of New Years then a collection of all the songs that catch the true spirit of the season is a great option. Expensive perfume, fancy bags or vacation packages, the options for rel=nofollow [http://www.flora2000.com]gifting on New Years are truly endless.

Of course, another trendy option is using a premium gifting sites to give your loved ones something a little more luxurious and unique. Offering you customized bouquets crafted by master florists, gourmet baskets bursting with goodies and so much more, it is sure to be a great start to the New Year.

New Year's Eve Party

In December, two camps emerge regarding the celebrations of Njavascript:void(0)ew Year's Eve: those who like a quieter evening with close friends and family and those who like to go out for a noisy party. Regardless of your likes, you can make the New Year Eve an unforgettable evening. Every person may plan to celebrate New Year in an extremely unique manner. Planning a perfect New Year is not a simple task.

Invitation for New Year Party

Invitations should be given to all people who you wish to invite as most of the people may have the plans for New Year in advance. Guests can be invited both for games party and dinner.

New Year Party themes

Decision of a theme is the most important so that decorations can be made as per the plan. Most famous themes are casino or an effigy theme party. But, today, the most widespread theme is to dress up some fancy dress or like celebrities. Also give a prize for the person who dressed up best.

New Year Party Decoration

The basic requirement for any party is decoration. Decorate your house based on the theme. It can be decorated with banners, New Year greetings, streamers and bunches of flowers. By lighting up the indoors and outdoors of your house put in additional sparkle to the party. Also blow up a few black and silver coloured balloons.

New Year Party Music and songs

The party for New Year should be accompanied with good songs and music. To keep the party cheerful and lively, play soft music near the dining area. Dance competition can also be arranged among kids.

New Year Games

The games are liked by both kids as well as elders. New Year games mesmerize the entire celebration and spices up the guests. A variety of games are played based on the theme of the party. The most famous ones are the grouping game and musical chair.

New Year Dinner

This is the most vital part of this party. Arrange the dining table with white cloth which creates a calming party aura and symbolizes high spirits. It can also be decorated with fluorescent bulbs and scented candles. If possible, plan a menu according to the preferences and tastes of children and guests. People normally prefer cocktails and non-vegetarian food on New Year. At the end of the dinner, New Year cake should be always served.

New Year Dance Party

Many people enjoy the New Year party by drinking and dancing. Parties with no dance are soured up. Dance themes can also be prearranged. There can be different varieties of dances like dance that represents the culture, mat dance and couple dance.

New Year Party Favors

New Year Party Favors will be a fine idea to get the appreciation of your guests. Different kinds of favors can be blowouts, hats, noise makers, tiaras and serpentine for kids. While other guests and parents can be provided with some utility item.

If you follow these ideas you can make your party on New Year bash worth remembering.

Hi Patrick here from Oz Parties, we all love to party but sometimes it can be daunting to know where to begin. Oz Parties is here to make your party planning simple and stress free.

How to Plan a New Years Eve Party?

There is nothing quite like the excitement planning a New Years Eve Party. New Years parties are always exciting whether they are planned for some exciting exotic location or in the comfort of your home. Guests look forward to New Years Eve with great anticipation. New Years Eve is on night when everyone wants to have something to do. For many years New Years Eve parties were always couple affairs, but now with changing lifestyles New Years can be as varied as the guests you invite. When it comes to New Years Eve the one thing you want to do is start early and have a plan.

First, a guest list is important and send your invites out early or you will not have guests at your party. People tend to plan early for New Years and you don't want to go through all the preparation for nothing. It is a good idea that your guests must R.S.V.P. if they will be attending your party. The mix of guest is up to you. Some people like parties where all of the guests know each other, while some like a group where guests do not know each other. I feel a good mix works best.It is also a good idea if you have a dress mode in mind to include it in your invitation. New Years Eve is one night when some people like to dress up, and you do not want some guests dressing in jeans.

Secondly, decorations are important for New Years Eve, most party stores sell a variety of decorations for New Years. The colors for the evening are usually black, white, gold and silver. Glitz should be your theme. Don't forget to have a generous supply of hats and horns for midnight. No New Years party would be complete without these accessories. If you are planning a large party paper and plastic dishes and glasses are best. You will be very glad you did when it comes to clean up. There will be enough clean up if you have purchased confetti a must for a fun New Years Party.

Another important component for a good New Years party is food. It is usually a long evening and people will be drinking therefore you want to make sure they eat. Food can vary from a full dinner to just hors dourves Dips and chips are also good as people will pick all evening long. You want to make sure your guests have enough to eat if you want them to stay past midnight.

Along with food, is drinks. You want to make sure you have enough and a good mix between alcoholic and non-alcoholic. If a lot of alcohol will be served make sure your guests have a place to sleep or there is a designated driver. You don't want anyone driving home drunk.

Lastly, entertainment you don't want your guests getting bored. So good music is a must. If you are having a large party you may even want to consider a DeeJay. Different games can be fun. I suggest having a TV close by, as everyone likes to watch the ball drop at Times Square at midnight.

New Years Eve - Should You Go For a Club Or a More Refined Experience?

The passing of another year is something that gives us all pause for thought. Over the course of a year so many things change, and it is a remarkable thing if you don't become at least a little contemplative about what has gone before. Whether this is good or bad, it at least gives you the opportunity to audit the year, see what was good about it and what was bad, and take stock of what you want the next year to be about. It is something that allows us all to give a bit of thought to how we want to move forward. But as well as all of this it is something to celebrate. New beginnings, like new ships, deserve to be launched in style. There can surely be no better way to set the ball rolling than a good meal.

Anywhere in the world, most of people's conversation tends to happen at the dinner table. For many of us it is the first time all day that we get to stop either preparing for work, traveling to work, working, or getting home from work. It is an opportunity to stop, think and talk about things in a relaxed manner. The best restaurants allow you to replicate this experience without concerning yourself with the preparation, serving nor tidying away the remains of the meal. All you need to do is eat, drink and talk about the year just past and the one that's on its way. The time for singing karaoke and watching the New Year arrive on television is ahead, but a good meal will be the best way of getting into your stride.

At gourmet restaurants they are fully aware of how important the New Year is, and they will do everything to get your celebrations going. The staff, in such establishments, are a very friendly bunch and they will be happy to wish you a happy new year as well as taking time out to co-ordinate the meal so as to ensure maximum levity. Good waiting staff will always facilitate the evening by their words and actions - something that you will witness if you begin the celebrations on New Year's Eve dining at a restaurant geared to pampering you. It makes the rest of the evening go a whole lot more smoothly. Basically, it is just how a New Year's Eve should always begin.

As a rule, New Year's Eve celebrations tend to be raucous, drunken affairs. You of course have that choice. But wouldn't it be better to be somewhere festive where you can actually enjoy high quality alcohol and remember the evening the next day? You want to actually enjoy the taste of rather than the stuff you're too drunk to distinguish. The wine list in many of these establishments is a triumph - carefully selected to ensure that every meal can be accompanied by its ideal partner wine, so that your dining experience is as perfect as it can possibly be. And the atmosphere in the restaurant should be relaxed and cheerful - exactly what you need to get you in the mood for celebration.

New Year's Eve Holiday Destinations

New Year's Eve is celebrated with great pomp and show universally. Different places have different ways of welcoming the New Year, each having a stamp of its own culture. The Strip in Las Vegas, the Niagara Falls in Canada, the Sydney Harbour in New South Wales, and Prague in the Czech Republic are famous for their New Year's Eve celebrations.

The Strip in Las Vegas or the Las Vegas Strip, as it is popularly known, is a part of the Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, and is about 6 km in length. Several of the world's famous hotels, casinos, resorts, restaurants and other sky-scrapers are located on the Las Vegas Strip. The Strip with its lightings is a visual delight during the night. The New Year's Eve festivities of the Strip are very famous for its events, parties and fireworks. Top celebrities of the world attend the celebrations as guests as well as hosts to usher in the New Year in style. The casinos and hotels organise special parties and events for which seats are sold out days or months before the real occasion. The fireworks that begin with the countdown to midnight are a brilliant explosion of colours that light up the sky. As the sun goes down on the Eve, the Strip is thrown open to the public who can explore the Strip and watch the fireworks from different vantage points. Tourists from all over the world throng this place on the New Year's Eve to absorb and take back home the spirit of the celebration.

The firework display over the mighty Niagara Falls on the New Year's Eve renders the Falls more spectacular. There will be an Outdoor Concert Extravaganza organized this year at the Queen Victoria Park which would be made memorable with the participation of top entertainers and singers. Grand parties and gala events will be organized by the hotels around the venue. The Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights from November 7, 2009 to January 4, 2010 and the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland along a five-kilometer route featuring two million lights and 100 lighting displays are the biggest highlights of the celebrations at the Falls. Brilliant firework displays will be conducted every Friday during this period with a special show and illumination on the New Year's Eve. The Falls will be illumined on both the American and the Canadian sides presenting a visual feast for the multitudes of expectant onlookers who have traveled from even far-away corners of the world.

The Sydney Harbour, which is the most beautiful natural harbour in the world with its arresting landscape, appealing shoreline and skyline and the backdrop of an enticing horizon, is the world's most perfect setting for New Year's Eve celebrations. The city lights around the harbour, the stars twinkling overhead and reflecting in an enchanting sparkle on the dark waters of the Sydney Harbour at night present the world's best lighting arrangement, not to mention the lighting decorations on the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, various other landmarks, buildings and even the cruise boats. The high-rise buildings in the surroundings of the harbour and various points on the Harbour Bridge provide strategic locations for launching fireworks. Firecrackers are also launched from barges. The synchronized thematic display of fireworks is watched by people from the shore and from the boats that cruise the harbour as part of Harbour of Light Parade. The televised display is watched by people all around the world.

Prague in the Czech Republic is another popular New Year's Eve destination. On the 31st of December evening, the clubs and music bars of the city come alive with parties, music and dancing and other festivities to ring in the New Year. Party boats and jazz cruises are also aplenty in Prague. Towards midnight there are firework displays. People watch the fireworks from various entertainment venues and cruise boats. There are firework displays at venues that overlook the Vltava River as well as around town squares like the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square. In addition to aerial displays, fireworks are set off by the adventurous public too!

Christmas History and Tradition

The snow showers are falling. The hills and lanes are covered with a white sheet of snow. The bells are echoing and the skies are filled with glittering star. It is Christmas. Christmas season comes once a year. It brings a bundle of joy and gay. Christmas is the birthday of the divine son. God took the form of man to save people from sin. According to the Gospel, one day the angel Gabriel came to a virgin named Mary at Nazareth and greeted her hail full of Gods grace! You will conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and give birth to a child (Luke 1:28:38).

Few months' later Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem. They stayed in a cowshed. That night Mary gave birth to Jesus. At that time shepherds were watching the sheep in the field. Gods angel appeared to them and announced that a savior was born. The shepherds went and adored the divine son. At the birth of Jesus a tail start appeared in the sky.

Three wise men came to visit Jesus. The star led them. They adored and offered gifts of gold, Frankincense and myrrh. On Christmas day the churches and the houses set up a cribs, symbolizing the naturally scene. On Christmas it is a custom to hang a star outside the house or church to remember the tail star which appeared on Christmas day.

Christmas celebration is not a one day celebration. It is celebrated for a month. Preparation for the Christmas plays a vital role in the celebration. The houses are cleaned and white washed. The curtains and the older cloth are made new or changed. A Christmas tree is set up during this season.

Santa and his gifts are the dreams of every child during this season. Carols are sung during this season. These songs bring out the Christmas message and the splendor of the season. This season also offers a lot of room for sharing and caring for the poor. Jesus was born in a manger and proclaimed that he is for the poorest of the poor.

Everyone is expected to share their things with the less fortunate during the Christmas season. This season tells us that God loves us. God is dealing us with love. This season proves us that god loves us unconditionally that he took the form of man. The dew which falls in December is a source of freshness; it helps us to renew our drooping spirits.

As the nature is bathed in dew everyone who prepares for the birth of lord must bath their souls with the divine love. So one must share and be poor conscience during their preparation and spending during the season. Once we share our time and things it will be doubled. Not only our homes, even our hearts entitled with joy.

Christmas Tree History

From the Garden of Eden to middle age tradition to European royalty to the White House Christmas tree lighting ceremony, the evolution of the decorated, lit indoor and outdoor Christmas trees has been a bit of a journey throughout the years. The Christmas tree is also referred to as a Yule tree.

Whether you celebrate Christmas as a Christian or non-Christian the Christmas tree is widely accepted symbol of the Christmas season. Families form Christmas memories as they decorate the tree together. Sit around the tree in the days leading up to Christmas. And of course, rush to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning to see the beautiful stash of gifts awaiting little fingers.

The Christmas tree tradition we celebrate today is an interesting mix of history with facts and word of mouth stories. The combination of the two has formed the modern version of the indoor, lit evergreen Christmas tree. When looking at Christmas tree traditions a person can start back at the celebrations of the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden. In the middle ages, evergreen trees were decorated with red apples to celebrate the feast of Adam and Eve.

From the middle age traditions, the Christmas tree history moves from evergreen trees being decorated outdoors to the trees moved indoors but undecorated, to indoor trees decorated and lit. The first trees indoors were also hung upside down. 16th-century Germany fir trees were decorated, indoors and out, with apples, roses, gilded candies, and colored paper. This tradition is getting closer to the Christmas tree traditions we currently practice.

It is not clear who should be credited with first decorated an indoor tree with lights. There are a number of stories crediting Martin Luther with first placing lights on an indoor tree. There are accounts also crediting Martin Luther with turning the tree right side up. The most accepted version of the story goes like this - Martin Luther wanted to share an experience with his family of a winter evening walking by evergreen trees sparkling from the starlight. So he placed lights on the indoor tree, to show his family the beauty of the trees in the starlight.

In the 17th century, the tradition of decorating Christmas trees began to spread throughout part of Europe. They were decorated with apples, nuts and strips of red paper. It is in this time period that the royal families began to embrace the idea of a 'Christmas tree.' It did take a bit of time for the Christmas tree tradition to be accepted in the United States. The first president to introduce the Christmas tree to the White House in 1856 was Franklin Pierce. President Calvin Coolidge lighted the first, now famous, national Christmas tree in 1923 on the White House lawn. In 1979 President Jimmy Carter only lit the crowning star on top of the national Christmas tree to honor American hostages.

Today people celebrate Christmas by decorating their trees with various types of lights and ornaments. There are beautiful themed Christmas trees with ribbons, flowers, lights and ornaments. As well as, the wonderfully decorated trees with mismatched ornaments that tell a story of life every year as you decorate your tree.

Today we also have a huge number of choices as to whether we want a real or artificial tree, what size of a tree, what type of tree, whether it is pre lit, and etc. There are artificial trees now being made that look and feel so real that you need to wear gloves to put them together. These trees also offer options that are pre-lit with white and colored lights that can change depending on what button you press on your remote. A tree with a remote is a Christmas tree every man needs.

However, you choose to decorate your Christmas tree have a great time creating memories with the ones you love this Christmas season.

Christmas Music

One of my favourite holidays, if not the favourite, is Christmas. Christmas time is surely the most magical time of the year. Everything is decorated, there are lights everywhere and people are joyful. It seems that everything is in order and for a small fragment of a moment one can forget all the horrible things that are going on in the world. As the tiny lights light up, the general mood seems to light up as well.

One of the most important factors for getting into the Christmas spirit is definitely Christmas music. It just would not be the same without it. I cannot even imagine a Christmas dinner without Wham!'s "Last Christmas" or Mariah's "All I Want for Christmas". And there is nothing like waking up on a snowy Christmas morning to an evergreen (maybe I should say everwhite) like "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby or "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" performed by either "The King of Cool" Dean Martin or "The Voice" Frankie - Frank Sinatra. It is a shame they cannot sing for us live any longer. A great tribute to both charity and Christmas spirit is Bandaid's "Do They Know it's Christmas Time". Like I said, Christmas would not be the same without the right music. In Christmas time our radio stations are airing three or four songs over and over again, and although that would generally drive me insane, around Christmas I actually enjoy hearing them every time.

Although i am not a fan of any kind of precipitation, a "white Christmas" is truly one of the most beautiful sights in life. I have to say I am fortunate enough to live in an area where this is possible, where white Christmas is not just a dream but nothing less than reality. That is why I would not trade my kind of Christmas for the world.

So, Christmas is just around the corner so decorate you house, prepare the music, hope for some snow, and above all, make sure you spend it with your loved ones, because that is what Christmas is all about.

Keep Christ in Christmas

Family, Christmas is and has always been a special time for us. It is a celebration, the birthday of Our Lord Jesus. It is a time of rejoicing, eating too much at times, and giving gifts from the heart, gifts that have meaning for us to the ones we love.

However, in the last ten years or so, the very people who should be helping us share this joyful celebration of Our Savior's birthday with our loved ones, by giving them gifts, the retail stores who provide the merchandise we use to give our loved ones these gifts, who charge us money to do this, have proceeded to put a really sour note on the whole season of Christmas, by taking Christ out of Christmas. Nothing frosts me more than to go into a store with all the joy and anticipation of getting a really well-thought-out gift for a loved one, to find that they refuse to use the word Christmas in their advertising of the products they want us to buy for Christmas. It defies logic, but it really gets my Irish up.

They will go all around Africa in their excuses as to why they won't use the word Christmas. They use words like Holiday, and Gift giving Season. But they refuse to give credit to the reason for the season. Doesn't Holiday tree sound really stupid? And just recently, one of them decided to combine Christmas, Hanukah, and other holidays together. What they actually did was to insult all the religious expressions. Read the lyrics.

"Two, Four, Six, Eight, now's the time to liberate Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, Go Kwanza, Go Solstice. Go classic tree, go plastic tree, go plant a tree, go add a tree, You 86 the rules; you do what feels just right. Happy do whatever you wanukkah, and to all a cheery night. Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, go whatever holiday you wanukkah"

This was put out by a major retailer this year. They do something stupid like this every year, and every year American Family Association and Save Christmas.com and some other groups dedicated to keeping Christ in Christmas, if only in name, go after them. This year, in an attempt to cover their bases, they decided to trash every religious belief, so they wouldn't be accused of disrespecting any one particular group. Over the years, Sears has done it; Costco has done it; Target has done it, J.C. Penny's has done it (I canceled my JC Penny's credit card after over 30 years because of this, and my Target credit card, and when I wrote in my letter to them the reason I was can-celing, I never heard a word from JC Penny's or Target.), all your major regional department stores, and just about every major retailer in the country has tried to take Christ out of Christmas at one time or another. Their excuse, if ever they give one, is they don't want to offend non-Christians. Duh! Christmas is a Christian holiday. They are raking in big bucks from us for Christmas gifts. What about offending Christians? As one of our Secretaries of State said a few years ago, "Bigotry against Christians and Jews cannot be considered a hate crime." This country was founded as a Christian country. While we want to respect our brothers and sisters who are not Christian, we can't give away our faith beliefs because of them. I often wonder why these retailers do this; intentionally take Christmas out of their Christmas advertising. Is it arrogance on their part? Are they telling us that they don't need to honor Christmas in order to do Christmas business? It doesn't seem to make sense, be-cause they really are the ones getting hurt in the long run. But is it worth it to them to disrespect us and our Faith belief?

OKAY - Then about the 2nd week of December, when the stores are being boycotted by us Christians, and the sales figures are plummeting, and they are desperate for business, some of them get the message and change their advertising strategy, and plaster Christmas all over the place. Then American Family Association and Save-Christmas.com and the other defenders of Christmas send out notices to stop the boycott; the offending retailer has repented. And so we all run to those retailers and make their Christmas figures. Then the next year, they start out all over again, disrespecting us and the cycle continues.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE??

We are rewarding them for their really bad behavior. Why should we do that? It's obvious why they changed their tune. It's because enough of us decided to make them pay for their stand against Christ and Christmas, by not buying from them. Well, this year, when whatever group tells you it's okay to buy from the offending retailer because they have changed their advertising, do something different. DON'T BUY FROM THEM! Let them suffer this year, and see how they start out their Christmas sales campaign next year. And if they start out badly again next year, use your American franchise to boycott. And don't give in when they change their advertising for next year. Let them know we are serious. I got this idea from American Family Association. When Gap agreed to take out their terrible commercial and change their advertising for this year, AFA asked "Should we stop the boycott because they finally changed their advertising? Or should we continue the boycott because what they did was not enough." I took the poll. The results were 367 in favor of any kind of Christmas advertising, and 3767 were opposed to anything other than respectful advertising.

BUT DON'T GET ME WRONG. I DON'T WANT TO BE MEAN!

Please believe me; I don't want anyone to suffer. I know what it's like to have a store full of merchandise and no one coming in to buy it. I don't want our stores to suffer. I want them to sell Christmas gifts until their shelves are empty, and they go home to their families and enjoy a beautiful Christmas with them. I only ask one thing. Give credit where credit is due. Jesus is the reason for the season. If our retailers can't or won't shout out to the rooftops, as they should, proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Lord, and He is giving them that gift of finishing out their year on a successful note, at least allow their customers, the ones who are putting the money into their cash registers, the gift of seeing the word Christmas in their advertising. Jesus is worth it. Have a beautiful spirit-filled Christmas. We love you.