Gift giving has been an enduring tradition during Christmas time.  So much so, that many are bewailing and lamenting the commercialization of Christmas, especially in recent years.  But you could not and should not stop people from buying gifts for friends, family and loved ones.  This is one Christmas tradition that is rooted deeply in our culture and psyche.

In fact, it is very difficult to think about Christmas without thinking about gift giving.  Even Christmas decorations, Christmas cards and other things that have something to do with Christmas often have gifts as designs.  And Christmas is still the busiest shopping day in the United States.

So why do we give gifts during Christmas?

For Christians, gift giving is a way to symbolize the gifts of myrrh, frankincense and gold that was given by the Three Wise Men to the Baby Jesus in the manger.  It was traditionally done every January 6, but was soon transferred to Christmas Day.

For others, gift giving goes with the image of Santa Claus.  He rewards good children for being nice the whole year round by giving them toys, candies and other gifts.

No matter how gift giving started, what matters is why we gifts nowadays.  For some of us, it is our way of sharing our blessings.  It is a way of giving back to other people all the blessing we have gotten for the year that is going to end.  For others, it is a way to show their love and remembrance.  Giving a gift is tantamount to saying that you are being remembered and you mean something to the giver.  Still others just find joy in giving gifts to family and friends.  This is especially true for giving gifts to children.  Remember how light your heart felt when you saw a kid’s eyes light up at the sight of the gift he received?

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During the fervor in celebrating Christmas, it is easy to forget about safety.  When you have parties to attend left and right, gifts to buy, people to call and greet, safety could easily be the last in your list of priorities.

The United States Fire Administration has published a report that Christmas trees caused more than 200 fires EVERY YEAR.  That translates to millions in damages to property, 25 people injured, and 6 deaths every year.  Do not become a part of the statistic.  Take precautions to be safe with your Christmas tree.  MerryStockings.com shows you how:

Water to properly hydrate the tree.  The best thing to remember when avoiding fires started by a Christmas tree is to make sure that it is properly watered.  You should make sure that the reservoir beneath your Christmas tree never runs out of water.

In fact, you should get immediately soak the tree from the time you bring it home, and keep it fresh.  If the water level goes below the tree stump, you should cut the stump and immediately put it back in water!

A quick tip: the average tree needs to be soaked in at least 7.6 liters of water!

Use electric lights.  Open flames from lighted candles can easily start a fire.  Instead of candles, use electric lights instead!

Check for short circuit.  If you are going to use electric lights, make sure that it is still in fine working condition.  This is especially true if you are recycling Christmas lights from the year before.  Also, make sure that you buy lights that are quality approved.  A substandard set of Christmas lights can short easily.

Unplug. Unplug the Christmas lights if you are leaving the house, even for just 15 minutes.  A fire that is started by a Christmas tree could engulf the whole living room in a matter of minutes, so if you are going to go out, even for just a sec, unplug your lights.

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When you think of Christmas, you think of gifts, Santa Claus and snow.  That is what we have grown up with and that’s what we associate with Christmas.  But in other parts of the world, they have some pretty astonishing Christmas symbols and traditions.  Here are the top 4 of the world’s weirdest Christmas traditions.

1. Krampus.  Monsters, devils and demons eating young children is the stock of Halloween, but in some contries in Europe such as Hungary, Croatia and Austria, they have Krampus.  Krampus is said to be Santa Claus’ constant companion during Christmas, and is primarily his anti-thesis.  If Jolly Old Saint Nick rewards good children with gifts and toys, Krampus punishes the bad children.  In Austria, people dress up as Krampus every December 5 and beat other people up with a stick.

2. Those living in Portugal share a Christmas morning feast with a twist.  Like anywhere else in the world, Portugese families come together on Christmas morning to celebrate the occasion with food, only that they take it one step further by inviting dead loved ones to the feast!  In fact, there are extra places and food on the table for the dead!

3. The Caga Tio.  This is actually a dirtier version of the Yule Log.  The “caga tio” or literally the “pooping log” is observed in Spain, where a log is hollowed out and then a face and legs are added.  The log is fed every single day starting on December 8.  When December 25 comes around, the log is placed into the fire and beaten with a stick so that it could “poop” candies, nuts and fruits.

4. No red holiday cards in Japan.  If you have a friend over in Japan, then it might be a good thing to avoid sending him red Christmas cards.  While red is traditionally a Chistmas color, it is not appreciated by the Japanese because it means death for them.  So giving them a red Christmas card is wishing them death on Christmas.  A good custom to keep in mind when ordering those personalized holiday cards!

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One of the enduring Christmas songs we all love to sing is Frosty the Snowman.

But did you know that this song was first recorded in the 1950s by Gene Autry?  Written by Steve Nelson and Walter Rollins, the song speaks about a snow man that came magically to life when he was made to wear a magical hat.  The song has since been recorded by other artists including such notables as Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Ray Conniff and Bing Crosby.

Soon Frosty became the subject of a 1954 movie; a 1969 TV special starring the voices of Jackie Vernon and Jimmy Durante; and a 1950 book written by Annie Bedford with illustrations by Corinne Malvern, but the best indicator that it was such a hit was that it stayed in popular culture even after more than 50 years.

Every year at Christmas time, revelers sing Frosty the Snowman.  It has become part of every caroler’s repertoire and a song that most children and adults know by heart.  And why not?  The song speaks of jolly adventures by Frosty and the kids, a theme that is closely reminiscent of Christmas.

Is it any wonder that Frosty has become one of the truly enduring Christmas icons?

MerryStockings.com have several Bucilla Felt Applique Christmas Stocking Kits that feature the snowman design.  This is in keeping with our culture and honoring a Christmas icon.  Choose from the many listed below:

• Woodland Snowman
• Candy Express
• Delivering the Mail
• Golf Snowman
• Snowflake Snowman (Pictured Above)
• Snow Fun
• Our Family

Other stocking kits featuring the snowman design are as follows:

• Toboggan Trio Stocking
• Freezing Season
• Cute Carolers Stockings
• Emma’s Friends Christmas Stocking
• Trimming the Tree Stocking (Pictured Above)
• Believe Snowman Stocking

All Christmas stockings featured on MerryStockings.com are completely personalized if you want it.

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Christmas is a time for kids and family.  Bless you if you have a loving family to spend Christmas with this year.  But it is also a time for gifts.  Thinking of what to get your precocious little loved ones this year?  You really do not have to spend a large sum of money to come up with the perfect gift! Here are some tips from MerryStockings.com!

1. Give them their heroes on a personalized Christmas ornament.  Find out who your kids look up to.  It could be the latest rap metal band, or a young actress, or the new Philippine president.  You can then give them personalized Christmas ornaments with the picture of these celebrities.  It would give your child great pleasure to be able to decorate their rooms, lockers or even your Christmas tree with these one-of-a-kind ornaments!

2. Give them the gift of creativity.  A good Christmas gift would be an art set, perhaps a canvas and coloring materials.  Let them while away their time drawing or painting.  If you like them to be crafty, give them a cross-stitching set, or scrapbooking materials.  If they have yet to discover their artistic potentials, why not set them on the artistic path with these  Bucilla Christmas Stocking Felt Kits, Cross Stitch Christmas Stocking Kits, or Felt Applique Kits.

3. Give them the gift of knowledge.  Educational toys and books would last them a long time.  As they pick up new learnings with it, they will be able to use that at school or later in their lives.

4. Give them time off.  Create coupons that would give them a day without chores.  Or allow them to trade their chores for one activity that they would enjoy.

5. Allow them to choose for themselves.  A gift certificate to the local shopping center would be a great way to allow them to buy gift for themselves.  And because it was them who chose the gift, you could be certain that it is something that they really want or need!

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Christmas trees are present in just about every home during the Christmas season.  Sometimes you just want to do something different, care for the environment, amaze your friends with your creativity or save money.  These would be great reasons to go out and look for alternatives to the Christmas tree that you have grown up with.  MerryStockings.com, offer you the best Christmas tree alternatives around!

Cardboard Tree:  For those who are tightening their wallets, the cardboard tree is actually a very good choice.  You get a tree made of cardboard that is cut and shaped like a Christmas tree.  You would then string lights, add garlands and Christmas ornaments on it.  For better results, you can paint a cardboard tree in the color that you like!

Estilo Tea Light Holder: Made out of stainless steel, the Estilo Tea Light Holder resembles a modern, minimalistic and chic Christmas tree from the future.  What is great about this is that you save on lights by using tea light candles, but still stay safe from a fire disaster on Christmas day.  You could also use this tea light holder even after the Christmas holidays are over!

The Christmas Garland Upside-down Tree: You can use old Christmas garlands or wreaths and spruce up a corner of your living room.  This is perfect for those who have limited space, or just wants to have a change or a taste of something different.

You can also round up a dead branch from a tree and make it into a Christmas tree by garnishing it with lights, garlands and ornaments.  You could also paint it white, green or silver to have a more dramatic effect.  If you don’t want to come off as a cheapskate, you can certainly buy a fiber optic version.

There are a lot more materials that you could use for your Christmas trees.  You could stack up old Christmas cards, or use steel wires arranged conically.  As with everything else, coming up with an out-of-this-world and extraordinary Christmas tree is only limited by your imagination!

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The Christmas tree is an ever present symbol at Christmas.  Just about every home has one to celebrate Christmas with.  Here are some tips to decorating Christmas trees.

Keep It Fresh.  One of the problems homeowners have with Christmas trees is that it looks dry and close to dying come Christmas day, especially if they purchased it too early.  To prolong the life of your tree, you should cut the stump every few days and put it in water right after cutting it.  This would enable the tree to absorb water and keep it fresh.  You can decrease the frequency of cutting as days go by, but be sure to have enough water!

Another way to have a green tree come Christmas day is to put in 1/2 cup of corn syrup and 1 tsp. of liquid beach in every quart of water you have.

Decorating It Right.  When you decorate your tree, start with the light, then the garlands.  You only add the ornaments as finishing touches.  Also, no matter what you are putting on, you should always start at the bottom of the tree going up, and from the inside going out.

Ornaments.  Your ornaments should not hang from the tips of the branches, instead, it should be placed deeper into the tree.

Also, if you are going to use personalized Christmas tree ornaments, you should have basic ones (plain ones in whatever color you like) to fill up the tree.  These filler ornaments will make sure that your tree would not look bare while having the more ornate ornaments outside for people to see.

The trick is to put the personalized tree ornaments further apart.  This is especially useful if it is your first time to use personalized ornaments and you do not have that many of them.  As the years go by and your collection of personal ornaments grow, you can place them closer to each other.

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At MerryStockings.com, we know how you value your family.  And while our Christmas stockings are attractive and eye-catching in itself, we also try to add more value to these by making sure that you get something extra with every stocking you purchase from us.

Christmas decorations should be used and reused every Christmas.  Not only does it make sense environmentally speaking, it is what we think creates a distinctive Christmas tradition for you and your family.  As such, we made sure that all our products are very durable, making it easy for you to reuse them year after year. Most people think that Christmas ornaments and Christmas stockings are a one-off expense that they have to incur every year.  Wrong.  Our products will last through the years.

Because of their beauty and long life, our products also make the best family heirloom.  Take for example our Cross Stitch Christmas Stocking Kits, Felt Applique Kits and Bucilla Christmas Stocking Felt Kits.  These stocking kits are so beautiful that you would want them adorning your house every Christmas time.  Even your kids will love taking them.  And even when they grow up to be adults, they could still have these stockings to decorate their own homes with.

How is that for building Christmas traditions and reminiscing about past Christmases?

Speaking of reminiscing, our personalized Christmas ornaments allow you to have your family’s greatest moments on Christmas balls.  Over the years, you could literally watch your kids grow from being a toddler learning to walk to graduating from high school to getting married.  You and your family could make it a habit to think about the past years while putting up your Christmas tree.

Lastly, memories are to be made before they could be shared.  So why not spend a day with your kids putting together one of our stocking kits.  Not only would you teach them to be creative and think out of the box while training them to be crafty with their hands, but you also get to share some precious quality time with them?

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Another popular Christmas symbol is the snowflake.  Christmases in North America comes during the Winter season, making Christmas a time for snow for most parts of the country.  And it has been customary for people to play in the snow on Christmas day, or simply watch snow fall during the season.

The snowflake, thus, has become one of Christmas’ most enduring symbol. Because of its cool colors and beautiful symmetry, snowflakes have been used in Christmas decors. Over time, Christmas decorations have adapted the snowflake in its designs.  It is common to have Christmas ornaments in the shape of a snowflake.  Christmas cards sometimes feature a snowflake design.

MerryStockings.com certainly is not to be outdone.  We have great products for you that also feature a snowflake theme.  All of these products can be personalized for that added intimate touch!

Christmas Stocking Holder - Engraved Nickel (Snowflake) are made from polished nickel plate, making sure that they do not tarnish.  These stocking holders provides an elegant way to hang your Christmas stockings and are heavy enough to hold them up even if they are filled!

We also have great looking Personalized Christmas Stockings with Snowflakes.  These simple yet eye-catching stockings are perfect for any fireplace and comes in green, white, and red.

The Bucilla Felt Applique Christmas Stocking Kit: Snowflake includes sequins, beads and instructions to help you make a snowflake-themed Christmas stocking that would be perfect for D-I-Yers and crafty mothers!

Snowflake-themed Holiday Cards

As we have said, snowflakes make for a great looking design on just about any Christmas stuff.  This extends to greeting cards.  MerryStockings.com currently have three snowflakes-themed holiday cards to choose from.  Check out the:

• Cool Crystals Holiday Greeting Card

• Scrap Flakes Holiday Greeting Card

• Winter Ornaments Holiday Greeting Card

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Today, it is very common to send and receive Christmas cards.  It is one of the most cherished Christmas tradition that helps us keep in contact with friends and family, while also making them feel important to us.  MerryStockings.com have compiled some interesting facts about Christmas cards.  Here are the top 7 things you probably do not know about Christmas cards.

1. Christmas cards are the highest selling seasonal cards, cornering 60% of that market.  Among all cards, Christmas cards sell as high as birthday cards.  This is rather astonishing and shows that the Christmas card market is a lucrative one, considering that:

• Americans buy around 7 billion greeting cards per year
• The greeting cards sector is a $7.5 billion industry, and
• More than 9 out of 10 households buy greeting cards.  The average household buy around 30 cards yearly.

Also, take into consideration that greeting cards can cost from 50 cents to around $10!

2. The average individual gets more than 20 cards per year.  One third of these are birthday cards and another third are Christmas cards!

3. Ninety percent of Americans love getting cards and letters, because it makes them feel special and remembered, while also allowing them to keep in touch.

4. Henry Cole commissioned the first-ever commercial Christmas greeting card in 1843.  The card was designed by John Horsley.

5. Americans had to import Christmas cards from England for the first thirty years.

6. Louis Prang, a German immigrant in the United States, published the first U.S. Christmas cards in 1875.  His business became so successful that he was creating 5 million cards a year by 1881!

7. Hallmark says that more than 1.8 billion Christmas cards are sent out every year, including personalized Christmas cards.  This is more than 10 times more than the 152 million cards sent on Valentine’s Day and 141 million cards sent on Mother’s Day.

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