Congratulations, you have a new addition to your family that will be celebrating the Christmas holiday season with you. The Christmas magic never seems to be as strong if there is no child to share it. Babies bring magic moments that are memorable and everlasting.

As you assess the perfection of your bundle of joy, and desire to spoil this child beyond belief you might wonder: What on earth should I give my little miracle those first precious holidays? No doubt grandparents, friends, aunts, uncles and baby showers in addition to your own preparations have left this child with little in the way of need. You also fully appreciate that there will be no memory of this Christmas to influence your child’s future Christmas dreams or recollections.

This does not mean you should skimp or stick to gifts that are purely functional, unless of course you really want to! To make that first Christmas fun for you and memorable for your baby establish a holiday tradition of keepsake gifts.

This can be anything. Some parents choose ornaments that the child will then take with them to decorate their own homes as they leave the nest. The giving of an ornament each year will establish a collection of objects where the magic and memory of your family Christmases will reside for your children.

Other ideas include the traditional pewter cup, a pair of bronzed baby booties or vintage toys that really aren’t meant for play, but display. Those are gifts more for the parents and other toys can be given that the baby - soon to be toddler - will enjoy, such as books, educational toys, stuffed animals, puzzles, dolls, trucks, balls and other age-appropriate play things.

Another idea is to start and maintain a scrapbook, which you will add to each Christmas. This photo album can include journaling of significant achievements of the previous year along with photos and love notes from mom, dad and grandparents. It can be a tangible expression of love. You might want to add photos of your toddler sitting on his or her first ride on toys: http://www.simplyuniquebabygifts.com/baby-toys.html These are fun moments that can be captured and entered into keepsake books and photo albums.

Baby and keepsake books and photo albums are not difficult to find. The cost is reasonable. There are two things to bear in mind with this gift however. First: this gift will endure for years to come unless you plan to fill the entire book each year choose a book that will grow with your child’s maturing tastes. A teenager will be less than thrilled with Winnie the Pooh, no matter how cute it is. A simple way of having the book grow with the child is to select a basic book that will allow you to add pages as the years roll on.

No matter what you choose, your baby will be set up for years of holiday memories that will span the toddler to teenage years. In the end, your baby will thank you for your efforts. Happy Holidays and enjoy the magic of your baby and the season.

Edie Mindell is the writer for SimplyUniqueBabyGifts.com. Parents, grandparents and other “Santa’s” will love the large selections, in stock, ready for the holiday season. From pedal trains to tricycles and other ride on toys, they are ready to make your holiday shopping easy. Visit their online catalog at Simply Unique Baby Gifts and enjoy free shipping (lower 48 states).

The ultimate goal of anyone who loves to decorate their yard for Christmas is to set up a full light show that includes music. These shows can be difficult to set up, but they are spectacular to see and are well worth the effort.

Here are some steps to get you started on creating your own show:

Do your Research.

Before going any further, be aware that setting up a Christmas lightshow as part of your outside Christmas decorations take a lot of time and patience. It can be a great hobby, but it’s not as easy as plugging some lights in flipping a switch. So, if you are ready, keep reading.

You are going to need a few items to make this work:

1. A computer to do the programming.

2. A light controller with multiple channels. This is what controls the lights.

3. A software program to program the light controller. This will define when the lights turn on and off in relation to the music.

4. An FM transmitter to broadcast your music. Another option is a pair of speakers on your front porch, but it is unlikely that the neighbors appreciate the same song playing over and over again.

5. The lights! For a complete effect, this should include not just regular lights, but icicle lights, net lights and yard displays.

Organize and Plan.

Now you are getting down to the fun part. To make the show work, you will need to sit down with pencil and paper and design your system. Decide what music you want to play (preferably something that has to do with Christmas), and where the decorations will be. Your plan should include a drawing of your front yard, with sketches and notes on how the show will work.

Buy Your Equipment and Decorations

Now that you have your plan, you are ready to buy your decorations. This can get expensive fast, so do some research to make sure you aren’t overpaying. I suggest going through the internet for the software and control box for the lights. A search in Google or Yahoo should yield several results and allow you to compare several options.

Test, Test, and Test!

It’s important enough to say again: Test, Test, and Test! The first thing you should do is set up your controller for a single set of lights and make sure you can get it to turn on and off. Then get it to turn on and off to music. Then add a second set of lights and make sure you can get that one to turn on and off. See why this takes so long? It can be tedious, but the results are well worth it.

Set It All Up

After everything is programmed, it’s just a matter of setting it up. Hang the lights, set up the displays, and plug it in.

Now, all you have left to do is sip hot cocoa and watch your neighbors scramble to get their decorations looking half as good as yours!

Good Luck and Merry Christmas!

Ryan Harris has celebrated 30 Christmases and has loved every one! He currently has a blog of tips and how-to advice for Christmas decorations at Outside Christmas Decorations.

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If asked what a kid crazy about gaming wants for Christmas, his or her answer would be the games that are not yet released. The rarer they are, the more likely your kid will want them.

Aside from that, the type of game he or she wants will also depend on what your child typically likes. For example, an outgoing child that likes outdoor activities will most likely have fun with sports related games while a kid that loves mysteries may enjoy role playing games that have a lot of twists and turns. The gender of your kid will also be a factor. A little boy will be more excited with hack and slash adventure games and a little girl will most likely enjoy dress up personality games.

One type of game that seems to suit girls and boys alike are fighting games (much to the dismay of some parents). And of all the fighting games that every kid wants to have, the upcoming Tekken 6 may just be the one video game that every kid is wishing to get this Christmas. This game is said to be released this coming September 2008 (from the initial release date of December 2007).

But what sets Tekken 6 above all the other fighting games like Marvel Ultimate Alliance or DOA? Since Tekken 3 onwards, this installment’s graphics and fluidity of movement tops all other fighting games. And now that this new version promises other features while retaining the user friendliness of the previous installments, kids and even adults alike are now raring to have the home version of this game.

Some of the new features of the game are as follows:

Rage System
This makes the game a whole lot exciting once your character’s life hits the red color. Your hits packs a lot more damage with this system. This is an automatic feature that you know will be working once you seem to have a red aura surrounding yiiur player.

Customization
Just like in Tekken 5, you can customize your player like change its clothes or even choose to have it play virtually wearing his or her birth day suit. A nice feature that the guys in Namco Bandai concocted and placed in the game.

Item Moves
These moves basically do not have a huge hit point loss if used but they are very quirky if used. Some of the item moves in this game are Anna’s shoe, Asuka’s fan and the funniest of them all are Bruce Irvin’s chicks.

Longer health
Some hardcore fans of the Tekken series are saying that the item moves and the rage system are very noob (new players) friendly but actually, Tekken 6 has a longer vitality meter so these features are compensated.

Tekken actually has features that cater to boys and girls. The fighting part is a feature delighting both boys and girls and the customization most likely a feature to be enjoyed by girls. This is the reason why this is definitely the game every kid wants for Christmas.

Justin DeMerchant is the founder of real tick, big fat weight loser, and weight loss with me where information on stocks and investing can be found.

Christmas is, for many people, their favourite time of the year. Taking away the fact it is a time of rampant Christmas gift giving and stress, it is also the time of year when families most often come together and see each other. For others, it is the joyous occasion of celebrating Christ’s birth, and as Christmas has been overtaken by the commercial side of the season, this religious basis for the celebration is often overlooked. However, many people wonder about the origins of Christmas, and especially how the tradition of Christmas gift giving came about in particular!

The celebration of Christmas has its roots in ancient winter festivals. At this time, Christianity was trying to get people to convert and realised that people would be more likely to if they did not have to lose their beloved winter festivals.

The winter solstice was also celebrated, and the Sol Invictus festival lays claim to cementing the 25th of December as Christmas Day, as there is no definitive birth-date of Jesus in the Bible. Pagan Scandinavia used to celebrate a festival called Yule, where there would be carousing until the Yule log burned out, which usually took twelve days. Pagan Germania’s equivalent was the mid-winter night, which also used to last around twelve days.

In the Middle Ages, Christmas consisted of bouts of drinking, feasting and caroling. Puritans at the time disliked this carousing, that was ostensibly in Christ’s name, and self-styled Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell cancelled Christmas in 1645 due to these reasons. In England, Christmas gifts were traditionally exchanged on New Year’s Day in this period.

Pretty soon Christmas was a widespread feast, although after the US revolution it was considered a very British thing to do and as such fell out of favour in America. This soon changed however into the 1800s with Washington Irving’s short stories reviving American interest in Christmas. Back in England, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol worked to popularize and reframe Christmas as a time of family togetherness. By the late 19th century, Christmas had assumed the traditional form it has today, and in 1870 President Ulysses Grant officially declared Christmas a federal holiday in America. In Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand however, the 26th of December, as Boxing Day, also became a holiday. This day became a rest day for servants and other house staff that may have had to work on Christmas Day.

The most iconic association with Christmas is of course Santa Claus, also variously known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas and Pere Noel. His image was created by cartoonist Thomas Nast in 1863, and was standardised by advertising in the 1920s. The myth of Santa Claus possibly comes from stories of Saint Nicholas, though in Britain the image was popularly thought from the 15th century to symbolise drunkenness and merriment. Santa is now thought of as the man who brings Gifts at Christmas, though in South America the legend goes that he makes toys for the baby Jesus to deliver.

The notion of Christmas gift giving is one of the main questions here and it has a very straightforward answer. The giving of Christmas gifts has its roots in the magi, or wise men, bringing gifts to Jesus. In fact, some Eastern Orthodox Churches and European countries still celebrate the traditional date of the Magi’s arrival, January 6th, with something like a Christmas gift exchange. In history, the Romans traded gifts as part of their Saturnalia festival, and in the 13th century French nuns gave presents to the poor on St Nicholas’ Eve. However, Christmas gift giving as we know it today did not really come about until the late 18th century. In short, the giving of Christmas gifts was meant to remind people of the magi’s gifts to the baby Jesus, and by extension God’s gift of Christ to humankind. As we all know, nowadays the more social aspect of Christmas gift giving has taken over, as a means of showing affection to family and friends for instance, but the roots of the gift giving should always be remembered as a Christian religious tradition.

The commercial aspect of Christmas is now a gigantic economic operation, as Christmas gift giving is a major tradition. Many shops advertise longer hours to ensure those searching for last minute Christmas gifts are not disappointed. With the advent of the internet, the shopping aspect of Christmas gift giving has been further simplified, with the ease of selection and stress-free browsing major attractions. The greater choice of Christmas gifts online also makes this method of shopping more attractive. Another advantage is that personalised gifts are more widely available on the net than on the high street, and more creative presents such as spa weekends and flying experience are more easily booked online.

In short then, it is fair to say that Christmas gift giving has come a long way from its roots in the Epiphany to what it is today.

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Christmas Nativity Sets.

Christmas Nativity scene sets are an important part of Christmas decorations. They tell the story of a baby named Jesus, and his miraculous birth. Setting up the Nativity set is often a cherished event in many homes. There are many ways that the Christmas Nativity scene can be set up. The choice is completely up to you and your traditions. Throughout the world there are different customs and traditions when setting up the Nativity scene. Here are a few customs that vary throughout the world.

Setting Your Scene.

There are a few main pieces that are needed when setting up your Nativity set. The manger and crib, along with baby Jesus are at the center of the Nativity scene. Jesus should always be the center of your scene because he is the whole reason for the Nativity. Then Mary and Joseph should be placed on either side of Jesus. Some put Mary next to Jesus with Joseph set away from the crib looking away from Jesus. There is an old man next to him, meant to represent Satan. The reasoning for this set up is to symbolize doubt in human faith. This is not common practice, but has been portrayed in some Nativity sets. Usually an ox or sheep are placed in the manger as well since they were the only other ones present at the time of Jesus’ birth. Now, some people do not place Jesus in the manger until Christmas Eve or Christmas day. This decision is completely up to you.

Additional Nativity Figures.

As for any other Nativity figurines, the shepherds and wise men are usually included. To place the importance of the figures, many people use circles. So Mary, Joseph and Jesus are in the first circle. The shepherds and the kings usually go on the next circle. If you have both shepherds and kings, placing the shepherds closer to Jesus is a more accurate account of Biblical times because the shepherds came before the wise men. One interesting idea I came across was to move the kings slowly across your yard, in an outdoor Nativity set. This shows how the kings slowly made their journey to see the newborn King. Also, not placing the wise men in the scene until January 6th is another tradition that is popular in many Latin communities.

Angels and Nativity Accessories.

One other popular figure is an angel. Placing the angel above the Nativity set is ideal, but if this is not possible, place the angel behind the Holy Family. Placing the angel above the Nativity set signifies the angel looking down from Heaven. With some outdoor Nativities, placing the angel above the manger just is not possible, so behind the scene is good because it shows the angel still looking down on the Holy Family. These are the most popular figures for the Nativity set. How you place them is completely up to you.

Nativity Collectables.

Some people collect Nativity figurines, so they can add a new person each year. Fontanini has a wide variety of characters to add to your Nativity scene. They also have special limited editions every year. These Nativity scenes can be collected over the years and then passed down throughout your family.

Katie is employed as a writer for Christmas Decorations and Gifts. Select to view Christmas Decorations Ideas. Christmas Decorations & Gifts also has a great selection of Christmas Nativity Scene.

Early Celebrations:

For thousands of years people have held celebrations and festivals where they would have feasts and decorations. Some of the earliest celebrations in the northern hemisphere were the summer and winter solstice, but more especially the winter solstice as this marked the time of the days getting longer and the nights getting shorter. The winter solstice also coincided with other festivals which were celebrated from around mid December to early January. These festivals were decorated with items of the times, such as, garland and other greenery, candles, feasting and dancing. One of the other celebrations of this time was the Festival of Saturn or Saturnalia. For Christmas, the earliest reference is from the Calendar of 354, which mentions the celebration of Christmas for December 25. At the time no one knew the actual birth date of Jesus but it is assumed that early Christian leaders picked this date to coincide with many other pagan festivals as a means of facilitating their transition into Christianity. Although today many bible scholars believe that Christ was actually born in the early spring. This was a way of combining all the celebrations of this time frame into one celebration with all its accompanying decorations and merriment. In those days most of the decorations were outside and not inside, garland, candles, trees and food were set in the streets and hung on the outside of buildings. The Christmas tree was said to represent God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost because it was triangular in shape.

The Spread of Christmas and its Decorations:

As Christianity spread throughout Europe so to were the old festivals and decorations incorporated into the new Christian celebrations. The idea of using greenery as decorations was meant to signify rebirth or the birth of Christ. So items such as ivy, green boughs, garland and green trees were used to decorate towns and communities. Its believed that the Christmas tree and its decorations originated in Germany, where it was decorated with candles and then later tinsel and hand blown glass balls. Through royal marriage Queen Charlotte the wife of King George III brought the Christmas tree tradition from Germany and introduced it into England. This was later reinforced by Prince Albert during the time of Queen Victoria. And as German immigrants came to America they also brought with them, their Christmas traditions and decorations. Over time Christmas trees became a dominate symbol of the Christmas season and its accompanying decorations.

Modern Outdoor Christmas Decorations:

Today as people decorate they use real and artificial garland and greenery, including ivy, poinsettias and wreaths to bring a festive mood not only to the inside of the house but the outside as well. Many neighborhoods, communities or even whole towns get together to decorate for the Christmas season with life size nutcrackers, lights, giant wreaths and nativity scenes. Often communities give awards to homes for their outdoor decorations. A neighborhood in NW Houston, Texas has each street pick a theme and all or most of the homes on that street decorate for that theme, such as snowmen, Santa, Christmas carols and nativity scenes. From early December through Christmas Day people drive up and down those streets to see the wintery scenes of the season and to enjoy the beauty of the outdoor decorations. The same scene is played out in much of the world, even in nations that are typically non-Christian where the holiday is more of an economic event and less about celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Mitch has been a writer for Christmas Decorations and Gifts for several years. Select to view Christmas Decorations Ideas. We also have a great selection of Outdoor Christmas Decorations.