| ST. NICKAs the story goes, Jolly ol'
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| | infant in a stable.STOCKING STUFFERSThe
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| Saint Nicholas was a real guy from Myra
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| | original idea for stocking stuffing came
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| in the country of Turkey. He was a 4th
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| | from kids leaving carrots and turnips in
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| Century bishop made famous when he heard
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| | their shoes for Santa's horse or donkey,
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| the story of three Italian maidens whose
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| | long before he was known to have
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| families had fallen on hard times. Their
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| | reindeer. Santa would gratefully take the
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| father couldn't afford to have all three
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| | snacks for his stead and replace them
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| of them get married, so he was
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| | with treats for the giving
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| considering selling one of the daughters
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| | children.CANDIED CANEThe red and white
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| into slavery to pay for the other two to
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| | striped holiday pacifier has been around
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| have weddings. Well, as you can imagine
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| | for several centuries. Parents have long
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| that's a pretty bad deal for anyone and
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| | been giving their children white sugar
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| St. Nick decided to help the family out.
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| | sticks to keep their yaps shut, then in
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| One night he snuck up on their roof and
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| | the 1670's an industrious German
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| secretly tossed three bags of gold down
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| | choirmaster bent the sticks to resemble
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| the chimney. With his gift all three
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| | shepherd staff. With their somewhat holy
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| daughters were able to get married and
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| | interpretation, as Jesus was the Good
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| his generosity became famous. He became
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| | Shepherd, and convenient hook shape for
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| the patron saint of children, orphans,
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| | hanging on tree branches, the candy
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| sailors, students, pawnbrokers, thieves
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| | became a favorite Christmas tree
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| and the countries of Russia and
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| | decoration. When turned upside down, the
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| Greece.SANTA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAGOver
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| | hook is big "J", a fitting symbol for Big
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| time the legend of St. Nicholas grew and
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| | J.Over time, the candy adopted its
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| the feast of St. Nicholas celebrated on
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| | peppermint flavor and familiar stripes.
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| December 6th, the day he died. St.
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| | Peppermint is similar to hyssop, which
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| Nicholas' eternal retirement as Santa
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| | was used for ancient purification and
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| Claus evolved over several centuries as
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| | sacrifice rituals. The traditional candy
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| the legend of St. Nicholas was carried
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| | cane has three small red stripes and one
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| over to surrounding countries. Dutch and
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| | large one. The most common interpretation
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| German settlers brought the basic ideas
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| | states the three small ones represent the
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| of what would become Santa Claus to the
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| | Holy Trinity and the larger one reminds
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| New World. The Dutch had Sinterklaas and
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| | us of God. Another versions states that
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| the Germans had Pelsnickel and
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| | the three small stripes represent our own
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| Christkindl and both celebrated the feast
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| | sins while the larger symbolizes Christ's
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| of St. Nicholas. The idea of naughty and
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| | Passion. Green is the color of giving and
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| nice seems to come from Pelsnickel would
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| | a green stripe is sometimes added to
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| bring rewards to the good and punishment
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| | represents Jesus is God's gift to
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| to the wicked. The Dutch version of Santa
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| | us.KISSY FACEBy definition, mistletoe is
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| lived in Spain, rode a white horse and
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| | an aerial evergreen parasitic plant that
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| traveled with six to eight black men who
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| | has no roots of its own and lives off the
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| helped him deliver gifts. Over the
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| | tree it attaches itself to. Doesn't sound
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| centuries, this slowly changed to
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| | so romantic does it?Well, centuries ago,
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| characters who were far more politically
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| | Druids respected mistletoe as a sacred
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| correct. The men became Telatubby-type
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| | plant with spiritual and medicinal
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| rainbow colored helpers. This was
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| | healing qualities. Much fanfare went into
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| combined with Scandinavian Yuletide
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| | collecting the plant and they used a
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| tradition of gifting giving elves and
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| | special gold dagger to harvest it. A
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| presto, Santa now had a legion of toy
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| | Norse myth tells the story of a Balder,
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| building elves to bring joy to the
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| | the god of light, who was shot down by an
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| world.The modern version of Santa Claus
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| | arrow crafted from a branch of mistletoe.
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| quickly took shape with American writers
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| | Earth and heaven wept for his death and
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| during the holiday season.In 1808,
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| | for three days each element tried in vain
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| Washington Irving created the idea of a
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| | to bring Balder back to life. It was his
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| pipe smoking Santa with a broad-rimmed
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| | mother, Frigga who restored but not
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| hat riding over the tree-tops in
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| | before her fallen tears were transformed
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| horse-drawn wagon dropping gifts down
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| | into the white berries of the mistletoe.
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| chimneys to all his favorite kids.In
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| | From then on she decreed that no harm
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| 1822, Dr. Clement Clark Moore left the
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| | would fall to anyone under the mistletoe
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| longest lasting impression of the jolly
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| | and they shall receive only a kiss of
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| ol' man with his story, "A Visit from St.
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| | love.O' CHRISTMAS TREEIn the 4th Century
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| Nicholas", better known as "The Night
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| | AD, the Roman Church decided Christmas
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| Before Christmas". He established that
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| | should officially be celebrated on
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| Santa lived in the Artic with a flying
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| | December 25th. By doing this some of the
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| sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. He
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| | pagan customs of the Roman Saturnalia
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| described Santa as having 'a broad face,
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| | were absorbed as it was celebrated at
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| and a little round belly, that shook when
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| | that same time of year. During Saturnalia
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| he laughed like a bowl full of
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| | people feasted, exchanged gifts and
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| jelly."Thomas Nast illustrated covers for
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| | decorated their homes with lamps and
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| Harper's Weekly in the late 1800's and by
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| | evergreen shrubs. The food and presents
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| request of President Lincoln was
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| | were fine with the Church, but the
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| commissioned to create a special
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| | evergreen stuff was just too pagan for
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| Christmas picture for the cover. This
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| | them at it was forbidden. For centuries
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| started an annual tradition for Nast who
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| | the battle over festive home decoration
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| used the opportunity to mould Santa to
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| | ensued. In the 16th Century John Calvin
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| his liking. Nast created the standard
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| | forbade the observance of Christmas and
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| Santa suit, his home at the North Pole
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| | Easter and in 1659 it was against the law
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| and the image of him pouring over a list
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| | in Massachusetts to celebrate Christmas
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| of naughty or nice.By the 1850, Nast's
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| | anywhere else but in church. It wasn't
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| new version of Santa began appearing in
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| | fully embraced until the mid-nineteenth
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| American department stores. Santa's image
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| | century by England's Prince Albert
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| evolved with each new holiday season. The
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| | allowing for Christmas and the home
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| modern image of Santa was firmly
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| | decoration of Christmas trees to be fully
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| solidified by artist Haddon Sundblom in
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| | accepted.Today it is customary for nearly
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| 1931, when he created an annual Santa
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| | everyone to have a Christmas tree in
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| campaign for Coca-Cola.RUDOLPHIn 1939,
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| | their homes, regardless of strong
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| Robert May, an advertising writer for the
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| | religious affiliations. 2004 marks the
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| Montgomery Ward department store created
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| | 72nd Annual lighting of the Rockefeller
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| the marketing idea of Rudolph the
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| | Christmas Tree.ROCKEFELLER CENTERThe
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| Red-nosed Reindeer. Montgomery Ward
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| | annual Christmas tree at Rockefeller
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| distributed 2.4 million copies of the
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| | Center is usually a Norway Spruce. They
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| story booklet in its first year of
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| | usually have a life span of 80 to 110
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| release. May had suffered considerable
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| | years and grow about a foot a year. The
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| financial strife, his wife had died of a
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| | desired dimensions are a minimum of 65
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| terminal illness and in 1947 the
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| | feet tall and 35 feet wide. 75 to 100
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| department store signed over the
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| | feet tall are preferred. The trees are
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| copyright of Rudolph to him. May's
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| | located in the Northeastern part of the
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| brother-in-law soon after wrote the
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| | United States. It takes all of two
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| lyrics for the song, 'Rudolph the
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| | minutes to cut it down by requires 20
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| Red-Nosed Reindeer'. Gene Autry was the
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| | people and a 280-ton all-terrain
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| first to record the song in 1949 and it
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| | hydraulic crane to handle the tree. Once
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| went on to becoming the second best
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| | in place it is transported via a custom
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| selling song of all time, second only to
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| | built telescoping flatbed truck to New
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| 'White Christmas'. The famous Rudolph
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| | York City.CHRISTMAS LIGHTSAfter centuries
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| Christmas special was created in 1964 and
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| | of repression, Christmas became a legal
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| remains a classic to this day.WE THREE
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| | holiday in 1859 in the state of
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| KINGSGold, frankincense and myrrh -
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| | Massachusetts. Soon the rest of the
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| precious metal and gum resins, that's
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| | United States followed and in 1882 Thomas
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| what the three wise men brought to the
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| | Edison struck upon the idea of electric
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| baby Jesus on his birthday. These were
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| | Christmas lights. By 1912, outdoor
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| rare and special gifts, things you
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| | Christmas tree lights had become common
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| wouldn't normally be able to get your
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| | in Boston. After the first World War, the
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| hands on, especially if you were an
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| | lights caught on Europe and by the
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| infant even if you're dad was the creator
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| | mid-20th Century they had become
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| of the known universe. Everybody knows
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| | widespread and a well-established part of
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| what gold is and I'm guessing the guy who
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| | the holiday cheer. These days it is the
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| brought it was the town favorite, so what
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| | inciting moment that marks the holiday
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| about frankincense and myrrh?
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| | season with the sight of the first
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| Frankincense is hardened tree sap from
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| | Christmas lights of the year.CELEBRITY
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| the Boswelia tree. Myrrh is also hardened
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| | CHRISTMASHere's the scene, a reenactment
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| tree sap from the Miphora tree family.
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| | of the nativity starring Samuel L.
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| They both are used as incense and
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| | Jackson, Hugh Grant and Graham Norton as
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| commonly found in the country of
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| | shepherds, David and Victoria Beckham as
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| Somalia.An interesting note, nothing in
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| | Joseph and Mary, British Prime Minister
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| the Bible states how many wise men showed
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| | Tony Blair, The Duke of Edinburgh and
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| up bearing gifts. Gaspar, Melchior and
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| | President George W. Bush as the Three
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| Balthasar are commonly referred to has
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| | Wise Men, Kyle Minogue as the Angel and
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| the names of the wise men, but these
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| | J.C. playing himself as an infant. It's
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| names don't appear in the Bible either.
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| | not a movie, but this year's Madame
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| The number three is reference to the
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| | Tussaud's Celebrity Nativity scene now on
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| three types of gifts presented. Also
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| | display in London. We'll leave it to you
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| there is no mention of the wise men
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| | to find what's wrong with that picture.To
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| riding camels or being kings. There is
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| | read more articles by Chad, visit the
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| further evidence that the men showed up
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| | American Pop Culture Encyclopedia at:
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| sometime after the actual birth as the
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| | American Pop Culture Encyclopedia.
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| source info in Matthew 2:11 states, "And
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| |
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| when they were come into the house, they
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| | If you would like to read this article,
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| say the young child with Mary his mother,
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| | or others like it, on American Pop
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| and fell down, and worshipped him..."
| |
| | Culture Encyclopedia, please visit: Merry
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| Hmmm, it seems by this time Mary had a
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| | Christmas!
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| home and Jesus a young kid, instead of an
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