christmas notes.pdf

Christmas Notes Story and Photos by Mrs. Heike Hasenauer HILE no one knows exactly when Jesus was born, Christmas, the Christian cel- ebration of the birth of Christ, is observed in many different fashions around the Wworld on Dec. 25th. In America, preparations for Christmas typi- cally begin before Thanksgiving, as festive holiday decorations begin appearing in department stores, on street-corner lampposts and in homes. The famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, a Thanksgiving tradition since 1924, offi cially kicked off the holiday season with bands, skyscraper-tall character balloons, fl oats and Santa Claus waving to hundreds of thousands of TV view- ers and parade goers. Other major cities put on their own pre-Christmas parades with similar attractions and celebrity hosts. And in countless homes, families have been busy visiting Christmas-tree farms to pick out the fullest, freshest tree and then decorate it with cherished orna- ments. A rush of activities includes baking and deco- rating cookies, placing wreaths on doors and Advent SS oo ll dd ii ee rr ss •• DD ee cc ee mm bb ee rr 22 00 00 77 2121 wreaths on tables, opening the windows of an Advent calendar to mark down the days until Christ- mas, buying and wrapping gifts, andmas, buying and wrapping gifts, and sending Christmas cards to friends and loved ones. Americans remember, too, the brave men and women in service to ourbrave men and women in service to our country — and those who have died incountry — and those who hav