33. Herbal teas, a teapot, a teacup and saucer. What could be more charming?
34. A hardy holiday breakfast would really start the day off right. Give a package of specialty pancake mix (maybe you have your own recipe) and a bottle of fine maple syrup. Put them in a neat mixing bowl. Yummy, Yummy!
35. Make large gingerbread men and women (they should be the length of the cookie sheet). Decorate them. Package a man and a woman together with a little note that says "We" Wish You A Merry Christmas!
36. Wine connoisseurs will enjoy a set of quirky wine stoppers.
37. Picture frames are in. No longer are they thin metal rectangles with glass. They are works of art within themselves. A great variety is out there to choose from. If you don't see any you really like, design your own. Just choose a plain frame, some polymer clay, and acrylic paints. "Deck the frames …Fa la la la la!"
38. Holiday centerpieces and topiaries add so much to the season. It you are the king or queen of green, make your own gifts. Make some for yourself. If not, the prices range from lean to extreme. But they do make nice gifts and can be live or artificial.
39. Potpourri is easy to make and you can create a scent just for the holidays. Mix together broken cinnamon sticks, dried orange peel, whole cloves, evergreen clippings and dried lemon peel. Half fill cellophane florists' bags and tie with a holiday ribbon.
40. A simple but useful gift for the reader friend or relative is the bookmark. Use your computer to design a pattern. You can usually get four to a standard sheet of card stock. Once printed, separate them, punch a hole near the top and tie on a small tassel. Crocheted or crosstitched bookmarks are always treasured too.
41. Apartment dwellers that love gardening will love the little herb gardens that come with everything. Attach mini-garden tools, watering can and gloves if they aren't already there.
42. For the person who has everything try a personalized rubber-stamp. You can design it yourself to reflect the person's hobby, profession or whatever. Do this early enough to get your design to a business-supply store or rubber-stamp maker. There may be some ready-mades that you only need to have your person's name added to at stationery stores, business-supply centers or rubber-stamp stores.
43. An embosser is trendy too. It can be used to personalize paper napkins, stationery, books, etc. An embosser with the initials of the receiver looks really snazzy on the above items and may be purchased at the same places as rubber-stamps.
44. Inexpensive cloth napkins are everywhere. Make a set an extra special gift by adding your personal touch. Add a monogram to each one with Crosstitch, embroidery, needlepoint or stencil. Stencil a seasonal design or applique on each napkin. If you're crafty, the sky's the limit. Include a set of napkin rings.
45. Remember the fun you had with snow globes. Boy was it easy to get lost in that little scene with snow falling. Well make some of these as gifts (great for the kids). You need jars- olive jars, pimento jars, and baby food jars are good ones. Little plastic figurines (they don't rust), some artificial greenery for trees, clear-drying epoxy, distilled water, glitter, glycerin, and oil paints in holiday colors in case the lids need painting. Roughen the inside of the lid with sandpaper then glue the figurines down with the epoxy. Fill the jar almost to the top with the water and add a pinch of glitter (not too much) and a dash of glycerin. The glycerin thickens the water and keeps it from "snowing" too fast. Screw the lid on tightly. Then shake, shake, shake. Some crafters have put some of the epoxy around the lid of the jar after screwing it on to avoid possible leaks.
46. Make a friend the "apple" of your Christmas. Select a large tart dish, fill it with the number of apples called for in an apple tart recipe along with the other ingredients and there you have it! A great gift that can be filled over and over.
47. Loose tea is so English. Fill an exotic box with it and include a whimsical tea infuser. There are so many on the market to choose from these days. Tuck in a recipe for scones to make the gift simply ducky!
48. The smell of lavender soothes the spirit. Stretch its calming affects when you give it as a candle or incense along with a CD that is equally as soothing. Color coordinate the holiday wrapping to set mood.
49. Someone taking a trip very soon? Make their holiday gift a travel kit. Fill a nice zipper case with a travel clock and travel size products you know they will need (toothpaste, shampoo, shaving cream, etc.) The time you used gathering this gift will hopefully give the receiver extra time for packing and getting to the airport!
50. You know someone who would just love to have one. Go ahead and give a gift from the East. Give a bonsai tree complete clippers, gloves and care instructions. While you're at it, get one for yourself.
51. Holidays mean food and reminiscing good times. Give a food basket that will remind the receiver of a favorite place or vacation. Make the wrapping paper using travel brochures or maps to hint at the treasure inside.
52. A mini Zen stone garden will put a taste of Japan in any home. These tiny gardens are inspired by the famous rock garden at Ryoan-ji in Kyoto, Japan. Just another way to bring the East into the receiver's life.
53. Fly your own flag. Very popular are theme flags, hobby flags, seasonal flags, alma mater flags, etc. Just about anything can be put on a flag and they come in a range of sizes. Select one for that special person.
54. For your favorite backyard chef, choose a new set of barbecue tools, an apron and the crowning glory - a chef's hat. King or queen of the ribs will love it!
55. New and old drivers alike need this gift. Give a car safety kit. It's one of those practical items that every vehicle should have.
56. Schedule that tense friend for a full body massage. Inform them of their gift with a card wrapped in a decorative box. After the holiday rush, this will be great.
57. Flavored vinegars offer a delicious way to add zest and excitement to salads, soups, sauces and stews. Give a food lover several different flavors with beautiful edible flowers, fruits or vegetables floating about the bottles.
58. Storage boxes are decorative and useful. Get several different sizes from the craft store, decorate them with paints or decoupage. Stack one inside the other.
59. Your hands are your hardest workers. Give them the pampering they deserve. Give a friend or relative a nice manicure kit and some hand softening lotion. Add a pair of nighttime gloves so that the pampering can continue while sleeping.
60. As the largest organ on our body, our skin deserves some attention. Give a facial at a plush salon or put together a facial kit. Include a standing vanity mirror so that the fantastic results can be seen.
61. The stresses of the holidays can knock out celebrating for many. The common cold slips in no matter how hard we try to keep it at bay. Make a sensible gift by putting together a cold first aid kit. Don't forget the socks, mittens, chicken soup (and recipe), Echinacea, and lozenges. Sooner or later this gift will come in handy.
62. After you read this, make this gift – a customized date/address book from your computer. Have it bound at a copier store or purchase an attractive binder to place the pages in. Design it around the interests of the receiver. Throw in one for yourself..
63. So you're crafty. Make beautiful holiday glass art from liquid lead and window coloring paints. Various name brands are available in crafts stores. Most require 24 hours to dry
64. Surprise a new apartment dweller with a tool chest filled with the basic necessities for hanging, assembly, measuring, hammering, and the like.
65. Give away a gourmet dinner kit to the super chef. Fill a shiny colander with Christmas-tree pasta, herbs, utensils, a recipe for your spaghetti sauce, and other delights to complete the meal.
66. Need that one of a kind gift? Try an address plaque or a house marker. The address plaque is a set of decorative tiles that fit into an attractive frame. The house marker is usually metal and can be attached to the house or mounted to a stand in the yard. Either makes a fine gift.
67. For the sentimental video buff put together a gift package containing a Christmas classic video or other favorite, tasty gourmet popcorn and a six pack of cola. A plastic bowl would make a great container in which to give the gift.
68. Angels. This earthly incarnation is literally everywhere. Best-selling books on angel history and stories of angel sightings to angel greeting cards, posters, sweatshirts, figurines, and jewelry flood the market. Choose one or more that your friend will love. You may start a collection with your gift.
69. The holiday season is a meshing of many cultural symbols. The nativity scene, or crčche, lends its inspirational present as a perfect gift and decoration. For many, it is reminds them of what the holiday season is all about.
70. When is a bamboo steamer not a steamer? When you turn it into a well stocked sewing kit for that friend or relative who is just starting out. Fill it with needles, notions, colorful thread, scissors, tape measure, pins, fabric marking pens, etc. Tie up the gift with lots of ribbon to be used later.
71. Give a gift certificate for a seasonal flower delivery. Friends and relatives would love to receive a spring arrangement of tulips, beautiful summer roses and so on. Gift certificates to specialty shops and favorite stoves always delight the receiver. They can be used right away or held on to until the big sale.
72. Take the chill off of the holiday with an attractive throw. It can be seasonal or plain. Throws make great and useful gifts.
73. Is that special friend talking endlessly about an upcoming concert, show, sports event, dinner, etc.? Make it happen if you can afford it. Give tickets to the event. This holiday will be long remembered.
74. For the newly weds' first Christmas, get them started with first Christmas decorations.
75. For the music lover or movie buff give pertinent literature such as a favorite artist or star. Music or movie magazine subscriptions are just as ideal.
76. Is there a fitness fanatic on your gift list? Maybe a warm-up suit, exercise video, weights, or health club membership is just the thing.
77. Decorate a small Christmas tree with homemade ornaments, miniature toys, cookies, or potpourri bags as a special gift for that shut-in friend who cant' take care of decorations this year. Place a love gift under the tree as well.
78. Almost every holiday list has one college student on it. Make that person the happy recipient of a telephone card.
79. An art lover would love to find a membership to the local or national museum in his or her stocking.
80. That special person or couple will think holidays last all year with a gift weekend to a marvelous bed and breakfast. If possible, allow the receiver(s) to select the dates so it will come at a time best for them to enjoy.
81. A friend or relative who enjoys poetry, famous quotes, or sayings will be able to relish them often if they are calligraphed or hand-painted in a frame or on a plaque.
82. For the person that doesn't cook and enjoys eating out, the coupon book to various restaurants gives them a discount while they savor a wide cuisine.
83. It may sound a little odd but there are those that are concerned. So here is the perfect gift for the Y2K conscience. A sturdy box or bucket filled with flashlights, bottled water, solar powered radio, extra batteries, canned goods (with pop tops or don't forget the manual can opener), blankets, first aid kit, and a deck of regular playing cards. Most importantly, remind the recipient to have enough cash to last through the crisis.
84. Start the holiday for someone right at his or her front door. A holiday doormat is just the thing. There is one for every celebration and the prices are quite reasonable. Can't find what you want? Get a plain one and stencil it yourself.
85. Give someone's shower the four-star hotel treatment. There are a variety of quality showerheads available on the market today. The hand-held styles are really popular and easy to install. Think of all the relaxing moments your holiday gift will give throughout the year.
86. Thinking of giving some lovely stemware as a gift this holiday? Include a good bottle of champagne with them. It's a sparkling way to start any celebration. The receiver doesn't drink alcohol? Use sparkling apple cider or sparkling grape juice instead.
87. Give gold for Christmas. Gold star-shaped candles in a gold star-shaped wire basket, along with gold table napkins and rings, gold ribbon and gold beads. Midas would love this holiday special. Don't forget to package your gift in golden paper and a golden gift bag
88. Did you know you have a friend in 18-gauge wire and needle-nose pliers? Well you do. Shape that wire into a star, a snowman, a tree, a heart, or just a circle and spray it gold. Place it in a pot of ivy or other climbing plant and tie a gold wire ribbon around the pot. Your plant-loving buddy will enjoy training the climber into a full topiary.
89. Don't forget the pets during the holiday. Fill a feeding dish with dog or cat treats and a special toy. A new fashion statement leash and collar for Pouch will make the day. Time for another visit to the boutique. We want all family members to look great for holiday pictures.
90. Time and means are special gifts. Give them as a gift. Volunteer to help prepare and serve a holiday meal at a shelter, church, temple, or synagogue.
91. Buy a toy or two for a needy child. Include a book and a needed item of clothing.
92. Have slightly used clothing? Donate them to organisations that help families in need. Since December is cold in many places, coats are a number one priority.
93. Got a pretty good nice voice? Know some folks who do? Organize them into carolers and visit a hospital or retirement home. Take along some holiday goodies for tokens. For many, you will be the only Christmas spirit they have.
94. College students can sometimes be stranded for Christmas. Invite them to share your holiday dinner and have a little gift for them. You can't imagine the joy (for the both of you.)
95. A shut-in can't get his or her holiday shopping done? Can't you give a few hours to help out? That's the spirit.
96. Address holiday cards for someone who is unable to do it themselves do to illness, handicaps, etc. Make a special trip to the post office to see that they get off.
97. Have lots children about for the holiday? Keep them busy while last minute dinner preparations are being made. Read Christmas and other holiday stories to them. Consider organizing a little play (this calls for a little preparation on your part).
98. If your city or town is noted for its beautiful decorations, take someone, who otherwise would miss the experience, for a day or evening drive so they can enjoy the glow and glitter of the holiday as well.
99. Blankets for the homeless. Gently used or new. Give them out yourself or contact an organization that's doing it.
100. Christmas is about giving. Make a donation in the name of a friend or family member to a needy cause. Present a card to that person detailing the organization and how the donation will be used. Happy Holidays!
Christmas Trees
Choosing a Tree
I suspect most of us would prefer to have a live Christmas tree in the house -- many of us still remember past Christmases whenever we smell fresh pine. Many of us still do use live trees, but some of us have resorted to the artificial variety for all sorts of reasons.
Live trees may very well be less prone to fire as long as they stay fresh and moist. Unfortunately they can become dangerous as they dry out, and in a heated home they are very likely to dry unless you take precautions. These should start when you pick out the tree and continue until you have finished with it.
The tree should look fresh when you get it. (If you can find a place to cut your own tree, you'll have an absolutely fresh one -- and cutting your own can be fun, too.) Make sure that the needles are green and moist; if they are beginning to look dry or falling off, the tree won't last very long in your house.
Keeping a Tree
You should pick your tree stand carefully, too. It should be fairly heavy, with widespread legs, to lessen the chance that the tree may be toppled over by over enthusiastic people or pets (I've seen both happen myself). It should also have enough room for your tree's trunk, and be easy to refill with water. I have seen single-piece cast-iron stands; although I haven't tried them myself, they look like they should be very stable indeed.
When you get the tree home, first trim off about one inch of the trunk with a saw; this will expose fresh wood and allow the tree to drink water better. Then put the tree in water as soon as possible. There are many tales of trees staying fresh longer if you add aspirin, sugar, or other things to the water; personally I think fresh water works just fine, but adding a little plant food (such as "Miracle-Gro") may be helpful. Make sure the bottom of the tree is immersed in water at all times. If your house is particularly dry, you may need to add water to the stand twice a day, or even more. When you put the tree up, make sure that it is not too close to a fireplace, a radiator, a heating vent, a space heater, or any other source of heat. (I assume no one reading this page is silly enough to put a Christmas tree near a stove or a clothes dryer or a furnace or water heater, but I'll mention those places as bad places for a tree also.) Also, don't put your tree where it blocks the exit from a room or from the house.
Decorating a Tree
Never overload the tree with heavy decorations, and certainly not with lights. I would not use lights with bulbs larger than C-7 (night-light size) on an indoor tree, and miniature lights are probably safest as far as the heat they generate are concerned.
Your Christmas lights should all have been tested by Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc. UL tests virtually every electrical gadget available in the United States for safety (shock and fire). You should find the UL seal on every one of your light sets (and indeed on every electrical appliance, light, or other gadget you buy).
UL labels Christmas lights in one of two ways. Sets with a green label or with a silver label with a green UL hologram are tested and found safe for indoor use only. These sets were likely not designed for safe use outside, and may be dangerous if used outdoors. Sets with a red label or a silver label with a red UL hologram are tested and found safe for indoor and outdoor use. The label is usually taped around the wire near the plug. If the label isn't there, don't buy the lights no matter how good the price is. Your extension cords and other devices (such as timers and flashers) should also have UL labels on them.
One common cause of Christmastime electrical fires is overloading the light wiring -- the lights themselves, the extension cords, or the house wiring. If the boxes or instructions that come with your lights tell you what the safe limit is for number of strings connected to one cord or one outlet, do not exceed that limit. If you don't have that info, good, conservative limits are:
- no more than two strings "cascaded" (one plugged into the end of another, or into the "piggyback" outlet of another string's plug);
- no more that four strings or 300 lights (whichever is less) on a single wall outlet or house circuit.
A house circuit is a set of wall outlets, room lights, and other electrical things whose power can be shut off by one fuse or circuit breaker. Many houses are wired so that all of the lights in a room are on a single circuit. That circuit may be overloaded if you have too many lights plugged into it even if they are divided between different outlets. If your light set labels tell you the wattage (total power used) of the set, make sure that everything plugged into a circuit (Christmas lights, table lamps, wall lamps, and other electrical gadgets) adds up to no more than 1000 watts. This will give you a good safety margin with any circuit.
With proper care, you can use light sets that you bought and used in previous years. (My family has two C-7 light sets that are nearly 50 years old. They still work quite well. And they even have the original (green) UL tags on them (smile)...) However, you must check each old string carefully for frayed insulation, and broken or loose wires, sockets, and plugs. If an old light set is not in perfect condition, I would suggest throwing it away and buying a new one. The cost of a new light set to replace a bad set is much less than the cost of a house fire.) For that matter, you should also check new light sets (even those that are UL-listed) for breakage or other defects. The UL tag doesn't necessarily mean that UL inspected the set you bought – just that they tested samples of the product and found the samples to meet their safety standards. The set you bought may have a problem, and so you should check each new set before using it.
Never use candles or other open flames on a tree, and don't put your tree near a fireplace or a furnace or water heater. (Candlelit trees were once a tradition. They are gorgeous. They are also very dangerous.)
Also, remember to cover any and all unused electrical outlets (including the add-on outlets on light strings), especially if you have small children around. For that matter, you should not let small children near a tree with lights on it unless a responsible adult is there to watch -- and perhaps not even then. Not only do lights pose an electrical hazard, but the miniature bulbs are small enough to go in children's mouths and may pose a choking hazard.
You should also unplug all of your indoor lights before going to bed or leaving the house.
And last, not definitely not least, make sure your smoke detectors are working (replace the batteries if you haven't in the last 6 months). It's also a very good idea to have working fire extinguishers in your house, and especially near your tree.
Outdoor Decorations
Many people like to put up outdoor decorations, especially lights. These can also be hazardous, although the dangers are a little different (for one thing, you don't really have to worry about the tree drying out unless you live in a desert).
- Use pinecone bird feeders in your trees. Hang them from garland on your porch, from trees, from gutters...
- Decorate your outdoor tree with entirely edible items. Use pinecone feeders, string dried cranberries, cereal, and raisins to use as garland or ornaments.
- Use cheap garland and make bows to decorate your porch, front door etc.
- Lights, lights, lights. Lights on the house, the gutters, the trees, the porch, and everywhere else. (This tip came from Mr. Roo, the Christmas Light King.)
- No matter what kind of mailbox you have you can decorate it with a bow or some garland, even a wreath can be used on some mailboxes.
- Wrap your front door, put a large red or gold bow on it.
- Wrap you porch post with wide red ribbon to make it look like a peppermint stick.
- Live up north? Make a snowman! Snow is free :)
- Hang little jingle bells from tree branches, etc. When the wind blows it will cause a nice little jingle-jingle. Use little quiet ones, so you don't violate sound ordinances. We used to have jingle bells that could have woken up people for miles around.
- If you live in a warmer climate, you can keep potted poinsettias on your porch or front yard.
Choosing Lights and Decorations
You should choose your outdoor lights as carefully as your indoor lights. Again, they should all carry the Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc. label -- in this case, the red paper or red hologram label saying that the lights are safe and sturdy enough for outdoor use. (this means, among other things, that they are less likely than other light strings to start a fire if they are rained on or snow-covered.) Extension cords should also be UL-labelled for outdoor use.
The outlets you plug the outdoor lights into are also important. Homes built in the last 10-15 years have ground-fault circuit interrupters on all outdoor (and bathroom, kitchen, and laundry) outlets. A GFCI is a special outlet that shuts off the power if there is any leakage to ground -- that is, if electric current from the outlet is going anywhere except through the gadget plugged into the outlet. The GFCI does not take the place of a circuit breaker or fuse, since it won't necessarily shut off if there is an overload or short circuit; rather, the GFCI protects against leakages that might hurt someone in the leakage path even if the current is small. GFCI outlets always have two buttons on them: one is used to test the GFCI, while the other (which pops out when the GFCI is tripped or tested) resets the GFCI. If your outdoor outlets don't have GFCI's, have an electrician replace them before you use them. (Some outlets that are not themselves GFCI outlets may be protected by a GFCI located in another outlet nearby. Your electrician can tell you if an outdoor outlet is protected by a GFCI somewhere else.)
As with indoor lights, don't plug too many lights into a single circuit. Remember that in most houses the outdoor outlets are probably on the same circuit with indoor outlets, lights, and appliances; this will limit how many light strings you can plug in safely. (If you're one of those families who put up huge light displays every Christmas, you may already have special circuits just for the Christmas lights, and you certainly ought to have special circuits put in.)
Putting Up Outdoor Lights
When you put outdoor lights up, besides watching out for overloaded circuits and cords, you need to be sure that water won't damage the lights or cause a short circuit. This is especially important with the extra plugs on light sets, some of which you'll always have open.
The solution to the waterproofing problem that I have used for many years involves small plastic bags and electrician's tape. Once the lights are connected, tape the gap between each plug and the outlet/piggyback plug it's connected to with electrician's tape. Then bundle the wires, and put a plastic bag over the taped plugs. Secure the bag with more tape around the wires as they leave the mouth of the bag. Then position the covered plug assembly, under cover if you can, so that the mouth of the bag points down (this keeps moisture from dripping into the bag). All of this helps keep water away from the plugs, where it would be most likely to cause a short circuit. (The diagram below shows part of my method. The plug is halfway out for clarity only; remember to push each plug firmly into its outlet before taping or powering up. The tie around the wires is shown, but the plastic bag is not; remember to tie the bag firmly around the wires.)
I have also used outdoor timers on my outdoor lights for several years. Such timers (which should also be UL-listed for outdoor use) may not seem to contribute directly to safety. However, with the timers in place you no longer need to go outside and plug or unplug the lights every evening, or in the rain or snow. This not only protects you from electric shock, but from colds as well.
Other Decorations
Other Christmas decorations, such as tree ornaments, garlands and wreaths, Nativity scenes, and toys don't present the electrical hazards that tree lights do, but they do require some care as well.
Small children, especially those just beginning to walk, love putting things in their mouths -- and don't know what they can and cannot safely chew on. They can easily choke on small objects. Make sure that anything that is small or comes apart into small pieces is kept well out of their reach.
One possible hazard that can be missed is the wire hanger used to put ornaments on trees. They are usually shaped a bit like a fishhook, and although they do not have barbs, they can get stuck in bad places -- like a small throat -- quite easily. Another hazard is the ornament itself: glass ornaments break easily, and the pieces can cut you or your child. (Personally, if I had small children in the house I would leave the glass ornaments in storage until the kids were big enough to have the ornaments around safely.)
Still another potential hazard is greenery, some of which can be poisonous. Mistletoe is notorious in this regard, although it's usually hung high enough to be out of children's reach. Pine branches aren't usually poisonous (but the needles can hurt your mouth).
There are many other things to watch out for. Pretty much all of these are a matter of common sense; know what your child is capable of getting into, and then be sure that s/he is kept away from anything that can't be played with safely.
The Christmas Kitchen
by
I am a firm believer in decorating every room. I know, most people don't do it. The kitchen is the perfect place to decorate, mainly because we spend so much time in the kitchen, especially around the holidays. And, if you're one of those people who don't like spend a lot of time in the kitchen (like me), maybe you will be happier in a Christmas Kitchen. I've finally decided on my kitchen theme - Gingerbread! I don't know why it's taken me so long to think of that. Here are some simple ideas to get you started.
- Hang Christmas cookie cutters around the kitchen. Tie back curtains with them, hang them with ribbons from your door knobs and cabinet handles. Just think, when you go to make cookies you won't have to look for them.
- "Wrap" your cabinets. No - I'm not that tacky. Use wide ribbon and tie it around your cabinet doors, just like you would tie a bow around a present. I had lots of compliments the year I did this.
- I'm making Christmas curtains for my kitchen. It's usually the room with the least windows, and the room where you can get away with simple curtains. Buy some cheap material, hem it and make a sleeve for the rod. Use cute tiebacks to make them look more professionally done. If you get thick or dark material, you can actually just use packing tape and tape the hems :)
- Keep cinnamon sticks in water on the stove. When company is coming turn on the burner and the house will smell like cinnamon - this makes people think I actually bake.
- Use Christmas decorations and ornaments in here too! Hang things from cabinet knobs, drawer pulls, and hooks. Use knick knacks on the counters, shelves and windowsills.
The Christmas Bathroom
by
I'm so excited! You can get Christmas bathroom stuff everywhere now! Have you seen the musical toilet seat? When you sit down it plays "Jingle Bells". That's a little out of control, but it's funny. Here are some ideas of things to do in the "reading room".
- I found a Christmas shower curtain at a garage sale for a quarter. You can get them for as little as $5 at discount stores.
- Tie back those curtains here too! Use pinecones, or ornaments, or whatever.
- Use holiday gift bags and fill them with cotton balls, toothbrushes, etc.
- Buy some red and green soaps or bath beads and display them in a soap dish or small gift bag.
- Buy red and green toothbrushes.
- But some of those window stickees at the dollar store or discount store and use them on your bathroom mirror.
- Use Christmas lights around your mirror.
- They have all kinds of towels, bath mats, garbage cans, or anything else you can think of for bathrooms.
- Always be on the lookout at garage sales for bathroom accessories that you can paint Christmas colours or gold.
Advent Calendar
Home Made Best Made
The holiday season provides lots of opportunity to create decorations for the home. Try a novel Advent Calendar that can be rolled up for storage and used year after year. Children will enjoy putting the decorations in place each day. Use the suggested shapes in this construction as a guide.
Materials List
- 1 1/4 yards of 72-inch-wide cream felt
- cream thread
- 6-strand embroidery floss to match cream, green, brown, and red felt, and all small felt squares
- crewel needle
- tracing paper
- 12-inch by 36-inch rectangle green felt
- 4-inch-square brown felt
- 5-inch-square red felt
- 3-inch felt squares in a variety of colours for decorations
- variety of glass beads, sequins, gold cord, and ribbons to trim decorations
- white craft glue
- 24 small gold safety pins
- two 11 1/2-inch lengths 1/2-inch-diameter wooden doweling
- 1 yard of thin silk cord
Construction Tip
Decorate the tree with gold cord for sparkle. For a quick alternative, mimic the embroidery stitches in the ornaments with tube puff paints in a variety of colours. Sequins and rhinestones can be pushed into the wet paint with tweezers to add sparkle. Use craft clue to attach the second felt layer to the back of the decorated layer. The doweling can be painted to match your wall, extended beyond the width of the calendar, and decorated with fancy tassels or cords.
Make the Ornaments
Step 1: Cut two 40-inch by 25-inch pieces cream felt to form the background. From the remaining cream felt, cut two 24-inch by 2 3/4-inch pieces for the doweling pockets.
Step 2: Centre the pocket pieces across the top and bottom edges of one background piece 1 inch inside the edges. Using cream thread, machine stitch the pockets to the background, leaving the ends open. Put this piece aside.
Step 3: Trace the tree pattern and enlarge on a photocopier until the measurement from the base of the pot to the top of the tree is 21 inches. Pin patterns to the green felt and cut out the tree. Cut out the tree trunk in brown felt and the tree stand in red felt. Position the felt shapes on the remaining background piece, with the top of the tree 5 1/2 inches down from the top edge, and the bottom of the tree stand about 3 1/2 inches from the bottom edge. Pin in place, with the pieces tightly butted. Using two strands of matching floss, sew each shape onto the background with blanket stitch.
Step 4: Trace the decoration patterns. For each decoration, cut two identical pieces from coloured felt 50 pieces in all. Decorate the front of each shape as desired, using glue to attach the trimmings. Join the front and back of each pair with the blanket stitch, using two strands of matching embroidery floss. Take a small safety pin and hand tack the side with the catch head to the back of the decoration.
Step 5: Trace the outlines of all the decorations onto tracing paper. Pin to the tree, then, using two strands of yellow embroidery floss, work the outlines in running stitch. These indicate the positions for each decoration.
Step 6: Pin the 2 cream background pieces together, with the tree to the front and the doweling pockets to the back. Sew the 2 pieces together by blanket-stitching around the 4 sides with 2 strands of matching embroidery thread.
Step 7: Insert the doweling pieces in the pockets and glue the silk cord to the ends to hang up the calendar.
Step 8: Place the decorations along the sides of the background. Beginning December 1, place one decoration on the tree each night until, on Christmas Eve, the tree is complete.
Pattern
Christmas Wreath
Home Made Best Made
Celebrate Christmas elegantly with this colourful wreath. Hung on the front door or an inside wall, it will be a cheery sight all through the festive season. If you choose to use artificial greenery, your wreath will last a lifetime.
Materials List
- four 20-inch-long ribbons, width and colour of choice
- wreath base made from twisted vines
- real or artificial pine boughs or holly artificial fruit
- hot glue gun
Variation for Holly Wreath: For a traditional Christmas wreath, substitute fresh holly boughs for the needled greenery. Cut a few small, healthy holly branches. Submerge the ends in water until you are ready to assemble the wreath. Strip small clumps of leaves from the branches, trimming the ends--leave a little of the twig to poke into the wreath base. Attach the holly in the same manner as the pine wreath. Small clumps are easier to work with than big unruly bundles. Decorate as above or in any way you wish.
Making A Christmas Wreath
Step 1: Tie the lengths of ribbon into four bows.
Step 2: Arrange the greenery, fruit, and ribbons loosely on top of the wreath base, trying various placements.
Step 3: When you are happy with the arrangement cut the pine boughs to the desired length. Using the hot glue gun, glue the cut ends of the pine to the wreath base.
Step 4: Repeat with fruit, and finish off with bows.
Step 5: There is no need to add a loop for hanging since a vine wreath is easily hung on a nail or hook. Hang the wreath on a door or wall, making sure the nail or hook is not visible.
Symbolism of the Advent Wreath
- The Advent wreath is a special symbol composed of a wreath of evergreen, in a circle, with 4 candles, 3 purple and one rose or pink.
- The four candles represent the 4,000 years prior to Christ's coming and the four weeks of Advent.
- One Candle is lit every night during Advent. One purple one during the first week of Advent, the second purple nightly during the second week, and so on, until during the fourth week all four candles are lit. Some people also place a large white candle in the centre to be lit on Christmas Day.
- The Purple candles are for the sorrow we feel for not loving Jesus enough.
- The Pink candle is for the joy surrounding the impending birth of Jesus.
- The unlighted candles represent the dark ages before Christ's coming.
- The lighted candles represent Christ, the Light of the World. Each week we light one more candle and that represents the idea that the coming of Christ is closer.
- There are various traditions about the meaning of each of the candles. One tradition labels them the Prophet's candle, the Bethlehem candle, the Shepherd's candle (pink), and the Angel's candle. These represent the sources of the Good News of the coming of Jesus. The Good news came through the prophets, was born in Bethlehem, was witnessed by the shepherds and proclaimed by hosts of Angels. Another set of traditions label them hope, love, joy (pink), and peace or some variation on this. This tradition focuses on the nature of the Good News. It is news of hope for the future, the love of God, joy of the Spirit and peace on Earth.
- The circular form of the wreath symbolises that God has no beginning and no end.
- The green of the boughs indicates hope--just as the green of spring indicates new life.
- The word Advent means the coming of promise.
The Christmas Star
To most Christians the Christmas star is symbolic of Jesus who is often called "the bright and morning star." Ancient people looked upon stars as gods and created myths about them. Before there was Christmas, stars held importance in ancient religions. The Babylonians used three stars to represent a god. The Egyptians believed that certain gods controlled different stars and constellations. The six-pointed Star of David became the symbol of the Hebrew nation. The North American Blackfoot Indian believed that every star was at one time a human being. The Great Bear and the Little Bear are still worshiped by the Berber tribes of Africa today. But the five-pointed star of Christmas holds centre stage. Its appearance is recorded in the Bible in the New Testament, which says it appeared over Bethlehem and served as a guiding light to lead the wise men to the Christ child.
Garland of Greenery
Home Made Best Made
We used juniper, but pine also makes a beautiful garland. Customise your garlands to drape a mantle, festoon a stairway, or set off a gate.
Materials List
- jute or twine cord
- juniper branches
- florist scissors
- florist wire; wire cutters
Making The Wreath
Step 1: Cut the cord to the desired garland length.
Step 2: Trim the juniper from its heavy branches into small sprigs of greenery.
Step 3: Starting on one end of the cord, wire several sprigs of greenery to the cord. Without cutting the wire from the spool, continue to wire on sprigs of greenery to cover the wire of the previous round. To wire, hold the spool of wire tightly in one hand while wrapping it around the greenery and cord held in the other hand. If desired, twist the unwrapped part of the cord into a ball or a figure-8 and secure it with a rubber band until more cord is needed. Packing the rounds of greenery closer will make a fuller, heavier garland. Spreading them out a little will make a thinner, lighter garland.
Step 4: When you reach the last inch or two of the cord, wind several sprigs from the opposite direction, carefully filling out the juncture where they meet so that this end has the same appearance as the starting end.
Home decorating and quick crafty tips
by
- Decorate everything! Why be restrained? It's only once a year!
- Use small or mini ornaments as accents. They are great for things like ceiling fan pulls (click here for instructions for a scented ornament to hang from your ceiling fan), curtain ties, attaching to napkin rings, accenting house plant pots, attached to candle holders, let your imagination go.
- If you have access to a holly tree or to mistletoe, use it liberally. Accent picture frames and wall hangings, doorways, cabinet tops, centrepieces. I like to lie sprays of around everywhere, even in the bathroom.
- Nothing enhances the holiday mood like the smells of Christmas. Use Christmas potpourri, air fresheners, scented candles, plug ins, etc. I often tie cinnamon sticks to a sprig of holly with festive ribbon and lie them around the house and hang them on the tree. Cloves add wonderful scent to the holiday home. Here's a tip for wonderful smelling Christmas sachets to lie around the house or hang on your tree. Place whole cloves and broken cinnamon sticks on a small piece of lace, gather to form a "bag" and tie Christmas ribbon to close. I have included below some suggestions or recipes for your own simmering potpourri.
- Have holiday music on hand. I almost constantly have Christmas music playing even if only a subtle instrumental background. When entertaining I have even known people to tuck away a portable disk or cassette player in the restroom cabinet with soft Christmas music playing throughout the evening.
- Hang Christmas "prints" around throughout the house. If you have access to a colour printer print small Christmas pictures, greeting card scans, etc. and frame them in small decorative frames. Christmas card cutouts work great for this too. You can usually get small frames of various shapes at inexpensive department stores for a very low price. Remember to check the craft department too. They are often found there for less than those found in the gift department. Frames can be accented by attaching a sprig of holly, a small ornament, or a couple of cinnamon sticks tied together with colourful ribbon.
- If you use night-lights in the house use coloured bulbs.
- Place holiday coloured and shaped soaps in soap dish in the restroom and kitchen for an added touch. These are usually very inexpensive at department stores. A jar of Christmas coloured bath oil balls is very festive looking too. Tie Christmas ribbon around the top for an added touch. Below I have included a wonderful link for recipes to make your own bath salts.
- Especially if you use country decor in your home, try this: Fill a canning jar with Christmas potpourri and a small strand of Christmas lights. In the lid of the jar cut or bend a small opening at the edge for the cord to come out. Poke holes in the lid for the scent to escape or use lace for a lid.. Decorate the ring with Christmas fabric, ribbon, etc. hiding the cord in the process. Run the cord down the back of the jar and tape it in place so that it won’t be seen from the front. Plug it in and enjoy the beauty and the aroma.
- Pine cones! Put them everywhere. In baskets, on tables, on mantles, on the bathroom counter. Pinecones are beautiful holiday accents plain or decorated.
- Ribbons and bows are a versatile part of holiday decorating. I buy several spools of ribbon and use it everywhere. I tie it around my kitchen cabinets and attach a small classy bow in the front, I tie them around fingertip towels and napkins, lamp shades, throw pillows, just use your imagination.
- Candles make a beautiful addition to any decor. From the Santa face candle to the swirl gold ones, candles can be very inexpensive to very expensive but they all add class to the environment. Even if you never light a candle its presence alone suggests warmth. With small children around its often not safe to have them lit. In this case I recommend lighting them once (when the kids are in bed *L*) and let them burn just long enough to darken the wick and add some drip accents to add to the statement of the candle.
- I like to make "door knob hangers" for all the doorknobs in the house. The possibilities are endless. Use a loop of Christmas ribbon as a hanger. Be sure to make the loop big enough to easily slip over the doorknob. Attach a variety of objects to the ribbon. Bells are nice for the front door since they jingle when the door opens. See my craft section for suggestions.
- Mini Christmas trees: I love mini Christmas trees. I don't have a very large home so we only have one large tree. I like to put a mini tree in my son’s room, the kitchen and a larger bathroom.
- Besides having a mini tree in my son’s room I also use Christmas window clings on his mirrored closet doors. Often as adults we tend to want to have a uniform more formal look to our decorating. This is often "boring" to the kids. By adding these few touches to my son’s room (he picks the mini ornaments and clings) he gets to express himself as colourfully or festively as he wants. Window clings also are a great accent on your bathroom mirrors.
- The decorative gift. In the hustle and bustle of the season we often find ourselves so sick of wrapping presents that we just want to get it over with. Fancy accents and bows etc. are only realistic for those with the time and extra cash to make every package look even more expensive than its contents. *L* However, I like to take a few empty boxes when doing my decorating and put all I have got into it. No not for gift giving but for decoration. I place them around the house (and make sure the kids know they aren't real so they stay intact). Put them anywhere theres a vacant spot that could use a little Christmas cheer. If you store them carefully they can be used repeatedly.
Pienācis vates sniegavīru un eņģeļmatu laiks!
1. Jā, pienācis vates bumbiņu laiks... Laiks, kad uz dāvanu paciņām vates bumbiņas var satupt kā lieli un mazi sniegavīriņi. Viens variants – tos var uzlīmēt uz paciņas, piezīmējot trūkstošās detaļas. Otrs variants – kārbiņai ar nagliņu vāciņā jāizdur caurumiņš, divām vates lodītēm cauri jāizdur adata ar diegu, gali jāizvelk caur caurumiņu un jāiesien mezgliņš. Kārbiņas maliņu var arī aplīmēt ar vates bumbiņām. Lielajai kārbai no līmplēves izgrieztas apaļas bumbas, līdz pusei salīmētas kopā, apakšējās maliņas atlocītas un aplīmētas kā svītra ap kārbu.
2. No nošu burtnīcas izkopē vienu lapu un izmanto kā iepakojamo papīru vai arī iesaiņo dāvanu zilā papīrā, noplēs nošu lapai maliņas, pielīmē un izdaiļo paciņu ar spīdīgajiem eņģeļu matiem.
3. Cieti novārītu olu nokrāso ar ūdens krāsām, nolobi mizu, sasmalcini to un no gabaliņiem izveido sirds mozaīku. Otrs variants – ar guaša krāsu uzzīmē sirsniņu uz skaista akmentiņa un piesien pie paciņas.
4. Izlobi valriekstu un izpolsterē to ar kreppapīru, uz otras puses uzzīmē sirsniņu. Šādā kārbiņā var skaisti iesaiņot gredzenu.
5. Nokrāso ar zelta krāsu makaronus (šoreiz tie ir pušķīša formā) un pielīmē tos pie paciņas, izrotā paciņu ar lenti.
6. Ideāls iepakojums stāvošām dāvanām. Kreppapīra galu dāvanas augšpusē sarullē un aptin ar tievu sudraba stieplīti, piekariņiem vari izmantot motīvu no eksotiska pārtikas produktu iesaiņojuma.
Austrumnieciski ornamenti sevišķi labi izskatās uz violetā papīra, ornamenti vispirms jāuzzīmē ar līmzīmuli, tad uz mitrās līmes jāuzkaisa zelta vizulīši. Pēc izžūšanas liekie vizulīši nobirs nost.
7. Vienkārši debešķīgi! Uz zila fona labi izskatās no krāsaina papīra izgrieztas zvaigznītes vai arī izlocītas no drāts, kas aptīta ar samtainas dzijas pavedienu. Zvaigznītes uzver uz aukliņas, kas pēc tam jāapsien ap paciņu. No papīra var izgriezt arī mēness sirpi un piekārt dāvanai.
8. Dāvanu var ietīt krāsainā iesaiņojamā papīrā, tad no kreppapīra izgriez 20 cm garas lentes un savērp auklās. Šīs auklas aptin ap paciņu tā, lai to gali paliek paciņas virspusē. Tās sasien kopā ar sudraba stieplīti, un pārpalikušos galus izveido par ziediem.
9. Skaists rotājums, kuram var izmantot visparastāko – turklāt vēl saburzītu – iesaiņojamo papīru. Riekstus apzīmē ar sudraba zīmuli un kopā ar lauru lapām pielīmē pie papīra, pēc tam visu aptin ar tievu stieplīti.
Sleepy Haven's Christmas Dictionary
A Angel: One of the immortal beings attendant upon God. It was an angel who first told Mary she would give birth to Christ. It was also an angel who told shepherds about the birth of Christ.
B Bethlehem: Ancient town in Judeah which was the birth place of Christ.
Bow: A knot tied with a loop or loops at either end. Often used to adorn Christmas gifts.
Bayberry: An aromatic shrub bearing pleasant smelling berries or the fruit of such a shrub. Often used in Christmas potpourri.
Bell: A metal instrument that rings when struck.
C Christmas: A holiday celebrated by Christians as the anniversary of the birth of Christ.
Christmas Eve: The evening before Christmas.
Candy Cane:
Christmas Tree: An evergreen or artificial tree decorating during the Christmas season.
Carols: A song of praise or joy. Common to the Christmas season
Carolling: To celebrate in song or to sing joyously. A practice of going to people's homes and singing Christmas carols to them.
Chestnuts: An edible nut enclosed in a prickly bur. Often roasted over a fire during the Christmas season.
Census: An official count of population. It was a census that caused Joseph and Mary to be in Bethlehem at the time of the birth of Christ.
Christmas Rose:
Christmas Cactus: A common houseplant with flat fleshy stems and red flowers that bloom at Christmas time.
Christmas Cards:
Christmas Lights:
Church: All Christians regarded as a spiritual body. It is a building or structure for public worship.
Cranberry: A tart edible very, which comes from an evergreen shrub.
D Dickens, Charles:
E Evergreen: Having foliage that remains green throughout the year.
Eggnog: A drink containing milk, eggs, sugar, and nutmeg. Often contains whiskey or rum. Traditional drink of the Christmas season.
Elf: A small mischievous fairy. A tribe of toy-making elves lives at the North Pole with Santa Claus and builds toys for children.
F Fruitcake: A heavy cake, which contains citron, fruits, and nuts. Traditionally eaten during the Christmas season.
Flying Sleigh: The sleigh used by Santa Claus on his Christmas Eve deliveries.
Flying Reindeer: Reindeer, which fly, usually for the purpose of transporting Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve.
Frost, Jack: The personification of cold weather, in other words, an imaginary creature who brings frosty weather.
G Gift: Something given. Also know as present. That which Santa leaves under the Christmas tree.
Ginger: A pungent aromatic root used as flavouring.
Gingerbread: A dark molasses flavoured cake-containing ginger. Often shaped and decorated as little people.
Garland: A strand of ornamentation used for decorating.
H Holly: An evergreen tree or shrub usually having prickly leaves and small red berries. Very often used for Christmas decoration because of its prominent Christmas colours.
I
J
K King: A male sovereign. Christ is the King of kings.
L
M Mistletoe: A plant, which grows as a parasite on, trees having evergreen leaves and waxy white berries. Customarily hung on doorways for decoration at Christmas time with the stipulation that two people standing under it at the same time must kiss.
Mrs. Claus: The plump and always pleasant wife of Santa Claus. Primarily responsible for seeing to it that the children have a fat Santa by cooking him Christmas treats all years long.
N Nativity: The conditions and circumstances of being born. Nativity scene refers to the circumstances of Christ's birth.
North Pole: The northern end of the earth's axis of rotation. It has a very cold climate and is the known residence of Santa Claus.
Nutcracker: An implement used to crack nuts. Commonly formed as an ornamental soldiers and used for Christmas decor.
O Ornaments: Something that decorates or embellishes. Commonly hung on Christmas trees and used in other forms of Christmas decorating.
Orange: A round fruit with a yellowish-red rind and edible sweet pulp. Often used by Santa Claus as a stocking stuffier.
P Present: Something presented, as a gift. Items left under the Christmas tree by Santa Claus.
Poinsettia: Tropical shrub with showy bracts beneath a yellow flower. Commonly used as Christmas decor.
Popcorn: A variety of corn with hard kernels which burst to form fluffily white puffs when heated. Common use at Christmas time: Strung on thread to form garland.
Pine Cones: A scaly seed-bearing structure of a pine. Common uses at Christmas: Very ornamental. Often decorated or used as is for ornamentation.
Q
R Reindeer: A large deer of arctic regions. See Flying Reindeer for information on the breed, which is used by Santa Claus.
Rudolph: The most famous of the flying reindeer breed. Special in the sense that he is the only known living reindeer, which has a glowing red nose, often used to guide Santa's sleigh.
S Santa Claus: A fat and jolly old elf who lives at the North Pole with his wife, Mrs. Claus, his flying reindeer, and his band of toy-making elves. Every Christmas Eve Santa delivers gifts to the children of the world. For more information see Santa Claus in the Christmas Encyclopaedia.
Stockings: A close fitting covering for the foot and leg. Usually used at Christmas time for Santa to fill with surprises. For more information about this ritual see Stockings at the Christmas Encyclopaedia.
Sleigh: A light vehicle mounted on runners for use in snow. Usually drawn by a horse.
See Flying Sleigh
Sleigh Rides: A winter excursion occurring when one or more people travel in a sleigh.
Sugarplum: A round or oval piece of sugary candy.
Shepherd: One who cares for sheep. Angels visited shepherds on the night Christ was born. Angels told them where they could find the King so that they could go and worship Him.
Star: A celestial object visible from the Earth. A star guided wise men to Christ.
T Tinsel: Thin threads of glittering material. Often used for decoration on Christmas trees.
U
V Village: Rural settlement smaller than a town. Usually used at Christmas time as a model of Christmas spirit.
W Wisemen:
Wreath: A decorative ring or circular band usually consisting of flowers or leaves.
Wassail: A toast formerly given when drinking to the health of someone or to go carolling.
Wrapping Paper: Material in which something is wrapped. Commonly used in gift giving to enhance a surprise.
Wenceslaus, King:
X
Y
Gingerbread Cottage
This craft is from:
Since Victorian days, making a gingerbread house at Christmas time has been a popular project for the whole family to enjoy. This one takes several hours to complete. Youngsters will enjoy the process more if you build it in stages: baking one day, decorating the next, and doing other activities while waiting for the icing to set.
Cutting Pattern for Cottage
Ingredients
-
1 cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark molasses
- 1/4-cup water
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon each ground ginger and
- ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt.
For the Icing:
- 3 large egg whites
- 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 box (16 ounces) confectioners
- sugar, sifted (4 1/2 cups)
- shredded coconut (optional)
Materials:
17- x 14-inch baking sheet
decorating bag with 1/4-inch round opening tip
sharp knife
rolling pin
poster board (cut into pattern pieces shown below)
two 14- x 10-inch doilies
11- x 11-inch medium-weight cardboard
transparent tape
rubber spatula
Suggested candies:
gumdrops
peppermint rounds
candy-coated chocolate pieces
red cinnamon candies
spearmint leaves
nonpareils or candy buttons
Step 1: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat the shortening, granulated sugar, molasses, and water until smooth and creamy. In another large bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Mix to form a stiff dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease the 17- x 14-inch baking sheet. Place half of the dough on the baking sheet. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to cover baking sheet. (Steady pan by setting it on a dish towel.) Lay pattern pieces on the dough (shown at right) and cut around them with a sharp knife. Carefully remove dough around patterns. Remove poster board. Bake dough pieces for 15 to 20 minutes or until dark brown. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes; remove to a rack to finish cooling. Repeat with remaining dough, except omit the door piece and cut back wall without a door.
Making The Cottage
Step 1: To prepare the icing, let the egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a medium-size bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually beat in the confectioners sugar; continue beating for 7 to 10 minutes or until very stiff. cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 2: Overlap the 2 dollies on the cardboard; tape in place. Using a rubber spatula, swirl half of the icing almost to the edge of the doilies, building up edges. Sprinkle with coconut (if using); allow to set for 10 minutes. Cover remaining icing with a damp paper towel and refrigerate until needed. Using the decorating bag and tip, pipe icing on the bottom and inside of edges of front wall and set in place on base. Pipe icing around the bottom and outside edges of one sidewall and place against the front wall to form an L shape, as shown. Repeat this procedure with the other side and the back to form a rectangle. (For added strength, pipe extra icing along the inside joints of cottage.) Allow to set for 1 hour or until icing is very hard.
Step 3: Pipe icing along all top edges, reinforcing corners with extra icing. Position 1 roof piece at a time on the house. With someone holding the roof, reinforce the peak with a line of icing. Allow icing to set for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 4: To make the chimney, pipe icing on 2 square pieces, as shown above; position the pointed pieces between them to form a square, pressing lightly. When chimney is firm (about 30 minutes), set in place on the roof; reinforce seams and fill in cracks with icing. Set the door in place.
Step 5: Pipe icing decoratively on roof, under eaves, and around window. Decorate with candies as you like, using icing to glue candies in place. To make icicles, pipe icing strings along the edges of the roof and chimney.
Idejas Ziemassvētku galdam
1. ideja
Ja klāsiet zviedru galdu, gar tā malām var izveidot dekoratīvas kabatas. Sarkani svītrotam (rūtotam, punktotam, vienkrāsainam) galdautam malā piešuj kabatas – tūtas. Audumu raksti var būt dažādi, bet krāsai gan jābūt vienādā sarkanumā. Šujot tūtu klāt pie galdauta, tās augšdaļā iešuj lentīti, kuru pēc tam sasien. Tūtās saliek egļu, priežu zarus, brūklenājus, čiekuriņus u.c.
2. ideja
No zila dāvanu papīra (vai papīra galdauta) izgriež paliktni robotām malām, kuru novieto zem šķīvja. Tam pieskaņo salvetes vai servjetes ar sudraba zvaigznītēm. Zilā krāsa sader ar sudrabu, tāpēc jāpiemeklē arī galda piederumi.
3. ideja
Servjetei gredzena vietā uzliek no kadiķīšiem savītu vainadziņu, apsien zeltītu lentīti.
4. ideja
Uz šķīvja novieto salocītu servjeti, bet virsū tai – mākslīgo augļu vai ziedu kompozīciju, kuru var iegādāties veikalā.
5. ideja
Greznam galdautam un servjetēm piestāvēs tikpat grezns servješu gredzens zvaigznes formā, kas izgatavots no spoža papīra zelta vai sudraba krāsā.
6. ideja
Vienkrāsaina šķīvja vidū uzliek apli ar zīmējumu (Ziemassvētku vecīti, eglīti, rūķi u.c.), kas izgriezts no kartītes vai ir pašu gatavots. Tam virsū liek caurspīdīga stikla šķīvi.
Galds nu būtu noformēts, bet ko uz tā likt virsū, lai šoreiz paliek katras saimnieces ziņā! Skaistus svētkus!
Īsteni tautiski ēdieni
Latvieši jau izsenis ir pazīstami kā liela ēdāju tauta. Labi klāts galds allaž ir bijis mūsu tautas svētku neatņemama sastāvdaļa. Tuvojoties Ziemassvētkiem, kas reizē ir arī nozīmīgi ģimenes svētki, atkal sākam domāt un plānot, ko likt svētku galdā. Lai arī kāda būtu katras ģimenes izvēle, tomēr laikam reti uz kura galda izpaliks tādi tradicionāli Ziemassvētku ēdieni kā zirņi, cepetis un, protams, piparkūkas.
Kaut gan katrai saimniecei ir sava tautisko ēdienu gatavošanas metode, mūsu piedāvātās cienastu receptes var noderēt kā prasmīgām namamātēm, tā arī cilvēkiem, kas ķersies pie svētku cienasta sagatavošanas pirmo reizi. Lai Jums izdodas!
Koča jeb ķūķis
Grūbas - 300 g; žavēts speķis - 200 g; sīpoli - 75 g; ūdens - 2 l; sāls - pēc garšas.
Grūbas uzber uz sausas pannas un maisot apgrauzdē spilgti brūnas. Tad katliņā ieber vienu kārtu grūbu, uzliek smalki sagrieztu un ar sīpoliem apceptu speķi, atkal grūbas un speķi, nobeidzot ar grūbām. Visu pārlej ar karstu ūdeni vai buljonu, kuram jau sāls ir klāt, un cep bez maisīšanas maizes krāsnī vai cepeškrāsnī, pēc vajadzības lejot šķidrumu klāt. Gatavai kočai jābūt irdenai un pilnīgi sausai. To ēd kā tradicionālo Ziemassvētku ēdienu.
Grūdenis
Žāvētas cūkas galvas puse; ūdens - pēc vajadzības; grūbas - 300 g; kartupeļi - 800 g; sīpols - 1 gab;
Žāvētu cūkas galvu pārlej ar aukstu ūdeni, pieliek nomazgātas grūbas un sīpolu, vāra, kamēr gaļa ir mīksta. Tad zupai pieliek sagrieztus kartupeļus un, ja vajadzīgs, pielej vēl ūdeni, lai tā būtu krietni bieza. Grūdeni ēd galvenokārt ziemas mēnešos, ja vēlas, ar skābu krējumu.
Taukšķēti zirņi
Pelēkos lauka zirņus sāls ūdenī novāra gandrīz mīkstus, tad uzber uz ietaukotas pannas un maizes krāsnī vai cepeškrāsni apgrauzdē sausus un brūnus. Taukšķētus zirņus ēd tieši ar roku bez sevišķām piedevām.
Speķa rauši
Kviešu milti - 500 g; piens - 1 glāze; sviests - 25 g; raugs - 25 g; kartupeļi - 100 g; sāls - naža gals. Pildījumam: žāvēts speķis - 400-500 g; sīpoli - 50 g; pipari - naža gals; ķimenes - ½ tējkarotes; cukurs - naža gals.
Pienu, sviestu un sāli sasilda līdz 30° C. Tad šajā maisījumā izšķīdina raugu un izsijātus kviešu miltus. Mīcot mīklai pieliek novārītus, sasmalcinātus kartupeļus. Labi samīcītu mīklu siltā vietā uzraudzē, atspiež traukā atpakaļ, vēlreiz uzraudzē, tad sadala apmēram 20-36 vienādās daļās.
Katru mīklas gabaliņu saspiež plakanu, vidū liek apmēram vienu ēdamkaroti speķa pildījuma, malas saspiež kopā, veidojot mēnešveidīgu rausi, ko liek uz ietaukotas plāts ar šuvi uz leju. Tos vēlreiz uz plāts uzraudzē, pārziež ar pussaputotu olu un cep karstā krāsnī apmērām 10 minūtes. Ēd karstus vai aukstus.
Pildījumam speķi sagriež mazos, četrstūrainos gabaliņos, pievieno sasmalcinātu sīpolu, piparus, cukuru un ķimenes pēc garšas. Ja vēlas, speķi ar sīpoliem var viegli apcept.
Cūkas cepetis
Cūkas gaļa (no šķiņķa gabala) - 1 kg; sāls; sīpols - 1 gab.; burkāns - 1 gab.
Gaļas gabalu noslauka, ieberž ar sāli un ar ādu uz leju liek cepešpannā. Gaļai apakšā paliek tīrus lapukoka skaliņus, uz pusēm pārgrieztu sīpolu un lielās šķēlēs sagrieztu burkānu, ielej nedaudz ūdens un liek karstā krāsnī. Kad gaļa apcepusies brūna, to pārlaista ar karstu ūdeni vai buljonu un cepšanu turpina mazākā siltumā, bieži aplaistot. Pusizceptu gabalu apgriež otrādi, ādu ar asu nazi sagriež nelielos kvadrātiņos un cep, kamēr cepetis gatavs. Lai āda būtu mīkstāka, to cepot dažas reizes pārziež ar sviestu. Gatavu cepeti mazliet atdzesē, tad sagriež glītās šķēlēs un sakārto cepešbļodā.
Pannas šķidrumam pielej karstu ūdeni, uzvāra, ļauj nostāties nosmeļ liekos taukus, pievieno aukstā ūdenī iejauktus miltus, uzkarsē, izkāš un pasniedz pie cepeša kopā ar vārītiem kartupeļiem un skābiem kāpostiem.
Zoss cepetis
Notīrītai zosij nocērt galvu ar kaklu, spārnus, kājas un apakšējo griezumu aizšuj. Zosi no visām pusēm ieberž ar sāli, liek uz pannas ar krūti uz leju, pārlej nedaudz ar ūdeni un cep karstā krāsnī, aplaistot ar vārošu ūdeni. Pusizceptu apgriež un, tāpat aplaistot , turpina cepšanu, līdz cepetis gatavs. Aplaistīšana ir ļoti svarīga, jo tad cepetis ir mīksts un sulīgs.
Ja zoss trekna, tad cepot iztek daudz tauku. Tie jānosmeļ, lai nesadegtu. Lai gatavais cepetis būtu irdenāks, ieteicams zosi 20 minūtes pirms gatavības pārlaistīt ar dažām karotēm auksta ūdens. Jauna zoss cepsies 1-1,5, vecāka 2-3 stundas. Labam cepetim jābūt gaiši brūnam, mīkstam un sulīgam. Gatavam cepetim izņem diegus, sadala glītos gabalos un sakārto iepriekš sakarsētā cepešbļodā.
Mērci gatavo no šķidruma, kurā zoss cepusies, nosmeļot liekos taukus un pievienojot nedaudz aukstā ūdenī iejauktu miltu. Šķidrumu sakarsē, pielej drusku karsta ūdens, atvāra gaļas piecepumu un izkāš.
Zoss cepeti pasniedz ar vārītiem vai ceptiem kartupeļiem un āboliem, kurus veselus cep cepešpannā blakus zosij, kā arī ar sutinātiem kāpostiem un brūkleņu ievārījumu.
Piparkūkas
100 g sviesta; 75 g cukura; 100 g sīrupa; olas dzeltenums - 2 gab.; kviešu milti - 350-400 g; soda - 1 tējkarote; potaša - 1/3 tējkarotes.
Garšvielas : apelsīna miziņa, pipari, krustnagliņas - 6-8 gab.; kardamons - 1 tējkarote; koriandrs, ingvers, muskatrieksts - 1 ēdamkarote; kanēlis - ½ tējkarotes; ola pārziešanai - 1 gab.; rieksti pārkaisīšanai - pēc vajadzības.
Svaiga apelsīna miziņu pārlej ar ūdeni un vāra, kamēr tā mīksta. Tad nogriež balto daļu, bet dzelteno sīki sasmalcina. Kaltētas apelsīnu miziņas saberž miezerī vai samaļ. Ingveru un muskatriekstus sarīvē uz smalkās rīves. Sviestu, pusi no cukura un visu sīrupu uzvāra. Vārošā masā iekuļ pusi miltu, sasmalcinātas, sajauktas garšvielas un kuļ, kamēr mīkla atlec no katla malām, tad atdzesē. Atdzisušajai masai pievieno olu dzeltenumu un pārējo cukuru, to iepriekš sabrūninot, lai piparkūkas būtu brūnākas, vēlreiz sakuļ, piesijā pārējos miltos, pieliek sodu un potašu un ar rokām mīklu pamatīgi samīca. Mīca tik ilgi, kamēr mīkla kļūst vienādi spīdīgi gluda un pietiekami cieta. Samīcīto mīklu ļoti plāni izveltnē un ar veidnītēm izspiež piparkūkas. Tās pārziež ar sakultu olu, ja vēlas, pārkaisa ar sasmalcinātiem riekstiem un cep ļoti karstā cepeškrāsnī gaiši brūnas.
Cietas Piparkūkas 2
Medus - 50 g; sīrups - 50 g; sviests - 50 g; ola - 1 gab.; kviešu milti - 400 - 450 g; briežraga sāls - naža gals; soda - 1/3 tējkarotes.
Garšvielas: apelsīna miziņa - 1 gab.; pipari, krustnagliņas - 56 gab.; kardamons - ¾ tējkarotes; koriandrs, ingvers, muskatrieksts, anīss - 1 ēdamkarote; kanēlis - 2 naža gali; ola pārziešanai - 1 gab.; rieksti pārkaisīšanai - pēc vajadzības.
Gatavošana ir tieši tāda pati, kā iepriekšējā gadījumā - medu, sīrupu,
sviestu uzvāra utt.
Ticējumi
- Ja Ziemassvētku naktī debesis zvaigžņotas, tad nākamajā gadā būs laba raža, turpretī apmākušās debesis sola neražu.
- Ziemassvētku rītā jāceļas agri, lai visu gadu varētu agri celties.
- Ziemassvētku vakarā meitas nes malku uz istabu, ja pagales pa pārim, tad drīz apprecēsies, ja nepārī, tad ne.
- Ziemassvētku naktī jāēd 9 reizes pēc kārtas, tad nākošais gads būs bagāts.
- Ziemassvētku vakarā velk ar krītu uz visām durvīm krustus, tad ļaunais gars iet prom.
- Ziemassvētku vakarā jāskrien basām kājām trīsreiz mājai apkārt, lai nesāp zobi.
- Ziemassvētku vakarā jālej bļodā ūdens, jāiepilina divi pilieni sveču tauku un jāsamaisa. Ja pilieni saiet kopā, tad pāris apprecēsies, ja ne, tad izšķirsies.
- Ziemassvētku vakarā vajag visas lampas sadegt, lai Laimīte redzētu, kur staigāt.
- Ziemassvētku vakarā ātri jābeidz darbi, lai darbi labi veiktos visu gadu.
- Ja pirms Ziemassvētkiem daudz sniega, pirms Jāņiem būs daudz daudz lietus.
- Lai naudas nekad netrūktu, tad Ziemassvētkos nedrīkst visu naudu izdot.
- Ziemassvētku naktī svešinieki nav jāpatur mājā.
- Ziemassvētki ir auglības svētki, tādēļ Ziemassvētku sestdienā jāēd un jādzer līdz pulksten divpadsmitiem, tad būs auglīga vasara.
- Ja ūdeņi pirms Ziemassvētkiem trīs reizes pārsalst, būs bagāta vasara.
- Ziemassvētku vakarā jātur maize, sāls un uguns uz galda, tad nākamais gads būs svētīgs.
- Kad Ziemassvētku naktī iet uz krusta ceļu, tad var dabūt visu zināt, kas nākošā gadā notiks.
- Ziemassvētku naktī pulksten 12 ūdens akās pārvēršoties par vīnu.
- Lai būtu daudz naudas ,tad ziemassvētku vakarā melns kaķis jānes ap baznīcu.
- Ja Ziemassvētkos ir sniegputenis, nākamgad būs daudz medus.
- Ja ap Ziemassvētkiem logos daudz leduspuķu, būs laba augļu raža.
- No kaudzes velk žagarus. Ja gadās kupls un taisns, līgavainis būs stalts un bagāts, ja mazs un līks - ķeists un nabags.
- Zem traukiem uz galda saliek maizi, atslēgu, gredzenu, naudu, smiltis un ļauj katram paņemt savējo. Kas izvelk maizi - būs pārticis, atslēgu - būs saimnieks, gredzenu - apprecēsies, naudu - kļūs bagāts, smiltis - viss izjuks, kā uz smiltīm būvēts.
- Ziemassvētku sestdienas vakarā jāuzliek uz grīdas gabaliņš gaļas un maizes, tad jālaiž istabā suns. Ko suns pirmo ķers, tas tai gadā būs dārgāks.
- Zaļi Ziemassvētki dara baltas Lieldienas.
- Ziemassvētku vakarā jāstāv galda virsū uz vienas kājas un jātur vienā rokā alus kauss, otrā linu sauja, tad aug vareni lini.
- Ja Ziemassvētku nedēļā prusaki pa kūlu rāpo, tad būs badīga vasara.
- Ziemassvētku nakti jāiet basām kājām ābeles purināt, tad nākošu gadu būs pulka ābolu.
- Ziemassvētku naktī jāiet uz kūti klausīties, ko zirgi runā, tad dabūs zināt nākamas lietas.
- Lai uzzinātu, cik gadus vēl dzīvos vai arī pēc cik gadiem sasniegs to, ko vēlas, tad Ziemassvētku priekšvakarā jāņemot glāze, jāizraunot pašam savs mats no galvas un mats jāievērot zelta laulājamā gredzenā. Gredzens jāliekot glāzē. Pēc tam jānodomā, ko vēlas zināt; gredzens pašam jātur tik ilgi, kamēr tas sit pa glāzes malām. Ja nesit, tad domātais piepildās tanī pat gadā.
- Ziemassvētkos, kad dedzina eglīti, jāizvēl katram sava svecīte; kam pirmam svecīte nodzisīs, tas pirmais mirs vai arī precēsies (kā norunā).
- Kura meita grib precēties, tai Ziemassvētku rītā jāizslauka istaba, jāizber mēsli ārā, uz tiem jānostājas un jāiesaucas: "Ū, ū!" Kurā pusē suns ieriesies, no tās puses nāks izredzētais tautas dēls.
- Ja meita redz Ziemassvētku naktī sapnī kādu puisi viņai kreklu pasniedzam, tad tas būs viņas brūtgāns. Ja tāpat puisis redz meitu, tad tā būs viņa brūte.
Zīlēsim nākotni!
- Vecgada vakarā jaunieši sasēžas aplī, un katrs sev priekšā nober auzas. Tad ienes gaili un liek viducī. Pie kuras auzu kaudzītes gailis pieiet, to tajā gadā izpriecē. Mūsdienīgāks variants: ja gaiļa nav, tā vietā var izmantot suni, bet auzu vietā – desu…
- Ja cilvēks grib zināt savu nākotni, tad vajag Ziemassvētku naktī apiet ap savu dzīvojamo ēku trīs reizes un pēc tam skatīties logā, tur šis cilvēks redzēs savu nākotni.
- Jaungada vakarā jānoliek drēbes pie gultas zemē. Kas sapnī nāks padot, tas apprecēs.
- Ziemassvētkos jāiet pie kaimiņa durvīm klausīties. Ja pirmo dzird «Jā!» – būs lielas pārmaiņas, ja «Nē!» – nekas liels tajā gadā nav gaidāms.
- Ziemassvētkos sanāk kopā trīs meitas, katra novelk labās kājas kurpi un ieliek mazgājamā bļodā. Tad krata trauku uz augšu, un, kura kurpe izlec pirmā, tai meitai pirmai būs jāiziet pie vīra.
Seno latviešu tradīcija - apdziedāšana
Senāk latviešiem neatņemama Ziemassvētku sastāvdaļa bija maskotie gājieni, jeb iešana čigānos.
Maskās ļaudis mēģināja attēlot tos iedomātos garus, kurus gribēja atvairīt, vai kuru labvēlību vēlējās iegūt. Maskošanās notika gan cilvēkveidīgās maskās, gan tādās, kas attēloja senču garus vai dabas spēkus. Lai nākamā gadā piepildītos auglības burvība, galvenais noteikums bija tas, ka cilvēkam maskā jāpaliek nepazītam.
Čigāni jeb budēļi gāja no mājas uz māju, veldami līdz bluķi, nesdami svētību un pārraudzīdami, vai godā tiek turētas sentēvu tradīcijas. Masku gājiena ierašanās, darbošanās un aiziešana tiek apdziedāta speciālajās Ziemassvētku dziesmās, - tur masku izdarības ir apdziedātas visos sīkumos.
Protu, protu, redzu, redzu, tais mājās slinkas meitas:
Logi, soli nemazgāti, mēslu čupa pagultē.
Čigānos laizdamās, vilku biezu kažociņu:
Citur deva ēsti, dzerti, citur vēzdu par muguru.
Ķekatīna, maza sieva, pazudusi kupenē;
Ņem sudraba šķipelīti, meklē mazu ķekatīnu.
Ko tu gaidi, vecais puisi, šogad sievas nepaņēmis.
Visas tavas vecās brūtes salēkušas čigānos.
Budēli, tēvaini, tev garš deguns:
Visu gaļu sakāri deguna galā.
Saimeniece cisku kasa, negribēja gaļas dot.
Vai tu kasi, vai nekasi, tāpat gaļa jāpiedod!
Budēli, tēvaini, tev gara bārda:
Dod manām meitām istabu slaucīt.
Čigānosi laizdamiesi, trīs kulītes līdzi ņēmu.
Vienā pupas, otrā zirņi, trešā cūkas smecerīte.
Kas mums deva siļķes ēst, tam lai visi kaķi sprāgst;
Kas mums deva gaļu ēst, tam lai lieli vepri aug.
Čigāniņi bēdājās: nava krēsla būdiņā:
Lepnām meitām platas lūpas, tur būs laba sēdēšana.
Šķiņķi, šķiņķi saimeniece, cūkas kājas kulītē.
Ja nedosi cūkas šķiņķi, ņemšu tavu dvēselīti.
Čigānos laizdamās, garu kuli šūdināj’:
Bāžu bļodu, bāžu kausu, vēl nelīda pavārnīca.
Ejma bērni, čigānosi; čigānosi laba dzīve,
Čigāns ēda kviešu maizi, krējumāi mērcēdams.
Ejat, meitas, čigānos; čigānos laba peļņa!
Pāris kurpju, seši rubļi, pieci zelta gredzentiņ’.
Desa teki pa celiņu, līkumiņus mētādama,
Čigāniņi pakaļā, putraimiņus lasīdami.
Lūdzama, māmiņa, laid bērnus iekšā,
Ķekatu bērniem kājiņas sala.
Čigāniņi, totariņi, kur šo nakti gulēsim?
Cits priedēi, cits eglē, cits pie meitām kambarī.
Budēlimi, tēvainimi, dzīparota pātadziņa,
Meitu pīta, meitu šūta, mīļās Māras izrakstīt’.
Sasagrieza čigāniņi istabiņas vidiņā.
Sagriez, Dievs, rudzus, miežus lielajā tīrumā.
Tautasdziesmas
Kas tur kliedza, kas tur sauca
Aiz Daugavas siliņa?
Zaķīts pūta ledus tauri
Ziemassvētkus vēstīdams
Ziemassvētki naudu skaita
Ledus kalna galiņā;
Tekat, bērni, kalniņā,
Vedat viņus lejiņā
Kur bijāt, Ziemassvētki,
kur naksniņu gulējāt?
Aiz kalniņa lejiņā
Tai mazā sētiņā.
Gausi nāca, nu atnāca
Tie bagāti Ziemassvētki:
Trīs dieniņas, trīs naksniņas
Nāk pār kalnu kūpēdami.
Ai, bagāti Ziemassvētki,
Lejiņā nogājuši!
Tekam, veci, tekam, jauni,
Velkam svētkus kalniņā
Ziemassvētki sabraukuši
Rakstītām kamanām;
Zirņi, pupas, rācenīši
Ziemassvētku kamanās.
Svētki nāk, svētki nāk,
Ko tie svētki atnesīs?
Cūkas ausi, tauku gaļu,
Baltas maizes kukulīti
Ziemassvētki, Ziemassvētki,
Ko jūs labu atnesāt?
Cūkas ausi, kūķu katlu,
Cūkas desu ritulīti.
Simtu cepu kukulīšu,
Ziemassvētku gaidīdama:
Simtiņš nāca ķekatnieku
Tai vienā vakarā.
Sudrabiņa lietus lija
Ziemassvētku vakarā:
Visi sīki žagariņi
Sudrabiņu risināja.
Skali grab, skali grab,
Kas tos skalus grabināja?
Ziemassvētki grabināja,
Speķa raušus gaidīdami.
Nākat iekšā, Ziemassvētki,
Nu mēs jūs gaidīsim;
Nama māte durvis vēra,
Rokā gaiša uguntiņa.
Ko mēs, bērni, ēdīsim
Ziemassvētku vakarā:
Pīrāgam, nabagam,
Abi gali sadeguši.
Pīrāgam, nabagam,
Krāsnī kājas nosvilušas;
Ejat, bērni, ķerat ciet,
Ēdat viņu dziedādami.
Izcepu kukuli
Četriem stūriem;
Tas bija ķekatu
Mielastiņš.
Pūti, pūti, ziemelīti,
Ziemassvētku vakarā:
Klētī pūti rudzus, kviešus,
Stallī bērus kumeliņus!
Visu gadu naudu krāju,
Ziemassvētkus gaidīdama;
Nu atnāca Ziemassvētki,
Nu naudiņa jātērē.
Nāc, māsiņ, ciemoties
Ziemassvētku vakarā:
Būs pupiņas, būs zirnīši,
Būs cūciņas šņukurīts
Nāca veci, nāca jauni
Ziemassvētku vakarā:
Jaunie nāca padejot,
Vecie nāca desas ēst.
Labvakari, nama māte,
Vai gaidīji budēlīšus?
Ja būs silta istabiņa,
Tad būs jautra valodiņa.
Labvakar, saimeniece,
Vai gaidīji budēlīšus?
Ja gaidīji budēlīšus
Atver durvis līdz galam.
Nedomā, saimeniece,
Ka es nācu gaļas dēļ:
Es iznācu lustes dēļ
Savus bērnus izvadāt.
Eita, bērni, čigānos
Ziemassvētku vakarā;
Dos pupiņas, dos zirnīšus,
Dos cūciņas smecerīti.
Cūkas kājas skuldurītis
Budēlim kulītē,
Lai varētu smagi lekt,
Istabiņu dimdināt.
Dodat, meitas, cimdus,zeķes
Tam budēļu vecajam:
Kad nedos cimdus, zeķes,
Augs jēriem īsa vilna.
Kas deva gaļiņu,
Tam auga cūciņas;
Kas deva siļķīti,
Tam auga kaķītis.
Kas čigānam alu deva,
Lai aug mieži tīrumā;
Kas čigānam gaļu deva,
Lai aug balti sivēniņi.
Eit' projām, Ziemassvētki,
Ar visām karašām,
Es gaidīšu Lieldieniņas
Ar zaļo rudzzālīti.
Ziemassvētku dzeja
SVĒTĀ VĒSTNESE
Arvien, arvien vēl sapnis sirdi saista
Un augšā ceļ, kas laiku tumsā rakts:
Cik mīļa bij, cik brīnišķīgi skaista
Reiz bērnu dienās Ziemassvētku nakts!
No tāles šurp pa mēmiem ledus kloniem,
Pa sniega lauku klusi nāca Tā,
Un pāri Tai ar zvaigžņu miljoniem
Kā ziedošs koks bij debess mirdzošā.
(Jānis Ziemeļnieks)
SVEČU SMARŽA
Es telpā atgriežos, kur mīt vēl sveču smarža,
Vēl nakti vaira novakars,
Un gaismu iededzu - zūd sveču smarža,
Bēg novakars.
Grib viņā patverties vēl lēnā sveču smarža,
Kā laikam viss, ko vajā laiks,
Līdz plokot sajaucas un gaist kā sveču smarža,
Ko aizpūš laiks.
Ir, bija, izlikās - viss vien sveču smarža,
Vai ražens gads, vai maldīgs mūžs,
Kad tevi satveršu, senjaunā sveču smarža?
Iet garām mūžs,
Kad telpā atgriežos, kur mirst jau sveču smarža
(Dzintars Freimanis)
ZIEMASSVĒTKOS
Tālas, dārgas skaņas svētas,
Debess dārzos izauklētas,
Ziemassvētku zvani nes.
Bāra tauta, bērni bāra -
Svēta nakts un mīļā Māra
Sarga visas dvēseles.
(Velta Toma)
ZIEMASSVĒTKU VAKARS
Piespiest pie rūtīm lūpas un pieri,
klajums lai pārredzams tiek,
lūkoties, cik uz skujiņām mierīgs
Ziemsvētku vakarā sniegs.
Aizkrāsnes gaišas un aizdurves gaišas.
Atspīd vistumšākais kakts.
Bultas ir vaļā, un aizbīdnis aizšauts -
mīksta un klusa nāk nakts.
Mēness to pavada zeltītā važā
un tā pulkstentiņš šķind…
Ledus izkusis karstajā dvašā,
sirds vēl kā neticot min,
kas gan tā veļas,
un dzirksteles šķeļas,
un pakavi sniegu jauc…
(Olga Lisovska)
RAU, SVĒTKU EGLĪTE
Rau, svētku eglīte tik koši,
Tik mīlīgi, tik gaiši spīd,
Un debešķīgais prieks un spožums,
Ikvienā sirdī lejup slīd.
Cik laimes pilni bērnu vaigi!
Cik līksmi viņi raugās, smej!
Un neskaitāmi eņģļu pulki,
Tiem līdz iekš debess dzied un dej:
“Mums šodien Pestītājs ir dzimis,
Viņš visus žēlos, pacietīs
Un ņems pie sevis laimes mājās,
Kad beigsies zemes mūžs mums īss.”
(Eduards Veidenbaums)
SVĒTKU VAKARĀ
Gaisā sniedziņš sidrabaini laistās,
Augsti torņos zvani saldi dzied:
Visas sejas laimīgas un skaistas,
Ielu uguns panorāma zied.
Aizvējā pie dzelzu sētas platas,
Kur zem kokiem gaiši mirdz kāds nams,
Skrandains puisīts stāv viens pats un skatās,
Kailos pirkstus dvašā sildīdams.
Lūk, tur augšā, otrā stāva logā,
Dziesma skan, un sveču gaismā maigs
Noliecas pār bērniem baltā togā
Ziemassvētku vectētiņa vaigs…
Un aiz sētas dzelžainas un saltas,
Kur starp kokiem tikko redzams nams,
Skrandains puisīts stāv uz ielas baltas,
Kailos pirkstus dvašā sildīdams.
(Jānis Ziemeļnieks)
ZIEMAS SAULGRIEŽOS
Zvaigžņota sega, šaursliežu kamanas, bēris
sniega virpuli skrējiena slaikumā grieza,
līkumu metot. Uzjumās kupena bieza
ābeļu dārzā, - sniegmātes durvis kāds vēris.
Tāltālās, mūžvecās mājās.
Ticēja vecie: Saulgriežu burvība, kūtīs
atkal atburti runājot pusnaktī zirgi,
saimnieku saucot; zīlēja mūžības mirgu
jaunekļu alkas, sirdspukstus neskaitot krūtīs.
Tāltālās, mūžvecās mājās.
Izdega sveces, aizsvila skujiņa, telpā,
zili kvēpdama, staigāja silmalas dvaša,
svēta nakts tumsa. Aizmiga pasaule plaša
brīnuma miegā, saulgriežu svētītā elpā.
Tāltālās, mūžvecās mājās.
(Velta Toma)
EGLES ZARS
Zaļš egles zars uz labi klāta galda
Par mīlestības mūžīgumu pauž,
Un visā telpā ceļas smarža salda.
Šķiet, Tava dzīvā roka mani glauž,
Gars saskanīgi maigas ainas auž.
Kāds miers un klusums! Ne vairs vārdu saku,
Tik redzu: staro zaļais egles zars
Un paver mūžību kā dziļu aku,
- Uz balta galda zaļais egles zars
(Zinaida Lazda)
ZIEMASSVĒTKU ROZE
Meklētāja ceļš ir galā,
Vakars metas, tālu rīts,
Baltā ziemā, svešā malā
Krāšņi uzplaukst blāzmas zieds.
Vai tur Ziemassvētku roze
debess dārzos ziedus ver?
Brīnišķīgo krāsu kvēlē
Acis atdzerdamās dzer.
Mana Ziemassvētku roze
Debess dārzos ziedus ver?
Brīnišķīgo krāsu kvēlē
Acis atdzerdamās dzer.
Mana Ziemassvētku roze,
Mātes maigo roku dēsts,
Jaukā bērnu dienu gaisma,
Brīnišķīgā Kristus vēsts.
Zinu, arī tavā sirdī
Šonakt Kristus roze zied,
Un tu izej ziemas naktī
Klausīties, ko zvaigznes dzied.
(Kārlis Skalbe)