Santa Claus?

Santa Claus is part of modern Christmas and he's everywhere and does everything.  He even drinks Coca Cola in Frankenmuth, MI.  He surfs in Melbourne, Australia; he rides a pink pig in Atlanta, GA; and he flies around the world at NORAD.  Santa Claus has been the main character in stories, movies, songs, poems, myths, and legends.  He talks to kids and finds out what they want to make the very presents that the children ask for appear under their Christmas Tree on Christmas Day.  Let's face it, who wouldn't want a job that made that many children happy?  Where I live, everyone wants to be Santa.  I don't blame them.  But, where did the legend come from, and what is it like there at Christmas?

In case you've ever wondered, Santa Claus comes from St. Nicholas.  St. Nicholas was a bishop in the times of Constantine and was born in the now historic port town of Myra, Turkey.  That is where the legend began.  St. Nicholas was a rather wealthy servant of God who inherited a significant amount of money from his parents.  He decided to do good with it.  As is the case still today, there were a lot of poor people in Myra, and at that point in time a dowry had to be provided by a woman's father in order for her to marry.  That became a purpose for St. Nicholas.  He took bags of coins and dropped them down chimneys of less fortunate women so that they would be able to marry and have a family.  That was the seed that grew into the gift giving legend of today.

The man had no idea what he started.  He had no idea that his good intentions would turn into a bunch of expectant children demanding video games for Christmas.  The Catholic Church canonized him not only as the patron saint of children but also the patron saint of sailors.  His kindness and generosity made the lives of hundreds of people better.  Nobody knows when St. Nicholas really died and his remains were stolen from Myra in the year 1087 and now lie in Bari, Italy.  The English started the ball rolling with St. Nicholas becoming father Christmas and then Santa Claus.  These days, Santa is hard at work with all his helpers around the world; making Christmas special for children.  But, we should remember that it was this man, St. Nicholas that was the root of the legend that is so beloved today.

Myra still sports it's Roman Ruins today, and is an amazing place to visit.  If you can make it on Christmas, you'll get to be there when the man himself is honored.  There are services at the Church of Saint Nicholas on Christmas to remember one of  the most generous men that ever lived.

So, come and take part in remember the history before the legend.  It's wonderful to know the true story, and to remember St. Nicholas.  It gives meaning to Santa Claus and I think that children would love to hear where their beloved legend started.  I raised my son to believe that the men in red suits were all there to remind us of the spirit of giving in the name of St. Nicholas.  He's fifteen now, and still loves Santa Claus.  So, if you like to visit interesting places for the holidays; this one is a whopper.  Take a tour and include the town where Santa Claus was born as Nicholas, later to become St. Nicholas, the Patron Saint of Children and Sailors.
Enjoy!

http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/fatherchristmas.shtml
http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus
http://www.lycianturkey.com/lycian_sites/myra.htm
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/kale-church-of-st-nicholas-myra
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/myra/
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/med/demre/index.html
http://www.historvius.com/myra-1761/
http://www.meandertravel.com/tourpackages/tour_packages.php?details=myra
http://www.lycianturkey.com/lycian_sites/myra.htm
http://www.memphistours.com/Turkey/Turkey-Travel-Guide/Antique-Cities/wiki/Myra
http://www.antalya-tours.net/demre-myra-kekova.html
http://www.beforetravelturkey.com/kekova-myra-tour.html
http://theindependenttourist.net/tag/myra-turkey/
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://terri-dixon.artistwebsites.com/
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred

What Should We Really Do At Christmas?

As Christmas comes closer, we all tend to sweat the small stuff like did we get Timmy the right video game and are all the lights on the tree actually blinking?  I work in retail and that makes this season particularly tough.  In my world we don't have time to spend with our families, and we don't have time to do good things for people other than our families, because we are too busy helping all of you make sure that Timmy gets the right video game.  All in all, that's just sad.  It's like we've all forgotten what the holiday is really all about.  Forget about your tree.  It's nice, but it was just an attempt to get Pagans to become Christians in the early centuries AD.  Lights are great, and I love the way they look on my tree and my house, but is that really the point of the world's most important single day?  More people either acknowledge or celebrate Christmas around the world than any other single day aside from New Years.  Even NORAD tracks Santa Claus.  And we love Santa, because he brings us great stuff that we wouldn't normally have.  It's all great, but at this time of year I thought it would be nice to mention what it's really all about.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ and he was reportedly born in a manger in a barn in Bethlehem, Israel.  So, this is the place that I want to talk about.  We all know it's dangerous in the Middle East.  We all know that Israel is a hot spot.  But, if you want to experience the real meaning of Christmas, there is no better place to go.  There are a bunch of places that do guided tours for you to get the most spiritually out of your holiday.  The best part of spending the holiday in Israel is that you get some spiritual uplifting and don't have to worry about the hustle and bustle of work and home.  Couldn't we all do with a little spiritual healing with our families at Christmas?

While there is a lot of shopping and there are Christmas Trees in the Holy Land, the mood is a little different there.  They live in the middle of the biblical stories that we've all grown up with.  They always have the reminder of how important to culture and spirit the story of Christ is.  God gave us his only son.  That's powerful.  His son was sent here to be our Savior.  That's important.  I believe that celebrating the holiday means that we should remember why we celebrate it.  Maybe going to the land of the source is a great way to remind us of the significance of this day.

History is another reason to visit the Holy Land during the holidays.  The Church of the Nativity is one of the oldest churches in the world.  Every year at midnight at the beginning of Christmas Day there is a service held in Manger Square outside and thousands attend it.  It is a beautiful thing and should not be overshadowed by any political problems.  Religion, no matter which one, should be respected by everyone.  Christians gather here on pilgrimages every year, and they have a magical time.

There are so many things that most of us have to be thankful for in life.  There's more to life than things, however, and we should remember that.  No matter what anyone thinks of religion, it is a powerful thing, and I think that if we all can celebrate the holiday and buy the video games, we should all respect where it all came from.  Mary gave birth to a Savior that night and she and Joseph would raise him as their son.  The history as well as the spirituality is there for all to experience, and we should.

So, take a walk through time.  Get a hold of  one of the many places that take Holy Land tours during Christmas, and take a walk through the spiritual world of a lifetime.  History is alive and well in Israel, and the real meaning of Christmas shines through whatever else is going on.  Remember the real meaning of Christmas.

Even the Middle East loves Santa, but don't forget that came from Saint Nicholas who did the gift giving that started all that.  Look to history and find the roots of the Christmas that we know.  It's fascinating and it humbles us.  Maybe you aren't even Christian and that's just fine.  History is a powerful teacher, and the more you know, the more tolerance you'll have.  Ignorance is the enemy in these times.  Ignorance makes hatred.  Hatred makes violence.  Knowledge makes tolerance, peace and understanding.  Couldn't we all use a little bit of that?

Heal the spirit this year with a pilgrimage to Bethlehem and the Holy Land for Christmas.  Remind yourself what it's really all about.  Maybe, just maybe; you'll come away from the holiday with more than just the right video game.
Enjoy!

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/bethlehem-christmas
http://www.veredgo.com/dynamic/tours/about/Celebrate+Christmas+in+the+Holy+Land/index.htm
http://www.jpost.com/Travel/Around-Israel/10-things-to-do-over-Christmas-in-the-Holy-Land
http://www.harmonyinternational.com/about/active-tours/christmas-in-bethlehem-2015.aspx
http://bethlehem-israel.info/tours/christmas-eve-in-bethlehem/
http://www.touristisrael.com/christmas-in-israel-the-holy-land/3103/
http://pirkkotroy.com/christmas-in-holyland/
http://www.holylandexperience.com/
http://noahtours.com/en/israel_hotel_packages/Christmas_2015_packages/369
http://www.allsaintstravel.co.uk/HolyLand-Christmas.htm
http://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-world/holy-land.html
https://www.holyland-gifts.com/christmas-in-the-holy-land/
http://festivals.iloveindia.com/christmas/christmas-celebrations/christmas-in-the-holy-land.html
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://terri-dixon.artistwebsites.com/
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred

Christmas 2015 is Coming so Now What?

Christmas is coming again, and it's time to find that special thing that brings the family together.  In a lot of cases, that means finding a place that's festive and Christmasy to do your shopping, dining, or just enjoying things that make the holiday meaningful and memorable for you and yours.  Last year one of the things that I talked about was the trend toward amusement parks having a holiday celebration, and that has been very successful.  I make time to go to Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce in Bristol, CT every year now.  I've also done the city thing where I go to New York and see the tree at Rockefeller Center see the Rockettes and look at the windows along 5th Avenue and take a ride in a carriage in Central Park.  That's good too, as long as you stay away from that line to see Santa at Macy's.  But in the spirit of the season, I thought I would mention a list of great places to go and have a special trip for your holiday.  They are in no particular order.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is a very traditional town and they love Christmas there.  The name most certainly started it all.  The entire town is done up every December so that you can have that beautifully lit experience and the decor of old world charm.  There are programs all through the month for traditionalists and modernists alike.  It is a great place to do your shopping, and a premiere place to mail your Christmas cards from.  We have a Bethlehem here in Connecticut, and I love to send cards with the postmark from Bethlehem.

Solvang, California is the kind of place that makes me wonder what it is that has made Bavarian, Dutch and German towns feel like Christmas to us all.  This Dutch town full of windmills and traditional buildings is beautiful all year round.  When they light it all up, it's a beautiful town for Christmas.  I really don't know about this one, because it's sunny and warm.  I have the same reservations about Christmas, Florida.  Nice name and namesake, but it's still warm and there's no chance for snow.  I don't know.  They do have great shopping and food in Solvang, and Christmas for that matter, but they do kind of fall low on my list.

Helen, Georgia is yet another Bavarian town, but this one comes with mountains.  At the end of Appalachia close to Stone Mountain and Ruby Falls, this village is quintessential Bavaria, which does make for a beautiful scene at Christmas.  They have activities all season long and they also do carriage rides, which just makes it feel like Christmas.  There's plenty of shopping and festivities to go with the scenery and the best part is that it looks like that all year round.

Fredericksburg, Texas is taking Bavaria to a whole new level with a lighted Bavarian town that sports a 26 foot tall traditional German pyramid at it's center.  Once again, we are in the south here, so it is warmer than a traditional Christmas seems like it would be, but Texas is full of German towns and such, and they all lend a traditional air to the holidays.  For some reason, Bavaria just says Christmas in this country.

Leavenworth, Washington is the little Bavaria that brings Norman Rockwell paintings to life.  This town goes all out on the lights, but they have the gazebo, the carolers, the ice skating, the snow, the mountains in the background and the evergreen trees everywhere that just scream Christmas.  It would be hard to think of anything but Christmas walking around this town this time of year.  Everywhere there are traditional links to Christmas and Christmas past.  You can even get roasted chestnuts at stands along the street.  This is one of the more popular towns in the country to visit at the holidays and it's not that far from Seattle, so getting in and out isn't bad either.  Just remember, there will be snow, and at Christmas time that's a good thing.

Santa Claus, Indiana is one of those places that says that Hoosiers aren't quite right, but they know how to have fun.  I can say that, because I come from there.  So, they founded a town and named it Santa Claus and the rest is history.  This whole town is built around Christmas.  Santa is everywhere all year round, and Holiday World is the amusement park for the tourists.  By the way, Holiday World, do a Christmas festival.  Get with the amusement park trends.  You're in Santa Claus, for heaven's sake.  At any rate, Christmas is crazy in this town. You can visit Santa, shop til you drop, and enjoy one of the most festive Christmas spots anywhere.

Frankenmuth, Michigan is another Little Bavaria that celebrates Christmas all year round.  This little town north of the Detroit area is a wonderland that can be enjoyed in all seasons, but all of those seasons are Christmas.  Not only is it home to amazing shopping and food, it also sports an indoor water park for year round fun, and the one and only Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.  Bronner's is the largest Christmas store in the world, and they aren't joking.  You can buy anything Christmas there.  They even have an entire section just for Santa suits.

North Pole, Alaska is probably the most intriguing spot for me.  Alaska does everything big, and this little town is no exception.  It's Christmas all year round here.  You can send your letters to Santa here and they will answer them.  Not joking.  They have a host of volunteers that answer Santa letters every year.  You can visit Santa anytime, but the Christmas season is really something.  You never have to worry about snow either.  It's Alaska.  If you can't make it to the far north in winter, check out the various websites for this town.  There are many things that they will help you do that can make your Christmas very special for the kids.

So, there are a lot of great places to spend some time at the holidays around the country.  I hope you get to visit at least one of those great spots, or you could enjoy the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois; the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee; the amazing things that they do at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota; see the Pink Pig in Atlanta, Georgia; or visit one of the Disney Parks for the holidays.  There are many things to do, places to go and Santas to see.  But, for that year round feeling that you can't get anywhere else, I bring you to New England.

South Deerfield, Massachusetts is the home of the Yankee Candle Company and it is Christmas there all year round.  This place is great because not only does it sit in New England which is gorgeous at Christmas time, but all of the festivities are inside out of the potentially cruel weather.  They have music shows by robotic performers, they have the inside of a medieval castle with thrones and all; even a drawbridge and a waterfall.  They have all kinds of Christmas rooms with trees, and villages, and trains and every tradition you've heard of.  You can get candy, cookies, chestnuts, and ice cream if you want.  It even snows inside this place.  You can visit Santa and Mrs. Claus in the middle of the toy store.  They have a restaurant, activities for the kids, and oh yeah, they sell candles.  You can spend all day inside out of the weather and still feel like you're outside celebrating Christmas in all those traditional Norman Rockwell ways.  If you get to spend some time in the area, you can also visit Historic Deerfield which is an antique town; once again, I'm not kidding.  People live there, yet they preserve the town of over 150 years ago.  If you have easily bored children, you can go to Magic Wings, the butterfly sanctuary as well.  It's a great area, and Yankee Candle is one of those amazing places that makes every day feel like Christmas.

So, there's some ideas for Christmas.  I hope that it helps you make some special memories for the year.  It's one of the busiest times of year, so don't miss the chance to spend some quality time with the family.  And you know, going to visit the family for Christmas is great, but having something special just for your little part of the family is good to.  So get out there and make some memories.  Enjoy!

http://www.northpolealaska.com/
http://www.santaclaushouse.com/about.asp
http://fairbanks-alaska.com/north-pole-alaska.htm
https://www.travelalaska.com/Destinations/Communities/North%20Pole.aspx
http://www.santaclausind.org/
http://santaclausin.com/
http://www.holidayworld.com/
http://www.santaclausin.com/attractions.html
http://bethlehempa.org/
http://www.christmascity.org/christkindlmarkt/
http://www.frankenmuth.org/
http://www.zehnders.com/
http://www.bavarianinn.com/
https://www.bronners.com/
http://www.solvangusa.com/things-to-do/
http://cityofsolvang.com/
http://www.solvangschristmashouse.com/
http://www.visitfredericksburgtx.com/holiday/
http://www.fredericksburgtexas-online.com/
http://www.helengeorgia.com/
http://cityofhelen.org/
http://www.leavenworth.com/
http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/cascades/Leavenworth/leavenevents.htm
http://stores.yankeecandle.com/massachusetts/south-deerfield-ma
http://deerfieldattractions.com/deerfield-attractions/deerfield-attractions.html
http://www.historic-deerfield.org/
http://www.deerfieldattractions.com/deerfield-attractions/historic-deerfield.html
http://www.magicwings.com/
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://terri-dixon.artistwebsites.com/
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred

There's Always Something New in Vegas

Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada.  I've seen this sign a few times, as I'm sure we all have.  This is one of the biggest playgrounds in the world.  Over the years it has gone from adult playground only to come one and all and bring the family.  Vegas has something for almost everyone and it's constantly changing so that there is always something new to do.  They know how to get you to come back.  And it works.  I've been there multiple times just because it was time to go and see what was new since the last time I was there.  My first trip to Vegas was over 20 years ago, and at that time there was something new and big on the horizon.  They were building the Fremont Street Experience in order to bring some of that massive tourism money from the strip to downtown.  I remember the people that I was traveling with said that it was a nice idea, but that they couldn't see anyone wanting to go downtown instead of spending all of their time on the strip.

Ten years ago I went to Vegas and did all the stuff on the strip at the time, but I found myself being drawn downtown just like my earlier group had told me I never would.  These days here, I have to say downtown has made one hell of a comeback.  The place is jumping, the tourists are coming, and life is good.  So, Welcome to fabulous downtown Las Vegas, Nevada.

Downtown Las Vegas is the original party area of this famous playground in the desert.  The strip came to exist as a destination because of growth.  Just like any other town, the businesses coming in later moved to what was the edge of town.  But, the true history of this fascinating town is in downtown.  I love to go to Fremont Street to gamble anyway.  That's where the party is.  The people who gamble downtown are mostly there just to have fun.  They realize that the house always wins, and that they are going to lose money.  They come for the fun, and I like that.  My favorite place will always be LA Bayou, a little casino on Fremont Street right under the Experience.  This place is just a lot of fun.  The patrons, waitstaff, and everyone there have fun and it's the experience that I think most people are really looking for when they go to Vegas.  When you go to Fremont Street, you never know what you will find.  There's always the light show every hour.  You can't miss that.  It was one of the single greatest ideas that downtown ever had.  It was the Experience that really began to bring tourists downtown.  Being a pedestrian street, you see street vendors, performers and all kinds of great things.

But, there's always something new in Vegas, and now you can zip line right down Fremont Street right through the Experience.  Slotzilla will launch you on this one of a kind ride through the famous pedestrian mall.  This is brand new this year and it's something you can only do in Vegas.

Over at the Golden Nugget, one of Las Vegas' oldest hotel casinos, you can swim with the fish, or so to speak.  The Tank is what it's called and it's a swimming pool.  But, in the middle of the pool is a tank full of sharks.  It makes for a unique swimming experience.  You can also slide down a water slide that goes right through the tank.  The Golden Nugget is one of the best and oldest destinations in downtown for hotel and casino as well.

It's new, it's green, it's eco friendly.  It's the Downtown Container Park.  What is it really?  Well, there's a park, some restaurants and shops and even some sculptures.  Everything is designed from reclaimed shipping containers.  It's a great place to go and hang out  when you're staying in downtown.  It's the only one of it's kind and they also have the world's largest working fire hydrant.  Downtown is filled with new things and shopping for those who love to spend their winnings.  The Neonopolis Mall is still going and getting revitalized from it's little downturn there about 10 years ago.  There are shops and great restaurants in every hotel casino as well and all along the Experience.  Here's a tip for you.  Some of the best wedding chapels are in downtown as well, so if you're getting married while in town, this is a great area.  Check out Viva Las Vegas for any themed weddings you might want.  We did one where I was Guinevere and my husband was King Arthur.  It was a vow renewal but it was a lot of fun with our minister, Merlin.

But, if in all the tourist trap modern day nonsense you want to take a look at old world Vegas; come to Main Street Station.  That's right, it used to be the train station back in the day when people actually traveled by train.  They still have a pullman carriage in the building for atmosphere and it's a restaurant.

The casinos look like something out of an old western movie.  The rooms at the hotel are modern, but the common areas have been purposely made up to look like the old west days.  They also have a brewery that you can tour while you're in town.  They have many wonderful restaurants too.  Remember, all those buffets that you've heard so much about in Vegas have gone up in price over the years.  In most cases, the better prices on the all you can eat buffets are downtown.

So, the next time you feel the need to go and see what's new in Las Vegas, you should come downtown.  Sometimes what's old is refreshing and sometimes old gets refurbished into fabulous new.  There are things for everyone downtown, and it should not be missed.  There is now East Fremont building up as well.  There is just more to do.  There are more ways to spend money and more to see.  So, if you're tired of the atmosphere up on the strip, come downtown and see what made Vegas great.  Have dinner, party at LA Bayou, play and shop and the Container Park, swim with the sharks, and fly like a bird on a zip line right through the Fremont Experience.
Enjoy!

http://www.fremontstreetbars.com/fremont-street-casino-bars/la-bayou/
http://blog.caesars.com/las-vegas/things-to-do/spring-2015-hot-list-5-new-things-las-vegas/
http://downtowncontainerpark.com/
http://vegasexperience.com/
http://bangerbrewing.com/
http://www.lasvegas.com/how-to-vegas/whats-new/
http://www.fremonteast.com/fremont-east/
http://eastfremont.com/
http://www.goldennugget.com/LasVegas/pool_thetank.asp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjgWB6p8-Nc
http://www.lasvegas.com/hotels/downtown/
http://www.downtownproject.com/
http://www.lasvegasinsider.com/html/downtown.htm
http://www.mainstreetcasino.com/vegas-hotel-reservations?cmpid=ppc_msn_hot_msh_Main+Street+Station+casino+las+vegas&s_kwcid=AL!4192!10!1609271115!18901960299&ef_id=VZGaZgAABO8txtkY:20151125161825:s
https://www.vegas.com/lasvegastraveldeals/?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=US+NCAU+Packages&utm_term=las+vegas+packages
http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/faces/home?_afrLoop=2310650625240225&_afrWindowMode=0&_adf.ctrl-state=14vqes5fwx_4
http://www.lasvegas.net/
http://www.vivalasvegasweddings.com/
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
http://www.zazzle.com/imagings
http://terri-dixon.artistwebsites.com/
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred