Christmas Tree with Pinecones

The Glacier collection recreates nature's stunning artwork with a delicate touch of frost accented by clear and white frosted lights. Rounded mixed tipped foliage adorned with pinecones project an added touch of realism--just as you'd expect in the forest! GKI/Bethlehem Lights build their trees with lifelike foliage and a safety-conscious design. They use only flame-retardant materials. Sturdy bases and trunks add stability to keep each tree firmly planted in an upright position.

• Artificial, pre-lit frosted Christmas tree with 1,280 tips
• 700 pre-strung frosted lights; lightly frosted foliage with removable pinecones
• Hinged branch construction for quick setup; flame-retardant PVC needles retain shape
• Sturdy metal base and wire branch construction eliminate tipping and sagging
• 7-1/2 feet tall and 66 inches in diameter; 10-year limited warranty

Very Happy With Mine - Great Tree for Price
I was able to get this tree on sale just after Christmas last year, and have just put it up for the first time. I am very happy with the tree. It has a very sturdy heavy weight construction, it was easy to assemble (though shaping the branches took quite a while - it is a very full tree with lots of branches), and the pre-lit lights nicely spaced and working fine. In the box besides the tree were a replacement lights/fuses kit, a light string tester, and a power strip. Though I don't think it would be worth the $399 list price, I am very happy with it for the price I paid. I have received nothing but compliments on it from everyone who saw it over the Thanksgiving holiday. It is a frosted tree, as others have mentioned, and has attached pinecones. I personally like this, it may seem like too much when you first assemble it, but when decorated this just gives it a little extra something and I didn't feel it was over done. I think the majority of people would be happy with this tree.

Christmas Letters (Hardcover)

Katherine O'Connor, a Seattle medical transcriptionist, has a booming sideline business, writing other people's Christmas letters. A run-in with Dr. Wynn Jeffries, however,ruins her holiday cheer. Katherine's sister is a devotee of Jeffries's Free Child movement, advocating "no boundaries for kids," a technique that has turned Katherine's into terrors. Jeffries just happens to live in Katherine's building, and their debate over parenting technique turns predictably, if perplexingly, to lust. Sticky with sentimentality, Macomber's latest is a fine companion to a glass of eggnog, but don't expect sustenance. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CHRISTMAS LETTERS was a very moving story. Katherine O'Connor bumps into Dr. Wynn Jeffries, who doesn't approve that Christmas be famed by giving presents to children. Is he being a Scrooge? Or did his parents prescribe the same thing for him when he was a child?
Despite Dr. Jeffries philosophy on Christmas, Katherine is drawn to him. Even though she doesn't understand his feelings on the Christmas subject, she confronts him about it. This leads to more arguing, which they both love.
Katherine's sister loved Dr. Jeffries new book "Free Child" and, begins to raise her twins by using his methods. Once she found out that Katherine knew Dr. Jeffries, she asked Katherine if she could get her copy of his new book autographed for her? Katherine agreed, even though she thought Dr. Jeffries wouldn't even talk to her after their discrepancy, let alone sign the book. Will Katherine and Wynn fall madly in love with each other? Or will the two, upon seeing each other, turn and walk away?
Debbie Macomber, a New York Times Bestselling Author, will make you laugh and maybe cry a little too, when you read CHRISTMAS LETTERS. Her ability to bring a smile, and maybe a few tears, to her many fans is something to be shared during the holidays.

Santa Claus

The popular image of Santa Claus was created by the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840-1902), who drew a new image annually, beginning in 1863. By the 1880s, Nast's Santa had evolved into the form we now recognize. The image was standardized by advertisers in the 1920s.

Father Christmas, who predates the Santa Claus character, was first recorded in the 15th century, but was associated with holiday merrymaking and drunkenness. In Victorian Britain, his image was remade to match that of Santa. The French Père Noël evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image. In Italy, Babbo Natale acts as Santa Claus, while La Befana is the bringer of gifts and arrives on the eve of the Epiphany. It is said that La Befana set out to bring the baby Jesus gifts, but got lost along the way. Now, she brings gifts to all children. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. In other versions, elves make the toys. His wife is referred to as Mrs. Claus.

The current tradition in several Latin American countries (such as Venezuela) holds that while Santa makes the toys, he then gives them to the Baby Jesus, who is the one who actually delivers them to the children's homes. This story is meant to be a reconciliation between traditional religious beliefs and modern day globalization, most notably the iconography of Santa Claus imported from the United States.

In Poland, Santa Claus gives gifts on the 6th of December. On the Christmas Eve it is the Angel that brings presents, though. In Hungary, Santa Claus (Télapó or Mikulás) brings small gifts (usually candy and chocolate) during the night of the 6th of December and Little Jesus (Jézuska) brings the tree as well as the presents on Christmas Eve. Santa is often dressed up in red

Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree is often explained as a Christianization of pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice, which included the use of evergreen boughs, and an adaptation of pagan tree worship. The English language phrase "Christmas tree" is first recorded in 1835 and represents an importation from the German language. The modern Christmas tree tradition is believed to have begun in Germany in the 18th century though many argue that Martin Luther began the tradition in the 16th century. From Germany the custom was introduced to England, first via Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, and then more successfully by Prince Albert during the reign of Queen Victoria. Around the same time, German immigrants introduced the custom into the United States. Christmas trees may be decorated with lights and ornaments.
The Slovenian version of Santa, Ded Moroz or Father Frost.

Since the 19th century, the poinsettia has been associated with Christmas. Other popular holiday plants include holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis, and Christmas cactus. Along with a Christmas tree, the interior of a home may be decorated with these plants, along with garlands and evergreen foliage.

In Australia, North and South America, and to a lesser extent Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures. Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well. Christmas banners may be hung from street lights and Christmas trees placed in the town square.