“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” is a fictional children’s book first published in 1957. The story features a bitter cave-dwelling creature called the Grinch who is annoyed by the Christmas celebrations in the nearby town. He decides to steal all of the Christmas presents and decorations to stop Christmas. Despite his efforts, Christmas comes anyway and he learns that Christmas is more than gifts and decorations. The author uses this story to focus on the commercialization of Christmas. The book was later made into an animated special, which has become a popular Christmas tradition. A number of other adaptations, including a feature film and musical, have also been created. Let’s find out who wrote this popular Christmas story.
During the lead up to Christmas day many western Christian churches celebrate the season of advent. The word advent means “coming” or “arrival” and it is most commonly celebrated on the first four Sundays before Christmas. It is usually starts on the Sunday closest to November 30th. Special colours used during this time include purple and blue and this is displayed within the church. During the season of advent candles are lit to show the passing of time. It is a joyous time in the church as a lead up to Christmas day or the coming of Christ.
“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” is a common Christmas song that has been used in numerous movies and shows created for the Christmas season. However, the story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was originally a short booklet and since being written it has been adapted and recreated into a song, a comic book, a children’s book, an animated television series and a number of feature films. Rudolph is recognized as the reindeer with the luminous red nose that leads Santa’s sleigh. He is well loved by children and adults alike. So who wrote “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”? Read on to find out.
Christmas cards are greeting cards, usually sent to friends and family, to convey best wishes for the holiday season. There are thousands of different designs, from those with religious themes to generic cards with no reference to Christmas at all. It is traditional for Christmas cards to be sent in the weeks prior to the holiday and it is estimated that approximately 2 billion cards are sent during this period in the United States each year. This tradition became popular in the 19th century when the first commercial Christmas cards became available and continues today. Let’s find out who invented this popular type of greeting card.
“A Visit from St. Nicholas”, best known by the first line “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, is a poem about a visit from St. Nicholas on Christmas Eve first published in 1823. It is the best known Christmas poem and led to many of the current traditions and beliefs about Santa Claus. The poem features in many Christmas stories, films, television shows and music. There are four original handwritten copies of the poem and one is signed by the author. Let’s find out who wrote this famous poem.
For many western countries Christmas is a special time of year. Christmas is traditionally known as a Christian holiday, it is the time of year when the birth of Jesus Christ is remembered, but secular celebrations are also common. There are many different ways of celebrating Christmas, but it is common for Christmas trees to be erected, gifts to be given, and lavish feasts to be prepared and shared with family and friends. The tradition of Santa Claus, or a similar legend, is also popular at this time. However, these celebrations do not extend to every part of the world. Let’s find out which countries don’t celebrate Christmas.
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is a popular Christmas carol that was first published in 1739 in “Hymns and Sacred Poems.” The song wasn’t initially very popular, but rose to prominence more than 100 years later after undergoing a number of changes. In fact, the song that we know today is quite different from the original version. Let’s find out who wrote the lyrics and composed the tune for this popular carol.
There has been various symbols throughout history that have represented peace. Symbols such as an olive branch, the dove and the V hand signal. The most common, and well recognized, symbol of peace today consists of a circle divided into three even sections. It was originally designed as a symbol for nuclear disarmament, but is now commonly recognized and used as the symbol for peace around the world. This symbol was a common motif on jewellery and clothing during the sixties and seventies, when peace and free love were an important part of the ideology of the time.
Samarium is a relatively hard silver metal which oxidizes quickly in air to develop a grayish-yellow tarnish. It is a chemical element represented by the symbol Sm and the atomic number 62. It is the 40th most common element in the crust of the Earth and although it is not found in free form naturally it is contained in many minerals. The most important of these minerals for commercial production of the element are monazite and bastnaesite. It is estimated that there are two million metric tons of this metal and about 700 metric tons are produced each year. Countries with the largest deposits include; China, the United States, Brazil, India, Sri Lanka and Australia. Let’s find out when this element was discovered and who made this discovery.
Alexa Vega is an actress best known for her role as Carmen Cortez in the Spy Kids series of movies. Her career began as a child in 1994 with the children’s film “Little Giants.” Her following roles were mostly small supporting parts or low budget films until her breakthrough with the popular children’s franchise “Spy Kids.” Unfortunately, she has been typecast in this role even though she has worked in a number of other genres. The following is a list of movies that Alexa Vega has acted in during her career.