Newspaper Page Text
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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2008
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(MS) - Many signs point to curbed
holiday travel for people around the
country. Rises in fuel prices have
caused airlines to pass on fees and
surcharges to riders. Cut service,
reduced amenities and pumped up
ticket prices are all trickle-down
effects of the fuel price surge.
In the wake of fuel costs and
reduced business, some airlines
have disbanded. Additionally, the
Official Airline Guide (OAG) re
ports that an anticipated 60 million
seats on flights will be eliminated
for the fourth quarter of 2008 -
- just in time for the peak travel
season. For those who are travel
ing for Thanksgiv
fe - ing, Chanukah or
'■fe-, Christmas, ex
\. x perts advise f
booking ,4
Pamper yourself for Christ
mas at home with a massage
or spa treatment
(MS) - The birth of Jesus Christ has /U
long been celebrated on December iiJaß
25 of every year. The first recorded
celebration of Christmas dates .JjjSyJJfe
back to December 25, 336. How- .
ever, it is not known for sure if /(
Christ was even born during jjgvw
the month of December, much
less on the day we come to- j/ W \\Ws ,
gether to celebrate. f i L
It is speculated that Christ 1
may have been bom as early
as November or as late as March. However,
through time the date of December 25 was
adopted as His offical birthday. In the ear
ly days of Christianity, there wasn’t much
emphasis given to celebrating or recording
birthdays. Rather, the day a saint died re
ceived more emphasis and was considered
more significant than a birth.
In terms of Christ, some historians and
religious scholars surmise that Christmas
was chosen to be in December to coincide
flights early to ensure the best
deals and a seat.
Although the holiday season is
traditionally a busy time for travel,
many will forego flights and road
trips this year and opt to spend
the holidays at home. But doing so
doesn’t mean one has to go without
the benefits a holiday vacation typ
ically would provide. A wintertime
staycation can be just as enjoyable
when you employ a few techniques
to increase the comfort factor.
- Set aside a week and act as
you would on vacation. While on
vacation mealtimes are often lax,
beds go un-made, and a laissez
.. faire attitude en
sues. If you’re
■ x at home, keep
yjjift \ up the same
-
•mM, Jr J what-may
i 4 , ” j attitude.
fr* enc^s
i'r relatives
who are seek
r ing gift ideas
| to provide
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mtKHHKm- - '< tificates
S' 'i other religious and cultural
festivals taking place at the
same time. The Jews had
their “Festival of Lights,”
while Pagans celebrated
Saturnalia, a celebration giv
't i n g gifts to the poor, but also
K ' feasting and drinking. Some
j§«Kp say that to prevent his peo-
P^ e f rom pagan debauchery,
; —a Christian bishop at one
time established Christmas
on December 25 to compete with these
other festivals.
Others believe a different story. When .the
church reached a consensus that Christ’s
conception occurred on March 25, it seemed
reasonable to simply celebrate His birth
nine months later.
Regardless of how it started, Christmas
remains a time to share in the wonder of
Christ’s birth and the magic of charity and
love this time of the year.
for area res- w J|i t S
taurants or
at-home ca
tering, so
you don't
have to fmST JjnJ
lift a fin
ger in the
kite!'. <‘n .
A nother
indulgence
is to have a house- •
keeper come in a few times
during the week to take care of
cleaning chores.
- Plan an at-home vacation itin
erary. If your idea of a vacation is
sitting with your feet up watching
television, so be it. But if you yearn
for a little more action, plan some
excursions the entire family will
enjoy. Now is the time to visit all
of those tourist attractions in your
hometown that you may overlook
because you’re not a tourist. So if
you’re a New Yorker, visit the ob
servation deck of the Empire State
Building. If you’re a Texan, go see
the Alamo. Those living in Califor
nia should get to the San Diego
Zoo. Take advantage of Duck tours
SAFETY
of all of your cash. Always
protect your credit and
debit cards as well, and be
aware of those around you
when making withdrawals
from ATM machines.
DRESS COMFORTABLY
Ensure your shopping ex
cursion is as enjoyable as
you can make it by dressing
in comfortable clothing and
shoes. Realize that it may
be warm in crowded malls,
so wear layers so that you
can peel off an outer jack
et or sweatshirt if you get
warm. Large winter coats
cam be bulky,and cumber
some to carry, so consider
leaving them in the car or
checking them in if the
store offers a coat check.
and nar
rated bus rides to learn some un
known facts. When will you have
the chance again?
- Give a gift that pampers. Many
people who go on vacation treat
themselves to a massage or a spa
treatment. There’s no reason not to
enjoy the same level of pampering
even on a staycation. Many salons
and spas offer holiday gift promo
tions that are perfect for those who
need a little recharging and relax
ation. Again, these make great gift
ideas if someone is stumped on a
holiday present.
Turn a stay-at-home holiday into
one where you rest, recharge and
enjoy the benefits for which vaca
tions are famous.
IGQNTINUEDIF ROMlpyGEi
You’ll be on your feet as
you traverse the stores, so
comfortable shoes are an
absolute must. A shopping
trip can be cut consider
ably short if the person do
ing the shopping is wearing
the wrong shoes.
SAFEGUARD
CHILDREN
In busy stores it is easy
for a child to become sepa
rated from a parent. Teach
your children to go to a
store clerk or security guard
if they ever get separated
from you in a store, and be
sure they know their first
and last name so they can
tell someone who they are.