Christmas Gifts For Kids
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world.christmas The holiday's roots lie in pagan winter solstice traditions, and it gradually incorporated aspects of Western Christianity and secularism into its festivities.
Despite being one of the most popular holidays, the origins of Christmas are mysterious and varied.christmas Some believe that the holiday stems from the story of Saint Nicholas, who was a wealthy man who secretly gave gifts to help the needy. Others think that the holiday is based on the biblical account of the visit of three wise men to the newborn King. Still others point to the ancient custom of exchanging presents at New Year's as a precursor to Christmas.
In the 1800s, Americans re-invented Christmas by transforming it from a raucous carnival holiday into a family-centered day of peace and nostalgia, with a mythical figure named Santa Claus playing the role of giver. As a divided nation fought a bloody Civil War, Christmas became the focus of community celebrations and a time to reflect on the joys of life.
Many of the holiday's traditions, including putting up a tree and exchanging gifts, can be traced back to pagan rituals celebrating the winter solstice. However, it wasn't until the mid-1700s that the term Christmas—which comes from Cristes maesse, or Christ's mass—began to replace the more ambiguous words Yule and Noel. The latter words are derived from the Latin noel, which means "birth."
The most famous celebration of Christmas is probably the annual televised lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. The event features more than 5,000 lights and more than a dozen animated figures, such as Santa Claus, elves, reindeer, and mice. It also includes the famed "tree-topping" tradition, in which the crowds gather to witness the ceremonial placement of a golden star on top of the tree.
The best Christmas gifts for kids are usually toys that are either entertaining or educational, or both. Kids of all ages tend to love items that are funny, kooky, cool, or popular, and those that move, light up, make noise, or are otherwise glitzy and sparkly will be especially appreciated.
To help families count down the days to Christmas, you can turn a large bulletin board into an Advent calendar with lined envelopes and stick-on numbers. Fill each with a small treat like a candy cane or a gift certificate to the ice cream parlor and watch them delight in the anticipation of opening their treasures every day until Christmas arrives. You can even take inspiration from the Mexican town of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, where residents display little paper bags filled with goodies and hung on a street lamppost each morning. The tradition has gained popularity in the United States, where some communities have even begun to participate.