The History of Easter: Centuries of Controversy March 7, 2009
Posted by vikasreddyd in Holiday Shopping and Seasonal Articles.Tags: christianity, church, date of easter, easter, easter controversy, easter holiday, history of easter, jesus christ, passover
add a comment
The History of Easter: Centuries of Controversy
______________________
Easter is one of the most confusing holidays in the world, mostly because it’s hard to find a relation between bunny rabbits and decorating eggs and the Son of God. The truth is that Easter is one of the most religious holidays in the Christian calendar. It also holds the record for being the most controversial.
Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his death.
Easter has been around for centuries but it has gone three phases of controversies. It is currently going through its fourth phase now. To date, there has been no unified date to celebrate Easter. Different Church denominations have chosen different dates but in modern times it has been consolidated to fit two dates for two sides of the globe.
Want to know more about the true history of Easter, the symbolism behind the rabbit and the eggs, and how centuries of controversy have made the holiday more obscure than ever?
The Easter bunny represents the growing fertility of the Vernal Equinox during springtime, where vegetation and flowers flourish. It is also the season when they perform their wild mating dances. This new exuberance of life on Earth parallels to the victory Christ had over sin when he was resurrected three days after his death.
Eggs also represent fertility but there is a much deeper significance. Eggs were not allowed to be eaten during Lent by Catholics, explaining why there were so many on Easter (when Lent ends). The practice of coloring eggs and placing them in baskets for children to find became very popular.
Read the full article here.
Where to Buy a Christmas Tree in Naperville, Illinois December 12, 2008
Posted by vikasreddyd in Holiday Shopping and Seasonal Articles.Tags: american sale superstore, chicago, christmas stores, christmas tree, christmas tree shopping, holiday shopping, naperville
add a comment
Where to Buy a Christmas Tree in Naperville, Illinois – Associated Content
Looking out for the block.
——
Naperville, Illinois is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Christmas is approaching and you should be prepared for all your shopping needs for the holidays. Here are three retailers where you can buy quality affordable Christmas trees of all types.
Don't be an average Joe. You can beat this Christmas tree - all you need is money.
American Sale Superstore
This retailer is a top choice to shop for everything you need to store your Christmas tree and other materials. It is a family owned business that specializes in many lifestyle fashion and products.
There are several locations where this retailer can be found in the Chicagoland area but in this case, it is the store located at Route 59 and N. Aurora Road (676 Amersale Drive), Naperville, IL, 60563. Call this number to ask questions or make orders over the phone: 630-276-7777.
On weekdays from Monday to Wednesday, the store will be open 10 AM to 8:30 PM. On Friday you’re in more luck as it opens three hours earlier and closes at 10 PM. On Saturday, the hours are 9 AM to 10 PM and finally on Sunday, the store will be open for business from 10 AM to 8 PM.
This is Chicagoland’s largest Christmas store and it specializes in artificial trees of varying holiday styles and themes. You can also purchase them as a non-lit, pre-lit, or fiber optical artificial design. Be sure to buy a storage bag to keep the product safe throughout the year.
Clover’s Garden Center
Located at 955 W. 75th Street (Naperville, IL), 60540 at the
Garden Fresh Market, this retailer is perfect for making your family vacation grand. It has very reasonable hours throughout the week. On Mondays through Fridays, the shop will be open from 9 AM in the morning to 8 PM. On Saturday the timings are 9 AM – 6 PM and on Sundays; 9 AM – 5 PM.
Call (630) 246-0173 for more information or to place orders on your Christmas tree. This retail store specializes in garden products, plant material, holiday decorations, and its Christmas trees are renowned to be the best in the city.
Anderson Tree Farm
This retail store is only open on Wednesday on exclusive hours – 11 AM to 4:30 PM. Trees are grown on the premises itself and are the epitome of “freshly grown.” It is located at 502 W Route 126 at Plainfield, IL 60544; very close to the main Naperville area.
Special products include bedding plants, Christmas trees, deciduous trees, fir trees, and decorative furniture. If you want a tree grown naturally and kept fresh, the Anderson Tree Farm is the ultimate choice of holiday shopping. Most artificial trees are used for Christmas but even natural trees are appealing to the traditional spirit of the season.
Naperville is not the biggest suburb of Chicago but there are always plenty of places to buy an affordable and versatile Christmas tree. The three listed above are not the only stores worth visiting; but they are among the best.
Happy shopping.
Video Games – Top 3 Must-Have Christmas Gifts of 2008 December 12, 2008
Posted by vikasreddyd in Holiday Shopping and Seasonal Articles, Video Games and Online MMORPGs.Tags: christmas gifts, console games, fallout 3, playstation 3, prince of persia, Video Games, World of Warcraft, wrath of the lich king, xbox 360
add a comment
Video Games – Top 3 Must-Have Christmas Gifts of 2008 – Associated Content
These are good games. If you know people who like video games, get these for the holidays.
—-
The Most Wanted Console and Online Computer Game Titles to Get for Me and Every True Gamer
Some of the best gifts you can get for your kids on Christmas are video games. In fact, there are more adults playing video games in the industry than kids. Video games are the perfect presents for mom and dad, as well.
MMORPGs and the online scene has become the new era of the gaming world. The problem is the money involved with buying these games and having a console to support them. But that’s where you come in.
Make this year’s holiday season that much better with my Video Gamer’s Ultimate Christmas Wish list. They are three of the best-selling, most praised, and fun console titles and computer games. Get them for your kids or your parents – everyone loves them. These are the best Christmas gift ideas.
Fallout 3 – PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Forgot to mention that this game is rated M for Mature. Buy it.
Few single player RPG games feature such depth in how much you can customize your character. For the hardcore role-playing fan, this is a great Christmas gift. It’s been hyped for over a year and came through with considerable success. It has been rated “Incredible” by IGN.com and is topping the sales in the PC charts.
It has been released on October, 28th, 2008, which means there may be many holiday offers in retail stores. I’ve been a gamer since I was a small child and played some of the best. Fallout 3′s story is about you searching for your father in a post-apocalyptic nuclear aftermath world. There is intense action, detail, and enough challenge to go with the gore for people of all ages. I really want this game to add to my RPG collection.
If the person you want to give the gift to doesn’t own an expensive PS3, don’t worry. Fallout 3 is sold for the Xbox 360 and on PC. If you own a computer, you’re good to go. It costs $59.99 and can be bought in online stores like GameStop and others. I’m too big of a fan to wait this long to buy the game myself. This makes for a fine Christmas gift idea.
World of Warcraft – Wrath of the Lich King – PC Game
The Death Knight is a new playable class in WoW WotLK
It’s beating a dead horse to mention Wrath of the Lich King as a Christmas gift. It’s undeniably the game to get for every online gamer. It is the latest expansion to the best-selling MMORPG in the market, World of Warcraft. I have played WoW since 2005 and I still love the polished gameplay and quality of content. Now the level cap has been raised to 80 and even a new class called the Death Knight.
Now look at my situation. I’ve played this franchise to the max for nearly four years – but unable to buy the expansion. It’s not a coincidence that this game has been released in this holiday winter season and the story setting of the game is all about the deep freeze climate. A lot of other unfortunate kids are in the same situation as me. Christmas is the time to make us smile.
My friends and guildmates are already getting to level 80; some already reached the cap. They’re waiting for me to play but all I can do is wait for Christmas.Without the expansion, I can’t travel to the new continent of Northrend and go questing for old times sake.
There are 11 million people playing this – don’t leave me out.
Prince of Persia – PC, Xbox 360, PS3
The new Prince of Persia.
This game is to be released on December, 2nd, 2008. It is the next-generation continuation of the action packed Prince of Persia series. When I played the first Prince of Persia on PS2 years ago, I was hooked for life.
I’m not the only one who appreciates the melee combat, cinematic acrobatic visuals, and good storyline. This game is one of the most anticipated games of the year and has received a lot of coverage from IGN.
It’s been a long time since I played a good old fashioned action title on a console. RPG games always appealed to me now, because the magic that used to be in melee action games during the Nintendo 64 days hasn’t been as strong this century.
This game looks like it can bring back the magic. Don’t keep me waiting.
And remember, these are Christmas gifts not only I want, but practically every true video gamer in existence. If you know what your kids like to play then there are many other great games to choose from. Don’t worry about running out of Christmas gift ideas – just look at what games your kids played in the past and buy something in the same genre.
Good luck.
Chinese New Year – Astrology and the Year of Each Animal December 12, 2008
Posted by vikasreddyd in Holiday Shopping and Seasonal Articles.Tags: chinese animal calendar, chinese new years, chinese new years animals, chinese zodiac, holidays, new year
1 comment so far
Chinese New Year – Astrology and the Year of Each Animal – Associated Content
——
Which New Year’s Animal Fits Your Birth Date and Personality?
The Chinese New Year is the most celebrated traditional Chinese holiday and that counts for a large fraction of the world’s population. As you search further into the roots of how the holiday came to be, it’s astonishing how influential it is in many countries other than China. In simple terms, the Chinese New Year can be called the new year of the East, and the Roman New Year (January 1st) dominated the Western parts of the globe.
The astute difference between the two new year holidays is the emphasis on mythology and culture. The year you are born determines the animal representation of you in relation to the rest of the world. Many people, including those who do not celebrate the Chinese New Year still enjoy discovering where they stand in the mythical history and what represents their personality.
While the New Year is based on the Julian calendar adopted by Julius Caesar, the Chinese New year has evolved over many dynasties, used as a sociopolitical tool at times. The last revision was made by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, who affirmed month 1 as the beginning of the year. If history can make people immortal, this is an example of how one man has influenced millions of people to celebrate on an annual date for hundreds of years. And to this day the lunisolar Chinese calendar determines the date of the new year.
There are twelve animals, one for each month. Here’s a quick breakdown so you can see which animal you are in the Chinese Zodiac, which can be referenced at Wikipedia.
Rat: Feb 02 1984 – Feb 19 1985
Ox: Feb 20 1985 – Feb 08 1986
Tiger: Feb 09 1986 – Jan 28 1987
Rabbit: Jan 29 1987 – Feb 16 1988
Dragon: Feb 17 1988 – Feb 05 1989
Snake: Feb 06 1989 – Jan 26 1990
Horse: Jan 27 1990 – Feb 14 1991
Ram: Feb 15 1991 – Feb 03 1992
Monkey: Feb 04 1992 – Jan 22 1993
Rooster: Jan 23 1993 – Feb 09 1994
Dog: Feb 10 1994 – Jan 30 1995
Boar: Jan 31 1995 – Feb 18 1996
And the cycle starts anew with Rat, but beginning at the year 1996. Just add one year to the subsequent animal personality and you can even predict the zodiac signs for people not yet born. For example, after the Rat (1996), it will be Ox carrying on the cycle from 1997.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BORN AS THE ANIMALS IN THOSE YEARS
Chinese astrology is a significant part of unveiling the meaning behind the births of every human. It is believed that your destiny can be determined by observing the intricate interactions between the planets in the solar system in relation to the sun, moon, and respective Zodiac symbol in the sky. The role of astronomy is a huge part of Chinese culture and different interpretations exist based on the various traditions of the country.
There were five major planets that the ancient astrologers used to further determine the essence of the animal’s personalities: Metal (Venus), Wood (Jupiter), Water (Mercury), Fire (Mars), Earth (Saturn). In addition to the element, all animals are given an orientation in yin and yang, which relates to spiritual life force (chi) and changes of being.
THE CHINESE NEW YEAR ‘TODAY’
Chinese New Years Celebration
The Chinese New Year is one of the best times of the year because there are extravagant parades, festive parties, and a high-spirited appreciation of tradition and family. Many North American areas feature parades, such as California in the US and Vancouver City, Canada. The Chinese New Year remains the most important holiday of China and its influence reaches throughout the world.
If you live in the United States, you should check out cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York to watch the best parades. There are fifteen days of celebration so don’t miss out.
