Thanks for stopping by! Please make sure you hit all the stops–lots and lots of fabulous giveaways!
I wanted to share a little history about the Christmas tree. There are some really interesting traditions associated with evergreens. I think I’ll let my 1Night Stand heroes explain:
First up is Darius, from Senator, Mine (set in Ancient Rome):
We celebrate winter solstice here in Rome. Lots of feasting, dancing, and general partying. We call the holiday Saturnalia and we even give gifts like coins, lamps, and baked sweets! We also decorate our houses with greens, and we use lots of lamps to symbolize coming out of the darkness.
Next, Carrick, from Druid, Mine (set in Ireland during the later times of Druids):
We also celebrate the winter solstice with rituals and dancing. Fire is a symbol of life to us, and we use it in most of our rituals, along with herbs and trees. We especially like to use mistletoe and holly this time of year. In our homes, we bind evergreen branches above the doorways to protect us from spirits.
Lastly, here is Seti, from Pharaoh, Mine (set in Ancient Egypt):
You might be surprised to learn that we Egyptians had a similar culture of using evergreens at winter solstice. Though we don’t have the traditional pines, we use green date palm boughs in our homes. These fresh green branches symbolize life to us.
You can click any of the thumbnails below to read the blurbs and/or buy these books.
For my giveaway, I will offer a $20 Amazon gift certificate to a random person who answers this question: What is your favorite Christmas decoration? If you don’t celebrate Christmas, then what is your favorite holiday decoration? *Please* leave your email address so I can contact you!
Next up, enter the rafflecopter to win the hop’s GRAND PRIZE:
If you need to see the full list of participants, click the button at the top of this post.
Now, go to the next three sites!
http://www.megmims.com/musings/
Just a few more hours! 🙂 I’ll pick the winner tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!
My favorite decoration is candy canes!
wildnmild4u at yahoo dot com
My favorite xmas decoration would be my big blow up carousel that i have in the yard. It has santa sitting on a reindeer and 3 other reindeer that go around in a circle and fake snow blows around. It’s so cute. Thanks
My favorite is a bunch of Santa and Snowmen ornaments that I’ve had for years.
Thanks for the giveaway.
sstrode at scrtc dot com
My favorite is the Santa village set we put up that light up inside! I love having all the christmas lights on in the house with the main lights turned off. Thanks for the great giveaway!
kacidesigns AT yahoo DOT com
My favorite decorations are the homemade handprint ornaments we make every year. I love seeing how much they grow!
jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net
I like the mini tree me mom always puts up in her room – regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com
My favorite Christmas decoration is an old set of sleigh bells. My grandparents hung them from the front door every year. They are sewn to a piece of leather and look as though they should be on a one horse sleigh. The particular jingle they give every time the door was opened or shut, just helped bring to mind that wintery Christmas feeling (even in Florida).
Merry Christmas and thanks for the blog stop.
Bookworm (dot) judy (at) gmail (dot) com
My favorite Christmas decoration is an old metal stand that I bought years ago in the summer time. I got it really cheap, like $5 for the whole set. It is a metal stand about 2 foot long, that says Christmas Time is Family Time. It has holes along the top and they had a huge selection of metal characters you could purchase to put along the top. I have a man, woman, two little girls, two cats, a dog and a cross on mine. I wish I could find this again because I need to add a daughter!
robertachorn (at) yahoo.com
I love the lights. I really love icicle lights.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
My favorite decoration is my Christmas tree with all of the ornaments from my childhood, my husbands, and our kids.
Sassychassy333@gmail.com
I love snowmen.
Lights! I love Christmas lights!
gokarter418 (at) aol (dot) com
I love fresh wreaths.
bituin76 at hotmail dot com
My favorite Christmas decoration(s) are the lights! I especially love when people do their outdoor trees. Thanks so much for being a part of the hop and for the great giveaway.
Merry Christmas,
Marlena
charmedpoms(at)yahoo(dot)com
My favorite Christmas decoration is definitely all of the beautiful lights!
thanks for the giveaway and happy holidays!
beccaboo97200 (at) att (dot) net
My favorite Christmas decorations are the ornaments and lights we put up on our Christmas tree! We decorate the tree with so many bright and sparkly things 🙂
laceyblossom1(at)gmail(dot)com
I love Christmas balls (waggles eyebrows) and by balls I mean the ornaments that come in all sizes and colors. I have to go with shatterproof cus I have young kids. One day though, I will get some glass ones that are so pretty.
My favorite decoration has to be the family ornaments… we get new ones every year for our boys so I have currently have 9 david ornaments and 3 jonathan not to mention the family one right now the one i love the best is the one i just got it is a jeep with a family of 4 in it with our names on it… Hubby almost cried cause his jeep died and we ended up getting a HHR instead of a jeep due to price so he still got a jeep this year lol even if it is orderment form.
Jeannie
j.m.platt83@gmail.com
I collect Disney ornaments so I love decorating my tree. My favorite ornament would have to be my Sorcerer’s Apprentice Hat that glows and plays music. Thanks for the giveaway!
~Krista
pinkbonanza{ AT }gmail{ DOT }com
What is your favorite Christmas decoration?
That a tough one to pick just one:
From the lights that make everything seem magical and special
To the fake flowers I use to decorate the tree which gives the tree a Victorian Feel (started using silk flowers a couple years back cause of my one dog has this naughty habit of going under the tree to sleep, she is now 90 pound and clueless that she can’t fit no more, she still thinks she’s a lap pup. Long story short I got tired of cleaning broken bulb and came up with this SAFE & SANE alternative so she can attempt and if the tree falls oh well…)
Happy Holidays
BeckeyWhiteATgmailDOTcom
My favorite decoration is small metal bells – they not only look shiny, but also jingle. I have a lot of them, in gold and in silver, with tiny bows, although I always have to keep the bells out of reach of my cats:)
Thank you for the chance!
spamscape [at] gmail [dot] com
Fairy Lights definitely!There is something magical about them. 😀
nbookaholic(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I love the Christmas ornaments we have from the places we’ve gone together as a family
Mine is christmas/fairy lights decorating the exterior of the house.
muggledATgmxDOTcom
Oh, the angel on top of the Christmas tree, of course 🙂
I love wreaths because you can do so much with them. There’s the classic greenery and red bow, then there are the creative versions like the ornament wreath I’m doing this year. It’s the first thing people see when they visit my house for the holidays, so I love creating something unique.
Merry Christmas! I love blog hops and this one is HUGE! My favorite Christmas decoration is one that my mom got when I was born. She gave it to me when I moved into my own home over 30 years ago. I still have it and it goes on the tree front and center right under the angel tree topper.
Thanks for being part of the hop and for the chance to win.
reneebennett35 (at) yahoo (dot) com
My favorite are the ones I made as a kid. And the old ones I inherited from my grandmother.
smurfettev AT gmail DOT com
I love the fake snow spray. I can make my windows or tree more festive, even though (like this year) it’s wet and muddy outside! It really softens the look of the lights!
Good luck everyone! kim (at) kimmullican(dot) com
I love lights everywhere! 🙂
Thanks!
dita(dot)skarste(at)gmail(dot)com
I am so enjoying reading about everyone’s favorite decorations! Such memories!
My favorite Christmas decorations are the tinsel/evergreen etc garlands that work places, stores , churches, homes put up. I like them because it’s what makes these places more festive during the day and I’m around them more often.
strive4bst(At) yahoo(Dot) com
My current fav decoration is a toss up between the new icicles that have blue lights in them and the snow globes with twinkle lights! I am usually not a fan of inflatables but there are new ones that have motions to them and they are pretty cool!
grapeapril75(AT)gmail.com
I love Christmas lights. It’s sort of an obsession. We have all kinds of light festivals and things around here and they are just amazing! I try to go every year.
JYL22075 at gmail dot com
My favorite Christmas decoration is the paper candy canes my children made me when they were small.
shieldsdonna at hotmail dot com
My favorite one is the little smiley angel we put on every year 🙂
swordlily_girl[at]yahoo[dot]com
I love the star at the top of the Christmas tree
Great excerpt I will be on the lookout for your books. Thanks for the chance to win
p.winmill@hotmail.com
I love the big star that I put at the top of the tree and the lights.
Thanks for the giveaway!
by.evie at yahoo dot com dot br
Love the Christmas lights decorations on homes and downtown. Ornaments are also great.
kp_kazamei(at)yahoo(dot)com
My favorite is the angel tree topper that my grandmother gave me. cheryllynne(at)rocketmail(dot)com
My favorite ornament is a pair of ceramic ballet shoes that I picked out when I was about 5. It’s a wonder they haven’t broken!
aircdrewood(at)gmail(dot)com
Besides the ones that the kids have made I love Santa Claus’s. I have a handful and I try to add every year.
Chris
ceagles48218@yahoo.com
My favorite ornament is a spider ornament. My mother in law gave it to us with the interesting legend of good luck. Happy Holidays!! kmnbooks at yahoo dot com
My favorite is the light up snowman I got this year.
Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
My favorite decoration is a specific ornament that my mom had for as long as I can remember. It is a red and white swirled ball and we used to hang on the bottom of the tree and I would lay under it and twirl it and just watch….still do that now the ornament is mine. I have got my son to do the same thing now.
cmucha319(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love the christmas decorations that my kids made for me and now my grandkids are making them for me. They are the best decorations.
proudarmymom32(at)yahoo(dot)com
I like all the old-school ornaments my mom kept from before I was born.
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
I have a collection of Santa’s that I like to put out also my Dad’s collection of Cardinals that I hang on the tree and set all around.
sallans d at yahoo dot com
I love the garland and the lights.
vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com
The lights, I love the lights, especially the ones that have blue in them.Also a christmas angel that goes on top of the tree 😀
Happy Holidays!
Many of the ones my three boys made at school. Also when I was pregnant for my youngest my friend sent me a pregnant bear ornament and a rocking horse ornament for him.
Raonaid at gmail dot com
my fave chistmas decoration was this little plush bear and rabbit that were my dads. i use to take them off the christmas tree and play with them. my dad passed away two years ago but i still have the ornaments and they remind me of the good times with my dad
parisfan_ca@yahoo.com
I have little ornaments that my boys made when they were in preschool that has their picture in the center. I get a little teary-eyed each year when I pull them out of the storage box. 🙂