Santa Claus, History of Christmas, and Holiday Party Invitations

Christmas Celebrations, Santa Claus, and Invitations for Parties Around the World



For centuries, Santa Claus stories have been told in all parts of the world. It is believed that the story of Santa Claus originated when a man named St. Nicholas went around giving candy and small toys to children Christmas Eve. The children would leave their shoes out on their front porch, and in the morning they would find toys and candy in their shoes. In the United States, this spirit is better known as Santa Claus, but in other countries Santa Claus has many different names associated with the stories told in each country.



Origination of Holiday Christmas Greeting Cards



It is believed that the sending of Christmas greeting cards and party invitations for Christmas celebrations was started in Britain when the first Penny Post public postal deliveries began during the 1840s. The Penny Post was the new public postal service and was the 19th century's communication revolution, very similar to the mail service of today. As printing methods improved, during the 1860s, Christmas holiday greeting cards and invitations were produced in large numbers. Their explosive growth in popularity continued since one of the cards could be sent in an unsealed envelope for half a penny, which, back then, was half the price of an ordinary letter.



Explosive Growth of Party Invites for Christmas Season Celebrations



With the approaching Christmas season, there are always lots of parties and celebrations for families, friends, and acquaintances to share the holiday joy and happiness. The typical Christmas party, with food, drinks, and presents, are the usual standard. However, there are lots of other types of Christmas parties to help you distinguish your celebration gathering from others. In preparation, you should prepare your party guest list to know how many personalized Christmas invitation cards you will need. And, after arriving at a number, you will want to always buy a few extra invites for last minute additions. Your custom invite cards should be mailed within four to six weeks from the date of your event since your invited guests will probably be busy with their own holiday chores and will appreciate some advance notice.



Etiquette for Christmas Holiday Invitations and Greeting Cards



There are some leading Christmas holiday stationery websites that offer printed and custom party invitation card designs and themes along with lots of photo adding options. With all the pressures and time restraints of the holidays, these stationary websites make the purchasing of just the right invitations one less worry. Here are a few ideas and suggestions for Christmas holiday invitation etiquette that might just prevent you from committing a Christmas party 'no no' you didn't even know existed:





Mail all of you party invites at the same time so that nobody feels like they were invited as an afterthought or a replacement for another guest who couldn't make it.



Your invite wording should indicate if it is acceptable to bring a date or the party if kids friendly, (kids welcome).



Always include some type of RSVP, response card, or regrets card so that you will have an accurate count of guests who will be attending.



Add the dress code to your invitations, i.e. 'causal' or 'fancy affair' and if dinner will be served.





Selecting Days and Dates for Holiday Celebrations for Christmas



Since the most popular days and dates for a Christmas holiday party are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Christmas Eve, you might consider avoid having your party on Christmas Eve or Christmas day since most people will be with their families on those days.

Is Santa Claus Real?

Is Santa Claus Real?  This is a question that is on most children's lips at some point in their childhood. What will you tell your child what they ask if Santa Claus is real?



Of course Santa was a real person. He was St Nicholas, the patron saint of giving. St Nicholas was born in 300 AD. He was a holy man, being brought up in a monastery after being orphaned at an early age. He remained within the monastery and rose to the position of bishop.



He obtained his reputation for giving because there are many tales of him giving gifts to the poor and needy and in particular children.



Over the years the European community have embraced to concept of St Nick and customised it to make it their own. Because of this Santa's appearance sometimes changes, his cloak may be described as different colours but his 'Giving' nature remains the same.



It is sometimes considered that Christmas festivities which do not include the nativity misconstrued the meaning of Christmas. However, St Nicholas was a religious man and lived his life according to the holy scriptures of the time and it's because of this that Santa and the Nativity hold parallels.



The birth of Jesus Christ itself depicts God giving mankind his only son, and the prospect of the gift of eternal life. Additionally the three wise men also came bearing gifts for the baby Jesus.



Although St Nicholas lived many years ago, he still lives on. He lives because he is a major part of Christmas and we all keep Santa alive, and he lives in us every year that we give one another a gift at Christmas time. So when your child asks you if Santa Claus is real, say - Yes.