Yes, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus.
There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!
Christmas Day is celebrated as a major festival and public holiday in most countries of the world, even in many whose populations are mostly non-Christian. In some non-Christian countries, periods of former colonial rule introduced the celebration (e.g. Hong Kong); in others, Christian minorities or foreign cultural influences have led populations to observe the holiday.
Countries such as Japan and Korea, where Christmas is popular despite there being only a small number of Christians, have adopted many of the secular aspects of Christmas, such as gift-giving, decorations and Christmas trees.
For many centuries, Christian writers accepted that Christmas was the actual date on which Jesus was born. In the early 18th century, scholars began proposing alternative explanations.
Isaac Newton argued that the date of Christmas was selected to correspond with the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma and celebrated on December 25.
The December 25 date may have been selected by the church in Rome in the early 4th century. At this time, a church calendar was created and other holidays were also placed on solar dates:
"It is cosmic symbolism...which inspired the Church leadership in Rome to elect the winter solstice, December 25, as the birthday of Christ, and the summer solstice as that of John the Baptist, supplemented by the equinoxes as their respective dates of conception.
While they were aware that pagans called this day the 'birthday' of Sol Invictus, this did not concern them and it did not play any role in their choice of date for Christmas," according to modern scholar S.E. Hijmans.
The practice of putting up special decorations at Christmas has a long history. From pre-Christian times, people in the Roman Empire brought branches from evergreen plants indoors in the winter.
Decorating with greenery was also part of Jewish tradition : "Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. "
CHRISTMAS MSGS
Joy was on Christ,
Love was on mas,
so let all of this found u anywhere u are this lovely season.
merry x mas and happy new year.
For thy lord
your God had made it possible for u
to see the month of December!
So shall all impossibility in your will be possible!
Wishing u merry x-mas!!
Chand ne apni chandani bikheri hai.Aur taro ne aasma ko sajaya hai.
Lekar taufa aman aur pyaar ka.Dekho Shawarg se koi farista aaya hai.
I wish you marry x-mas.
1 X'Mas Tree 1 Lakh Candles 1 Crore Wishes 1 Million Stars
& 1 Heartly Prayer 4U Wis U MERRY CHRISMAS
I wish U Lovely X-mas
I wish U Favorable ”
I wish U Enjoyable ”
U shall not Lack in this X-mas
thy Lord shall provide to U!
Merry X-Mas.
From Home to home,
and heart to heart,
from one place to another.
The warmth and joy of Christmas,
brings us closer to each other.
A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away;
While quite unselfish,
it grows small.
Christmas may be many things
or it may be a few.
For you, the joy
is each new toy;
for me;
it’s watching U.
()"""() ,*
( 'o' ) ,***
=(,,)=("')<-***
(""),,,("") "**
Roses 4 u...
MERRY CHRISTMAS to
U...
May all the sweet magic
Of Christmas conspire
To gladden your hearts
And fill every desire.
If one night a big fat man jumps in at your window,
grabs you and puts you in a sack don't worry I told Santa I wanted you for CHRISTMAS.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
Have an ideal Christmas;
an occasion that is celebrated as a reflection
of your values, desires, affections, traditions.
Can I have your picture,
so Santa Claus knows exactly what to give me.
Happy Christmas.
CHRISTMAS CAKE RECIPE
1.) 
Ingredients
3 cups (510g) sultanas
1 1/2 cups (265g) chopped raisins
1 cup (155g) currants
1 cup (150g) chopped dried pitted dates
1/2 cup (95g) prunes, finely chopped
100g red glace cherries, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125g) finely chopped glace figs
1/4 cup (50g) mixed peel
3/4 cup (185ml) whiskey
1 tbs finely grated orange rind
250g butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups (300g) plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
2 x 200g pkts prepared almond paste
1/2 cup (125g) apricot jam
1kg bought white fondant icing
Ribbon, to decorate
Silver leaf, to decorate
Royal icing
1 eggwhite
1 1/2 cups (230g) pure icing sugar, plus extra to dust
Method:
Combine the sultanas, raisins, currants, dates, prunes, cherries, figs, mixed peel, whiskey and orange rind in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside, stirring occasionally, for 2 days to macerate.
Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease and line the base and sides of six (3/4 cup/185ml capacity) metal dariole moulds with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, until just combined. Add to the fruit mixture with the flour and mixed spice and use a wooden spoon to stir until well combined.
Spoon fruit mixture evenly among the prepared moulds. Tap the bases of the moulds on a bench to settle mixture to the base. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centres comes out clean. Remove from oven and cover with foil. Turn cake over to sit on foil. Set aside overnight to cool completely.
To make the royal icing, combine the eggwhite and icing sugar in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Cut six 10cm-diameter discs from a silver-covered cardboard cake board. Spread a small dot of icing on each cardboard disc. Top with a small piece of baking paper. Use a small, serrated knife to trim the base of each cake. Place the cake, cut-side down, onto each lined board. Fill any holes in cake with pieces of almond paste.
Heat the jam in a small saucepan over low heat until jam melts. Strain through a fine sieve. Brush half the warm jam over the top and side of each cake. Roll out almond paste on a work surface dusted with icing sugar. Use a 7cm round pastry cutter to cut six discs and place on the top of each cake. Cut the remaining almond paste into 5cm-wide strips and place around the side of each cake. Use hands, dusted in icing sugar, to smooth the surface.
Knead the fondant icing and divide into six equal portions. Roll an icing portion out to a 3-4mm thick disc. Brush the almond paste with a little of the remaining jam.
Drape the fondant over the cake and use hands, dusted in icing sugar, to smooth and shape the fondant around the sides of cake. Use a small, sharp knife to trim the edges. Repeat with remaining jam, fondant and cakes.
Decorate with ribbon, royal icing and silver leaf, if desired.
Notes
If there is any ingredient in the fruit mixture you don't particularly like, simply replace it with any other dried or glace fruit you prefer - just make sure you keep the quantities consistent. You can also substitute the orange peel with lemon or grapefruit rind for a modern citrus twist.
Also makes a 1 x 20cm round cake
Bring on spring with gorgeous lamb recipes, salad recipes and strawberry & pineapple recipes.
2.) 
Method
You need to begin this cake the night before you want to bake it. All you do is weigh out the dried fruit and mixed peel, place it in amixing bowl and mix in the brandy as evenly and thoroughly as possible. Cover the bowl with a clean tea cloth and leave the fruit aside to absorb the brandy for 12 hours.
Next day pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C). Then measure out all the rest of the ingredients, ticking them off to make quite sure they're all there. The treacle will be easier to measure if you remove the lid and place the tin in a small pan of barely simmering water. Now begin the cake by sifting the flour, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl lifting the sieve up high to give the flour a good airing. Next, in a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together until it's light, pale and fluffy. Now beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the creamed mixture a tablespoonful at a time; keep the whisk running until all the egg is incorporated. If you add the eggs slowly by degrees like this the mixture won't curdle. If it does, don't worry, any cake full of such beautiful things can't fail to taste good!
When all the egg has been added, fold in the flour and spices, using gentle, folding movements and not beating at all (this is to keep all that precious air in). Now fold in the fruit, peel, chopped nuts and treacle and finally the grated lemon and orange zests. Next, using a large kitchen spoon, transfer the cake mixture into the prepared tin, spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon and, if you don't intend to ice the cake, lightly drop the whole blanched almonds in circles or squares all over the surface. Finally cover the top of the cake with a double square of silicone paper with a 50p-size hole in the centre (this gives extra protection during the long slow cooking).
Bake the cake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 4½-4¾ hours. Sometimes it can take up to ½-¾ hour longer than this, but in any case don't look till at least 4 hours have passed. Cool the cake for 30 minutes in the tin, then remove it to a wire rack to finish cooling. When it's cold 'feed' it – make small holes in the top and base of the cake with a cocktail stick or small skewer, then spoon over a few teaspoons of brandy, wrap it in double silicone paper secured with an elastic band and either wrap again in foil or store in an airtight container. You can now feed it at odd intervals until you need to ice or eat it.
3.) 
Ingredients
1 (18 ounce) box red velvet cake mix
1 (4 ounce) box chocolate instant pudding
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (NOT whipped)
1 lb powdered sugar (confectioners, about 4 cups)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 cup whipped topping (home made or cool whip, both work fine)
Change Measurements: US | Metric
Method:
1Prepare cake mix as directed on box, adding in the box of chocolate pudding mix and 1 tsp of the vanilla extract.2Beat well; batter WILL be thick.3Fill a touch over half full muffin tins that have been well greased or lined with muffin/cupcake liners; don't fill too high as they rise considerably.4Cool on rack when done.5This will make approximately 24 cupcakes.6As cupcakes bake, make frosting.7Using a mixer, beat cream cheese, remaining tsp of vanilla and butter in large bowl until well blended; gradually beat in powdered sugar.8Careful beating in the sugar or you (and your kitchen) will end up looking like an audition for a movie of Casper the Friendly Ghost hehe.9Beat in whipped topping and continue beating until frosting is thick and creamy looking, giving it enough time for the powdered sugar to break down and dissolve or you will have grainy frosting.10If TOO thick, add cream or milk a LITTLE at a time until of piping consistency. You can always add a touch more cream; you can't take it out so be careful.11Pipe or spread frosting on top of cupcakes when cool -- then pig out.
4.) 
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
3 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a bundt pan.
Cream together oil, sugar, and eggs. Blend in flour, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir in chopped apples and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour, or until done. Cool.
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