My Merry Christmas

By Charles Dickens

Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon `Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to.

Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself... [Read More]

"Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world of the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart." -- George Matthew Adams

"The rooms were very still while the pages were softly... [Read More]

Santa Claus annually meets with the media to conduct a candid interview about what he thinks on a variety of topics. This year Santa sat down with Mark Wade, the new Ambassador to the North Pole from My Merry Christmas.com, who is conducting his first ever interview with Santa:

Q: The first thing I want to do is thank you Santa for taking the time to sit down with me. How have you been this year?
A: Great! Nice to see you again, Mark. Have you been a good boy this year? I know I've been try... [Read More]

By Brad Wilcox

New concerns over privacy for Christmas shoppers have been raised as a test is implemented at a mall in Southern California and at a mall in Virginia that will use cell phone tracking technology to monitor shopper's movements between Black Friday and the end of December.

According to CNN, a system sold by FootPath Technologies involving a series of antennas strategically placed in malls and stores will tap into mobile devices seeking out a unique identifier and then tra... [Read More]

By B. Francis Morlan


There is a romantic notion many have about Christmas shopping. It centers around the thought that it can actually be fun.

A mind fills with images of snow-covered streets with the sound of jingling bells in the air as snow softly falls on the light-covered trees between the buildings with magical windows dressed in holiday merriment. In such a world every gift buy is magical, affordable, pre-wrapped and easily transported to the car.

I never seem to find suc... [Read More]

by Jeanette DiCamillo

Decorating the Christmas tree has always been a family tradition, and using Christmas tree lights to create a theme is fun, stylish, and can perfectly encapsulate the personality of the decorators. Themed trees make a statement about the family to home visitors and show off values, hobbies, or special moments in life. Choosing a theme for your Christmas tree encourages togetherness and family spirit during the holidays.

White incandescent bulbs, multicolored l... [Read More]

By B. Francis Morlan


"The year was 1931, I was 7 years old and I had the best Christmas," Charles Barsdale says. As he nears age 87, his wide open grey eyes appear to twikle. The memory touches him deeply. "My father walked me to the store and spent fifteen cents on my Christmas present."

The sparkle in his eye turns to a tear. His nose turns read and he stops for just a second, pulling a neatly folded hankerchief from a pocket to wipe his eyes. "He bought me... [Read More]

Christmas During the Civil War
By Mary Hansel

Christmas is a joyous time. People spend the occasion with family and friends and their celebrations are full of rejoicing, love and jollity. It is hard for us to imagine what it would be like to have Christmas during war time, especially a war where countrymen fight each other. During the years of 1861-65, America was fighting just such a war, the Civil War. The country was torn apart by conflict and the lives of the participants an... [Read More]

By Jeff Westover
26 November 2011

Make note of the date on this article. It is being written the day after Black Friday 2011. And yet the headline teases of a prediction. How hard is it to predict an event after it happens?

There is a purpose to my madness here. Hear me out.

In years past we have invested the time for months and weeks preceding Black Friday in researching both retailer and market trends in an effort to prognosticate what would be hot or not on the so-called busies... [Read More]

By Mary Hansel
MMC Associate Editor, Christmas Foods

My Thanksgiving and Christmas meals are not complete without a dish featuring the bog ruby, a berry that is native to North America. Over the years this berry has gone by many names including sassamanesh and cow cherry, because it was something cows were fond of eating. Early settlers called the berry a crane berry because the flowers of the bush the berry grew on resembled the head and bill of a crane. That name led to what we c... [Read More]

By Jo Meaney


Thanksgiving is one particularly happy and joyful event because it is the time for reunions with families and friends. Grown-ups catch up on each other's lives while kids get together and play a game or two.

However, while adults can spend long hours just talking to one another, children will often find it hard to just sit in one place. They can easily get bored and will itch for something to do. Unless you provide them with productive activities, they might just expend... [Read More]

By Mac Carey



Though the practice of gift giving has a long Christmas history, those gifts being presented in colorful paper and tied up in curls of ribbon is a relatively new practice. While Christmas cards began to be sent in the mid-nineteenth century it wasn't until many years later that dressing up presents in Christmas finery caught on.

Holiday gift giving began long before Christmas. The Romans would give gifts to one another on pagan festivals like Saturnalia, the winter s... [Read More]

By Greta Johnson

Survive the Thanksgiving frenzy and preserve the season’s spirit with these time-saving tips designed to make Thanksgiving dinner preparation an absolute breeze for you.

The List Power --
Have you noticed how others can stay calm and composed despite all the buzz about Thanksgiving? The secret actually lies in making lists! Start your game plan with a list of the things that you have to do. Keep your list always with you so that you can consult it or otherwise add ite... [Read More]

By Bill Nelson

The world's first practical light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879, and it was to be only three years later that an associate of his, one Edward Johnson, electrically lit a Christmas tree for the first time. The tree was in the parlor of his New York home, located in the first section of that city to be wired for electricity. The display created quite a stir, and was dutifully recorded by a reporter named Croffut in the Detroit Post and Tribune:


Last eve... [Read More]

Americans are looking forward to a merrier Christmas in 2011 despite attitudes that remain dim about the economy. In the 12th annual Christmas survey commission by My Merry Christmas.com about the attitudes of Christmas a divide is emerging about the economy of Christmas and just what constitutes a "merry" Christmas.

Fifty-eight percent of survey participants anticipate a merrier Christmas in 2011 despite the fact that a whopping 83% remain negative about the world economy. That optimism abo... [Read More]

By Jeff Westover

Norman Rockwell is a famous American artist whose 20th century works are cherished for their photograph-like detail and their ability to tell the common story.

In retrospect, Rockwell's work captures the essence of early 20th century living as his paintings work as snapshots of life and society of those times. The work of Norman Rockwell continues to connect with audiences because they tell the story of small town American life with wit and humor against the backdrop... [Read More]

By Fran Holmes

Buy your tree early in the season. Why? Christmas trees that are bought from a tree lot are all cut at the same time. The longer your tree sits in the lot, the longer it goes without water and the drier it gets.

Try to select a tree from a lot that has lots of shade and shelter from the wind. Cut trees standing in sun and wind, lose a lot of moisture.

When you select your tree, look for a tree that is a healthy green. Avoid trees that have lots of brown needles... [Read More]

By Jeanette DiCamillo

When Christmas enthusiasts plan their outdoor Christmas decorations, they are planning with the heart of a child. These hearts radiate inside when the glow of Christmas lights up ahead can be seen from within a dark car, looming with promises of personal touches and festive traditions. Each Christmas enthusiast tries to recreate this fantastical image for other kids and adults, understanding that some of the greatest joys of the holiday are the late night and early m... [Read More]

By Julie Dacus

Every year at Thanksgiving my mother goes through her annual fret over her Christmas tree. She wonders whether she should keep her big tree, or get a small table top tree, which would be easier to put up and take down.

Easier for whom? You must understand that my sister Amy and I, along with our husbands, put Mom's tree up, string the lights, hang most of the ornaments, then take the whole thing down in January. Mom watches from the back of the room, her head tilted t... [Read More]

By Ryan Crosby

On December 25th of every year the entire Christian world comes together, putting aside petty quarrels and minor differences, to commemorate the birth of Jesus. (Well, most of us come together anyway).

The Orthodox Churches have it on different days because of some sort of disagreement over Gregorian calendars. And there are a few Christian groups around who don't celebrate it at all (too material, I guess).

In any case; on December 25th most of the Christians tha... [Read More]

By B. Francis Morlan



Every holiday season there seems to be a new attempt at making another holiday movie classic. Few ever succeed. This year's entry is a whimsical tale called Elf, starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the elf.

Buddy is technically not an elf. He is an orphaned baby who somehow finds his way out of his crib and into Santa's sack his first Christmas. Santa, played by Ed Asner, unknowingly takes Buddy back to the North Pole and he decides to keep him. Why Santa doesn't... [Read More]

By Artie Knapp


It was two days before Christmas and young Maggie Dotson was already being told that her Christmas wish would not be coming true. Paxton she was told, would not be coming back.

A year before that December day an injured baby deer had been abandoned in the woods behind the Dotson’s home. So weak was the little deer, that he hadn’t the strength to run from Maggie’s father when he approached him.

As he carried the little deer towards their home, Maggie rushed out... [Read More]

By Dr. George Johnson

Editor's Note: Dr. George Johnson is a Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. He's the real deal -- a scientist of the first order. This article is but one of many he writes for the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

What do reindeer and little children know that we don't?

Tonight is Christmas eve, and my daughter Caitlin and I are going to sort out this Santa Claus business once and for all. There was a time, only a few very brief years ago,... [Read More]

By Mac Carey



Gingerbread is a popular Christmas treat all over the world, in many different forms. Gingerbread first appeared in central Europe in the Middle Ages, made from sugars and spices that had been brought back from the Middle East by soldiers returning from the Crusades. In England, gingerbread only meant "preserved ginger," referring to the preservative effect of ginger on breads, cakes, and other pastries. It wasn't until the 15th century that gingerbread referred specifica... [Read More]

By Kate Mulinix

Homemade gifts from the heart are often the most loved, especially if you put some thought into them and match the gift to the receiver's personality and enjoyments.

It's easy, however, for costs to spiral out of control if you need a lot of specialty items. The other drawback can be that many require special skills or special tools. If you don't have the tools, you'll have to buy them, and if you don't have the skills, you're out of luck if it's getting too close to C... [Read More]