Christmas traditions from around the world

 

 

In week 62 our intention is to share holiday traditions of the different nations and their holiday celebrations, with you and to take this opportunity to wish all of them loving wishes this is a great opportunity to focus on PEACE.

We did extensive research and  I must say it was a challenge to try honoring them all, so please forgive us if we miss a nation of your interest and if we did let us know through an email and we will add it. We found that it was so much information we needed a few Posts for that intention so we did our best to edit an amount that is realistic for people to take the time to read, so just enjoy and choose what resonates with you. It is so interesting to learn different traditions, it reminds me once again that the planet is a lot bigger than just my day to day perception.

Thank you again for the generous support from you all, it is overwhelming the thousands of views and connections we receive, we work many hours, sometimes seven days a week to offer you our extensive research.

We wish you Health, Peace and Ideal abundance for you, your family, and friends, and to the whole world may all your wishes come true, from all of us at I-RAMA.

Christmas in the United States of America

from http://www.whychristmas.com

 

The United States of America has many different traditions and ways that people celebrate Christmas, because of its multi-cultural nature, many customs are similar to ones in the UK, France, Italy, Holland, Poland, and Mexico.

The traditional meal for Western European families is turkey or ham with cranberry sauce. Families from Eastern European origins favor turkey with trimmings, keilbasi (a Polish sausage), cabbage dishes, and soups; and some Italian families prefer lasagne!

Some Americans use popcorn threaded on a string to help decorate their Christmas Tree!

In New England (the American States of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine), there are shops called ‘Christmas Shops’ that only sell Christmas decorations and toys all the year round!

People in America like to decorate the outside of their house with lights and sometimes even statues of Santa Claus, Snowmen, and Reindeer elf.

Towns and cities often decorate the streets with lights to celebrate Christmas. Perhaps the most famous Christmas street lights in the USA are at the Rockefeller Center in New York where there is a huge Christmas Tree with a public ice skating rink in front of it over Christmas and the New Year.

In Hawaii, Santa is called Kanakaloka!

In the Southwest USA, there are some special customs that have some similarities to those in parts of Mexico. These include ‘luminarias’ or ‘farolitos’ which are paper sacks partly filled with sand and then have a candle put in them. They are lit on Christmas Eve and are put the edges of paths. They represent ‘lighting the way’ for somewhere for Mary and Joseph to stay.

A popular food at Christmas in the Southwest USA is tamales. You can find out more about Christmas traditions in the Southwest USA on www.lonestarwesterndecor.com/vibrant-Christmas-traditions-of-the-southwest.html

 

 

 

 

Christmas in Mexico

 

In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated from December 12th to January 6th.

From December 16th to Christmas Eve, children often perform the ‘Posada’ processions or Posadas. Posada is Spanish for Inn or Lodging. There are nine Posadas. These celebrate the part of the Christmas story where Joseph and Mary looked for somewhere to stay. For the Posadas, the outside of houses is decorated with evergreens, moss and paper lanterns.

In each Posada, children are given candles and a board, with painted clay figures of Mary riding on a donkey and Joseph, to process around the streets with. They call at the houses of friends and neighbors and sing a song at each home. The song they sing is about Joseph and Mary asking for a room in the house. But the children are told that there is no room in the house and that they must go away. Eventually, they are told there is room and are welcomed in! When the children go into the house they say prayers of thanks and then they have a party with food, games, and fireworks.

Each night a different house hold’s the Posada party. At the final Posada, on Christmas Eve, a manger and figures of shepherds are put on the board. When the Posada house has been found, a baby Jesus is put into the manger and then families go to a midnight Church service. After the Church service, there are more fireworks to celebrate the start of Christmas.

One game that is often played at Posada parties is piñata. A piñata is a decorated clay or paper-mâché jar filled with sweets and hung from the ceiling or tree branch. The piñata is often decorated with something like a ball with seven peaks around it. The peaks or spikes represent the ‘seven deadly sins’. Piñatas’ can also be in the form of an animal or bird (such as a donkey). To play the game, children are blindfolded and take it in turns to hit the piñata with a stick until it splits open and the sweets pour out. Then the children rush to pick up as many sweets as they can!

As well as the posada’s, another type of Christmas play known as Pastorelas (The Shepherds). These tell the story of the shepherds going to find the baby Jesus and are often very funny. The devil tries to stop them by tempting them along the way. But the shepherds always get there in the end, often with the help of the Archangel Michael, who comes and beats the devil!

Nativity scenes, known as the ‘Nacimiento’, are very popular in Mexico. They are often very large, with the figures being life size! Sometimes a whole room in a house is used for the Nacimiento, although this is less common now. The figures are often made of clay and are traditionally passed down through families. As well as the normal figures of Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Shepherds and Three Kings, there are often lots of other figures of different people, including women making tortillas, people selling food and different animals and birds, like flamingos! The figures can be bought from markets in cities all over Mexico. The baby Jesus is normally added to the scene during the evening of Christmas Eve. The Three Kings are added at Epiphany.

Christmas Trees are becoming more popular in Mexico, but the main/most important decoration is still the Nacimiento.

Christmas Eve is known as ‘Noche Buena’ and is a family day. People often take part in the final Posada and then in the evening have the main Christmas meal. At midnight, many people go to a Midnight Mass service, known as the ‘Misa de Gallo’ (Mass of the Rooster). There are lots of fireworks to celebrate Christmas Day.

Poinsettia flowers are known as ‘Noche Buena’ (Christmas Eve) flowers in Mexico.

People in Mexico also celebrate ‘Los Santos Inocentes’ or ‘Day of the Innocent Saints’ on December 28th ad it’s very like April Fools Day in the UK and USA. 28th December is when people remember the babies that were killed on the orders of King Herod when he was trying to kill the baby Jesus.

In some states in Mexico, children expect Santa Claus to come on December 24th. In the south of Mexico, children expect presents on January 6th at Epiphany, which is known as ‘El Dia de Los Reyes’.

On El Dia de Los Reyes the presents are left by the Three Kings (or Magi). If you’ve had a visit from Santa on Christmas Eve, you might also get some candy on el Dia de Los Reyes!

It’s traditional to eat a special cake called ‘Rosca de Reyes’ (Three Kings Cake) on Epiphany. A figure of Baby Jesus is hidden inside the cake. Whoever has the baby Jesus in their piece of cake is the ‘Godparent’ of Jesus for that year.

Another important day is Candelaria (also known as Candlemas) on the 2nd February and it marks the end of the Mexican Christmas celebrations. Lots of Mexicans have a party for Candelaria.

In Mexico, presents might also be brought by ‘El Niñito Dios’ (baby Jesus) & Santo Clós (Santa Claus)

In Mexico people speak Spanish (Español), so Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘Feliz Navidad’. Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

The largest ever Angel Ornament was made in Mexico. It was made in January 2001 by Sergio Rodriguez in the town of Nuevo León. The angel was 18′ 3″ high and had a wingspan of 11′ 9″! Perhaps the most amazing thing about the angel was that it was completely made out of old beer bottles, 2946 of them!

 

 

 

Christmas in Denmark

Some people in Denmark give and receive extra Advent presents on the four Sundays of Advent.

Different types of Advent candles and calendars are popular in Denmark. A Kalenderlys (calendar-candle) is an Advent candle and most people have one of these types of candles. A Pakkekalender (gift calendar) are also a fun way to countdown to Christmas Eve. There are 24 small gifts for the children in the calendar, one for each day until Christmas Eve.

Julekalender (Christmas calendar) is a television series with 24 episodes. One episode is shown each day in December with the last one being aired on Christmas Eve. The first Julekalender was shown on TV in Denmark in 1962. The two main Danish TV channels DR and TV2 both show different versions of Julekalender each year. The theme of the stories in the Julekalender normally follows a similar storyline, with someone trying to ruin Christmas and the main characters saving Christmas!

As well as the TV series, both DR and TV2 produce paper advent calendars to go along with the stories! DR is the oldest TV channel in Denmark and its’ paper calendar is called Børnenes U-landskalender (Children’s U-Country Calendar). It’s been making the calendars for over 50 years and profits from the sale of the calendar go to help poor children in a developing country. The calendar made by TV2 is called julekalender and profits from that calendar go to help Julemærkefonden, a children’s charity in Denmark.

You can also support Julemærkefonden when you send Christmas Cards in Denmark. Every year a set of Christmas stamps/stickers/seals called julemærket are sold in December to help raise money for the charity. You use a normal postage stamp as well, the julemærket stickers just make the post look more Christmassy!

Christmas Parties are held from 1st November to 24th December where everyone has a good time! Making cakes and biscuits is popular in the time before Christmas. Gingerbread cookies and vanilla ones are often favorites.

In Denmark, most people go to a Church Service on Christmas Eve at about 4.00pm to hear the Christmas Story. It’s also traditional to give animals a treat on Christmas Eve, so some people go for a walk in the park or woods and take some food to give the animals and birds.

When they get home the main Christmas meal is eaten between 6.00pm and 8.00pm. It’s served on a beautifully decorated table. Popular Christmas foods include roast duck, goose or pork. They are served with boiled and sweet potatoes, red cabbage, beetroot and cranberry jam/sauce.

Most families have a ‘ris á la mande’ (a special kind of rice pudding, made of milk, rice, vanilla, almonds and whipped cream) for dessert. All but one of the almonds are chopped into pieces. The person who finds the whole almond gets a present called a Mandelgave (almond present) and it’s often a marzipan pig!

After the meal the lights on the Christmas Tree are lit, people might dance around the tree and sing carols. Then it’s time for people to open their presents. The Christmas tree normally has a gold or silver star on the top and often has silver ‘fairy hair’ on it to make it glitter.

On Christmas day people meet with their family and have a big lunch together with Danish open-faced sandwiches on rye bread.

In Denmark, children believe that their presents are brought by the ‘Julemanden’ (which means ‘Christmas Man’). He looks very similar to Santa Claus and also travels with a sleigh and reindeer. He lives in Greenland, likes rice pudding and is helped by ‘nisser’ which are like elves.

St. Lucia’s Day (or St. Lucy’s Day) is also celebrated on December 13th, although it’s more famous for being celebrated in Denmark’s neighbor, Sweden.

In Danish, Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘Glædelig Jul’

 

 

 

 

Christmas in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia (and especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Church) they still use the old Julian calendar, so they celebrate Christmas on January 7th, not December 25th! The Christmas celebration in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is called Ganna. Most of the people go to church on Christmas day.

Many people fast they chose not to eat anything on Christmas Eve (January 6th). At dawn on the morning of Ganna, people get dressed in white. Most people wear a traditional garment called a shamma. It’s a thin white cotton piece of cloth with brightly colored stripes across the ends. It’s worn like a toga. If you live in a big town or city you might wear ‘western’ clothes. The early Ganna mass starts at 4.00am! Ouch, that shows Faith right there.

The Ethiopian capital city is Addis Ababa. It’s a modern city. Most people who live outside big cities live in roundhouse made of mud-plastered walls that have thatched cone-shaped roofs. Sometimes houses in the country are rectangular and made of stone.

The design of the Ethiopian Church is similar to the houses. In the country, for the most part, they are very old and have been carved out of rocks. In cities, modern churches are built in three circles, each within the others.

The choir sings from the outer circle. Everyone who goes to church for the Ganna celebrations is given a candle. The people walk around the church three times in a solemn procession, holding the candles. They then go to the second circle to stand during the service. The men and boys are separated from the women and girls. The center circle is the most important and holy place in the church and is where the priest serves the Holy Communion or mass.

In the tradition is being said that one of the Wise Men who visited Jesus came from Ethiopia.

Around the time of Ganna (Christmas celebration time), the men and boys play a game that is also called ganna. It’s played with a curved stick and a round wooden ball, a bit like hockey.

Traditional Christmas foods in Ethiopia include ‘wat’ which is a thick and spicy stew that contains meat, vegetables and sometimes eggs. What is eaten on a ‘plate of injera’ – a flatbread, Pieces of the injera are used as an edible spoon to scoop up the what.

Twelve days after Ganna, on 19th January, Ethiopians start the three-day celebration of Timkat. It celebrated the baptism of Jesus. Children walk to church services in a procession. They wear the crowns and robes of the church youth groups that they belong to. Adults wear the Shamma. The priests wear red and white robes and carry embroidered fringed umbrellas.

 

 

 

Christmas in Russia

The official Christmas and New holidays in Russia last from December 31st to January 10th.

In Russian Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘s rah-zh-dee-st-VOHM’ (C рождеством!) or ‘s-schah-st-lee-vah-vah rah-zh dee-st-vah’ (Счастливого рождества!). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

Some people fast (don’t eat anything) on Christmas Eve until the first star has appeared in the sky. People then eat ‘sochivo’ or ‘kutia’ a porridge made from wheat or rice served with honey, poppy seeds, fruit (especially berries and dried fruit like raisins), chopped walnuts or sometimes even fruit jellies!

Kutia is sometimes eaten from one common bowl, this symbolizes unity. In the past, some families like to throw a spoonful of sochivo up on the ceiling. If it stuck to the ceiling, some people thought it meant they would have good luck and would have a good harvest!

The Russian word for Christmas Eve ‘sochelnik’, comes from the word ‘sochivo’.

Some Orthodox Christian Russian also don’t eat any meat or fish during the Christmas Eve meal/feast.

Other popular Christmas Eve foods include beetroot soup (borsch) or vegan potluck (solyanka) served with individual vegetable pies (often made with cabbage, potato, or mushroom); salads often made from vegetables like gherkins, mushrooms or tomatoes, and also potato or other root vegetable salads.

Sauerkraut the is main dish in the Christmas Eve meal. It can be served with cranberries, cumin, shredded carrot and onion rings. It might be followed by more pies or porridge dishes such as buckwheat with fried onions and fried mushrooms.

Dessert is often things like fruit pies, gingerbread and honey bread cookies, and fresh and dried fruit and more nuts.

‘Vzvar’ (meaning ‘boil-up’) is often served at the end of the meal. It’s a sweet drink made from dried fruit and honey boiled in water. Vzvar is traditionally at the birth of a child, so at Christmas, it symbolizes the birth of the baby Jesus.

Following the meal, prayers might be said and people then go to the midnight Church services. They often don’t wash the dishes until they get home from Church – sometimes not until 4.00am or 5.00am!

The New Year celebrations are still very important to Russians (sometimes more than Christmas).

This is when – when ‘Father Frost’ (known in Russian as ‘Ded Moroz’ or Дед Мороз) brings presents to children. He is always accompanied by his Grandaughter (Snegurochka). On New Year’s eve children hold hands, make a circle around the Christmas tree and call for Snegurochka or Ded Moroz. When they appear the star and other lights on the Christmas tree light up! Ded Moroz carries a big magic staff. The traditional greeting for Happy New Year is ‘S Novym Godom’.

 

One of the most famous things about Christmas in Russia, to people in western Europe and the USA, is the story of Babushka. Babushka means Grand Mother in Russian. It tells the story of an old woman who met the Wise men on their way to see Jesus.

However, most people in Russia have never heard of the story and I’ve had many emails from Russian visitors to the site who have never heard the story before! It seems that it was probably created by an American poet and writer called Edith Matilda Thomas in 1907.

 

 

 

Christmas in Ukraine

Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated on the 7th January is because, like many countries where the main Church is the Orthodox Church, they use the old ‘Julian’ calendar for their church festivals.

In Ukrainian Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘Веселого Різдва і з Новим Роком’ (Veseloho Rizdva i z Novym Rokom). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.

The main Christmas meal, called ‘Sviata Vecheria’ (or Holy Supper) is eaten on Christmas Eve (6th January). Traditionally people fast (don’t eat anything) all day but you might start the day drinking some holy water that has been blessed at church.

You can’t start eating the meal until the first star is seen in the sky. So people (especially the hungry ones!) go outside as soon as it starts getting dark in the afternoon to try and spot the first star. The star represents the journey of the Wise Men to find Jesus and that Jesus has been born, so Christmas can start!

The meal normally has 12 dishes that represent Jesus’s 12 disciples. The main dish is often ‘kutia’ a type of a kind of sweet porridge made of wheat. Other dishes can include mushrooms, sauerkraut, red ‘borsch’, dumplings known as ‘varenyky’ (Pierogi), whitefish, ‘bigos’ (a meat and cabbage stew), cheesecake and bread.

 

The room where Sviata Vecheria is eaten normally has a Didukh decoration placed in it. The Didukh is a made from a sheaf of wheat and symbolizes the large wheat field in Ukraine. It literally means ‘grandfather spirit’ and can represent people’s ancestors being with them in their memories. Sometimes people use some heads of wheat in a vase rather than a whole sheaf of wheat.

After the meal, people love to sing carols or ‘Koliadky’. They can be sung around the table or you might go out caroling in the streets. People sometimes carry brightly colored stars on poles when they go caroling singing.

The Ukrainian carol ‘Shchedryk’ is where the popular ‘Carol of the Bells’ came from St Nicholas (known as Svyatyi Mykolai) visits children in Ukraine on December 24th.

 

Hindu: Pancha Ganapati

 

21–25 December – Modern five-day festival in honor of Lord Ganesha, celebrated by Hindus in USA.

 

Think of this as the Hindu Christmas, a modern winter holiday full of family-centered happenings, but with five days of gifts for the kids, not one. From December 21 to 25 Hindus worship Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed Lord of culture and new beginnings. Family members work to mend past mistakes and bring His blessings of joy and harmony into five realms of their life, a wider circle each day: family, friends, associates, culture and religion.

Pancha Ganapati includes outings, picnics, feasts, and exchange of cards and gifts with relatives, friends, and business associates. A shrine is created in the main living room of the home and decorated in the spirit of this festive occasion. At the center is placed a large wooden or bronze statue of Lord Panchamukha (“five-faced”) Ganapati, a form of Ganesha. Any large picture or statue of Ganesha will also do. Each morning the children decorate and dress Him in the color of that day, representing one of His five rays of energy, or shaktis.

 

 

 

Hindu: Makar Sankrat/Pongal

From http://www.cookinglight.com

 

This January 14 Hindu holiday celebrates the new solar year, considered to be the beginning of the new day for the gods and the end of their six-month night. It is observed and named differently in each region―Pongal in the south of India and Makar Sankrat in the north. But most festivities include a common theme of ceremonial cleansing, offerings, and celebrations of the harvest. Pongal, which means “to boil over,” refers both to the concept of bounty and to the traditional dish of rice boiled in milk, which is given to the gods as an offering. Sesame seeds, or til, are looked upon as a symbol of health and friendship. Sweets made from sesame and jaggery―a special kind of sugar―are exchanged on the holiday along with the saying, “accept these sweets and speak sweet words.” The tradition reminds people to resolve past quarrels so that friendship can thrive.

 

 

 

Muslim: Eid ul-Fitr/Hari Raya Puasa

 

Ramadan is the month-long Muslim holiday celebrating the revelation of the Koran to the prophet Muhammad. Devout Muslims fast each day from sunup to sundown for the full month and then break the fasting period with a three-day festival. Because the Muslim world spans many countries and cultures, the celebrations, foods, and even the name of the festival change from place to place―in Arab countries, it’s called Eid ul-Fitr, and in Malaysia, it’s called Hari Raya Puasa. The dates change from year to year (falling sometime between October and December), depending on the Islamic calendar. Although the festival reaches a broad group of people who celebrate it in diverse ways, there are general things that all Muslims do during Eid,” says Rabiah Ahmed, spokesperson for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, such as preparing the house, getting dressed up, and gathering with family and friends for a feast. After 30 days of fasting, food is shared in abundance, and children exchange gifts and receive money from their elders.

 

 

 

Iranian: Shab-e Yalda

In Iran, the winter solstice, which falls on December 21, is hailed with Shab-e Yalda―the birthday of the sun. It’s a celebration of the triumph of light over dark, good over evil. It is thought that on the longest night with evil at its zenith, light needs help to overcome darkness. On this day, families build a bonfire outside and gather until sunrise for a night of storytelling, dancing, and food. In Iranian culture, certain nutritional properties of foods are considered hot and others are considered cold (regardless of temperature or level of spice), much like Chinese yin or yang. A balance between the two is important. Summer foods are preserved throughout the year for the Shab-e Yalda feast, where they mingle with the foods of winter to symbolize the balance of seasons. Saffron and carrots, for example, are warm foods served during Shab-e Yalda to counter the cold of winter.

 

 

 

Jewish: Hanukkah

More than 2,000 years ago in Palestine, Judas Maccabee and his followers triumphed over the tyrant Antiochus and his army, despite overwhelming odds. But when they returned to Jerusalem, they found their temple desecrated with pagan idols. In order to purge the temple of its defilement, the Maccabees rebuilt the altar and cleansed the temple, rededicating it during eight days of ceremonies. Tradition holds that there was only enough sanctified olive oil to light the temple for one day, but it burned miraculously for all eight days of the celebration. Today, those of the Jewish faith celebrate this victory during an eight-day holiday that begins on the 25th of Kislev (in late November or December). Each night of Hanukkah, people light one candle on the menorah in memory of the miracle of the oil. Since antiquity, the festival has also honored the significance of olive oil to the ancient Jewish culture as fuel, food, and even medicine, and it shows in the foods of the feast. Dishes cooked in olive oil, and latkes (potato pancakes) in particular, are celebratory symbols of this gift of sustenance.

 

 

 

Christmas in the Philippines 

 

The people in the Philippines like to celebrate Christmas for as long as possible! who doesn’t? I love Christmas. The playing of Christmas carols in shops can start in September! how about that for business!

The formal Christmas celebrations start on 16th December when many people go to the first of nine pre-dawn or early morning masses. The last mass is on Christmas day. The Christmas celebrations continue to the First Sunday in January when Epiphany or the Feast of the Three Kings is celebrated.

In the Philippines, the early masses held before Christmas are called the ‘Misa de Gallo’ or ‘Simbang Gabi’ in Filipino.

Most Filipinos people are Christians with about 80% of people being Catholics. It’s the only Asian country with so many Christians. For this reason, Christmas is the most important holiday in the Philippines. December is actually one of the ‘cooler’ months of the year in the Philippines. The Philippines only has two real seasons, wet (June to October) and dry (April and May). December is one of the months in between the wet and dry seasons a great time for their celebrations.

In the Philippines, the early masses held before Christmas are called the ‘Misa de Gallo’ or ‘Simbang Gabi’ in Filipino.

The Christmas customs in the Philippines are a mixture of the Western USA and the UK and native Filipino traditions. So people in the Philippines have Santa Claus or ‘Santa Klaus’, Christmas treesChristmas cards and Christmas carols traditions that came from western countries.

They also have their own Christmas traditions such as the ‘parol’ which is a bamboo pole or frame with a lighted star lantern on it. It’s traditionally made from bamboo strips and colored Japanese paper or cellophane paper and represents the star that guided the Wise Men. It is the most popular Christmas decoration in the Philippines.

 

 

 

Philippines Christmas Parol

 

Christmas Eve is very important in the Philippines. Many people stay awake all night through to Christmas day, WOW Party! During Christmas Eve evening, Christians go to church to hear the last ‘simbang gabi’ or the Christmas Eve mass. This is followed by a midnight feast, called Noche Buena.

The Noche Buena is a big, open house, a celebration with family, friends, and neighbors dropping in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Most households would have several dishes laid out and would normally include: Lechon (roasted pig), ham, fruit salad, rice cakes (bibingka and puto bumbong are traditional Christmas foods) and other sweets, steamed rice, and many different types of drinks.

The Philippines culture has eight major languages, here’s how to say Merry Christmas in some of the languages!

  • In Tagalog, Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘Maligayang Pasko’
  • in Ilonggo it’s ‘Malipayon nga Pascua’;
  • in Sugbuhanon or Cebuano it’s ‘Maayong Pasko’
  • in Bicolano they say ‘Maugmang Pasko’
  • in Pangalatok or Pangasinense they say ‘Maabig ya pasko’ or ‘Magayagan inkianac’.

 

 

 

 

African: Kwanzaa

First celebrated in the United States in 1966, Kwanzaa was created for those of African descent around the world to reconnect with their common heritage. The name is derived from traditional harvest celebrations in Africa called matunda ya kwanza, literally “first fruits,” which were seven days of gathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment, and celebration. Beginning on December 26 and lasting for seven days, modern Kwanzaa celebrations esteem one of the seven core principles of African American unity, the Nguzo Saba, on each night. Karamu, a lavish feast of traditional foods from African cultures around the world, takes place near the end of the holiday.

 

 

Different Ethnicity Santa Claus

Hoteiosho, Japan

Japan’s holiday gift-giver is a fat Buddhist monk with eyes in the back of his head. Some say he travels with a red-nosed reindeer and some say he works alone, but he doesn’t arrive on Christmas in either hybrid Christian-Buddhist tale. Christmas in Japan is spent with family doing charity work. But on New Year’s Eve, the real action begins: the house is cleaned and decorated, then family members throw beans for good luck and await their gifts from the benevolent monk.

 

 

Native American – Hopi
(Soyal, Soyala, Sol-ya-lang-eu)

 

From http://www.brownielocks.com/nativeamerican.html

The date of this observation is on December 22.  It is celebrated by the Hopi Indians. Although a black Plumed Snake is the basic symbol of this ceremony. But it is not based on snake worship. (Just like their Snake Dance Ceremony isn’t either.)  It is a ceremony related to the sun as it relates to the winter solstice.  It is one of the Hopi’s most sacred ceremonies and is also called the “Prayer-Offering Ceremony”  because it is a time for saying prayers for the New Year and for wishing each other prosperity and health.

 

 

CHRISTMAS FACTS

 

1 Each year, 30-35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States alone. There are 21,000 Christmas tree growers in the United States, and trees usually grow for about 15 years before they are sold.
2 Today, in the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches, Christmas is celebrated 13 days after the 25th, which is also referred to as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day. This is the day it is believed that the three wise men finally found Jesus in the manger.
3 In the Middle Ages, Christmas celebrations were rowdy and raucous—a lot like today’s Mardi Gras parties.
4 From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and law-breakers were fined five shillings.
5 Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870.
6 The first eggnog made in the United States was consumed in Captain John Smith’s 1607 Jamestown settlement.
7 Poinsettia plants are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico, who brought the red-and-green plant from Mexico to America in 1828.
8 The Salvation Army has been sending Santa Claus-clad donation collectors into the streets since the 1890s.
9 Rudolph, “the most famous reindeer of all,” was the product of Robert L. May’s imagination in 1939. The copywriter wrote a poem about the reindeer to help lure customers into the Montgomery Ward department store. 10 Construction workers started the Rockefeller Center
Christmas tree tradition in 1931.

 

 

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 Holiday Recipes

 

Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie

 

 

Ingredients

  • 8 large or 10 medium potatoes (Yukon gold works well)
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance or other vegan buttery spread
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk or other nondairy milk
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 ounces cremini or baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
  • Two 15-ounce cans lentils lightly drained
  • 2 tablespoons dry red wine, optional
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning blend (such as Spike or Mrs. Dash)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
  • 8 to 10 ounces baby spinach or arugula leaves
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs

 

Directions

 

Peel and dice the potatoes. Place in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a small mixing bowl.

Stir the Earth Balance into the potatoes until melted, then add the rice milk and mash until fluffy. Season with salt, cover, and set aside until needed.

Preheat the oven to 400º F.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to sauté until the onion is golden.

Add the lentils and their liquid and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the optional wine, soy sauce, seasoning blend, thyme, and pepper. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Combine the cornstarch with just enough water to dissolve in a small container. Stir into the lentil mixture.

Add the spinach, a little at a time, cooking just until it’s all wilted down. Remove from the heat; taste to adjust seasonings to your liking.

Lightly oil a 2-quart (preferably round) casserole dish, or two deep-dish pie plates. Scatter the breadcrumbs evenly over the bottom. Pour in the lentil mixture then spread the potatoes evenly over the top. If using two pie plates, divide each mixture evenly between them.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to turn golden and slightly crusty. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve.

8 or more servings

Read more at http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/lentil-and-mushroom-shepherd%e2%80%99s-pie/#KfpLlFEREyltxKZj.99

 

 

 

Organic farmer Beverley Thurber shares her snappy-tasting ginger cookies.

 

 

 

Ingredients

  1. 4 1⁄2 cups flour
  2. 4 teaspoons ground ginger
  3. 2 teaspoons baking soda
  4. 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  5. 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  6. 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
  7. 1 1⁄2 cups shortening, at room temperature
  8. 2 cups sugar or the sweetener of your choice
  9. 2 Organic Valley Large Brown Eggs
  10. 1⁄2 cup molasses
  11. large, decorative sugar crystals or additional regular sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Use a whisk to combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Place shortening in a large bowl. Cream the shortening with electric beaters at medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Continue beating as you slowly and gradually add the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. After all the sugar is added, keep beating for other minutes or two.

4. Add eggs and molasses; beat well.

5. Reduce speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Use a spatula to stir and “smooth out” the cookie dough.

6. Use a 2-inch-wide ice-cream scoop to make scoops of dough. You can scoop them directly onto the baking pans or roll the scoops into smooth balls first. Place them two inches apart on the baking pans. Sprinkle each mound with sugar crystals or regular sugar.

7. Bake until light brown and puffed, about 15-17 minutes.

8. Cool cookies in the pan on wire racks.

http://www.organicvalley.coop/recipes/show/ginger-molasses-cookies/

 

 

GLAZED VEGAN POPPY SEED GRAPEFRUIT CAKE

 

Ingredients

 

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup soy milk

1 cup vegan margarine

2 cups f organic sugar or a sweetener of your choice

3  egg replacer for 3 eggs

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons grapefruit zest

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice

1 1/2 cups of organic confectioner’s sugar if you choose to

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil a 10-inch bundt pan.

Add apple cider vinegar to soy milk. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the margarine and sugar or sweetener of your choice until fluffy. Beat in egg replacer.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture, alternating with the soy milk mixture. Stir until smooth. Fold in the grapefruit zest, poppy seeds and grapefruit juice. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan 10 minutes then (carefully!) remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Combine confectioner’s sugar and grapefruit juice and mix until smooth. When cake has completely cooled, drizzle with glaze.

 

 

Egg Nog Puffed Crepes

 

 

Kissed with nutmeg and cream, these delicious German Pancakes are delightfully easy to prepare.

Serves 6.

1/2 stick butter

6 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup eggnog

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup fresh raspberries or berry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a 9×13 baking dish and put the dish in the preheating oven.

In a blender, combine eggs, flour, eggnog, and salt. Blend for 2-3 minutes, until light and frothy.  Open the oven door, quickly remove the pan with butter (so long as the butter is completely melted and starting to sizzle). Pour egg batter into

 

 

 

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Capresso Electric Water Kettle

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The unlimited uses Of Apple Cider Vinegar for Skin and Health

Apple cider vinegar and flowers 9-20-14

In week 61 we are sharing the facts and unlimited usage of VINEGAR, for centuries fermentation has been used in many cultures, and it continues to do so. I grew up with foods being fermented by my mother or the Nana, both of them taught me the best value of fermentation. Here, we wish to share it, so you and your family can benefit from it, Our family uses Vinegar from food to hair, skincare pets, to repel insects and so much more.

For centuries, apple cider vinegar has been used for many purposes: cleaning, polishing, cooking, salad dressings, skin and hair treatments and to relive wellbeing challenges and many more uses.

Whether your kitchen cupboard is graced with the most elegant wine vinegar or cheap and cheerful malt, the chances are that somewhere in the house you will have a bottle of this precious product.

At the heart of even the fanciest variants is a simple enough compound: Acetic Acid. Officially called ethanoic acid, with the formula CH3CO2H, the acid is the result of oxidizing ethanol, the alcohol in intoxicating alcohol drinks.

Leave a bottle of wine of any kind exposed to the atmosphere and within a few days it will have taken on a sharp and sour taste as more and more of the alcohol is turned to this weak acid by acetic acid bacteria and it works like a magic act every time. These species are common in the air and come in a range of genera from Acetobacter to Acidiphilium, but all with the distinct urge to oxidize ethanol to gain energy.

 

In its familiar domestic form (food use), vinegar is typically only around five percent acetic acid by volume with most of the rest water, plus traces of other compounds.

For industrial use, acetic acid was originally derived from vinegar, but since the early twentieth century, it has largely been produced from wood or, most recently, by reacting methanol and carbon monoxide over a catalyst.

According to:http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/podcast/CIIEcompounds/transcripts/vinegar.asp

Most of the acetic acid produced this way is not destined for our vinegar bottles, which retain the old ‘fermentation’ methods from alcoholic drinks, but rather as a raw material in the production of three broad types of compounds. The largest proportion goes to the manufacture of vinyl acetate monomer, itself a starting point for the polymer polyvinyl acetate or PVA, familiar to many people through its wide use as a glue. Another significant chunk of the over 6 million tons produced each year is used to form acetic anhydride, a step in the production of cellulose acetate, used in coatings and photographic films. Much of the rest will either act as a solvent or be used in the production of esters for inks and paints.

In its vinegar form, acetic acid makes its way into all areas of catering. Vinegar’s partnering with salt, when associated with chips, is legendary in the UK at least, in some parts of which it is also an essential additive to mushy peas, modifying the gluey pea juice to a more palatable and zesty mix. By extension, vinegar makes its way into flavoring for crisps (or potato chips) and is a major component of bottled sauces.

You are also likely to find vinegar in your store cupboard acting as a preservative. While brine can be used in pickling, the most popular approach for picking vegetables is to use vinegar, which ironically, given its bacterial origins, has the role of killing bacteria to preserve otherwise perishable food

Apple cider vinegar is a product of double fermentation. This is a process in which sugars in food are broken down by bacterias and yeast. In the first stage of fermentation, the sugars are generally turned into alcohol. The word vinegar originates from the French, meaning “Sour Wine”, Vinegar can be made from all sorts of products, like fruits, vegetables and grains – Apple Cider vinegar comes from apple scraps or pulverized apples.

mother-apple-cider-vinegar

You probably saw it in the supermarkets, the bottles containing cloudy sediment at the bottom. These sediments are known as the “ Mother of Vinegar “ and are mostly composed of beneficial bacteria from acetic acid. The main ingredient in apple cider vinegar or any vinegar is acetic acid, part citric, malic and lactic acids.

 

Acetic acid

At the heart of even the fanciest variants is a simple enough compound: acetic acid. Officially called ethanoic acid, with the formula CH3CO2H, the acid is the result of oxidizing ethanol, the alcohol in intoxicating drinks. Leave a bottle of wine exposed to the atmosphere and within a few days it will have taken on a sharp-sour taste as more and more of the alcohol is turned to this weak acid by acetic acid bacteria. These species are common in the air and come in a range of genera from Acetobacter to Acidiphilium, but all with the distinct urge to oxidize ethanol to gain energy.

Pure acetic acid is a clear liquid which in the lab is usually called ‘glacial’, a term that refers to its tendency to produce crystals that resemble ice at low room temperature. In its familiar domestic form, vinegar is typically only around five percent acetic acid by volume with most of the rest water, plus traces of other compounds. Vinegar can be as clear as the original acid but often has the colorings from its source, the wine, for example, in wine vinegar.

 

Citric Acid

 

Citric acid is a weak organic acid found in citrus fruits.

It is a natural preservative and is also used to add an acidic (sour) taste to foods and soft drinks. In biochemistry, it is important as an intermediate in the citric acid cycle and therefore occurs in the metabolism of almost all living things. It also serves as an environmentally benign cleaning agent and acts as an antioxidant. Citric acid exists in a variety of fruits and vegetables, but it is most concentrated in lemons and limes, where it can comprise as much as 8 percent of the dry weight of the fruit.

 

Malic Acid

 

Malic acid is a component of many of the foods that we eat daily. Although it is found as a naturally occurring organic compound in various fruits, many choose to take malic acid supplements to increase their overall health, as well as treat various maladies. Today, the acid is most commonly used as a food additive and preservative. It is a mild and relatively harmless acid when used in appropriate amounts. As a food supplement, it is generally considered beneficial for health and is present in large amounts in apple juices. As when taking any supplement, however, you should not exceed the recommended amounts for consumption.

 

Lactic acid

 

Lactic acid is an organic compound with the formula CH3CH(OH)CO2H. It is a white, water-soluble solid or clear liquid that is produced both naturally and synthetically. With a hydroxyl group adjacent to the carboxyl group, lactic acid is classified as an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). In the form of its conjugate base called lactate, it plays a role in several biochemical processes.

Lactic acid is found primarily in sour milk products, such as koumiss, laban, yogurt, kefir, some cottage cheeses, and kombucha. The casein in fermented milk is coagulated (curdled) by lactic acid. Lactic acid is also responsible for the sour flavor of sourdough bread.

Vinegar can be made from almost any fermentable carbohydrate source, including wine, molasses, dates, sorghum, apples, pears, grapes, berries, melons, coconut, honey, beer, maple syrup, potatoes, beets, malt, grains, and whey to mention a few.

The use of vinegar with a variety of plants or essential oils for cosmetic purposes can be traced back to the Romans and was fashionable during the 19th century as vinegar de toilette.

Vinegar as Skincare

 

Hippocrates known as the father of modern medicine used apple cider vinegar as a health tonic.

Christopher Columbus sailed with 55 gals. drums aboard his ships to fight scurvy.

Apple Cider vinegar is said to speed up metabolism and found that vinegar also burns fat faster.

 

acid alkaline

Alkaline Acid Balance – Despite being an acidic solution, apple cider vinegar has an alkalinizing effect on the body.

Some alternative practitioners recommend using apple cider vinegar to restore alkaline acid balance. The theory behind the alkaline diet is that our blood is slightly alkaline (with a normal pH level of between 7.35 and 7.45) and that our diet should reflect this pH level. Proponents of the alkaline-acid theory believe that a diet high in acid-producing foods leads to a lack of energy, excessive mucus production, infections, anxiety, irritability, headache, sore throat, nasal and sinus congestion, allergic reactions, and increased risk of conditions such as arthritis and gout.

Despite being an acidic solution, some proponents of apple cider vinegar believe it has an alkalinizing effect on the body. As such, they recommend one to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in water as a daily health tonic.

acidic-alkaline-phchart

 

Acetic Acid inhibits the activity of several carbohydrates- digesting enzymes, including amylase, sucrase, maltase, and lactase. As a result, when vinegar is present in the intestines, some sugars and starches temporarily pass through without being digested, so they have less impact on blood sugar.

  • improves insulin sensitivity during a high-carb meal by 19-34% and significantly lowers blood glucose and insulin responses.
  • 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bedtime can reduce fasting blood sugars by 4%
  • Numerous other studies show that vinegar can increase insulin sensitivity and significantly lower blood sugar responses during meals.

 

More mother vinegar 9-2-14

Make sure you get the raw Apple Cider vinegar to get the most benefits from it. Apple Cider vinegar which is unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized with plenty of the MOTHER VINEGAR. The mother is made up of living nutrients and bacteria. This is were most of the health benefits come from. It doesn’t have a great look, but is the most nutritious and has many of the bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

The ingredients of raw Apple Cider vinegar: potassium, pectin, malic acid, acetic acid, and ash ( ash creates alkalinity in the vinegar and helps to maintain a healthy alkaline state)

 

great skin for tittle 9-1-14

Apple Cider vinegar for the Skin: Dr Frank Lipman great site to visit

According to http://www.drfranklipman.com

There are several key attributes to ACV for maintaining beautiful skin, and exfoliation is one of them. Exfoliating is a key element for keeping youthful healthy skin. There are several ways to exfoliate, and one of them is by “digesting” dead skin cells, which the acids in ACV do. This mild cell turnover is widely used as a skin treatment to improve, soften, and smooth skin texture. The new skin layer once revealed, is more vibrant, youthful, and healthy.

With a pH similar to skin, AVC helps restore and balance your skin’s pH and acid mantle. This too is key to healthy, beautiful skin. The acid mantle is the combination of sebum (oil) and perspiration on the skin’s surface. This barrier protects the skin and makes it less vulnerable to environmental damage (smog, sun, and wind), less prone to dehydration, and also inhibits the growth of foreign bacteria and fungi (enabling skin to be healthier and have fewer breakout and blemishes. Acne, allergies and other skin problems become more severe as the skin becomes more alkaline).”Mild” soaps are often alkaline (pH 9.5-11), and remove the natural acid protection as well as extract protective lipids (fats) from the skin. Washing with soap can increase this alkaline state and make the skin even more vulnerable to irritation and infection. Most people are cleansing with products that are breaking down their acid mantle and causing increased skin issues. Balancing your pH is an imperative part of maintaining healthy skin.

 

Hair after apple cider vinegar 9-20-14

 

14  Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar:

from: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/09/28-health-and-beauty-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar.html

Tame tummy troubles.

The pectin content in ACV helps treat diarrhea by forming bulk fibrous matter. The pectin also forms a protective coat for soothing the colon lining and intestinal spasms. Try mixing one or two tablespoons into water, or clear juice like apple juice.

Prevent indigestion.

Sip before eating, especially if you know you’re going to indulge in foods that cause indigestion. Add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water and drink it 30 minutes before you dine.

Help clear a stuffy nose.

Mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink. This helps sinus drainage.

Help for hiccups.

Since hiccups are often caused by either low stomach acid slowing the digestion of protein, or eating too much…ACV can be a great solution for hiccups. It restores the acid balance in the stomach and eases irritating spasms of the diaphragm.

Soothe a sore throat.

As soon as you feel the prickle of a sore throat, take some ACV to help head off the infection at the pass. Turns out, most germs can’t survive in the acidic environment vinegar creates. Just mix ¼ cup apple cider vinegar with ¼ cup warm water and gargle every hour or so.

Reduce swelling.

Rubbing apple cider vinegar onto swollen hands or feet reduces swelling. A wonderful thing during pregnancy!

Extinguish exhaustion.

Exercise and sometimes extreme stress cause lactic acid to build up in the body, causing fatigue. Apple cider vinegar contains potassium and enzymes that may relieve that tired feeling. Next time you’re feeling beat, add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to a glass of chilled vegetable drink or to a glass of water.

Relieve nighttime leg cramps.

ACV taken diluted in water twice daily, will dissolve acid crystals in the blood and provide potassium, calcium and other essential minerals to the body needed to ease the leg cramps.

Banish bad breath.

Due to its acidic properties, Apple Cider Vinegar makes a wonderful remedy for bad breath or halitosis. Simply add 1/2 tablespoon of ACV into a cup of water and gargle the mixture in your mouth for 10 seconds at a time until the cup is empty.

Fight yeast infections.

One of the best home remedies to treat a yeast infection is Apple Cider Vinegar. Add 1 and a half cups of ACV into a bathtub filled with warm water, and then soak in it for about 20 minutes. This should be done once a day for the first 3 days of the infection

Foot or skin fungus.

Just as ACV can help kill Candida in the body, it is often useful against yeast and fungus on the skin and nails. If you have foot or toe fungus, soak the feet in 1 cup of ACV in water or apply directly to the affected area. For skin fungus or yeast, apply ACV directly. For children or those with sensitive skin, it is best to dilute the ACV with water before applying to the skin.

Control blood sugars.

The anti-glycemic effects of apple cider vinegar help to improve insulin sensitivity, which is essential to maintain the sugar levels of blood. Mix one teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of filtered water and take 3 times a day to steady your stomach’s rate of digestion which in turn will keep blood sugar levels more consistent. If you are diabetic, consult your physician.

Boost weight loss.

Many people claim that Apple Cider Vinegar promotes weight loss by speeding up the metabolism. A suggested remedy is to mix 2 teaspoons of the vinegar into a glass of water and drink this before every meal or sip it slowly throughout the day

Lower blood cholesterol.

Research has indicated that apple cider vinegar improves the lipid profile of blood by decreasing the levels of triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or bad cholesterol, as also by increasing the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or good cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, consult your physician.

 

 

apple-cider-vinegar

 

 

Weight Loss

Another major apple cider vinegar benefit is weight loss. Although no one is sure how it works, it has helped many people lose weight. Click on the Weight Loss section to find out what the experts recommend as far as how much to take and how often, and the latest theories on why it works.

 

Cooking with apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is an amazingly versatile cooking ingredient. It adds a tangy taste to many drinks and deepens the flavors of numerous foods. It’s important to note that vinegar is a major ingredient in most condiments. Mayonnaise and tomato ketchup account for more than 10% of the vinegar production in America.

Staffordshire terrier puppy and gray cat. Isolated on white background

 

Pet care

 Ear Care Product

Unfortunately, a large percentage of dog and cat visits to the veterinarian are for ear problems, but the good news is, you can help reduce these visits by cleaning your pet’s ears on a regular weekly basis.

An inexpensive way to do this is to dip a soft cotton ball into a solution of equal parts apple cider vinegar and water and use it to swab the inside of his or her ear.

For an infected ear, use 5 ml of the 50:50 vinegar-water solution per 20 lbs (9 kg) of body weight, applying the solution with a syringe obtained from your local pharmacy. Gently rub in the solution then wipe the inside of the ear with a soft cotton ball. This should be done daily for 5 days.

The vinegar helps to control the growth of unfriendly bacteria and other microorganisms that are a common cause of ear infections, and as a result, this will help keep your pets from scratching their ears.

 

Fleas and Ticks

Rather than use commercial sprays, powders, pills or collars that use very toxic chemicals to kill fleas and ticks, many people prefer to take a more natural holistic approach. According to Martin Goldstein, DVM, some of these products could also be harmful to your pets.

As an alternative, Roger DeHaan, DVM, suggests using a homemade shampoo and rinse that kills fleas and at the same time soothes irritated skin:

Add to an 8-ounce bottle of your favorite pet shampoo, 10 drops of tea tree oil and one tablespoon (15 ml) of aloe vera and shake well.

Shampoo your pet as you would normally then wait for 6-10 minutes.

Rinse with apple cider vinegar diluted in water. (1 tablespoon ACV to 1 pint of water)

For minor flea infestations, another recommendation involves washing your pet with a gentle shampoo, followed by a thorough rinse then spraying on apple cider vinegar diluted with an equal amount of warm water. Allow the pet to drip or shake dry.

The fleas will drown in the soapy shampoo water and the vinegar rinse will acidify your pet’s skin making it very unattractive to other fleas and ticks.

 

Relief for skin problems

Apply unpasteurized apple cider vinegar with the aid of a soft cotton ball, directly to burns or skin acne to soothe and promote healing.

For dry itchy skin, hot spots, or skin infections you can bathe your pet in warm water then rinse him or her with a solution of 1 part ACV to 3 parts water. This vinegar rinse will also leave their coats soft and shiny.

 

Apple juice

 

Beauty benefits of apple cider vinegar

 

 

In its raw form, apple cider vinegar alkalises your system promotes healthy digestion and encourages the growth of healthy bacteria in your body. It also helps promote cellular cleansing.

In her book, The Beauty Detox Foods, celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snider (her clients include Drew Barrymore, The Black Eyed Peas’ Fergie, Channing Tatum, Teresa Palmer, and Vince Vaughan), to name only a few, says, “Raw apple cider vinegar is high in minerals and potassium … it has antiseptic qualities and can help cleanse your digestive tract, promoting bowel movements.”

Because of this, it is thought to help clear away congestion, blemishes, and acne.

“I have noticed a definite link between constipation and acne in my clients,” says Kimberly. “Raw apple cider vinegar is a strong digestive aid, helping to cure constipation and stimulating stomach acid, which aids in digestion. Its antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties are of further benefit in dealing with candida and yeast issues.”

It is indeed one of nature’s most powerful beauty ingredients. Kimberly warns that you must ensure you use raw and unfiltered, which implies that it is still unpasteurized and contains its original enzymes. She advises to sprinkle it over salads in place of your regular dressing or to dilute a tablespoon in a glass of water about 20 minutes prior to eating.

You can use it topically, too. It brightens the skin, adds gloss to your hair and can even lift away stains from your nails. Here are a few handy hints!

–    Use apple cider vinegar in place of your regular toner. Drench a cotton wool ball with water first, and then dip it in the vinegar. Sweep it lightly over your face and throat, avoiding the eyes. It will promote clarity of complexion, diminish discoloration and age spots and help to clear away pimples.

–    Use it as a final rinse through your hair after washing and conditioning. Leave it on for half an hour, then rinse away to lift the smell, but leave mega-watt shine. It’s also thought to relieve dandruff when applied straight to the scalp.

–    Soak stained fingernails in a bowl of pure apple cider vinegar for twenty minutes. Rinse, and massage a small amount of olive oil into each nail bed. Likewise, swish a mouthful of it between your teeth to promote a healthy oral environment and also assist in lifting away mild stains on your teeth.

–    Apple cider vinegar has really powerful astringent, toning properties. Because of this, it’s thought to be effective on cellulite. As part of your cellulite plan, which should include a well-balanced diet and plenty of exercises, try soaking in a warm bath with a cup of apple cider vinegar added.

 

apple-cider-vinegar-03-pg-full

 

Why You Should Wash Your Face With Apple Cider Vinegar

 

ACV for Age Spots

 

ACV contains powerful alpha hydroxy acids to help remove dead skin cells and reveal a fresher and healthier complexion underneath them. Many expensive commercial face washes bang on about the tiny amounts of alpha-hydroxy acids they’ve added to their products, but ACV is full of far higher levels, of which are alive and ready to revive your skin. The ‘natural’ ingredients in commercial face products are actually dead and useless by the time they are processed and bottled up.

When you use ACV for age spots, apply a little undiluted ACV directly onto the age spots with a cotton wool bud and leave for about 20-30 minutes once or twice a day before rinsing off. Do it for about 6 weeks to see if you notice any improvement.

Before you use ACV all over your face, it is advisable to test it on a small area of your face. Under the chin is a good spot, just in case you do get a reaction, then it’s not too noticeable!

To apply ACV to your skin, simply use a cotton bud and gently glide over skin to remove make-up, oil, and impurities. Be careful not to get it in your eyes!. If you are suffering from a breakout, then be warned it will sting your pimples. However, this should feel like a ‘good’ hurt, and not be intolerable.

When you use AVC for the first time, after 5 minutes, it is a good idea to rinse it off with warm water. This is just so your skin isn’t too exposed to ACV on your first time. If you don’t get a reaction, then the next time you use it, don’t wash it off, and then you can build up your skin’s tolerance. It is best to apply the ACV toner at night as ACV can increase sensitivity to ultra-violet rays.

Don’t leave your body out. ACV isn’t just for your beautiful face. If you suffer from acne on your back, you are not alone. Fortunately, ACV is wonderful for treating acne on the back too. If you’re worried about how you’re going to apply it, then just use a spray bottle.

 

More Uses For Apple Cider Vinegar 

 

 

Hair rinse: Apple cider vinegar gets rid of residue build-up on hair, leaving it soft and shiny. Mix ¼ cup apple cider vinegar with 2 cups water. Apply after shampooing.

Dandruff:  Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar to 3 parts warm water, apply to scalp. Use a hair toner/dye bottle or any bottle that has a pointy tip that will allow you to get the liquid directly on your scalp.  

Deodorant: Since ACV helps adjust the skin’s pH level, it helps to eliminate odor-causing bacteria. For underarms use a cotton ball to apply, for feet: Add ½ cup ACV to a bowl of water; soak feet.

Acne: Mix 1 part ACV, and 3 parts Rooibos tea and apply to blemishes. You can add a drop of Tea Tree Oil or Oregano oil as well.

pH balancing toner: Mix 1 part ACV with 4 parts water for your base.

For acne/oily skin replace water with rooibos tea.

For dry skin replace water with chamomile tea or cucumber-infused water (leave several slices of cucumber in the water overnight).

For aging skin replace water with green, black or white tea.

 

Skin perfecting mask

Ingredients

1 teaspoon deep-sea mud
1 teaspoon rose water
¼ teaspoon ACV
1/8 teaspoon yogurt
1/16 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon kombucha

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together. To balance the texture, you can add more mud or yogurt (to thicken) or kombucha or water (to thin). (If you cannot find deep-sea mud or rose water locally you can either eliminate them from the mask replacing the mud with arrowroot and the rose water with plain water.

And last but not least, if you have achy, swollen hands and feet: Rub them with a little apple cider vinegar.

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