Cupping for Wellbeing

 

 Cupping

 

 

On week 11, we are sharing an ancient procedure that has been used for thousands of years in many cultures. I grew up with it. Our NANA was Mapuche and Quero Indian and she used cupping to help us with health challenges from pains to fevers and so much more. It is an amazing procedure and it really works for so many conditions. When I lived in China, I started back on it and learned that they use it for Cosmetic purposes too, and WOW it does create very substantial results. The procedures are used for Cellulite, wrinkles, and scars to reduce fat deposits for facelifts and many other treatments.

We recommend for you to get the work done by a professional and to consult your health practitioner before you embark on any health-related treatments. Acupuncture Doctors will be glad to tell you all the benefits and contradictions. Enjoy and share these procedures with others, they are life-changing in many ways.

 

Definition of cupping

 

The word cupping was derived from the Arabic verbs “ Hajama” and :Haj’jama” by that they mean to minimize or to restore to basic size or to diminish in volume. In Arabic is a verb “ahjama” which means TO withdraw or retreat from an attack.

 

 

 

Ancient Cupping Tools Carved on Stone

 

History of Cupping Therapy

 

 

Cupping Therapy has been around for thousands of years.  It developed over time from the original use of hollowed out animal horns (the Horn Method) to treat boils and suck out the toxins out of snakebites and skin lesions. Horns slowly evolved into bamboo cups, which were eventually replaced by glass. Therapeutic applications evolved with the refinement of the cup itself, and with the cultures that employed cupping as a health care technique.

Bamboo Cups

Animal Horns Cupping

Ancient Cupping Tools

 

 

For the most part common information consider the Chinese to be responsible for cupping, however, the earliest records date back to the ancient Egyptians around 1500 B.C.  Translations of hieroglyphics in the Ebers Papyrus, the oldest  medical textbook, detail the use of cupping for treating fever, pain, vertigo, menstrual imbalances, weakened appetite intestinal illness and many other conditions helping to accelerate the healing crisis.

From the Egyptians, cupping was introduced to the ancient Greeks, where Hippocrates, the Greek doctor, Father of Modern Medicine and cupping advocate, viewed cupping as a remedy for almost every type of disease, he mentions it in the 400 BC  In fact, other Greek physicians used the strong suction of cupping to restore spinal alignment by reducing dislocated vertebrae from protruding inward.

The earliest recorded use of cupping came from the famous alchemist and herbalist, Ge Hong (281-341 A.D.), who popularized the saying “Acupuncture and cupping, more than half of the ills cured.”

Though little known here in North America, this form of treatment is still popular in Asia, and Middle East, Finland South America and many other countries. As such, it is called by many names including Ba gwan, giac hoi, bekam, buhang, ventosa, bentusa in South west Asia. In the middle East, it is commonly referred as hijama, hejamat, and badkesh among many others.

The procedure involves using glass or ceramic cups, metal bells, bamboo tubes, animal horns, and a wide variety of other tools. However, recently the use of glass jars, plastic, and silicone are more popular, the common procedures from acupuncture practitioners is to use a cotton soaked in alcohol or medicated oil and ignited, this is place a side the container to heat it, lowering its internal pressure, the cup is immediately placed on the skin, and as the air inside cools, it creates a vacuum effect  which makes the cup stick in a vacuum suction to the skin. Blood immediately rushes to the area, creating a natural body response.

There are two types of cupping: wet and dry.

 

 

The Dry Cupping session Usually this dry type of cupping is offered as part of a series and is used along with another therapy, and is applied to the back neck and shoulders, and of rarely to the limbs.Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the blood will flow better to the areas that are starved of oxygen.

More and more practitioners are

using plastic or silicone cups versus glass ones

The Chinese expanded the utilization of cupping to include its use in surgery to divert blood flow from the surgery site.  In the 1950’s, after much extensive research, a collaborative effort between the former Soviet Union and China confirmed the clinical efficacy of cupping therapy. Since then, cupping has become a part of government-sponsored hospitals of Traditional Chinese medicine.

In time cupping spread to ancient cultures in many countries of Europe and even the Americas.  Throughout the 18th century, European and American doctors widely used cupping in their practices to treat common colds and chest infections, often in the form of Wet Cupping.

 

Wet Cupping, also known as Artificial Leeching and Hijamah in Muslim societies, is where the practitioner makes tiny incisions in the skin to dredge the blood or poisons out.

By the late 1800’s, cupping became less popular and was severely criticized and discredited by the newly established scientific model of medicine. Since cupping was a surface treatment, with this new medical paradigm, which had shifted away from hands-on manipulative therapies for the most part.

Cupping therapy gradually became reduced to a mere curiosity and history of the past, for the most part collecting dust on practitioners’ shelves.  In 2004 Cupping re-emerged as a hot new celebrity trend in the limelight of a New York film festival, where actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s, Jennifer Aniston and other celebrities backs revealed their fresh cupping marks.   Countless celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham, and Denise Richards followed suit and became fast adopters of this hot new cupping trend.  Unfortunately, some of the Hollywood buzz viewed the celeb’s cupping marks as simply bruises and rolled their eyes at its potential healing benefits.


Over the past three years, however, a handful of new studies have shown it helps relieve back, neck, carpal tunnel and knee pain among many other benefits.  One thing is certain, and that is cupping is a powerful healing modality that can complement many healthcare modalities ranging from spa treatments to medical massage and physical therapy.

 

Vacuum massage has a beneficial effect on the body:

 

  1. it improves the blood circulation and lymphatic drainage;
  2. it increases the supply oxygen of tissue;
  3. it accelerates the metabolism;
  4. it facilitates the removal of toxins from the body;
  5. it improves the immunity.
  6. Increased local qi and blood circulation to the skin
  7. Drawing nutrients to the surface
  8. Enhancing absorption of lotions or serums

Let’s talk about cupping in the beauty world, for cellulite, facelifts, Wrinkles, general circulation, edema, inflammation and improving blood circulation to the skin and by gently stimulating the fibroblast cells, which produce natural collagen and elastin, your skin will reveal a healthy glow and plump those fine lines.

 

Facial cupping

 

 

Facial cupping is said to clear heat and serves as a method of detoxifying the skin: it also drains stagnant fluids and eases puffiness.

Cupping is used either as a stand-alone treatment or as an addition to acupuncture facial treatment, facial cupping has benefits far beyond reducing fine lines and sagging jowls.

While traditional cupping can leave marks on the skin, facial cupping does not. Cosmetic facial cupping is entirely painless and is not an irritant to the skin it must be done preferably with oil or a very emollient cream. Cupping can be a unique way to prolong the wellbeing and of the aging time.

The procedure itself takes anywhere from 15 minutes to half hour to perform depending if it is combined with other methods and the therapist that performs the procedure. After applying a lotion or oil, a small cup is either placed for a few seconds over a deep wrinkle to increase blood flow to the area, or it is moved along the face and down the neck to drain lymphatic fluid and stimulate blood flow. Cups are placed over acupuncture points on the face for short periods of time to stimulate them as part of the overall treatment this procedure is best done by a professional due to the fact that they know the points and the amount of suction so you don’t create a bruise.

Done properly, cupping therapy will bring collagen to the surface and increase blood flow, reduce puffiness, dark circles and diminish fine lines. But the benefits go beyond just cosmetic, facial cupping can be very beneficial to drain nasal sinuses and the lymphatic system.

When increased of local blood supply it will bring nourishment to the muscles and skin and allow for toxins to be carried away via the veins and the lymphatic system.

Is a movement in the beauty industry that is taking us back to non-surgical and more traditional beauty methods with astounding results.

Cosmetic Facial Cupping is a wonderful and effective alternative to chemical , Laser or surgical facelift.

 

Reference:http://www.thenaturalbeautydoctor.com/facial_cupping.html

 

Contemporary Cupping Therapy for Health and Beauty

 

from: http://nabuxmont.com/2015/02/24/contemporary-cupping-therapy-for-health-and-beauty/

 

 

Cupping therapy is a safe, comfortable and effective treatment for many health disorders, with roots in ancient medical practice, in cultures as diverse as Egypt, Greece, Rome, Aztec, Native American, China and more. The current influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine and traditional Ayurvedic medicine has seen a reintegration of this healing therapy.

There are many methods of cupping, including stationary, dynamic, massage, bio-magnetic and facial rejuvenation cupping, among others. This modality can be integrated into other bodywork or received as a stand-alone treatment for stubborn conditions and orthopedic injuries. In many applications, the results from cupping protocols are comparable to other expensive and painful treatments.

The gentle pulling action of massage cupping engages the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the body to float into deep relaxation. A sense of lightness, warmth, and relaxation often last for hours—or even days—after treatment.

Using suction and negative pressure, a vacuum is created, lifting skin, muscles, and connective tissues. The slow movement of the cups is able to penetrate deep into the muscles and fascia, releasing rigid soft tissue, gently loosening adhesions to break up and drain stagnation while increasing blood and lymphatic flow. A cupping treatment offers many of the benefits of deep tissue, lymphatic drainage, sports massage, abdominal massage and myofascial release not possible using tissue compression.

 

A WORD OF WARNING

 

If the Massage Cup is left in one area too long, a temporary cup mark or bruise can occur and it won’t be the result you are wishing to accomplish so it is best to exercise care.  If you are concerned about how your skin might react, test the product on a part of your body that is not normally exposed. use it for longer than two seconds on each area of your skin, then gradually increase the time to no longer than one minute as you gain experience and here we are speaking of a massage, not continuous suction.

Do not use the face cup on pimples, blemishes, open lesions, sunburned or broken skin or on skin inflammations.

Drink plenty of water to help your body release toxins by itself.

 

On a therapeutic level, cupping is beneficial for many health conditions including:

Asthma

Diabetes

High blood pressure

Sinus congestion

Frozen shoulder

Chronic colon

Congestion

Anxiety

Sports injuries

Carpal tunnel

Tendinitis

Migraines and tension headaches

Chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.

 

It is also beneficial for the treatment of pain, disorders of the digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems and to support detoxification.

The increased circulation of blood and lymph, drainage of waste and the loosening of adhesions improves the appearance of varicose veins, scar tissue, and stretch marks and lessens the appearance of dimpling on the thighs, hips and buttocks associated with cellulite.

Digestive function cupping therapy as a whole may be enhanced by abdominal cupping procedure. This is a very gentle treatment that stimulates the organs and the secretion of digestive fluids, and increases peristaltic movement and promotes better nutrient absorption overall.

The respiratory system responds very well to cupping therapy and breathing can improve for those with asthma. Sinus congestion, infection, and inflammation are directly relieved by the loosening and draining effects of the cups.

Stubborn and painful joint conditions may benefit by the stretching of connective tissues with cupping procedures, it creates an increased circulation and improved secretion of synovial fluid, thereby releasing congestion and stiffness and improving the range of motion in most cases.

Facial rejuvenation therapy has been practiced in Asia, Europe, and Russia for generations.

 

Cupping aids in detoxification. When the body is subjected to food additives, preservatives, and other external toxins that it is unable to break down and release, the toxins often become stored in the body, increasing an overall sense of malaise or muscle and joint pain.

It is recommended to drink lots of water when you are doing cupping procedures to aid moving toxins out of the body easily.

The suction process of cupping therapy pulls cellular debris and toxic waste to the surface, where it is released through the skin or picked up by the blood and lymph for elimination.

Whether looking for improved flexibility, more vitality, enhanced immune system, increased digestive function or to support detoxification, consider a contemporary cupping treatment and experience feeling lighter and more energized.

Cupping Body Massage System includes superior medical grade silicone cups. These hand-squeezed vacuum suction cups are based on the healing success of Ancient Chinese Cupping.

First, apply plenty of lotion or oil to the area to facilitate smooth movement and that will help avoid bruising.

Is recommended to start with the softer cup. Begin by squeezing the cup in the middle to create a very light suction. Place the cup’s lip to your skin and release make sure you do this gently and don’t grab to much skin and do not keep the cup in one place with a big suction it may cause a bruise, Move the cup over your skin using straight-line, circular and zigzag movements to massage the area for about eight minutes at a time. Drain the area by moving the cup toward the nearest lymph nodes.

 

 

Lymph glands draining direction of Head


Doing this technique doesn’t require any special preparation. The results are dramatic and best done on a consistent daily basis, after the third week be patient start slowly and increase to an everyday routine or at least four times a day, is recommended to start twice a week for the first week and a third day the second week is best to start slow and increase the amount of time so your body can adjust. The massage should not be painful, squeeze the cup so it is comfortable for you.

Gradually increase suction to stimulate circulation, remove stagnation, and release built up “sludge.” Once your skin has become more elastic graduate into the use of a hard cup. Continue to use the softer cup for more sensitive areas such as the arms, stomach, and inner thighs. The hard cup can be used on the back or other less sensitive areas always remember to do the massage in the direction of the Lymph nodes direction for drainage.

 

According to http://www.bellabaci.com/facial-massage/

 

SQUEEZE, IT’S EASY

There are 2 silicone cups in the Bellabaci Facial Massage System. Start with the softer cup, graduate onto the harder cup after a few weeks once your skin becomes elasticized enough.

Apply cleanser, cream or nourishing oil to your face and neck, to facilitate smooth movement.

Squeeze the cup in the middle, then place the cup’s lips to your skin and release. Congratulations you’ve just given yourself your first Bellabaci kiss.

Massage according to the diagram provided.

Tone your skin afterward.

Use 2-3 times a week for best results.

 

  • In Bellabaci Facial Massage System There is two superior grade medical silicone cups. It is recommended to start with the softer cup, graduate onto the harder cup after a few weeks once your skin becomes elasticized enough so you don’t create unnecessary pulling of the tissue  .
  • To start, apply a generous amount of cleanser, cream or nourishing oil to your face and neck, to facilitate smooth movement. We recommend our Bellabaci Skin Get A Life Genie, a powerful treatment lotion that turns into a luxurious oil, this treatment contains the modalities of Homeopathic and Aromatherapeutic complexes to stimulate skin renewal and repair.
  • By Squeezing the cup in the middle, and then placing the cup’s lips to your skin and release you are on your way. Congratulations you’ve just given yourself your first Bellabaci kiss. Now , remember to keep the cup moving to avoid bruising!
  • Massage according to the diagram provided on the box.
  • Tone your skin afterward. Use 2 – 3 times a week for best results.

 

When improving blood circulation with the Facial Massage by gently stimulating the fibroblast cells, natural collagen, and elastin is produced and improved you must have consistency. Your skin will show a healthy glow Massage the face and neck according to the diagram provided. Apply your favorite toner and anti-aging moisturizer after the Facial Massage completion and enjoy your well toned glowing skin. 

 

BROKEN CAPILLARIES

 

How to work on Broken capillaries, also known as Telangiectasia, it can negatively have an influence on one’s confidence levels. Broken Capillaries become visible between the ages of 30-50 and sometimes much earlier. The tiny vessels are you find just under the surface of the skin are delicate and can be bruised or damaged quite easily so is best to be gentle with them. Pressure or one of the mentioned factors below may cause them to dilate and break.  Once broken, they veins remain that way and for the most part cannot constrict back to their normal thickness or repair themselves for so many reasons.

 

Main Causes of Broken Capillaries:

 

  • Excessive Alcohol Consumption
  • Extreme temperature
  • Using too hot of water in the shower or when washing the skin
  • Excessive harsh rubbing of the skin
  • Certain medications such as sinus medications, cortisones
  • Related skin disorders or complications such as Rosacea or Acne
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Allergies (causing excessive sneezing, thus putting pressure on capillaries) and many other reasons

 

What else contributes to broken capillaries?

 

Broken capillaries become more prominent as you get more mature because your skin gets thinner due to some collagen loss and there forth  with it becomes easier to see the veins. Some conditions can also be hereditary if your parents had problems with telangiectasia rosacea; chances are you may have the experience yourself.

When you have excessive consumption of alcohol over a long time you can increase the blood pressure, causing the veins in to dilate.  The repeated dilation may lock the veins in that position.  Broken capillaries may also indicate liver issues.

What you can do apart from using sunscreen, lowering alcohol use, adding gentler facial products and in general being more conscious about are overall behavior. The many options of treatments offered to rid of broken capillaries are some times painful and expensive. Some of the testaments offered  include Sclerotherapy and laser/IPL treatments and more. Results are not truly guaranteed and for the most part repeated sessions may be required if the results are not accomplished.

 

How you can treat your broken capillaries more easily and naturally.

 

One easy way out is to use your Facial Bellabaci Cup set combined with our innovative formula of products designed for this purpose, The Skin Get a Life Genie. The negative pressure from the cup allows new fresh blood and oxygen to help  the damaged capillaries, immediately improving the redness, you will notice that as you use your cup, you will observe the vein that looks blue will become red, and then lighter until everything disappears. It almost feels like an illusion as it disappears before your eyes. The Homeopathic Synergies and Aromatic oils in the Genie will also assist to strengthen your skin and reduce visibility and occurrence. Make this a part of your daily routine, just a few minutes per day and your skin will continuously repair itself, also addressing the thickness of your skin by regenerating collagen.

 

 

 

 

Skin Get a Life Facial Kit from Bellabaci

 

 

The perfect trio to give you that glowing skin you have been dreaming about. The Skin Get a Life Facial Kit includes: 1 x Deep Cleanse-Pro Mitt 1 x 4oz Skin Get a Life Genie in a Bottle 1 x Face Cup Set (1x soft and 1 hard cup in a set) Start your skin care regime by achieving the perfect cleans. All you need to do so is the Deep Cleanse-Pro Mitt. Just wet it with warm (not too hot) water, and wipe away your make up and the day’s stresses. To cleanse, just rinse and hang to dry. Follow by applying your Skin Get a Life Genie in a bottle. This Genie is a gel that turns into a luxurious oil and treats all your skin concerns, which includes: Dry and Dehydrated skin Itchy skin, Psoriasis and Eczema Broken Capillaries Ageing skin Wrinkles and lines Crow’s feet Fluid retention in areas such as under eye bags Poor circulation Use your Bellabaci Facial Cups over your Skin Get a Life Genie to increase product penetration, and to deeply stimulate the skin for repair and renewal. Regular facial massage helps to stimulate collagen and elastin production, which delays the ageing process and gives you that instant glow healthy skin has.

 

 

 

 

 

Premium Quality Cupping Set w/ 19 Cups, 10 Acu-pressure pointers are INCLUDED

 

 

19 x Plastic Cupping Cups (Premium Quality, 13 of the 2″ dia cups, 1 of the 1.8″, 2 of the 1.6″, 2 of the 1.3″, and 1 of the 1.1″ dia cups), 1 x Pistol Grip Hand Pump, 1 x extension tube (optional), 1 x Carrying Case (Professional Look).  Magnificent quality plastic cups with shockproof & heatproof that can be sterilized with boiling water. 10 custom Acu-pressure pointers included. It is finest baby bottle plastic material used for strong, clean, and leaves no marks and scratches easy.

 

 

Cupping Therapy Set – Best Quality in Class Massage Cups for Face, Body, Back and Legs for Trigger Point, Myofascial Release, Cellulite & Wrinkles

 

 

  • One of the BEST GIFTS You Can GIVE Yourself and Your Loved Ones – Cupping Massage is known to help: improve circulation, reduce inflammation, release toxins (lymphatic drainage and detox), lower blood pressure, relax muscles, relieve joint pain, fibromyalgia, regulate hormones, release endorphins, promote healing, improve sleep.
  • MASSAGE Can help you feel human again! Stretch weak, tight or atrophied muscles, reduce post-surgery adhesions, ease medication dependence, reduce spasms and cramping, lessen depression and anxiety. If you suffer from headaches, migraines, neck, shoulder or lower back problems, muscle stiffness, tension, sport injury, Carpal Tunnel – Cupping can help!
  • Body Cups: traditionally used for thousands of years to relieve muscle & joint pain & inflammation, neck and shoulder tension, stress, increase circulation, metabolism, visibly improve cellulite, stretch marks, scars, spider veins, digestive function, fibromyalgia, firm & tone skin and much more!
  • What You Get: 5 Massage Cups – Body Cups: 1 Large (2″), 2 Small (1.5″) + 1 Facial Cup (.75″), 1 Eye Cup (.25″) diameter + FREE Exfoliating silicone face brush, satin bag, tutorial, professional cupping videos and unconditional guarantee and replacement warranty.
  • You Will LOVE How Cupping Makes You Feel and THE DRAMATIC RESULTS. LURE created a unique a GIFT SET to help you achieve desired results with Cupping Therapy: strengthen the immune system by stimulating lymph flow – the body’s natural defense system; improve condition of your skin (collagen and elastin), wrinkles, stretch marks, cellulite, scars and more!

 

 

 

Bellabaci Super Training Set from Bellabaci

 

  • A highly innovative yet insanely practical massage therapy cup that not only takes the strain out of massage, it allows you to offer your clients long-term solutions to persistent problems.
  • Once trained it is easily performed by qualified massage therapists and physicians. a wonderful ancient technique has found its place in the modern world of healing.
  • Bellabaci massage is a modified and simplified version of the ancient cupping therapy
  • Less stress and strain on your own body during massage. faster better results and solutions to old ailments and treatments can be tailored to suit any massage routine.
  • This massage utilizes the Bellabaci silicone, hand squeezed cups, which create suction on the body surface and moving them in a specified sequence we have created an exciting new treatment, which apart from being different and new it also provides the patient with excellent healing results.

 

Bellabaci Professional Therapist Massage System from Bellabac

Cellulite Treatment, Lymphatic Drainage, Deep Tissue Massage, 4 body cups, 2 face cups, case, and instructional DVD, A daily ten-minute massage can bring you incredible results!

 

 

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Christmas traditions from around the world

traditions-Feat

 

On week 10 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 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

big Christmas-interior-decoration-examples

 

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 which 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.

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas in Mexico

Mexican Posadas

In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated from the 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 are 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 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 the 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

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

Ethiopian Christmas

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 round house made of mud-plastered walls which have thatched cone-shaped roofs. Sometimes houses in the country are rectangular and made of stone.

The design of 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 wat.

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

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!).

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 Ukraineukraine_christmas_january_2013

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).

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 which 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.

 

ukr-christmas-eve

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.

 

 

Ukrainian Christmas tree with Spider webs 

SPIDERWEB1

Hindu: Pancha Ganapati

Pancha Ganapati big

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

Festival_Celebration_with_Bonfire

 

 

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

 

eid-al-fitr-auRamadan 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

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: HanukkahMi-menorah-

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 

 

Christmas-in-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 trees, Christmas 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

 

parols-made-at-the-kapisanan-community-centre-in-toronto-canada-2011

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.

noche buena

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

kwanzaa-usa

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

Japanese-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)

 

native

 

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.

 

 

Here we are sharing some of the sites we support is great ideas for gifts that can make a global and personal difference.

 

uni180469_banner_960x408_0

Click the link bellow to go to site

 

https://inspiredgifts.unicefusa.org/?utm_campaign=2016_eoy&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=20161122_cpc&utm_content=Inspired_Gift&ms=cpc_dig_2016_eoy_20161122_cpc_Inspired_Gift&initialms=cpc_dig_2016_eoy_20161122_cpc_Inspired_Gift

 

 

 

wwf-subdomain-logo_68579_autox180

pandas-attention

 

Click the link below to make a difference 

https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions.aspx?sc=AWY1200WCGA1&gclid=Cj0KEQiAsrnCBRCTs7nqwrm6pcYBEiQAcQSznIoL9LOHD-Y1byTImveSYgskIqfdwZRcWty5Amy76lMaAjcT8P8HAQ

 

 

 

 Holiday Recipes

 

Lentil and Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie

shepherds-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.

 

dtfe/dtph Picture by Philip Hollis. DT Weekend 17-8-06 Ginger Snaps

 

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

glazed-grapefruit-cake-1246084l1

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

sour-cherry-puff-pancake

 

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

 

 

 

Great Gift Ideas

 

6577ai_California-Signature-Wine-Basket

California Signature Wine Gift Basket

A trio of famous California wines, name brand sweets, and delicious gourmet foods in a structured bronze chiller.

21026a_FALL15-Holiday-Cookie-Tower

Spirit of the Season Cookie Tower

Fresh baked cookies in all the favorite flavors, stacked in a festive tower to send your happiest holiday wishes!

6816k_Honey-Spa-Treatment

 

Honey Spa Treatment

Luxurious bee-themed spa products, as seen in InStyle and Vogue.

Give the gift of pure relaxation with this exquisite collection filled with upscale honey-themed products so luxurious that they rival the offerings in the most exclusive spas.

Gift Includes: 

  • Golden Bee Lavender Filled Eye Pillow (Microwavable).
  • Bee Shaped Luxury Bath Beads.
  • Beeswax Candle.
  • Spa Care Accessories: Body Massager, Hair Brush, Nail Brush, Pumice Stone, and Bath Sponge.
  • Royal Jelly Soap, and more

 

 

 

 

Capresso Electric Water Kettle

 

Capresso Electric Water Kettle

Our convenient and affordable Capresso Electric Water Kettle boils water extremely quickly for tea, coffee, hot chocolate or instant soup. Made of durable, heat-resistant German SCHOTT glass, this fast boiling kettle has a large capacity and an automatic shutoff feature. It’s perfect for home as well as on trips to anywhere with an outlet.

 

 

 

17613a_CSFTS-Window-Box-Food-Love

 

 

Fondue for Two with Chicken Soup for the Soul® Food and Love

A special gift for the sweetest of people in your life

  • Chicken Soup for the Soul® has been featured on well-known television shows like Oprah and The Today Show, and is a recognizable brand worldwide.
  • The fondue set includes porcelain ramekins, fondue forks, and chocolate mix.
  • Items in this gift come packaged in a beautiful custom-made red gift box.

 

 

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