by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 23rd of December 2024

Best wishes for a heartwarming and joyous holiday season...
From the 1x management and the entire crew

'Xmas' by DDiArte

Winter holidays are a magical time of year, filled with celebrations that bring warmth, joy, and a sense of togetherness during the coldest months. They span cultures, religions, and traditions, offering opportunities to connect with loved ones and reflect on themes of light, hope, and renewal. Winter holidays are a beautiful tapestry of traditions and celebrations observed across the world.

SOME SYMBOLS & TRADITIONS

Christmas Tree: Decorating evergreen trees or their artificial versions with lights, ornaments, and tinsel is a timeless tradition.

Nativity Scenes: Representing the birth of Christ with figurines or live reenactments.

Santa Claus: Inspired by Saint Nicholas, Santa delivers gifts to children, spreading joy and wonder.

Gift-Giving: Exchanging presents symbolizes the gifts of the Magi to baby Jesus and the spirit of generosity.

Caroling: Singing Christmas songs and hymns spreads cheer and often has religious undertones.

Lighting: From Advent candles to dazzling outdoor displays, light plays a central role in Christmas celebrations.

Feasting: Holiday meals vary by culture, featuring treats like roast turkey, ham, mince pies, gingerbread cookies, and eggnog.

Stockings: Children hang stockings to be filled with small gifts or treats by Santa.

Advent Calendars: Counting down to Christmas with daily surprises.

SOME FUNNY AND QUIRKY FACTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS AND SANTA CLAUS
to bring a little holiday cheer and laughter

Santa’s Many Names: Santa Claus goes by various names around the world, like Sinterklaas (Netherlands), Père Noël (France), and Kris Kringle (Germany). He’s a man of many aliases—like a festive secret agent!

Santa’s Weight Problem: According to scientists, if Santa delivered gifts to all the world’s children, his sleigh would carry about 600,000 tons of presents. That’s a serious weight limit violation!

Santa's Diet: With billions of cookies left out for Santa every year, he consumes about 71 billion calories in one night. Hopefully, he has a great workout plan.

Reindeer Oddities: Male reindeer shed their antlers in winter, so Santa’s team of antlered reindeer are probably all female. Turns out Rudolph might be a girl!

The Naughty List Problem: If Santa really had a "naughty list," he'd need a massive team of elves just to keep track of all the mischief. Imagine the paperwork!

Wrapping Woes: Every year, enough wrapping paper is used to wrap the equator several times. Somewhere, there’s a Santa crying over all the tape stuck to his fingers.

AND OF COURSE A NICE GALLERY OF FESTIVE IMAGES FROM OUR MEMBERS...
Some older ones and some recent ones ...

by Martin Lee

by DDiArte

'The Christmas tree' by Anette Ohlendorf

by Sally Widjaja

by Margareth Perfoncio

by Dina Belenko

by Sally Widjaja

by Nichole Chen

'Bruges in Christmas dress' by Yvette Depaepe

by Walde Jansky

by Uryutalk

by Mary Ann Andrews

by David Senechal Photographie

by Molly Fu

by DDiArte