Worldwide Christmas Traditions: Mexico Feliz Navidad

While we have all seen the strategically placed bright red-and-green plant around the holidays, does anyone know where it originated from? In 1828, Joel R. Poinsett, the American minister to Mexico, brought over a plant from Mexico to America. Due to its bright red-and-green coloring, it seemed only fitting that it would be perfect for the holidays. After his arrival the plant, called a poinsettias after Poinsett, started showing up in greenhouses in 1830. Soon after, in 1870, New York stores began to sell them during Christmas time and by 1900 they became the universal symbol of the holiday we all recognize today.

How to Make Gingerbread Cookies

These cookies wont just be tasty to eat, but fun to bake as well. Bring in the kids and make it a family affair. They will love decorating these fun Gingerbread people and then leaving some out for the Santa on Christmas Eve. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup margarine 
• 1/2 cup sugar  
• 1/2 cup molasses 
• 1 egg yolk  
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt  
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves  
• 1 teaspoon ginger 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

Directions:  

1. In a large bowl, mix the margarine and sugar together until smooth. Then, stir in the molasses and egg yolk until smooth. 
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg and then blend the dry mixture into the molasses mixture until smooth. 
3. Cover dough for at least an hour until chilled.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into the desired gingerbread people shapes. 
5. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes a 350 degrees F oven.
6. Once finished remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks. 
7. Frost or decorate once cooled.

 

The Birth of the Red Nosed Reindeer

The creation of Rudolph, unlike his legendary counterparts, didn't happen hundreds of years ago. In fact, the ninth reindeer wasn't introduced until 1939 by a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store named, Robert L. May. Using a similar rhyme pattern to that of "Twas a Night Before Christmas," May generated a story about a red-nosed reindeer who was teased by all the other reindeer because his red-nosed glowed. Once the story was released it sold over two million copies and was reissued in 1946. The song, that accompanies the story, was written by May's friend, Johnny Marks, and was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949. Since its inception, the story has been translated into 25 languages and in 1964 a classic animated Christmas movie.