/>
It keeps coming every year Christmas (or Xmas as the lazy would have it!) – Always starting in the retailers at a ridiculously early time! If you ever go out shopping in the week before Christmas you are astonished at the activity, especially in the food supermarkets – you wait in the massive queues to pay with a few items thinking the others with their ‘over the brim trolleys’ have been forewarned of World War 3! Then you realise that these places are going to be CLOSED for a whole day over the holiday period, so the idiots are simply stocking up to ensure their family don’t expire from hunger! Then you try to get home by car or bus – the roads are gridlocked! An amazing time isn’t it? Is it like this in USA and other ‘developed’ countries as well?

But what is it really all about? It is about giving and receiving presents? It is about children waking up on Christmas morning (about 5 o’clock!) to find a big bundle of toys & gifts delivered overnight by Santa Claus, down the chimney (which most homes don’t now have – so he must break in somehow!)? No it is all about having a good feast of mince pies, chocolates, Christmas dinner, and rich Christmas pudding with flaming brandy seeded with silver sixpences for the kids? Or is it about having a good drink and getting a bit squiffy? No, it is about family get togethers (only once a year)? It is about going out to the theatre or pantomime (with the children)? It is about watching the Queen’s speech on TV and the old films like Spartacus? IS IT REALLY?
Surprising not any of the above! It is about the birth of a baby named Jesus (Emmanuel – god on earth). A real man actually. A man who was a prophet in his time and revered now by Christians around the World as the son of God, sent to live amongst us, and die a cruel death on the Cross – and being resurrected, before returning to heaven. His death on Earth was to obliterate the sins of mankind – and leave each one of us with hope.

You don’t actually have to be a Christian to enjoy or partake in this festive season – it doesn’t matter really if you have no faith, or are a Jew, or a Muslim, or whatever. It is a time solely to rejoice in your life, and think of your family and other people – do good deeds if you can. You don’t have to ‘have religion’ to do that surely?

[It is Christmas Day TODAY, 25the December 2013. Many caring and kind hearted people – often from the churches, have given thier time up and often their own Christmas day to prepare and serve a spacial Christmas dinner to hundreds of lonely, ill, or needy people (other unsung heros have provided free turkeys, and potatoes, and veg to make this all possible! Our British society contunues to be astounding – all hidden behind the scenes in reality. God bless them all.

Good & warm wishes to all you bloggers and blog readers, and all others – count your blessings every day, and try to live a good life, thinking always of others and not just yourself!].

Huguenot Cross
This Christian cross dates back to the 16th Century in France and is very ‘symbolic’

The Cross is the symbol of faith, representing both the death of Christ and victory over death and impiety (also mirrored in the Maltese Cross)

It encompasses eight points, symbolizing the Eight Beatitudes (the set of teachings by Jesus – Matthew & Luke)

Between each of the four arms of the Cross is a fleur-de-lys, each with three petals, totaling twelve petals altogether, which signifies the twelve apostles

The enclosed four open spaces between the arms of the cross are in the shape of a heart, the symbol of loyalty

The pendant dove hanging from the Cross symbolizes the Holy Spirit (Romans). [In times of persecution a pearl, symbolizing a teardrop, replaced the dove].

The Eight Beatitudes in Matthew.

Blessed are:

the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

those who mourn: for they will be comforted

the meek: for they will inherit the earth

those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be satisfied

the merciful for they will be shown mercy

the pure in heart: for they will see God

the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God

those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

The term beatitude comes from the Latin adjective beātitūdō which means “happy”, “fortunate”, or “blissful“. the Vulgate (Latin), the book of Mathew titles this section Beatitudines, and “Beatitudes” was anglicized from that term.

[One French jeweller selling the Huguenot Cross is Philippe Niederländer, who also trades through Amazon]