Hopefully, if everything is working, you should be hearing the beautiful Christmas hymn, "Adeste Fideles." It is also more commonly known during the holiday season as "O Come, All Ye Faithful." The hymn was written by an Englishman named John Frances Wade who was employed at the Roman Catholic Center at Douay, France. In 1852 Frederick Oakeley translated the hymn again into the English words known today - "O Come All Ye Faithful." We hope you enjoy it as you read this issue of "Your Web Connection."

For our annual holiday issue, we've got a couple of sites we're recommending you visit as well as some Christmas facts, trivia and humor. Of all the issues, this is our favorite to put together. Christmas at the Mencke household is a very magical and wondrous time. The whole house is transformed. Right after Christmas, when the decorations have been packed away, the house always looks so bare. Terry and I love the month celebrating the Christmas season. We send out best wishes to everyone for a beautiful holiday season and a prosperous 2001. Now on to our annual Christmas issue.

Christmas.com

Fortunately with the help of the Internet and sites like Christmas.com, the stressful holiday time can become less burdensome. This is a super site with lots of useful information to help you get through the holiday season. Some of the neat features of the site include:

• Gifts@Christmas.com - Don't want to fight the crowds at the mall? Then use their "shop and compare" service that compares prices within 11 different categories and across more than 47 vendors. This can be done without even leaving the site.

• Christmas.com Holiday Give-a-way - Register for one of two Sony Playstation 2's! Win one of those and watch their faces light up on Christmas Day. Hey kids, remember the adults get a turn or two every once in a while.

• World View - This is a really neat area where you can track Christmas celebrations around the world. There are also forums that have been set up for each country.

• Holiday Planning Resource - Use Christmas.com to help you free up some of your precious time. With proper planning, you can sit back and enjoy the holidays. You'll find information on decorating and party planning.

• Spirit of Christmas - Let Christmas.com help you get into the Spirit of Christmas this season. They have a fantastic selection of holiday recipes, songs, crafts, holiday charitable giving, office party planing and much, much more.

• My Wishlist! - What a great way to drop hints for those out of town relatives or friends!

• Christmas Gift Lists - Do you want to know what's hot in gifts? Christmas.com has all sorts of Top 10 Gift Lists to fit all your gift buying needs.

As you can see from the list above, this is your "one-stop" site for all your Holiday needs. Check it out and spend some time browsing through this extensive site. To visit Christmas.com, point your browser to:

http://www.christmas.com/

Christmas Recipes

Their specialized site, Christmas Recipes, is one of those "must visits" for the holiday season. Check out all these great categories:

• Appetizers
  
• Beverages
  
• Breads
  
• Breakfast Dishes
  
• Cakes
  
• Candy
  
• Casseroles
  
• Cookies
  
• Food Gifts
  
• Desserts
  
• Main Dishes
  
• Side Dishes
  
• Pies
  
• Vegetarian
  
• Puddings

If you need a holiday recipe, point your browser to:

http://www.christmasrecipe.com

The Earliest Printed Christmas Card

The earliest printed Christmas card was made in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole, an Englishman. Sir Henry decided to have a card printed, in colorful black and white, that he could send to relatives and friends.

In truth, it was a labor saving device to reduce the chore of writing Christmas greetings letters in long hand with a goose quill pen. In those steam powered days, word processors, the Internet and email were still on the drawing boards of various mad professors so the Christmas Card was a top invention.

Sir Henry's card was produced by John Calcott Horsley and pictured a family enjoying Christmas celebrations and raising their glasses in a toast. This greatly shocked temperance workers who quickly denounced it. The first greeting card produced in the United States was by a German lithographer, Louis Prang, who emigrated to New York around 1850. Prang set up a workshop in Boston, Massachusetts in 1860 and began to produce the first colored card. At this time, however, greeting cards were more often linked to the New Year rather than to Christmas.

Christmas Legends

The Candy Cane

The candy cane represents one of the oldest symbols of Christmas, the shepherd's crook, for the shepherds were among the first to experience that first Christmas.

The colors of the candy cane have special meaning too. The wide red stripe represents the sacrifice of Christ. "For by his stripes we are healed." The narrow red stripes represent our own sacrifices (giving). The white stripe is a symbol of purity.

The peppermint plant is a member of the hyssop family, referred to in the Old Testament as a medicinal herb used for cleansing.

As you eat your candy cane, you might want to break it, as Christ's body was broken for you, and share it with a friend, thus sharing in the sweetness of the true meaning of Christmas.

The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree, which is an evergreen with it's boughs stretched toward heaven, reminds us of the everlasting life that Christ came to bring sinners. The candles or lights on the tree remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. This surely is what Martin Luther envisioned back in 1535 when he cut and decorated the first Christmas tree for his children. Prince Albert carried the Christmas tree custom from Germany to Windsor Castle in 1841. Ten years later, a Cleveland minister was accused of sacrilege and idolatry when he put up the first American tree. But a young child saw it right. "Mother," he whispered, "the pastor's got a tree from heaven!"

Santa Claus

There are many stories of how the legend of Santa Claus began. One of the favorite stories says that the modern Santa finds his origin in a young pastor named Nicholas. His parents died when he was still a boy, leaving him a fortune. He loved the Lord and cared deeply for those in need. Not wanting to receive any glory himself, he went secretly, during the night, to the homes of poor families. There he left gifts and money because of his love for Christ.

Holly Leaf

The holly leaves and berries from the holly bush are widely used in holiday decorations. The sharp pointy edges of the holly leaf remind us of the crown of thorns that Jesus wore upon his brow. The red berries remind us of the blood that Jesus shed.

Mistletoe

The tradition of kissing underneath the mistletoe began with a Scandinavian goddess called Frigga. Frigga's son Balder was shot with an arrow made of mistletoe. While Frigga's friends conjured up powers to save the boy, his mother cried tears that became the white berries on the mistletoe. Frigga's friends succeeded in saving Balder's life. Frigga ordered that the mistletoe should never again be used to harm others. Instead, she made it a symbol of love by kissing everyone who passed under it.

Christmas Carols

Not all songs that we sing at Christmas time are carols. Most songs sung in church or by church choirs are actually hymns. Centuries ago, a carol was a group dance accompanied by a joyous song. Gradually it came to mean the song itself. A carol became a happy melody that anyone could sing. Caroling still means singing songs of joy but more than that it means singing the beautiful songs about the most joyous news that men have ever heard.

Christmas - Fact or Fiction?

No celebrations, religious or secular, dominates western society as thoroughly as Christmas. For nearly two months of the year we find ourselves awash in all the trappings of the season: Christmas cards, Christmas music, Christmas trees, Christmas lights -- even Christmas postage stamps! Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus dot the landscape, and images of Santa Claus are inescapable during the two-month long advertising blitz mounted by purveyors of merchandise. A celebration so venerated, so long-lasting, and so ubiquitous -- could scarcely avoid creating a rich legacy of folklore and legends. Here is but a sampling of some of the many tales we associate with Christmas and the holiday season

The site further classifies Christmas legends and stories into four separate categories"

• True statements of legends based on real occurrences
  
• False statements
  
• Statements of undetermined or ambiguous veracity
  
• Legends of indeterminate origin

A sampling of some of the legends that are addressed include:

• Was Jesus really born on December 25th?

• Was the modern image of Santa Claus created by Coca-Cola?

• Are poinsettias really poisonous to humans?

• Was one of Santa's original reindeer named Donder, not Donner?

• What's the ultimate fruitcake recipe?

You'll find the answer to these legends plus much, much more at:

http://216.167.127.73/holidays/xmas/xmas.htm

Christmas Humor

On the first day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
The Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the second day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the third day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
Three punctured ornaments
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
Four broken window candles
Three punctured ornaments
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
Five chewed-up stockings
Four broken window candles
Three punctured ornaments
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
Six yards of soggy ribbon
Five chewed-up stockings
Four broken window candles
Three punctured ornaments
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
Seven scraps of wrapping paper
Six yards of soggy ribbon
Five chewed-up stockings
Four broken window candles
Three punctured ornaments
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the eight day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
Eight tiny reindeer fragments
Seven scraps of wrapping paper
Six yards of soggy ribbon
Five chewed-up stockings
Four broken window candles
Three punctured ornaments
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
My wreath in nine pieces
Eight tiny reindeer fragments
Seven scraps of wrapping paper
Six yards of soggy ribbon
Five chewed-up stockings
Four broken window candles
Three punctured ornaments
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
Ten Christmas cards I shoulda mailed
My wreath in nine pieces
Eight tiny reindeer fragments
Seven scraps of wrapping paper
Six yards of soggy ribbon
Five chewed-up stockings
Four broken window candles
Three punctured ornaments
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
Eleven unwrapped presents
Ten Christmas cards I shoulda mailed
My wreath in nine pieces
Eight tiny reindeer fragments
Seven scraps of wrapping paper
Six yards of soggy ribbon
Five chewed-up stockings
Four broken window candles
Three punctured ornaments
Two leaking bubble lights
And the Santa topper from the Christmas tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my puppy gave to me
A dozen puppy kisses and I forgot about all the other
eleven days.

The next piece has been floating around the Net for many years and is a little bit dated, but it is still a lot of fun.

Letter From Santa, December 2000

This one was sent to me by one of my very good friends, Nancy LaSage. Thanks Nancy for sharing a bit of holiday humor with everyone.

Ho, Ho, Ho,

This is Santa and I just wanted to let you know that Christmas my be a little late this year.

See after checking all the boxes and tallying them up, I found some problems with the results.

The first results showed:

428,534,120 Good
428,523,119 Bad

The second result showed:

428,534,118 Good
428,523,121 Bad

So you see, I can't, with good faith, go out and deliver presents while knowing I could have made a mistake. Maybe Little Johnny was good for once, then again, maybe not.

So, I have enlisted the help of all my elves and the Mrs. to help do a recount. We hope to have this finished up by 5pm on the 24th of December, but there is a possibility that it might take longer. You see the tally cards were not quiet clear to me, although I made them myself, I forgot what they meant.

You know, Good ... Bad??? And the check marks I used were not all the same, some were left, some right, some were just a mark. Some went through both boxes, and some didn't even have much of a mark on them. I leave it up to them to decide what I meant.

So if you wake up on Christmas morning, and there are no presents under your tree, at least you can tell the kids the story. Thanks you for your patience and understanding in these times.

Santa

20 Ways To Confuse Santa Claus

1. Instead of milk and cookies, leave him a salad, and a note explaining that you think he could stand to lose a few pounds.

2. While he's in the house, go find his sleigh and write him a speeding ticket.

3. Leave him a note, explaining that you've gone away for the holidays. Ask if he would mind watering your plants.

4. While he's in the house, replace all his reindeer with exact replicas. Then wait and see what happens when he tries to get them to fly.

5. Keep an angry bull in your living room. If you think a bull goes crazy when he sees a little red cape, wait until he sees that big red Santa suit!

6. Build an entire army of mean-looking snowmen on the roof, holding signs that say "We hate Christmas," and "Go away Santa."

7. Leave a note by the telephone, telling Santa that Mrs. Claus called and wanted to remind him to pick up some milk and a loaf of bread on his way home.

8. Throw a surprise party for Santa when he comes down the chimney. Refuse to let him leave until the strippers arrive.

9. While he's in the house, find the sleigh and sit in it. As soon as he come back and sees you, tell him that he shouldn't have missed that last payment, and take off.

10. Leave a plate filled with cookies and a glass of milk out, with a note that says, "For the Tooth Fairy. :)" Leave another plate out with half a stale cookie and a few drops of skim milk in a dirty glass with a note that says, "For Santa. :("

11. Take everything out of your house as if it's just been robbed. When Santa arrives, show up dressed like a policeman and say, "Well, well. They always return to the scene of the crime."

12. Leave out a copy of your Christmas list with last-minute changes and corrections.

13. While he's in the house, cover the top of the chimney with barbed wire.

14. Leave lots of hunting trophies and guns out where Santa's sure to see them. Go outside, yell, "Oooh! Look! A deer! And he's got a red nose!" and fire a gun.

15. Leave Santa a note, explaining that you've moved. Include a map with unclear and hard-to-read directions to your new house.

16. Set a bear trap at the bottom of the chimney. Wait for Santa to get caught in it, and then explain that you're sorry, but from a distance, he looked like a bear.

17. Leave out a Santa suit with a dry-cleaning bill.

18. Paint "hoof-prints" all over your face and clothes. While he's in the house, go out on the roof. When he come back up, act like you've been "trampled." threaten to sue.

19. Instead of ornaments, decorate your tree with Easter eggs.

20. Dress up like the Easter Bunny. Wait for Santa to come and then say, "This neighborhood ain't big enough for the both of us."

The Cat's Top Ten Favorite Christmas Songs

We did one for the puppies a little while ago, the cats demand equal time!

10.	Up On the Mousetop
9.	Have Yourself a Furry Little Christmas
8.	Joy to the Curled
7.	I Saw Mommy Hiss at Santa Claus
6.	The First Meow
5.	Oh, Come All Ye Fishful
4.	Silent Mice
3.	Fluffy, the Snowman
2.	Jingle Balls
1.	Wreck the Halls!

Dear Santa from Billy Gates

Dear Santa,

How are you doing? I hope you've had a successful year and have come up with a lot of interesting toys. It's really neat how you're able to do that year after year. I guess that's how you stay number one in the Christmas presents business.

Actually, I admire the way you run Christmas. You really have a handle on it. You find out what people want (with letters like this and having kids tell you in person), and then you make the presents and control how they are delivered. It's an impressive operation.

I also like how you've got it to where when someone says "Christmas presents," people automatically think Santa Claus. What a marketing advantage. Best of all, even though you're a hug success, people still don't know much about your private life. It's just rumors. That's so neat.

I think being at the North Pole helps. That was a good move. For example, when you're designing toys, only your elves know what you're doing, and you're way up there when nobody can spy on you and steal your ideas. And even if they do, you can always just let it out that you're making the same stuff to bring to people for free, so why would they buy the other guy's stuff?

Also, other people who make Christmas presents can't deliver them like you can. Yours is the only sleigh on the distribution highway. You must get some great discounts from them, because if they don't play ball you can just refuse to give out their presents. Very sharp.

What I don't get is why you give away stuff. That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard of. I admit, its why you're number one -- who could compete with a deal like that? Bit it must make it hard to stay in business, especially when you have to visit every kid in the world. You have to keep growing or fail.

Here's an idea on how you can help finance your operation. Give everybody at least one battery operated present at Christmas, then you could make batteries and sell them the rest of the year. It would create a demand: You give people something and then sell them what they need to make it work.

Another thing, about you coming down the chimney. That's so slow and inefficient. And what about all the people who don't have chimneys? Santa. I have one word for you, windows. Everybody has windows. That's about all I have to say. You're probably wondering if I was good or bad this year, but I don't really like to talk about my personal life, if that's O.K. (Just out of curiosity: When you were a boy, did any of the other kids call you a nerd?) Anyway, I don't really have anything to ask for. Mostly I think up something to play with and then build it myself. I guess I'm sort of like you -- I make my own toys.

Best of luck,

Billy Gates