New Year is that time of the year when you leave behind all things old and celebrate the coming of a fresh New Year. Be it your account book or your favorite calendar, no matter how you love it, it will be invariably replaced .New Year also reminds you of the ever popular New Year resolution. As the New Year heralds, bringing with it all things nice, a promise of better times and brighter hope, there is cheer and merriment everywhere. There is indeed so much to look forward to, on the 1st of January every year.

How do you make the New Year truly special for you? Making New Year resolutions and breaking them is a thing of the past. Make up your mind to do ten good things, this New Year. Avoid making a New Year resolution which most often does not last through the first three months.

There are several ways to make the New Year special. Plan in advance and make sure to pursue them. Make the New Year a 'happy' and 'fresh' one by adding a breath of fresh air, to each day that unfolds. The article explores the different things you can do, to make the year ahead a truly happy and memorable one:

• Set achievable goals at work and pamper your self when you improve.

• Take time to plan out things you will do for charity this year. Do not let clothes pile in cupboards; instead give them away to the needy.

• Increase the frequency of spring cleaning that you will do in the New Year.

• Decide to write down your day to day events or at least the significant ones.

• Make sure you set reminders of important dates, so you do not miss birthdays and anniversaries.

• Write to people you care about. If possible call them often.

• Work at some place over the weekend for free, the experience may be worthwhile.

• Make time for family and friends. Go out for a movie and take a walk by the beach. Spend time with nature.

• Avail the best buys in home decor and give your home a new look. Make sure to make it cost effective.

• Make your mind up to devote at least 5 minutes of your day to God. Say a little prayer for your self and the world. There is no better way to self realization.

Above all, do not forget to smile. Laugh as often as you can and spread the cheer, this New Year. Remember you are left with not one, but ten New Year resolutions. Resolve not to break them. Prepare for New Year with your own 'to-do' list for the coming year. And remember, that all New Year resolutions are not meant to be broken!

By: Amrith K.A

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Think of a New Year bash in India and the first getaway that comes to your mind is the ever green land of beaches- Goa. So have you decided to visit Goa on New Years Eve this year? Make sure you know what to expect, while you are in Goa. New Year celebrations in Goa can be a real treat, if you are prepared for a place full of crowds, both native and foreign.

Have you wondered what makes Goa a popular tourist destination? It is the beaches, good food and rave parties. New Year celebrations in Goa are also special, because of the tropical beaches, spectacular churches, water sports, rave parties and of course the Goan cuisine. New Year celebrations in Goa witness a rich confluence of different ethnic cultures. There is an unbiased approach to merriment and revelry which cannot be seen anywhere else in India.

Goa is an erstwhile Portuguese colony which comes alive during the last week of December. It is not merely famous as a New Year destination but also as the perfect getaway for Christmas, so much so that Goa is the ultimate destination for both Christmas and New Year Eve's revelry. You may visit beaches, go on boat cruises and enjoy dancing to Goan music.

Most of the churches are at old Goa. If you are here for Christmas then make sure to attend mass at your favorite church. Besides Carols and Christmas mass, people enjoy being one among the crowd and drown in the festive carousing.

The otherwise laid back union territory comes alive during New Years Eve. New Year celebrations in Goa include rave and beach parties, good music and a lot of dancing. Beach parties are for those who want to listen to good music and enjoy under a moonlit sky. If you are a foodie, then make sure to indulge yourself and relish all the mouthwatering delicacies.

New Year celebrations in Goa are characterized by huge crowds that come in, during the last week of December. Hotels and resorts in Goa offer good packages for New Year, which range from ultimately luxurious to downright pocket friendly. New Year celebrations in Goa can be coupled with sight seeing, activities like water sports, beach bumming, sightseeing, dancing, pubbing, and much more.

Goa is truly a tourist's paradise. Goa New Year celebrations are a gala affair for children as well. They can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, building sand castles, collecting sea shells and star fish. The elderly folks can explore the opulent churches and temples of Goa. You may also enjoy the Ayurvedic massages and acupressure services offered at various centers located here.

Come December and all the places of stay, get booked well in advance. If you have been contemplating a visit to Goa for New Year's Eve, then hurry as bookings cannot wait. Make sure to keep an amicable approach, so you can explore the place to the hilt and enjoy the confluence of people from various ethnic groups. Its party time so make the best of it!

By: Amrith K.A

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We are well aware of the various Christmas symbols which are synonymous to the renowned festival. The Legend of Poinsettia is a well known Christmas story which is enduring with a touch of humility. Poinsettia is a crimson colored flower which is a bright and beautiful Christmas symbol. There are several other symbols and many Christmas stories to support the origin of these symbols.

A truly inspiring Christmas story, the Legend of Poinsettia, is a well known Mexican legend. This is a story about Maria and Pablo who lived in a tiny village in Mexico. Since they were very poor, there were no gifts for family members during Christmas. Yet they waited for Christmas with much joy and anticipation.

During Christmas time, in order to honor the birth of Christ, the church displayed a beautiful manger which drew crowds of admirers. It was a custom for all those who came, to bring presents along. These presents would be placed near Baby Jesus. Maria and Pablo watched as villagers placed their gifts for Baby Jesus and felt sorry; they could not get anything along.

On Christmas Eve, Maria and Pablo walked to the church for that evening's services, hoping that they could also have a gift for Baby Jesus. As they were hoping, a soft golden light shone brightly in the dark sky and an angel appeared before them. She told young Maria and Pablo to pick some of the green weeds that were growing by the road and take them to the church to place at the manger.

The Christmas story goes on to say that the little children ,Maria and Pablo walked happily to the church only to be rebuked by onlookers who asked aloud, what kind of presents they had brought. The children were embarrassed but nevertheless placed the weeds at the manger, near Baby Jesus. The green weeds soon transformed into lovely star-shaped crimson flowers, spreading around Baby Jesus, making a spectacular sight. These flowers are known as poinsettias.

In this Christmas story, the consideration of the giver and not the gift is given prominence. Although it was the only thing that Pablo and Maria could gift Jesus, it turned out to be the most beautiful present. Ever since; Poinsettias have become a symbol of Christmas. Thus the interesting Christmas story ends with a moral: whatever be the gift, be grateful for the graciousness of the giver. It is not the quality or the price of the gift that should matter, but the thought which goes behind it.

This Christmas story also points out the humility of two little children and their desire to bring a present for Baby Jesus. The presence of the angel denotes that if you hope to do good, to others, God will find a way out for you.

By: Amrith K.A

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The Christmas carol, 'Silent night' is among the most popular carols of all times. Did you even imagine that it could have a Christmas story to support its origin? Well if legend is to be believed the song was scripted as a poem by Joseph Mohr, the assistant to the priest at St. Nicholas' Church, in Austria.

Christmas as we all know is a festival of songs, candles, prayers and music. It was a chilly winter of 1818 and just days before Christmas. As Christmas was nearing, it was discovered that the Church organ was broken. Certain Christmas stories support the fact that mice had eaten the bellows of the organ; others emphasize that Gruber the organist, broke the organ himself. It is also believed that frequent flooding of the area resulted in rust and mildew to affect the condition of the church organ, thereby making it functionless.

All said and done, there had to be a way out, for music and carols without which the celebrations would not be complete. Mohr had written a simple poem which could be easily comprehensible to villagers. This poem expressed beautifully, the wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ. He asked his friend Franz Gruber, to compose music to accompany his poem. They then decided to sing it together, using a guitar which Gruber played, to add music to their singing.

The song was sung for the first time at the Christmas Eve midnight services, on December 24; 1818.It was not famous till about 1825, when the script was accidently discovered in the organ loft, along with the music notes. It was discovered by Carl Mauracher, who was from an area in the mountains of Tyrol, which had many traveling folk choirs who performed throughout Europe. He carried the carol back home, and eventually it became a popular song with the choirs. They travelled across the globe and spread its popularity wherever they went.

It is interesting to know that a manuscript for "Silent Night" in Mohr's handwriting was discovered much later in 1995 and was dated 1816. Mohr has credited the melody used for the carol, to Franz Gruber. The song though sung by them for the fist time, was made famous by others like Carl. It remains an all time favorite Christmas song till date.

Irrespective of the details of what Mohr and Gruber did, they have undeniably given a carol to the world, which is timeless and so popular that every Child knows the song. The tune is slow yet catchy and is apt for winter nights. It fills one with a feeling of deep sorrow coupled with an innate joy about the Lord, which is inexplicable.

That was the interesting Christmas story about 'Silent Night'. The music composed centuries ago is still reverberating in our ears and stirring the soul. This cannot be just another Christmas story that you hear and forget. Like the song, this will be in our minds forever.

By: Amrith K.A

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Every festival has a tradition attached to it. There are myths, customs and innumerable practices which can be baffling to the mind. It is amazing how even to this day there are people who are extremely superstitious regarding certain signs. In India these signs are mainly symbolized by animals or events. Be it the black cat or certain astronomical upheavals, superstition prevails even to this day.

Several interesting facts always back significant celebrations. One of the most renowned festivals of this chilly season, Christmas is round the corner. There are several interesting Christmas facts attached to it which may astonish you. Here are a few of them:

• Auspicious spiders: An interesting Christmas fact about spiders is that they are considered auspicious in Ukraine. According to folklore there was once a woman who could not afford Christmas decorations for her family. On a cool Christmas morning, she woke up to find that her children’s tree was trimmed with spider webs. As the early morning's sunlight shone on them the webs turned silver and gold, thus enhancing the look of the tree.

• Mistletoe tree: It is a tradition to exchange kisses beneath a mistletoe tree. Ancient Scandinavians believe that a mistletoe tree is associated with love and friendship.

• Klaxon: So far you might have thought that it is the name of Santa's reindeer. Well on the contrary it is a powerful electric horn and is actually a German word meaning 'shriek'.

• Trinket in Pudding: As family members sit at the table to relish Christmas pudding, there is a tradition of finding a missing trinket. If it's a ring then it denotes marriage, a coin denotes wealth and buttons signify bachelorhood. The idea dates back to a tradition in the ‘Middle Ages’, where a bean lay hidden inside the cake which was served on the Twelfth Night. The one who found the bean was declared king, for the rest of the night. This is indeed one of the fascinating Christmas facts.

• Frumenty: Another famous Christmas fact is that frumenty is a porridge, which was once consumed as Christmas pudding. It is essentially a spiced porridge and is linked in legend to the Celtic god Dagda. It is believed that he stirred a porridge made up of all the good things found on earth.

• Burning salt and shoes during Christmas: The pungent odor is believed to drive away malicious creatures called Kallikantzaroi, who are believed to play troublesome pranks during Christmas.

• Christmas Flower: The poinsettia originally from Mexico is the traditional Christmas flower. It is also known as the flower of the holy night.

• Merry Christmas Cards: Introduced by a Bavarian-born lithographer Louis Prang, who moved to the USA from Germany in the 19th century. He developed chromolithograph techniques for printing cards, with the traditional ‘Merry Christmas' message.

• The "Urn of Fate": The "Urn of Fate" is a tradition introduced to add fun to the event of receiving Christmas gifts. This tradition is followed in Italian homes. The "urn of fate" is brought out on Christmas Eve and holds a present for everyone. The mother tries her luck first, followed by other members of the family. If the present is in your name you keep it, else you put it back and try your luck again.

• Goat figurine: In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the 'Julbukk' which is a small figurine of a goat and is mainly made of straw. Straw decorations in the form of stars, angels, hearts and other shapes, as well as the ‘Julbukk’ are a common feature in Scandinavian Christmas festivities.

By: Amrith K.A

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Leading online retailer Infibeam.com has acquired Bangalore based photo printing and customized gifts company Picsquare.com. Picsquare was founded in 2005 and continues to be the most preferred online destination for gifts during special occasions like birthdays, weddings and festival season. The founders Manish Agrawal and Kartik Jain are both alumni of IIT Mumbai and will continue with Infibeam post acquisition.

With this acquisition, Infibeam.com will offer the largest selection of retail and customized goods at most attractive prices for consuming India. The Founder & CEO of Infibeam.com Mr. Vishal Mehta said "The acquisition of Picsquare.com will perfectly complement our existing product lines like cameras and gift stores. Choose a gift product and you can add a personal touch to it by adding a photo picture, designs or words that reflect your emotions."

He further added "Picsquare will continue as a stand-alone website and customers can expect many more innovative products and features in coming weeks". "Now with the support of Infibeam, we'll be able to devote more of our time to expanding product selection and improving product features" said Manish Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of Picsquare.com. He added "Infibeam.com has always put the customer at the center of everything it does, and we look forward to making Picsquare.com even better for our customers in weeks to come".

About Infibeam.com & Picsquare.com:
Infibeam.com is an exciting new shopping destination online. With innovative search and navigation, detailed product descriptions, crisp images and best customer service, the team at Infibeam.com is dedicated to providing customers with an unparalleled shopping experience right at your doorstep. Choose the product you want and leave the rest to Infibeam.com.

Picsquare.com is a market leader in online photo printing and customized gifts. Personalized products such as photo greeting cards, collage posters, photo-books, t-shirts from Picsquare are ideal gifts for special events such as birthdays and festivals.

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Christmas tree decoration is no doubt a tiresome task, but with patience and a dash of creativity it can certainly be the best part of Christmas. People get together during the festivities and it truly is a welcome change for those who are busy with a frantic lifestyle. Christmas tree decoration is something to look forward to, every Christmas. The way you do up the Christmas tree is up to you. As is rightly said the key to a classy Christmas tree is coherence.

A few things to remember before you start decorating the tree:

• Make a list of all the decorative items you have and need to buy, this saves a lot of time.

• Buy a suitable tree, depending on your budget and mood choose either a fir or a spruce and get started. You may also opt for an artificial Christmas tree.

• Keep the previous years embellishments and improve on them, by adding sparkle and sequins.

• Instead of mixing too many decorative items, for that elegant look make sure to stick to a few categories and start decorating.

• If you want a bright and sprightly Christmas tree, then make sure to get more ornaments like wreath, sequin studded balls, glitter paper and exquisite garlands.

• Buy or borrow some faceted light bulbs as they refract more light and appear brighter.

• For an elegant looking Christmas tree put tiny strands of white bulbs and make sure you have enough of them.

• The main aspect of a Christmas tree decoration is the lighting. Small twinkle lights and colored lights also look very attractive on a Christmas tree. Take care to layer them out well, in order to enhance maximum illumination.

• Start from the base of the trunk, wrap lights around each major branch, move from the trunk to the tip and back.

• Do not hold back any lights, for every foot of tree use a string of 100 lights.

• Be liberal in mixing and blending lights. Do not restrict yourself to a particular type of lighting.

• You may experiment with numerous lighting schemes till you finalize on a particular scheme.

• If you have children at home, take their inputs as well. This will get them into the true spirit of Christmas.

Be generous in letting your creativity flow and make sure you have all the required ornaments. Christmas is the only occasion that calls for an articulately decked Christmas tree. Make sure to do up the tree in an impeccable style and unmatched opulence.

By: Amrith K.A

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Christmas tree decoration is indispensable to Christmas. The very word reminds us of the many nice things that are attached to Christmas. Christmas reminds us of carols, Christmas vacation and chilly winters at its best. We are well informed that ornamentation is the spice of every celebration. With the exception of the early days of civilization, there are no occasions or festivals today without the extra fringe to add vivacity. In India decorations are an integral part of all festivities. Besides the much awaited Christmas mass, the Christmas wine, gifts and yummy Christmas delicacies, the celebration is almost incomplete without the traditional Christmas tree decoration.

In India there are several aspects of Christmas which are Indispensable to the celebrations. Truly special is the Christmas tree and the exquisite Christmas tree decorations. This adds a unique touch to the festivities. Christmas tree decoration is something that people from all age groups look forward to. Christmas trees are mainly of two types:

• Natural Christmas Trees
• Artificial Christmas Trees

The most commonly used natural Christmas trees are Scotch pine, Noble fir, Red pine, Eastern red cedar, Douglas fir, Leland cypress, Austrian pine, Grand fir, White spruce, Balsam fir, Fraser fir, Caroline sapphire, Norway Spruce and a few others. In India it is common practice to use artificial trees. Artificial trees are gaining more popularity due to its affordability, compactness and durability.

The celebrations begin a month ahead of Christmas when the house is cleaned and the artificial Christmas tree is brought down from the attic. It is thoroughly cleaned and freed of dust. Bright and colorful decorative items are bought. Christmas tree decoration when done at home becomes a family event where each one gives their own inputs. If you have a creative bend of mind then you may make exquisite decorative items at home, by harnessing the earlier season`s collectibles and some embellishments. This not only saves money but also gives you the creative satisfaction of doing up the tree, the resourceful way.

The type of Christmas tree decoration is region specific and sometimes place specific. Christmas tree decorated at home displays the sentiments of people decking it up. In India Christmas tree decoration finds prominence in offices as well as homes.

The ones decorated at office are generally formal and almost perfect. In an office ambiance the Christmas tree wears a formal and elegant look. Christmas star, exquisite garlands, glitter balls, bells, stars, garlands, candles and twinkling lights make excellent ornamental items to festoon the Christmas tree.

Christmas tree decoration in the confines of a home may have cards along with garlands, colorful balls, bows, santa and angel figurines. It could also be decked with Christmas gifts, Miniature wreathes, silk flowers, tin can collectibles, cranberry ornaments and artificial fruits. Sometimes gifts for family members with special notes can be tied to the tree. You may also have a special theme for Christmas tree decoration. Children may put up toys, their latest superhero or even poems written by them. Sketches and other handicrafts done at school can be used to adorn the Christmas tree.

In India, handicrafts hold a pride of place among all art forms. The Christmas tree may also be given an ethnic look with a touch of these handicrafts and the very Indian colors. You could put small lampshades in earthy hues and ethnic art for illumination. The very Indian Zari could be used as the ornamental garland.

Christmas is truly a time for revelry. Let go of all inhibitions and prepare yourself for the festive season. The many ways in which you can do up a Christmas tree is not limited, for creativity knows no boundaries. Bring that Christmas tree down from the attic .Get your friends and family to join you in doing up the tree and drown yourself in a Christmas tree decoration spree.

By: Amrith K.A

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Ever marveled at the impeccable beauty of the lush green conifer tree, which adorns homes during Christmas? Festooned with eye-catching decorative, the conifer is better known as the Christmas tree. A Christmas tree is synonymous to the opulent festival decorations and as we all know Christmas without decorations, is unthinkable.

The origin of using a Christmas tree dates back to earlier times, although there is no accurate record of who started it. It is believed that Germans introduced the culture of decorating the Christmas tree during Christmas. The ever popular Christmas tree is known by several names like the Yule Tree, holiday tree or Tannenbaum.

Christmas trees can be both natural and artificial. Though natural trees like the Fir or Abies is used, in present times the artificial Christmas tree, which is green, sturdy and long lasting is preferred. With environmental issues gaining more prominence, it is wiser to refrain from cutting down trees and advisable to go in for artificial Christmas trees, which are available at physical and online stores.

The Christmas tree is available in all sizes. Be it for your spacious living room or a small apartment, you are bound to find the size of your choice. They may be extremely large for a huge gathering at the corporate sector or medium sized to suit a family of four. Sometimes nicely decorated Christmas trees are placed atop a table or desk and the size of the Christmas tree is also diminutive. Despite the varying sizes the extravagant decorations will never take a backstage, as far as the Christmas tree is concerned.

Artificial Christmas trees are popular, also because they can be used in apartments, offices and are a necessity when you are allergic to the natural conifers. Besides these benefits, an artificial Christmas tree sometimes comes with certain decorations like lights and attractive garlands. These trees can be disassembled at the end of the season and stored compactly. They can be used for many more seasons to come and are thus less expensive, in terms of utility.

The natural Christmas tree is generally an evergreen coniferous tree which is decorated with Christmas lights, garlands and other ornaments. This feat of decorating a Christmas tree is a celebration in itself. So spruce up for Christmas this season with a Christmas tree. Buy the required decorative and of course the Christmas tree. Organize a gathering either at home or office and get started.

By: Amrith K.A

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