Christmas and Easter certainly stand as the two holiest days in the Christian calendar. As such, on Christmas, it is my tradition to pass along religious sites that celebrate the birth of Christ and give glory to God. I'd also like to offer my own best wishes to you all for a happy holiday season and a healthy new year, no matter what your faith or religious preference.
• www.night.net/christmas/Luke2.html-ssi. St. Luke's story of Christmas is beautifully illustrated here. Certainly, reading this story from the Bible is a tradition for many families on Christmas, but reading it from the screen, complemented by the artwork, may find a place in some homes as well.
• http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/sites/TSbtmenu.html. This is a lovely magazine-style site on Bethlehem from the Franciscans. As their proud banner states, "It's always Christmas Here." There is much to read and explore today, and throughout the year. If unrest in the area has kept you from traveling, at least you can be there in sight and spirit.
• www.joyfulheart.com/xmas. I am one of the millions who resent the abbreviation Xmas (why not Cmas?), but the Christian Articles Archive has too many wonderful stories and articles to quibble over the Web address.
• www.got.net/~seasons/christmas.html. Here you'll find a history of many of the holiday's symbols and a discussion of the overtaking of the season by Santa, snowmen and trees surrounded by gifts aplenty.
• http://christmasisjesus.truepath.com. There are several fine pages here but I was particularly taken by the religious reinterpretation of the lyrics of "The 12 Days of Christmas." This is both an interesting idea and an unexpected presentation paired with quotes and illustrations. Explore the whole site, but be sure to listen to at least one or two verses from the song.
• www.mswm.org/christmas.htm. This site from Ministry Publications offers a nice collection of Christmas messages by Pastor Max Solbrekken.
• www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/twasbegin.html. In this revisited version of the visit of St. Nick, J. Todd Jenkins of the First Presbyterian Church of Fayetteville, Tenn., puts the true meaning of Christmas into the familiar poetic stanzas. The gifts that are delivered are greater by far than any ever wrapped.
• http://davenation.com/madonnas. This is a lovely collection of images of Madonna accompanied by text and sound files.
• www.littleshepherd.org/onlinestory.htm. A sweet story for sharing. Join the Little Shepherd as he faces his fears and learns the greatest truth of all. Reading this tale with your children might be the perfect way to help them understand the true meaning of the day, and at the same time, make some of those hours that can seem so long to young ones pass peacefully.
• www.annieshomepage.com/wisemen.html. Reinvest in your faith at Annie's Wiseman Pages. There is more here than you might think at first glance. Aside from this collection of Christian offerings and Christmas links, there are more than a dozen other areas to explore once the holiday is done. Art here is pastel and pleasing. It's a most comforting get-away from the hectic activities of the day.
• http://tni.net/~mlindell/gift_of_god.html. Here is a heartfelt poem called "The Gift of God" by Michael Lindell.
• www.silentnight.web.za. And finally, I always get at least a few requests for the address of this site, which offers nearly 155 versions of what is probably the most loved (and most often performed) Christmas carol. Hearing "Silent Night" in more than 100 different languages should remind us all that Peace on Earth needs to be a prayer we keep in our hearts throughout the year.
Jan Perry is a Kentucky-based freelance writer. She welcomes your questions, comments and suggestions at SiteSeer2K@aol.com.
