The tradition of gifting on the eve of Christmas seems to have started with the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. As mentioned in the Bible’s book of Matthew, “On coming to the house they saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshipped him. They then opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, incense and of myrrh…” There are some curious gift categories that we came across, including teachers’ worst Christmas gifts, popular gifts, etc. 

Usually teachers love to get pressies from their pupils on Christmas eve, but often what they get is a bit weird, a BBC NEWS report points out. It mentions a golden horse statue, a raw chicken and a glass fish among the stranger gifts they have been given.

For those planning to buy a present for their teacher, and wondering what they should, BBC Newsround spoke to a cross-section of teachers in the UK to find out the worst things they  can or have received at Christmas.

It noted: “Among the worst things teachers said to get was perfume, which smells really bad! Another was chocolate, particularly if it is out-of-date, or one that is half-eaten! And the worst thing that pupils can possibly gift their teachers on Christmas eve are some really tacky ornaments. But do not worry if you are not planning to give your teacher a pressie, or perhaps you cannot afford to get much.”

You do not spend loads, but simply try to ensure that your gift is as personal and unusual as possible. According to the government, the report mentions in a lighter and literal vein, teachers are not allowed to give pupils higher ranks only because they have given them nice gifts!
 
Try the Christmas quiz 

Incidentally, BBC NEWS published another report on a host of hostile Christmas gifts. All were found to be counterfeit as well as dangerous.

Curiously, Ipod has topped the list of contemporary Christmas gifts. A news report mentions: “Looks like assorted gift givers and secret Santas worldwide have found an easy gift option (the Ipod). It has sold over 150 million units since first launched in 2001.”

Classic diamond earrings came second as the preferred gift item, closely followed by the Nintendo Wii. The popular games console works by detecting the players’ movement is very much in demand. A Tiffany necklace stood fourth. Gadgets are proving to be popular with a laptop, Nintendo Gameboy and Playstation 3 all voted into the top 50.

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Who doesn’t like cookies? They are the perfect choice for someone who wishes to tantalize one’s taste buds and do away with those hunger pangs. One can get several choices for presenting cookies in a fun gift packing.

Cookies are among the most popular gifting items - synonymous with the Christmas celebrations as much as a cute Christmas tree or gorgeous golden bells. When wrapped in a wonderful box, they make a meaningful gift for your boss, friend or your colleague, to go with the spirit of this unique festival.

There are many quality brands that have a wide variety on offer, ranging from the more traditional crispy, crunchy cookies to the indulgent mouth watering cool chocolate dipped cookies, luscious creamy cookies, savory salty Cookies and even customized cookies.

For this season, take your pick from delightful stockings or jute bags, brightly wrapped gift boxes adorned with Santa, mistletoe, stockings and everything else that enhances the Christmas mood, filled with the choicest cookies in tantalizing flavours that include Chocolate, Coffee, Brandy, Honey, Coconut, Ginger and a lot more.

Most of these cookie packs are well within budget. At any of the leading malls in your city, the mega cookie gifts are available to make your near and dear ones happy. You can get a beautifully crafted cane hamper comprising mouth watering, melting chocolates, a selection of premium dry fruits, a pair of champagne glasses and other goodies. There are elegant photo frames and gifts galore!

There is something on offer for everyone on the Christmas eve including Chocolates and plum cakes specially created for the season. In addition, many malls run special Christmas programs and promotional offers. Children get an opportunity to meet and sing along with a lifelike Santa Claus at his jovial best. It is time to catch up with the Santa spirit!

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Santa Claus is an icon of peace, joy and happiness, who enlivens our minds and hearts. He lives in the hearts of those who believe in virtues of giving and spreading happiness. Hence, gifting is something that is closely associated with the festival of Christmas.

Traditionally, Saint Nicholas was depicted as an imposing, tall, dignified ecclesiastical figure riding a white horse, dressed in red robes trimmed with white fur, worn by bishops, placing gifts of nuts, fruit, candy and small figurines on the hearth.

The popular and distinctive image of Santa was further developed from literary descriptions by novelist Washington Irving and poet Clement Clarke Moore and the fanciful drawings of poet and illustrator, Thomas Nast. In his drawings, Nast has depicted Santa as a delightful and jolly elf with a potbelly, and a bagfull of gifts slung on his shoulder.

In his poem, ‘A Visit by Saint Nicholas’, Nast has gives a detailed description of a happy, old, dwarfish man, riding on a sleigh drawn by eight reindeer, whose names are specified as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, respectively.

The present adorable personality of the North American Santa Claus, which took shape in the 19th Century, was that of a chubby, bespectacled elf, dressed in bright red. Father Christmas, Befana or even Kringler, Baboushka, Santa has spread cheer, joy and warmth in every form and under every garb. And that makes him a key figure in religious history, who carries a touch of benevolence.

But Reindeer are not found around the North Pole, so how do they figure in German, Dutch and North American legends? Actually, this was the brainchild of Clement Moore. One evening, while riding back home from New York City, he was inspired by the tinkling of bells on old Dobbin, his donkey and there flashed an idea for a Christmas tide verse for his children! Another explanation could be that German legends and mythology are closely related to those of Scandinavia, a Polar region.

Christmas is the time to rejoice with Santa, the Patron of Giving, and Giving sure is a noble gesture.

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As Christmas approaches, Santa Claus is eagerly awaited by children and so also the goodies and gifts he brings along.

It is interesting to note that the popular view of Santa we all have today - with the sleigh, the reindeer and the chimney – was derived largely from Clement Moore’s ‘The Night Before Christmas’, the 1822 book, further reinforced further by an advertising campaign.

The Santa Claus story combined with the modern retailing phenomena and consumer culture has grown since the turn of the century to make gift-giving an integral element of the Christmas celebrations. Incidentally, there was no elaborate exchanging of gifts until late 1800’s.

The Christmas tree – apparently a German tradition – began in the early 700AD century. The tradition of a Christmas Tree gradually moved to the UK and US. Since Victorian times, people had been decorating trees with candies and cakes hung with ribbon, ornaments and candles. The first electrically lighted Christmas tree appeared in 1882. Mistletoe, representing the goddess of love (Frigga - Scandinavian), was used as a decoration in houses for thousands of years and is also associated with many pagan rituals.

The 12 days of Chistmas are the ones that separate Christmas day (December 25) from Epiphany celebrated on January 6, marking Christ’s baptism (the Catholic tradition) or the day when the wise men visited baby Jesus with their gifts. This includes great fanfare and singing. The Anglo-Saxon tradition revolved around gathering together for small, serene choirs on the scenic village green lawns to sing carols and popular Christmas songs that would entertain and please the passers-by.

This joyous festival truly enlivens our hearts with warm revelry that extends well into the new year! Gift your near and dear ones, the little children, your friends and colleagues to spread the joy of Christmas.

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‘Roadside Romeo’ merchandise: Disney Consumer Products and Yash Raj Films have jointly launched merchandise products for the hit animated film ‘Roadside Romeo’. The merchandise has been launched across a range of products like apparel, accessories, school stationery. The apparel collection comprises skirts, T-shirts and jeans - priced between Rs 400 to Rs 1000 – are available at select Catmoss stores.

‘Roadside Romeo’ is India’s first three-dimensional (3D) mainstream animation movie now available online. HomeShop18, the home shopping network, has tied up with the producers and Walt Disney Co. to take the exciting product range to its customers. ‘Roadside Romeo’ marked the debut of once child prodigy Jugal Hansraj (Masoom fame) as director. Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Javed Jaffrey have lent their voices to the film’s lead characters (Romeo, Laila and Anna, respectively).

Mariposa Barbie: Barbie Mariposa Doll comes with a beautiful butterfly on her arm that fluently flutters up. She comes with sparkling blue/pink wings and a sizzling skirt. Gift this bubbly Barbie to your little ones on eve of the children’s day, and bring a smile on their face.

‘Me to You’ teddy: Archies have got into an exclusive tie-up with leading brand from the UK, Carte Blanche, for its world-renowned ‘Me to you’ merchandise in India. ‘Me to You’ grey colored teddy with blue nose is a popular character that has been licensed for several products.

Encyclopedia Britannica DVD-ROM/CD: Britannica is a renowned brand striving to disseminate knowledge. Their CD or DVD-ROM format Encyclopedia offers extensive resources for students. Researched and authored by historians, professors, Nobel laureates, curators and experts from the various domains, it is among the most reliable references for research for any student.

Interesting Infotainment based Gifts for Children

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ by J K Rowling
In the seventh and final book, Harry Potter discovers what fate has in store for him as he inexorably makes his way to that final mind-boggling meeting with Voldemort. In this truly thrilling climax to the phenomenally bestselling series worldwide, celebrated author J.K. Rowling reveals it all to her eagerly awaiting readers.

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In the previous blog, we considered some premier shopping avenues of Mumbai including Big Bazaar, Shoppers’ Stop and Inorbit Mall. We continue with our search for some fantastic shopping sites in the city.

Star Bazaar: Star Bazaar, the hyper market, belongs to the retail arm of the Tata Group’s Trent.The brand is lookign to leverage the unprecedented retail boom and has succeeded in doing so. They run a huge mall in the wester n suburbs of Andheri. Star Bazaar acts as a one-stop-shop and it promises the shopping to be an unique experience and a truly exciting affair.

The Star Bazaar offers to its customers a wide variety of products with great quality and service at the lowest prices. In fact, Trent has ambitious plans to open retail outlets in all the leading metros to meet the shopping needs of the burgeoning consumer class. The Star Bazaar offers an exhaustive choice of products.

The Heera Panna Shopping center: The center is among the most popular shopping centers in the city. It is a venue where you can shop in peace. The complex is known for its truly high quality products. The Heera Panna shopping center is your solution when it comes to ultimate quality shopping.

The shopping center established more than two decades ago, is situated in Worli, just near the Haji Ali Mosque. The avenue is famous for its range of accessories and excellent electronic products. The shops here have on offer high quality products at reasonable prices.

Infiniti and Citimall are also a must visit for leisurely shopping as you will come across some gorgeous gifting articles.

And why Mumbai alone! With your inputs, we would be gradually covering all leading metros of India when it comes to gifting and shopping. So, start sending your feedback on some of the great shopping avenues in your city or town for the benefit of fellow readers.

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Inorbit Mall: Located in the western suburbs of Mumbai, Malad, Inorbit Mall is counted among some of the finest malls in the country. It has grown in popularity ever since its inception. Committed to setting new benchmarks in the Retail Industry of India, its success is largely attributed to its unique positioning as a one-stop lifestyle destination.

Its superior design and excellent retail mix has made Inorbit Mall the most sought after destination in the city today.  Inorbit Vashi (New Mumbai), conceptualized by the UK’s Chapman Taylor Partners, is an architectural marvel. Inorbit has brought to Vashi a stunning aesthetic grandeur bang opposite Vashi railway station.

Shoppers’ Stop: The premier shopping destination is positioned as a complete family store that delivers a complete shopping experience. Setting up shop way back in 1991 with its first store in Andheri, the western suburbs of Mumbai, this retail venture by the K. Raheja Corp. has made a name for itself in short span of time.

With its huge range of merchandise, excellent customer service and exclusive shop-in-shop counters of leading international brands, Shoppers’ Stop provides with a world class shopping experience. The stores offer a wide range of apparel and lifestyle accessories from apparel brands like Provogue, Arrow, Levi’s, Scullers, Zodiac and Color Plus  to cosmetic brands like Le Teint Ricci, Lakme, Chambor, etc.

Big Bazaar: Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd. is among India’s leading retailers, which operates multiple retail formats of the Indian consumer market - in both the value and lifestyle segment. Based in Mumbai, they operate well over 11 million sq ft of retail space in over 1000 stores across leading cities of India. Mumbai is one of them.

The company’s leading formats comprise a chain of fashion outlets, Pantaloons; a uniquely Indian hypermarket chain, Big Bazaar and supermarket chain Food Bazaar that blend the look, feel and touch of Indian bazaars with modern retail concepts (choice, convenience and quality).

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We list the art and craft varieties of Kerala, which will make a perfect gift if you are willing to acquire them for your friends, relatives and office colleagues: 

Treasure Chest (Netturpetti): It is the ethnic jewel box of the women in Kerala, and was once a majestic mark of the influential families of the land. The casket (petti) originally designed in Malabar’s Nettur region is testimony to the skill and patience of the artisans.

The box made of rosewood is handcrafted. Every joint, screw and lock is shaped and chiseled by hand. The wooden box is varnished and later fixed with brass frames. This richly embellished box (with its conical lid) is today a collector’s item. The casket is fast turning a rare object.

Murals: Kerala is among India’s leading states including Rajasthan that boast a large collection of murals based on ancient Indian mythological themes. The Kerala murals have the stamp of unique aesthetic composition and techniques. Most of these murals were painted in the period between 15th and 19th centuries.

You could buy one at Rs. 2000 per sq ft onward depending on the complexity of the picture and its size. (Stop by at the Vasthuvidya Gurukulam, Parambarya Thachu Sastra Chuvarchithra Samrakshana Kendram, Aranmula, Pathanamthitta, Kerala.)

Payyannur Pavithra Mothiram: It is a uniquely crafted golden ring. Shaped like a knot, it is considered a sacred ornament.

Check for more shopping options in Kerala…

You can visit any handicrafts emporium and pick up the article of your choice. Fore more details, contact:
Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala
Park View, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India - 695 033
Phone: +91-471-2321132 Fax: +91-471-2322279
Tourist Information toll free No:1-800-425-4747
Email: info@keralatourism.org , deptour@keralatourism.org

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We present you with a concise list of most popular titles in India, one of which will make a perfect gift for your family or friends.

Some top non-fiction bestsellers currently are:

Little Green Book Of Getting Your Way by Jeffrey Gitomer
India’s Unending Journey by Mark Tully
The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown

Among the top fiction bestsellers currently are:

The Children Of Hurin by J R R Tolkien
The Missing by Chris Mooney
The Witch Of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
The Accident Man by Tom Cain

The Crossword’s bestsellers list includes:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Age of Shiva by Manil Suri
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Age Of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan
We are Like That Only by Rama Bijapurkar

Incidentally, the leading British publication ‘The Mirror’ has reported that Pride and Prejudice is the book the UK relishes reading the most.  Classic works dominated the rest of the top 10 chart, as is evident from the list below:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Bible
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
1984 by George Orwell
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

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