When it comes to Christmas jokes for kids, punch lines do not really matter, but the way they are told, do! You can come up with simple and even silly stuffs and get your kids laugh til they are breathless. However, as I said, delivery and enactment is the key! Kids, at their age, are not really influenced by what they hear, but with what they see and observe. So, keeping this in mind, here is a list of some simple and silly Christmas jokes for kids. Remember, do not just say the jokes, but be in them..The Christmas parties in my hometown have always been simple get-togethers that have only been attended by immediate family members and a few close friends. Today this is a ritual with only minute changes here and there. Whenever I close my eyes whatever be the time of the year, I can picture the church decorated and lit up on Christmas Eve, with the congregation singing Christmas carols loud and clear.

Voices rising in unison and creating magic, this is what Christmas means to me – praise! The Christmas party at my granny’s place usually begins at around 9 pm, after church. The evening begins with the exchange of gifts and the consumption of wine, roast, marzipan, rice, curries and rum cake with icing and the works. As is gets late into the night, we go to this large field below granny’s house; there we place ourselves on these plain wooden benches, and wrap ourselves in shawls (cloaks) to escape the cold breeze that blows at this part of the year. Then we light a bon fire, read His word and sing carols and just as the clock strikes 12, we hug and greet each other and burst crackers. A simple Christmas, but one that binds us together to this day! Now that I have told you about my Christmas party let me proceed with Christmas party ideas that you can include in your celebrations. Just like other Christmas traditions, Germany too has some unique traditions. Christmas traditions in Germany is a month long affair which begins with Advent. According to German Christmas traditions and customs, legend has it that on the Christmas eve, animals speak to each other, rivers turn to wine and Christmas bells can be heard over the mountains. Also see Christmas around the world.Christmas Wreaths & Calendar To mark the beginning of Christmas, people in Germany hang Christmas wreaths with four candles placed in them in their homes. One of these four candles is lit every passing sunday before the Christmas eve. This is one of the most unique Christmas traditions in Germany. The Advent wreath in German is known as ‘Adventskranz’. Incidentally, the Christmas calendar or the Adventskalender originated in Germany. It was created to get the children involved in the celebrations counting down the Christmas eve. This later on, caught like wild fire in other countries.Christmas Markets and Food The beginning of Advent is characterized by the setting up of Christmas markets which are known as ‘Weihnachtsmärkte’ in German. It is in these markets that all the Christmas decorations and Christmas ornament crafts are available. According to German Christmas traditions, food that is associated with Christmas like wine, ginger bread, cookies etc. are available here. The traditional Christmas day feast consists of either a goose or rabbit roast. Some of the traditional dishes are sauerkraut with apples and potato dumplings. Christmas Tree Christmas tree decoration was a tradition which first started in Germany. Traditionally, the tree was decorated by the elders in the family. The Christmas tree which is known as ‘Tannenbaum’ in German was hidden from the children with the intention of surprising them with the decorations on Christmas eve. The tree is decorated with Christmas crafts, bells, candy etc. Amongst the common decoration is Christbaumgeback which is a Christmas pastry used to decorate the tree. Some families also use Christmas pyramids instead of the tree. The tree is only brought down on either the first of January or the 6th of January, which is considered as the kings day. Christmas Gifts and Celebrations Once the Advent begins, the children put shoes or socks in the windowsills on the 6th of December for St. Nicholas, along with letters written to him. According to the Christmas traditions in Germany, it is believed that on that day, a messenger known as Christkind comes down to people’s homes along with a book of sins. If the child has been a good kid, then his stalkings are filled with gifts or candies, otherwise it is filled with twigs. On January 6th, boys and girls dress up as kings and sing carols to mark the kings day. It is on this day that the initials of the three kings C, M and H are inscribed on the entrances of homes with chalk. The Christmas tree is revealed on the the 24th of December and Christmas gifts are exchanged. Families host big feasts and the air is full of merrymaking and celebration. The 25th of December is more of a quiet day reserved for the religious practices. The next day is also a public holiday in Germany and the day is reserved for helping people in need. More on Christmas History.Reflecting the very sentiments of the saying, nobody can deny the pleasure that washes over ones soul, when you see someone smile with gratitude at your simple act of sharing. The euphoria manifold when you can light up the life of someone less favored by fate than you are. The history of Boxing Day came in to existence almost 800 years ago, in the medieval period because some people in the United Kingdom started to think along similar lines. From here onwards let’s try to find the real answer to what is Boxing Day.Boxing Day Origin It is indeed true that the exact time of the inception of Boxing Day remains somewhat shrouded in obscurity. However, legend has it that earlier, all the domestic staff had to work on Christmas Day in order to ensure that everything was flawless in the household as rich British noblemen and aristocrats held Grandiloquent parties in their mansions. All the servants and slaves were therefore allowed to visit their homes on the 26th of December. Somewhere in the middle ages, the tradition of giving gifts to these people in boxes, was then considered lower class. Even money or healthy helpings of leftover party morsels were sometimes given in a box. Why is Boxing day called Boxing Day, you ask? Well, its from this tradition of boxing gifts, did the name evolve.Another tale has it that circa early 19th century the churches in Britain placed boxes for alms outside the churches where the churchgoers could contribute their bit for the poor and the downtrodden. Whatever money was amassed throughout the period of Advent i.e. during the four Sundays preceding Christmas, was taken out from these boxes and distributed among the unfortunate on the 26th of December. Why this was done on that particular day was because the day after Christmas happens to be St. Stephen’s Day. St. Stephen was a Roman, appointed as one of the seven deacons, by Christ’s apostles, bestowed with the responsibility of caring for the relic’s and the poverty-stricken. Thus, on his day after the Feast of St. Stephen’s Day, these alms were distributed. St. Stephen was stoned to martyrdom and died seeking pardon for the mob who killed him, greatly resembling Jesus. The Acts of the Apostles 6: 1 to 8: 2 narrates the story of this martyr. The idea of putting money in boxes is however, believed to be a Roman contribution in Britain. The Roman used to collect money for betting in boxes, during their winter fetes and the Britons picked it up from them. This Christmas tradition spread to nations that the Britishers colonized later on. Today Boxing Day is celebrated in Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. However, this tradition is still not a part of the United States. Today, in Canada, Boxing Day actually stands for the day when all Christmas embellishments are ‘boxed up’ and put away.Some theories even relate the name to the traditional practice of opening Christmas boxes, clay or wooden holds for Christmas gifts, on 26th December morn. Christmas boxes were also placed by priests on board, in a vessel which was about to set out in the search of new land during the Age of Exploration, as a good-luck charm. The crew would then drop coins into it, praying for a safe return, sealing it up and then carrying it around.What is Boxing Day Like Today?In current times, people give gift boxes to postmen, delivery boys, porters and valets. The custom now includes giving gift kitties or gift purses to domestic help. Some people also visit their grandparents as a custom on this day. Today, children are encouraged to collect gifts by school authorities, which are placed in boxes, wrapped and sent to poorer nations.Boxing Day was recognized as a bank holiday in the UK and Wales through the Bank Holidays Act of 1871.In many countries, special sporting events are organized on this day. For example, in UK, earlier people went hunting for foxes accompanied by foxhound dogs, but now engage themselves soccer games and racing horses. Also hugely popular football matches played between leagues are also organized in England, Scotland and Ireland. In Australia, the Boxing Day test match is initiated at the famous cricket ground in Melbourne. Also, the prestigious Hobart Yacht Race in Sydney begins on this day. South Africa also organizes its Boxing Day test match and two extremely important hockey tournaments, namely, the World Junior Hockey Tournament organized in Canada by the IIHF and the international Spengler Cup played in Davos, Graubünden, Switzerland begin on Boxing day.Boxing day is also seen as a very important day for economic transactions as huge sales are organized by shops. It is the official start of the sales season post-Christmas. In Canada sales of up to CAD 1,000,000 have been registered on Boxing Day in previous years, according to the data of Visa, in big marts. However, recent controversies in Britain have brought to light that big houses often hike the prices of products and then feign to slash it on this day, fraudulently looting the public. For similar reasons the sale season has been postponed to begin from 27th of December in New South Wales, as a measure to limit deceitful retail trading.Fun Boxing Day Trivia In countries like England and Ireland, it was a popular trend to kill a wren, small brown birds, by stoning them, replicating St. Stephen’s death, by young boys. It was believed that one could kill a wren, only on a Boxing Day and not on any other day. They would then decorate the corpse of the bird with ribbons and shafts of vibrant plumage, melanize its face, hang it by a rope on a pole and go about begging for alms knocking each door with the pole. Thus, St. Stephen’s Day was also called ‘Wren Day’. This particular tradition seems to be cropped up in the Battle of Kinsale in 1601, when the hushed efforts of Irish to silently attack the English invaders, were jeopardized by the song of a wren, which alerted the British troops. The truth in the tale is questionable though. The ‘wren boys’ would also sing the following song while begging.Fox hunting with the help of fox hounds, was officially banned in Wales and England, from 18th of February, 2005 with a cumulative consent of all member of the Parliament and relentless efforts of animal lovers. However, in Ireland this cruel practice still persists.History talks of another St. Stephen, a Swedish religious missioner, who lived in the 9th century. He was the patron saint and guardian of horses. Killed by Swedish pagans, his love for horses probably gave rise to the horse riding tradition of Boxing day. Moreover, it was due to this that one could ride horses in and around a church during the St. Stephen’s Day Service, in Germany some time ago.Years ago in Wales, St. Stephen’s Day traditions included ‘holming’ or beating maid servants with holly bowers until their hands or feet leeched. Usually young lads and dames took to thrashing their helps. This trashing as also inflicted upon the last person who woke up in the morning and was made to do all the work of the family on that day. Gwyl San Steffan, as the day was called, also saw beating up of horses and other livestock, with holly sprigs, as it was believed to boost their stamina. These ancient Welsh practices were however stopped sometime in the 19th century.Canadian shops open their shutters as early as 6 a.m. in the morning, on Boxing Day, to let in people, who often line up in front of shops during the night. They also refer to this post-Christmas clearance sales week as the ’13th month’.Many people gather along the coasts of Britain, attired in clownish or weird fancy dresses and indulge in a tradition called Boxing Day Dip, wherein the they dance in shallow waters to entertain the watchers and assemble money for charity.A very colorful street procession called Junkanooo is organized on Boxing Day, in the Bahamas, when elaborately dressed ethnic dancers known as ‘gombeys’ fill up the streets. Their costumes are very flashy and attractive, generally made with the help of card boards, paper crepes and lots of sequins. Goombay music fills the air during this parade, generated by a variety of horns, goat-hide drums and cowbells. The procession generally starts at midnight.In some countries, if Boxing Day happens to be a Saturday, then the coming Monday is observed as a holiday, on its behalf, by Royal Proclamation of the King or Queen in Council, in England. However, if it falls on a Sunday, then both Monday and Tuesday are holidays compensating for both Christmas and Boxing day. The same practice is followed in Canada, without the roclamation of course.So now I leave you to ruminate about all the different aspects of this day, including Boxing Day history, its practices and the pros and cons of all its traditions. It’s meant to be a beautiful day with noble purpose, so enjoy it as you sway to the strains of the carol “Good King Wenceslas looked out, On the Feast of Stephen…” which goes on to say narrating the tale of a medieval Duke of Bohemia, who nourished the poor peasant living by the forest, with wine and meat and brought him warmth by burning pine logs on a cold snow-laden Boxing Day.

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