Photography
Christmas Miscellany
24, Dec 2008 - 08:35

This photo of Santa Claus was taken in a candlemakers' shop window in the Canary Islands. He really does get about. But how does he get to all those houses so quickly on Christmas Eve? That's what the little ones are secretly asking themselves. It's the Science of Santa - stupid!  That's how he does it. And relativity clouds are the latest explanation from the boffins - rubber-banding of time and space allows him to not only squeeze down chimneys but to deliver millions of presents to boys and girls (apart from a few naughty ones of course) everywhere.

	How do others celebrate Christmas around the world? Are there countries where traditional red-coated Coca Cola Santas, inflatable Bart Simpsons and blue LED lights are not used to decorate house-fronts and front lawns?
Well-versed in Christmas Carols? Are you a one-verse only kinda guy or gal? Christmas is the time for singing Carols - it's not too late to learn a few additional verses. if you only know the first few lines why not learn the second verse? Brush up your rusty Latin:	Adeste Fideles Laeti triumphantes Venite, venite in Bethlehem Natum videte Regem angelorum Venite adoremus Dominum Cantet nunc io Chorus angelorum Cantet nunc aula caelestium Gloria, gloria In excelsis Deo Venite adoremus Dominum Ergo qui natus Die hodierna Jesu, tibi sit gloria Patris aeterni Verbum caro factus Venite adoremus Dominum
	Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without great food and drink. What wine to drink on Christmas day? If you're never quite sure what wine to have with Turkey the most important rule is to drink what you like - but that little extra help from the web can be useful too in bluffing your way - but don't become a wine bore. And isn't it great that ham and sausage stuffing are back in the butcher shops just in time for Christmas dinner? Christmas recipes for leftover ham and turkey can be useful too over the next week.
With the recession upon us find out how to make cheap but beautiful Christmas decorations from plain paper. And what about snow globes made from soap? - useful and pretty too.