2 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT 2014 - thesundayleader.lk fileDoctor Maulana Karenga, a Professor at Cal-ifornia State University in Long Beach, Califor-nia, created Kwanzaa in 1966. It is a

2 Sunday, December 7, 2014S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T 3Sunday, December 7, 2014

S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T

Origins By David Johnson

From its modest beginnings, Christmas has evolved into the biggest celebration in the

world. Christmas is the fourth most impor-tant Christian date after Easter, Pentecost, and Epiphany, a feast held January 6 to com-memorate the manifestation of the divinity of Jesus.

Roman Catholics and Protestants cel-ebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. Many Orthodox Christians use the Julian cal-endar, which places Christmas around Janu-ary 6. Early Christians, however, did not

celebrate Christmas. There was disa-

greement

World’s Biggest Festival

Has Varied Roots

Christmas Holiday

3Sunday, December 7, 2014

Hanukkah

Commencing on the 25th day of the Hebrew month Kislev, Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday

commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the Syrians. In 168 BC, members of the Jew-ish family Maccabee led a revolt against the Greek Syrians due to the policies of Syrian King Antiochus IV which were aimed at nullifying the Jewish faith. Part of this strategem included changing the Beit HaMikdash – the Holy Tem-ple in Jerusalem – to a Greek temple complete with idolatry. Led by Judah Maccabee, the Jews won victory over the Syrians in 165 BC and re-claimed their temple.

After cleansing the temple and preparing for its rededication, it was found there was not enough oil to light the N’er Tamid, an oil lamp present in Jewish houses of worship which rep-resents eternal light. Once lit, the lamp should never be extinguished.

A search of the temple produced a small vial of undefiled oil — enough for only one day. Miraculously, the Temple lights burned for eight days until a new supply of oil was brought. In remembrance of this miracle, one candle of the Menorah – an eight branched candelabra – is lit each of the eight days of Hanukkah. Hanukkah, which means dedication, is a Hebrew word when translated is commonly spelled Hanukah, Chanukah, and Hannukah due to different trans-lations and customs. The tradition of receiving gifts on each of the eight days of Hanukkah is relatively new and due in part to the celebra-tion’s proximity to the Christmas season.

KwanzaaDoctor Maulana Karenga, a Professor at Cal-

ifornia State University in Long Beach, Califor-nia, created Kwanzaa in 1966. It is a holiday cel-ebrated by millions of African-Americans around the world, encouraging them to remember their African heritage and consider their current place in America today. Kwanzaa is celebrated fom December 26 to January 1 and involves seven principles called Nguzo Saba: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination), Ujima (Col-lective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Co-operative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

In the Kwanzaa ritual, seven candles called Mishumaa Saba are placed in a Kinara, or can-dleholder, which is then set upon the Mikeka, a mat usually made of straw. Three green can-dles are placed on the left, three red candles on the right and a black candle in the center, each candle representing one of the seven prin-ciples of the celebration. One candle is lit each day of the Kwanzaa celebration, beginning from left to right The colors of Kwanzaa ~ black, red and green ~ also have a special significance. Black symbolizes the faces of the African peo-ple, Red symbolizes the blood they have shed, and Green represents hope and the color of the motherland. The name itself – Kwanzaa – is a Swahili word meaning “fruits of the harvest.”

Christmas Customs around the world

Christmas around the world: In Italy, children receive gifts from the good witch La Befana, old, bent and dressed in black. La Befana was a wid-owed, childless woman when the Three Kings passed on their way to see the Christ child. When they asked her the way to Bethlehem she was busy cleaning and sent them away. Real-izing her mistake, she left to search for the Baby Jesus. To this day she is still searching going from house to house on Epiphany, January 6, leaving a gift for good children.

Russian children await gifts from Babouska, a farmer’s wife who offered food and shelter to the Three Wise men on their journey to Bethle-hem, Baboushka declined their offer of travelling with them to visit the Christ child. Realizing her error on the eve of Epiphany, she tried unsuc-cessfully to find them, but handed the presents she had intended for the infant Jesus to children she passed along the way. In Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico and South America, the Three Kings or Wise Men bring Christmas gifts to chil-dren, while in France children eagerly await the coming of Father Christmas or Pere Noel who brings their gifts.

In some cultures, Saint Nicholas travels with an assistant. The old bishop Sinterklass arrives in Holland on December 6 in his red bishop’s costume astride a white horse. In many port towns, he is said to have sailed in on a ship from Spain. Beside him walks Black Peter with a black sack and a book recording each Dutch child’s behavior through the year. Good children receive a gift from the bishop while bad children may be carried away in Black Peter’s sack. In Germany Saint Nicholas also travels with a helper, known as Knecht Ruprecht, Krampus, or Pelzebock, and comes with a sack on his back and a rod or switches in his hand. Saint Nicho-las gives gifts to good children, while those who have been bad are punished by the assistant with a few hits of a switch.

Swedish children wait for the gnome Jul-tomten, also called Julemanden or Julenisse, who dresses in red and carries a sack of gifts on his back. He flies in his sleigh pulled by the Julbocker, the goats of Thor, the god of thunder. Elves, called the Juul Nisse, hide in the attics of families throughout the year, eagerly waiting to help him. Children leave bowls of milk or rice pudding in the attic for the elves, hoping they will be empty in the morning. In Austria and Swit-zerland it is Christkindl or the Christ Child who arrives bearing gifts. In some towns children await the Holy Child and in others Christkindl is a beautiful girl-angel who comes down from heaven bearing gifts.

And in England a thinner version of Santa Claus known as Father Christmas, wearing long red robes with sprigs of holly in his hair, delivers gifts to children.

about when Jesus was born and some early Christians opposed celebrating his birthday. In the fourth century Christmas was added to the Church calendar as a feast day.

A Common DateDecember 25 was a significant date for

various early cultures. The ancient Babyloni-ans believed the son of the queen of heaven was born on December 25. The Egyptians

celebrated the birth of the son of the fertil-ity goddess Isis on the same date, while ancient Arabs contended that the moon was born on December 24. The Romans

celebrated Saturnalia, a feast named for

Joyful and ReligiousGradually, Christmas celebrations began

to adopt the joyful, often boisterous, holi-day traditions of pagan cultures. The story of the nativity was told through music, art, and dance.

Some Medieval Christians objected, how-ever, maintaining that Christmas should be a somber religious day, not a secular festival. After the Reformation, certain Protestant groups opposed Christmas celebrations. Ol-iver Cromwell banned them in England. King Charles II restored Christmas when he as-cended the throne.

In the American colonies, Puritans, Bap-tists, Quakers, and Presbyterians opposed the festivities, while Catholics, Anglicans (Epis-copalians), Dutch Reformed, and Lutherans approved. Christmas celebrations became more common in America during the mid-1800s.

The introduction of Christmas services in Sunday schools reduced religious oppo-sition, while the Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol popularized the holiday as a family event.

Page Design By Jeevantha, Asantha

Saturn, god of agriculture, on December 21, the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere. They believed the shortest day of the year was the birthday of the sun. The Roman emper-or Constantine was a member of the sun-cult before converting to Christianity in 312.

Some scholars suspect that Christians chose to celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25 to make it easier to convert the pagan tribes. Re-ferring to Jesus as the “light of the world” also fit with existing pagan beliefs about the birth of the sun.

The ancient “return of the sun” philosophy had been replaced by the “coming of the son” message of Christianity.


of the



(almonds wrapped in pretty paper). He came back to London and tried selling sweets like that in England and also included a small motto or riddle in with the sweet. But they didn’t sell very well.

However, one night, while he was sitting in front of his log fire, he became very interested by the sparks and cracks coming from the fire. Suddenly, he thought what a fun idea it would be, if his sweets and toys could be opened with a crack when their fancy wrappers were pulled in half.

Crackers were originally called ‘cosaques’ and were thought to be named after the ‘Cossack’ soldiers who had a reputation for riding on their horses and firing guns into the air!

When Tom died, his expanding cracker business was taken over by his three sons, Tom, Walter and Henry. Walter introduced the hats into crackers and he also travelled around the world look-ing for new ideas for gifts to put in the crackers.

The company built up a big range of ‘themed’ crackers. There were ones for bachelors and spinsters (single men and women), where the gifts were things like false teeth and wedding rings! There were also crackers for Suffragettes (women who cam-paigned to get women the vote), war heroes and even Charlie Chaplain! Crackers were also made for special occasions like Coronations. The British Royal Family still has special crackers made for them today!

Very expensive crackers were made such as the ‘Millionaire’s Crackers’ which contained a solid silver box with a piece of gold and silver jewerly inside it!

Cracker manufacturers also made large displays, such as horse drawn carriages and sleighs, for the big shops in London

The Christmas Crackers that are used today are short card-board tubes wrapped in colourful paper. There is normally a Cracker next to each plate on the Christmas dinner table. When the crackers are pulled - with a bang! - a colourful party hat, a toy or gift and a festive joke falls out! The party hats look like crowns and it is thought that they symbolise the crowns that might have been worn by the Wise Men.

Crackers are famous for their very bad jokes! Here are some bad Christmas themed Cracker jokes!

The world’s longest Christmas cracker measured 63.1m (207ft) long and 4m (13ft) in diameter and was made by the parents of children at Ley Hill School and Pre-School, Chesham, Bucking-hamshire, UK on 20 December 2001.

Now that would be one big bang!

after this many composers all over Europe started to write ‘Christmas carols’. However, not many people liked them as they were all written and sung in Latin, a language that the nor-mal people couldn’t understand. By the time of the Middles Ages (the 1200s), most people had lost interest in celebrating Christmas altogether.

This was changed by St. Francis of Assisi when, in 1223, he started his Nativity Plays in Italy. The people in the plays sang songs or ‘canticles’ that told the story during the plays. Sometimes, the choruses of these new carols were in Latin; but normally they were all in a language that the people watching the play could understand and join in! The new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany and other European countries.

The earliest carol, like this, was written in 1410. Sadly only a very small fragment of it still exists.

The carol was about Mary and Jesus meet-ing different people in Bethlehem. Most

Carols from this time and the Elizabe-than period are untrue stories, very loosely based on the Christmas story, about the holy family and were seen as entertaining rather than religious songs. They were usually sung in homes rather than in churches! Traveling singers or

Minstrels started singing these carols and the words were changed for the lo-

cal people wherever they were traveling. One carols that changed like this is ‘I Saw Three Ships’.

When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans came to power in England in 1647, the celebration of Christ-mas and singing carols was stopped. However, the carols survived as people still sang them in secret. Carols re-mained mainly unsung until Victorian times, when two men called William Sandys and Davis Gilbert collected lots of old Christmas music from villages in England.

Before carol sing-ing in public became popular, there were

sometimes official carol singers called ‘Waits’. These were bands of people led by important local leaders (such as council leaders) who had the only power in the towns and villages to take money from the public (if others did this, they were sometimes charged as beggars!). They were called ‘Waits’ because they only sang on Christmas Eve (This was sometimes known as ‘watchnight’ or ‘wait-night’ because of the shepherds were watching their sheep when the angels appeared to them.), when the Christmas celebrations began.

Also, at this time, many orchestras and choirs were being set up in the cities of England and people wanted Christmas songs to sing, so carols once again became popular. Many new carols, such as ‘Good King Wenceslas’, were also written in the Victorian period.

New carols services were created and became popular, as did the custom of singing carols in the streets. Both of these customs are still popular to-day! One of the most popular types of Carols ser-vices are Carols by Candlelight services. At this service, the church is only lit by candlelight and it feels very Christmassy! Carols by Candlelight ser-vices are held in countries all over the world.

The most famous type of Carol Service might be a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, where carols and Bible readings tell the Christmas Sto-ry.

Christmas Crackers

Christmas crackers are a traditional Christmas favorite in the UK. They were first made in about 1845-1850 by a London sweet maker called Tom Smith. He had seen the French ‘bon bon’ sweets

The biggest Christmas cracker pull was done by 1,478 people at an event organised by Honda Japan at Tochigi Proving Ground, Tochigi, Japan, on 18 October 2009. Now that would be a lot of bangs!

Christmas Bells

Bells, especially Church Bells, have traditionally been associ-ated with Christmas for a long time. In the Anglican and Catholic churches, the church day starts at sunset, so any service after that is the first service of the day. So a service on Christmas Eve after sunset is traditionally the first service of Christmas day! In churches that have a Bell or Bells, They are often rung to signal the start of this service.

In some churches in the UK, it is traditional that the largest bell in the church is rung four times in the hour before midnight and then at midnight all the bells are rung in celebration. In the Catholic Church, Christmas is the only time that Mass is allowed to be held at Midnight. This is because in the early church, it was believed that Jesus was born at midnight, although there has never been any proof of this! A lot of Churches have midnight services on Christ-mas Eve, although not every church will have a mass or commu-nion as part of the service.

In many Catholic countries such as France, Spain and Italy, the midnight mass service is very important and everyone tries to go to a service. In Victorian times, it was very fashionable to go carol singing with small handbells to play the tune of the carol. Some-times there would only be the bells and no singing! Handbell ringing is still popular today.

Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

The Chicago-based Montgomery Ward company, department store operators, had been purchasing and distributing children’s coloring books as Christmas gifts for their customers for several years. In 1939, Montgomery Ward tapped one of their own em-ployees to create a book for them, thus saving money. 34-year old copywriter Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in 1939, and 2.4 million copies were handed out that year. Despite the wartime paper shortage, over 6 million copies had been distributed by 1946.

May drew in part on the story “The Ugly Duckling” and in part

from his own experiences as an often taunted, small, frail youth to create the story of the misfit reindeer. Though Rollo and Reginald were considered, May settled on Rudolph as his reindeer’s name.

Writing in verse as a series of rhyming couplets, May tested the story as he went along on his 4-year old daughter Barbara, who loved the story

Sadly, Robert Mays wife died around the time he was creat-ing Rudolph, leaving Mays deeply in debt due to medical bills. However, he was able to persuade Sewell Avery, Montgomery Ward’s corporate president, to turn the copyright over to him in January 1947, thus ensuring May’s financial security.

May’s story “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was printed commercially in 1947 and in 1948 a nine-minute cartoon of the story was shown in theaters. When May’s brother-in-law, songwriter John-ny Marks, wrote the lyrics and melody for the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, the Rudolph phenomenon was born.

Turned down by many musi-cal artists afraid to contend with the legend of Santa Claus, the song was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949 at the urging of Autry’s wife. The song sold two million copies that year, going on to become one of the best-selling songs of all time, second only to Bing Crosby’s “White Christ-mas”.

The 1964 television special about Rudolph, narrated by Burl Ives, remains a holiday fa-vorite to this day and Rudolph him-self has become a much-loved Christ-mas icon.

TraditionsChristmas

ating pastry Yule logs, rolled cakes covered in chocolate or coffee and decorated with sugared holly and roses.

Candy Canes

Some scholars believe a confectioner devel-oped candy canes to represent Jesus. The shape of the “J” was for Jesus, or the shepherd’s staff. The white color symbolized purity, while the red stripes indicated blood. Peppermint is similar to hyssop, the Middle Eastern mint mentioned in the Bible.

Christmas Cards

The custom of sending Christmas cards start-ed in Victorian England. Earlier, some adults had written Christmas letters. But letters took time to write; and people wanting to share season’s greet-ings with many others had a daunting task.

In 1843, British businessman Sir Henry Cole asked artist John Calcott Horsley to print some Christmas cards. One thousand cards were print-ed in black and white and then colored by hand. The cards, which depicted a happy family raising a toast to the recipient, were criticized for promot-ing drunkenness. In 1851 Richard Pease, a va-riety store owner, commissioned the first printed

Christmas card in the U.S.London printers Charles Goodall & Sons be-

came the first to mass-produce Christmas cards. In 1862 they created cards saying “A Merry Christ-mas.” Later, they designed cards with various de-signs, including robins, holly, mangers, snowmen, and even Little Red Riding Hood

Christmas Carols

Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were not Christmas Carols. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Sol-stice celebrations as people danced round stone circles (The word carol originally meant to dance to something). The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, usually taking place around the 22nd December. The word Carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived.

Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Chris-tian songs to sing instead of pagan ones. In AD 129, a Roman Bishop said that a song called “Angel’s Hymn” should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome. Another famous early Christ-mas Hymn was written in 760AD, by Comas of Jerusalem, for the Greek Orthodox Church. Soon

Christmas Tree

The practice of tree worship has been found in many ancient cultures. Often, trees were brought indoors and decorated to ensure a good crop for the coming year. Trees have also been linked to divinity. Egyptians associated a palm tree with the god Baal-Tamar, while the Greeks and Romans believed that the mother of Adonis was changed into a fir tree. Adonis was one of her branches brought to life.

The modern Christmas tree was likely born in the 8th century, when St. Boniface was convert-ing the Germanic tribes. The tribes worshipped oak trees, decorating them for the winter sol-stice. St. Boniface cut down an enormous oak tree, that was central to the worship of a par-ticular tribe, but a fir tree grew in its place. The evergreen was offered as a symbol of Christian-ity, which the newly converted Germans began decorating for Christmas.

Prince Albert, who was German, introduced the Christmas tree to England after his marriage to Queen Victoria in 1840. German immigrants to Pennsylvania brought Christmas trees to America.

Mistletoe

The Druids believed mistletoe fell from heav-en and grew onto a tree that sprang from Earth. Mistletoe thus represented the joining of heaven and earth, and God’s reconciliation with man-kind. A kiss under mistletoe symbolized accep-tance and reconciliation.

Santa Claus

Patron saint of children and sailors, Saint Nicho-las was a 4th-century bishop from Asia Minor. He was famous for giving gifts to children. His feast day, December 6, became a children’s holiday in Holland, where he is known as Sint Nikolaas. English colonists in New York (previously the Dutch colony of New Amster-dam) called him “Santa Claus” because they couldn’t pronounce the Dutch name. The English began celebrating the feast day on Christmas.

Kriss Kringle, another name for Santa Claus, developed in Germany around 1600. German Protestants recognized December 25, the birth of the Christ child, Christkindl, as the time to give gifts. “Christkindl” evolved into “Kriss Kringle.”

In the Netherlands and Germany, the Santa Claus figure often rode through the sky on a horse to deliver presents to children. He often wore a bishop’s robes and was some-times accompanied by Black Peter, an elf who whipped naughty children.

In addition to the tradition of Saint Nicho-las, the three Wise Men gave gifts to the baby Jesus, starting the Christmas gift tradition.

Holly

One of the most popular Christmastime ac-coutrements, holly has sharp edges, symbolic of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus at his crucifix-ion. The red berries represent blood.

Yule Log

The word yule meant “infant” in the language of the Chaldeans, who lived in the Middle East. The Germanic tribes of Northern Europe, includ-ing the Anglo Saxons, celebrated “Yule-day” or “Child’s Day.”

The custom of the Yule log has been noted in France and Italy as far back as the 1200s. It later spread throughout Europe. On Christmas Eve an enormous log would be cut and placed in the hearth. The log would be sprinkled with salt, oil, and mulled wine, and prayers said to protect the house from the Devil and lightning.

In some regions, the daughters of the family lit the log with splinters of the previous year’s log. In other regions, the lady of the house had the honor of lighting the log.

As iron stoves replaced giant hearths in the 1800s, Yule logs became decorative, often being used as Christmas centerpieces and decorated with evergreens and candles. Cooks began cre-



In The City Decked In

Light simply dispels darkness, for most peo-ple. To the diligent and creative team at the

Cinnamon City hotels light has transfigured itself as a medium of delightful expression. Lights are synonymous with Christmas. Yet the scintillating lights of Cinnamon Grand,

Cinnamon Lakeside and Cinnamon red tran-scend beyond illumination and gently penetrate

your very soul. A fluorescent fiesta!An outpouring of artistic embellishment.

Mr.RohanKarr,the dynamic and exuberant General Manager of Cinnamon Grand and Sector Head City Hotels has boldly conceptualized a theme to “dazzle” the city. Motivating and inspiring the Engineering and Housekeeping teams in the Cinnamon properties in the city, to make most of the splendid seasonal decorations is something he can be very proud of, given the magnitude of this operation.

He explains that the primarycolours associated with the Cinnamon Hotels brand have been taken into consid-eration by displaying “happy and vibrant” hues.Passion-ate persistencecoupled with patient dexterity has been the hallmark of the Cinnamon crew who produced these dainty décor.A harmonious fusion of colour.The prag-matic thinking behind this project can be summed up in the words of French artist Edgar Degas “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see”

As you enter the Cinnamon Grand your eyes are bound to become fixated by the blue,cerise (bright red

pink) and lily white globes that dominate the garden, suspended in mid air. Christmas

trees formed out of translucent acrylic,

flashing-

mellow beams of green and purple add to the grandeur of the outer lobby. TheAtrium resonates with light. Contrast-ing Christmas trees which accentuate the bold amethyst and azure blue deserve a second look.Your mind will be awakened by the luscious luminosity. As the moon beams frolic back and forth around the compound the majestic hotelresembles an opalescent oasis. Pulsat-ing with art in every corner is the Cinnamon red, the countries first lean luxury property. The red, black and white colour scheme has been intimately con-summated into every aspect of the building and festive décor. The claret red trees and crystal white trees are unique. The entire building is bathed in an iridescent glow of scarlet sensation.

Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky once opined that “Colour is Power” .You can relate to this as you walk around the vast environs of the Cinnamon Lakeside. The mood is one of jubilance. Walls adorned with olive green and multi coloured wreaths. Silver blue spi-rals dangling beneath the grand canopy. A celestial formation of digital stars in blue, green, vermilion orange andpulsating pink. The enchanting white Christmas tree in the main Lobby stands like a re-splendent Queen. The Waterside dis-plays an ultra marine blue Christmas tree, set against a backdrop of colouful stars,that stunningly reflect on the placid waters of the lake. Cinnamon hotels in the city have once again bril-liantly showcased their ability to make visions a reality.

Cinnamon HotelsSeasonal Splendour

This time our X’mas campaign is named as ‘You Better Watch

Out’. It means watch out, we have the coolest deals in town in this season. We have amazing deals for Christmas for credit & debit cards. Also we are giving bulk discounts for gift voucher purchases also. If anyone cannot decide what to gift for X’mas they can buy our gift vouchers. Denominations are Rs. 500/-, Rs. 1,000/-, Rs. 2,000/- & Rs. 5,000/- .

Christmas Goodies From Fashion BugWe strive to help every bride and

groom prepare for their special day. It’s our belief that the little things a favor, a gesture, a simple thought put into action - speak volumes in all the special occasions of your lives. Wedding favors is an elegant and stylish way to thank your guests.

Wedding Wier Gifts

For All Occasions

If you are looking for that perfect com-plement to the wedding of your dream then you have come to the right place. Favors by Wedding Wier has a great se-lection of beautiful unique collection of favors your guests will really value and appreciate. We offer a variety of favors in-cluding ceramic shaker, coasters, Kitchen and tableware, soaps, candles, place card holders, wedding accessories, towel cakes, key tags, bookmarks, favor boxes, mirrors, fridge magnets and many more...

Wedding Wier offers favors for every occasion. Favors not only for weddings but bridal showers, baby showers, engage-ments, dinner dances, bachelorette parties, hen parties, groomsmen gifts, bridesmaid gifts etc. it can be a door gifts for any oc-casion.

We offer a range of services to custom-ize your favors by adding the couple names, a thank you message, a photograph or sim-ply add your touch to the end product for brides and grooms who have their hearts set on one design or pattern. You can also pre

order to suite your budget, theme colors or specific theme objects at

your own time and the quantity required.Everything can be themed together to

ensure you get the day of your dreams, from the place card holders to the keepsakes on every table. Your guests will be lost in the romantic ambiance you have created, which will only add to your amazing memories.



Christmas CakeIngredients

Original recipe makes 1 - 8 inch square fruit cake

2 (8 ounce) containerscandied cherries

1 (8 ounce) container candied mixed citrus peel

2 cups raisins1 cup dried currants1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

2 (2.25 ounce) packagesblanched slivered almonds

1/2 cup brandy1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup butter2 cups packed brown sugar

6 eggs3/4 cup molasses3/4 cup apple juice

Check All Add to Shopping List

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates,

and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked

fruit with 1/2 cup flour.

2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit

cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix

together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs.

Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour

mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into

prepared pan.4. Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center

of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then

wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

Favorite Old Fashioned Gingerbread

IngredientsOriginal recipe makes 1 9-inch square cake1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter1 egg

1 cup molasses2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon ground ginger1/2 teaspoon ground cloves1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup hot waterCheck All Add to Shopping List

Directions1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square

pan.2. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the egg, and mix

in the molasses.3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger,

and cloves. Blend into the creamed mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.

4. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife in-serted in the center comes out clean. Allow to

cool in pan before serving.

Honey Glazed Ham Ingredients

Original recipe makes 15 servings1 (5 pound) ready-to-eat ham

1/4 cup whole cloves1/4 cup dark corn syrup

2 cups honey2/3 cup butterCheck All Add to Shopping List

Directions1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).2. Score ham, and stud with the whole cloves. Place ham in foil lined

pan.3. In the top half of a double boiler, heat the corn syrup, honey and

butter. Keep glaze warm while baking ham.4. Brush glaze over ham, and bake for 1 hour and 15 min-

utes in the preheated oven. Baste ham every 10 to 15 min-utes with the honey glaze. During the last 4 to 5 min-

utes of baking, turn on broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from oven, and let sit a few

minutes before serving.

Easy Leg of Lamb Ingredients

Original recipe makes 8 servings1 (5 1/2 pound) boneless leg of lamb, tied in netting

20 cloves garlic, or more to tastegarlic powder, or to taste

10 fresh rosemary sprigsCheck All Add to Shopping List

Directions1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).2. Cut 20 deep slits evenly spaced around the leg of lamb without cutting

the netting. Stuff a garlic clove into each slit. Rub garlic powder over the lamb. Slice rosemary sprigs under netting evenly around the lamb. Place

lamb into a roasting pan.3. Roast in preheated oven until reddish-pink and juicy in the

center for medium-rare, about 2-2 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 130 de-

grees F (54 degrees C). Cover in aluminum foil; rest meat until thermometer reads 135 degrees F

(57 degrees C) before carving.

Ultimate Cranberry Pudding Cake

IngredientsOriginal recipe makes 1 - 10 inch Bundt pan

6 tablespoons butter2 cups white sugar

4 cups all-purpose flour4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt2 cups evaporated milk1 (12 ounce) packagecranberries1 cup butter2 cups white sugar1 cup heavy cream1 teaspoon vanilla extractCheck All Add to Shopping List

Directions1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Mix

together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.2. In a large bowl, cream together the 6 tablespoons butter and 2 cups sugar until light and

fluffy. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the evaporated milk. Stir in the cranberries. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out

onto a wire rack and cool completely.4. To make the Hot Butter Sauce: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, and cream. Bring to a boil over medium

heat, reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve slices of cake

generously covered with hot butter sauce.

Christmas Recipes

Directions

1. Grease an 8 inch square baking dish and line it

with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, mixed spice,

cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir with a whisk un-

til blended. In a separate bowl, cream together

the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until

each one is blended in. Stir in the dry ingredi-

ents just until moistened, then fold in the rai-

sins, golden raisins, currants, cherries and almonds.

3. Spoon into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Make a slight impression in the center

with the back of a spoon so the cake will turn out level. Cover and leave in a cool place

overnight.4. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place the cake pan on a baking sheet.

5. Bake for 4 hours in the preheated oven. When the cake is done, a skewer inserted into the

center should come out clean. Cool in the pan for 1 hour, then turn out onto a wire rack

and remove the paper. When completely cool, poke with a skewer every inch or so, and

spoon brandy into the holes. Wrap in waxed paper and store in a cool place until serving.

English Christmas Cake Ingredients

Original recipe makes 1 - 9 inch square cake

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 cups butter1 3/4 cups superfine sugar

6 eggs2 cups raisins

2 cups golden raisins

4 cups dried currants

1 cup candied cherries

3/4 cup chopped almonds

2 tablespoons brandy





Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 1 9x13-inch dish4 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese at room temperature1 egg yolk

3/4 cup milksalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste1 cup butter, cut into chunksCheck All Add to Shopping List

Directions1. Place potato halves into a large pot of salted water, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-

low. Cook until very tender, about 15 minutes. A knife should pierce the middle of a potato half easily. Transfer potatoes to a colander and drain thoroughly, about 5 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).3. Whisk mascarpone cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir egg yolk and milk into mas-

carpone cheese, whisking until smooth; season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.4. Transfer potatoes to a separate large mixing bowl, add butter chunks to potatoes, and

season with salt and black pepper. Mash butter into potatoes with a potato masher until fluffy; a few lumps are okay. Whisk mascarpone mixture into mashed potatoes.

5. Spread mashed potatoes into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Smooth the top and use the tip of a spatula to lightly press the potatoes and lift up to create

little peaks and valleys in the top.6. Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are heated through and top is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Apple Cranberry Relish

Ingredients Original recipe makes 16 servings2 navel oranges

2 (12 ounce) packagescranberries2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped

2 celery, chopped3 cups white sugarCheck All Add to Shopping List

Directions1. Grate peel of orange; reserve. Peel oranges and discard white mem-

branes. Separate oranges into sections and place half in a food processor or blender. To the food processor add half of the cranberries, apples and celery. Process until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl; re-

peat with remaining oranges, cranberries, apples and celery. Stir in sugar and reserved orange peel. Cover and refrigerate over-

night.

Eggnog BlendIngredients

Original recipe makes 8 - (6 ounce) servings4 cups half-and-half

1 cup white sugar11 egg yolks, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 cups heavy cream2/3 cup dark rum1/2 cup Scotch whiskey1 pint vanilla ice creamCheck All Add to Shopping List

Directions1. In a saucepan over low heat, stir together the half-and-

half and sugar. Whisk in egg yolks and cook until light cus-tard forms; do not boil. Remove from heat and cool, then

place in refrigerator and chill overnight.2. Into the chilled mixture, stir in vanilla, cream, dark rum, scotch, and vanilla

ice cream. Serve cold.

Sweet Potato Casserole Ingredients

Original recipe makes 16 servings1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes1/2 cup butter, melted1/3 cup milk1 cup white sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract2 eggs, beaten1 cup light brown sugar1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/3 cup butter•1 cup chopped pecansCheck All Add to Shopping List

It’s A Merry Christmas At Clarion

Hotel Clarion, a premier 3 star 31 roomed hotel in Kiribathgoda, ca-

ters to both the local and foreign clien-tele and also many affluent locals liv-ing in and around Colombo, who want star class comfort, outside of the bus-tling city. Seen by many a marketer as the emerging “Cinnamon Gardens” of today’s suburbs and an ideal retreat for many a discerning visitor to the hotel.

Apart from good food and the luxury which goes hand in hand with Clarion’s Restaurants, serving a wide array of Sri Lankan and Continental Cuisine, Indian, Thai and Mongolian cuisine, there is a Master Chef innova-tive at work between two worlds, as the adage admits.

Hotel Clarion is now geared to face a joyous Christmas season and to make this one of its’ best, a Christmas Ham-per would be newly launched to treat family, friends, colleagues, Corporate Guests and loved ones with a Hamper containing the Hotels’ own products, and the range offered is filled with mouth watering options sure to satisfy all tastes.

Christmas Hampers, especially one selected from the Clarion Hotel, make the perfect luxury gift, from fine Christmas fare to indulge and delight in this festive season, and what better than a Hamper packed full of whole-some Christmas treats !!. Having said this, an ideal Hamper from Hotel Clar-ion would have the Hotel’s own Baked Assortment of Cookies, Traditional Christmas Cake, Breads, Sweets, Love Cake etc. etc., and guaranteed this is value for money as the Clarion signa-ture line promises “ Where the smile lingers “ and it surely will.

Christmas is one of the most festive holidays on the calendar, and apart from the Christmas Hamper, Hotel Clarion also promises its patrons gaily

wrapped Christmas and Love Cakes, Christmas Pudding, Breudher, Yule Logs and Christmas Mince Pies, which are all part of a tradition that needs to be on a family Christmas table. Whether you are giving family and friends gifts from the Clarion Kitchen, feel free to peruse our scrumptious list of Christmas favorites of Roast Turkey and Roasted Chicken, with delivery options also available.

Joy to the world! Tables are decked with heaped platter of so called clas-sics for a reason – they are all deli-cious, heart warming and will make you, family or friends feel like Christ-mas is here.

A traditional Christmas Eve Dinner never goes out of style with the trim-mings, tender roast Turkey or Succu-lent Chicken and a decadent pudding none will refuse. Christmas is here and the most wonderful way to celebrate is to ring in the Christmas season and treat the family to a festive feast the whole family will love. This happens on the 24th December at the Mahogany Restaurant. Please call and reserve your table early to avoid disappoint-ment.

Gift Giving is also a much thought of way of showing appreciation and Hotel Clarion has a unique Christmas Gift Voucher ranging from Rs. 5,000/ , Rs. 3,000/- and Rs. 2,000/- which can be used at the Uncafe to bring in addi-tional festive joy. So come avail your-self of any or all of these wonderful Christmas ideas geared to bring cheer and goodwill during this most treas-ured season.

Christmas Recipes

Directions1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.2. In a large bowl, mix together mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, milk, sugar, vanilla ex-

tract, and eggs Spread sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes.

3. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.Victorian Mince Pies (with meat!) Ingredients for mincemeat: One and a half pounds of lean underdone roast beef, two pounds of beef suet, one pound of stoned raisins, one pound of picked sultanas, one and a half pounds of apples, one and a half pounds of pears, one pound of mixed peel, three quar-ters of a pound of blanched and chopped Valencia almonds, the thin peel of two oranges and two lemons. All the before mentioned ingredients are to be chopped and then mixed with

one pound of well washed and dried currants, a quarter of an ounce of mixed powdered spice, the juice from the lemons and oranges, one and a half pounds of Demerara sugar, half a pint of brandy, half a pint of sherry, half a pint of port, one wineglassful each of Marshall’s maraschino syrup and noyeau syrup, and a quarter of a pint of Silver Rays (white) rum. Make some puff paste, roll it out a quarter of an inch thick, and line some little plain or fancy- pattypans with it; place a teaspoonful or dessert spoonful, or more, of mincemeat in each, according to its size, wet the edges of the paste and cover the mincemeat over with more paste; brush over the top with beaten-up whole raw egg, and put them in a quick oven for about five minutes, then take them out, dust them over with icing sugar to glaze them, and put them back to bake for fifteen to twenty minutes. Dish up in a pile on a dishpaper or napkin, and serve hot.



The 12 Days

of

Christmas The 12 Days of Christmas are now most famous

as a song about someone receiving lots of presents from their ‘true love’. However, to get to the song there had to be the days to start with!

The 12 Days of Christmas start on Christmas Day and last until the evening of the 5th January - also known as Twelfth Night. The 12 Days have been celebrated in Europe since before the middle ages and were a time of celebration. The 12 Days each traditionally celebrate a feast day for a saint and/or have different celebrations:• Day 1 (25th December): Christmas Day - cel-

ebrating the Birth of Jesus• Day 2 (26th December also known as Boxing

Day): St Stephen’s Day. He was the first Chris-tian martyr (someone who dies for their faith). It’s also the day when the Christmas Carol ‘Good King Wenceslas’ takes place.

• Day 3 (27th December): St John the Apostle (One of Jesus’s Disciples and friends)

• Day 4 (28th December): The Feast of the Holy Innocents - when people remember the baby boys which King Herod killed when he was try-ing to find and kill the Baby Jesus.

• Day 5 (29th December): St Thomas Becket. He was Archbishop of Canterbury in the 12th century and was murdered on 29th December 1170 for challenging the King’s authority over Church.

• Day 6 (30th December): St Egwin of Worces-ter.

• Day 7 (31st December): New Years Eve (known as Hogmanay in Scotland). Pope Sylvester I is traditionally celebrated on this day. He was one of the earliest popes (in the 4th Century). In many central and eastern European countries (includ-ing Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Slovenia) New Years Eve is still sometimes called ‘Silvester’. In the UK, New Years Eve was a traditional day for ‘games’ and sporting com-petitions. Archery was a very popular sport and during the middle ages it was the law that it had to be practised by all men between ages 17-60 on Sunday after Church! This was so the King had lots of very good archers ready in case he need to go to war!

• Day 8 (1st January): 1st January - Mary, the Mother of Jesus

• Day 9 (2nd January): St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, two important 4th century Christians.

• Day 10 (3rd January): Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. This remembers when Jesus was officially ‘named’ in the Jewish Temple. It’s celebrated by different churches on a wide number of different dates!

• Day 11 (4th January): St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint, who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the past it also celebrated the feast of Saint Simon Stylites (who lives on a small

tion of their choice. The destinations being Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok and India. In to-tal 47 Airline tickets are being given away.

Great savings are offered to Keells Su-per customers with unbeatable discounts. Keells Super’s Nexus Mobile Loyalty cus-tomers will receive a fabulous 25% off on 70 key essentials and on popular products purchased during the festive season. Se-lected brands of key essential items such as canned fish, vegetable oil, seasoning, noo-dles to essential personal care and house-

hold items such as toothpaste to washing powder are on 25% savings to customers. Biscuits, cheese, cordials, juices, jams and sauces and a wide range of items are on of-fer to ensure Keells Super customers receive massive savings when they shop at Keells Super. Overall more than 600 products are on discounts at Keells Super during the fes-tive period.

Furthermore, there are great savings for Credit Card holders. American Express Credit Card Holders will receive 20% sav-

Keells Super the most dynamic Super-market chain is offering customers

all that they require for the festive season under one roof. The mega promotional campaign was launched on 15th Novem-ber to enable customers to get the best savings and festive products as they make preparations to celebrate with family and friends.

The Super Fresh Christmas theme is to inform customers that Keells Super has a freshly picked range of veggies and fruits during the season in addition to the most fresh meats and fish and freshly baked Christmas goodies. As such customers can expect a Super Fresh Christmas at Keells Super.

Keells Super customers are also in for ‘Fabulous Rewards” throughout the festive period. An Airline Ticket a day from Jet Airways is being offered to re-ward shoppers at Keells Super. Custom-ers have to just select 3 nominated “Super Brands” and they are eligible to win an airline ticket daily. The unique feature is that customers get to select the destina-

Super Christmas Keells Super!Keells Super!

Fresh at

ings on vegetables every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until end December for bills over Rs.2000. HSBC Credit cardholders too get rewarded for specific products at Keells Super.

Apart from all these great offers, a range of exclusive meat products are also available at Keells Super which is known to offer quality Keells meat products. The range includes Turkey, Roast Turkey, Duck, Roast Chicken and a range of Hams and Sausages to enjoy with your loved ones this holiday season. The Keells Super Bakery which is at 23 outlets has delicious Christmas cakes, Yule log, Breudher, Christmas pudding and many more festive treats. The famous Keells Super Christmas cakes will be available at all Keells Super outlets.

Keells Super Hampers which are known to have the best mix of goodies range from Rs 2,999 to 115,499 and Gift vouchers also available for sale at all Keells Super outlets. Keells Super is one of the leading supermarket chains in the country and has been in operation for more than 20 years. Keells Super is renowned to offer Super Savings, Super Quality and Freshness, Super Value for money and overall Super Service reaching out to a cross section of Sri Lankan consumers.

apart during each throw - drop it and you lose and passing an egg around on spoons. Another popular game was ‘snapdragon’ where you picked raisins or other dried fruit out of a tray of flaming brandy!

The first monday after Christmas feast has finished was known as ‘Plough Monday’ as this was when farming work would all begin again!In many parts of the UK, people also went Wassailing on Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night is also known as Epiphany Eve. In many countries it’s traditional to put the figures of the Wise Men/Three Kings into the Nativity Scene on Epiphany Eve ready to cel-ebrate Epiphany on the 6th January.

It’s also traditional to take your Christmas deco-rations down following Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night is also the name of a famous play written by Wil-liam Shakespeare. It’s thought it was written in 1601/1602 and was first performed at Candlemas in 1602, although it wasn’t published until 1623.

4) Christmas did not become a federal holiday until 1870. Alabama was the first state to declare it a legal holiday in 1836.

5) Rudolph’s red nose might have been caused by a parasitic infection of his respira-tory system.

6) “Jingle Bells” was originally named “One Horse Open Sleigh” when it was written by James Pierpont in 1857.

7) Christmas was not celebrated on Dec. 25 as the birth of Christ until 350 A.D.

8) Naughty children getting coal in their stockings is a tradition that started in Italy.

9) The Christmas colors red, green and gold all have meaning. Red represents the blood of Christ, green represents rebirth and gold represents royalty and light.

10) The tallest Christmas tree was cut down in Seattle in 1950 and stood 221-feet tall.

11) When all the gifts in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” are added up, it equals 364 presents.

12) X means Christ in Greek, which is why Christmas is shortened to X-mas sometimes.

Quick Fun Facts:

platform on the top of a pillar for 37 years!).• Day 12 (5th January also known as Epiphany

Eve): St. John Neumann who was the first Bishop in American. He lived in the 19th century.

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night was a big time of celebration with people holding large parties. During these parties, often the roles in society were reversed with the ser-vants being served by the rich people. This dated back to medieval and Tudor times when Twelfth Night marked the end of ‘winter’ which had started on 31st October with All Hallows Eve (Halloween).

At the start of Twelfth Night the Twelfth Night cake was eaten. This was a rich cake made with eggs and butter, fruit, nuts and spices. The modern Italian Panettone is the cake we currently have that’s most like the old Twelfth Night cake. A dried pea or bean was cooked in the cake. Whoever found it was the Lord (or Lady) of Misrule for night. The Lord of Misrule led the celebrations and was dressed like a King (or Queen). This tradition goes back to the Ro-man celebrations of Saturnalia. In later times, from about the Georgian period onwards, to make the Twelfth Night ‘gentile’, two tokens were put in the cake (one for a man and one for a women) and who-ever found them became the the ‘King’ and ‘Queen’ of the Twelfth Night party.

In English Cathedrals during the middle ages there was the custom of the ‘Boy Bishop’ where a boy from the Cathedral or monastery school was elected as a Bishop on 6th December (St Nicholas Day) and had the authority of a Bishop (except to perform Mass) until 28th December. King Henry VIII banned the practise in 1542 although it came back briefly under Mary I in 1552 but Elizabeth I finally stopped it during her reign. During Twelfth Night it was traditional for different types of pipes to be played, especially bagpipes. Lots of games were played including ones with eggs. These included tossing an egg between two people moving further



The Christmas events leading to New Year’s Eve at Mount Lavinia hotel promise its guests yet another

grand experience of the age-old celebration this year. Revisit the iconic heritage hotel to experience the

best of Christmas spreads on Christmas Eve and Christ-mas day including the traditional stuffed turkey, grand salads, live cooking and carving, and special seafood Christmas dishes of oyster, crab and lobster at the Sea-food Cove, followed by delicious Christmas desserts like traditional Christmas pudding, Brudher, Ginger Cookies and apple pie.

The special Christmas line-up will open with the Singing Christmas tree which will come alive this year too from December 14 to 23 with a host of angelic voices representing some of Colombo’s best school choirs. The highlight of the Singing Christmas tree would be the guest performance by the Jesus College Choir, Cambridge, UK on the opening night.

The Kids’ Christmas party will include a range of fun-filled activities such as the Winter Wonderland Photo booth, Yuletide Karaoke Carols, Letters to the North Pole, Story time with Saint Nick, Little Elves’ Kitchen and Christmas handcrafts. Ending the year in the grandest of ways will be Gatsby at the Mount Lavinia; the most Grand, Glamorous and Glitzy

New Year’s Eve party to the beats of Anno Do-mini and international DJ Alexander Vogt.

For details and reservations: 0112 711 711 – 430/446

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts have hauled their Christmas trees and decorations to

transform each property into buzzing festive destinations. While the absolutely decora-tive atmosphere will add to the Christmas cheer, there will be plenty of food and drink prepared by their award-winning chefs to tit-illate the taste buds. An action-packed pro-gramme will also ensure there’s plenty to do when you’re a guest at Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts.

Anyone visiting Cinnamon Lodge or Vil-lage Habarana will enjoy the serenity of its surroundings. The adjacent lake and the vast expanse of gardens provide plenty of space for idle walks, cycling, jogging and bird watching. The hotel will also have plenty of goodies awaiting kids and the sweet-tooth. Cinnamon Citadel Kandy is just two hours away, for anyone seeking to add variety to their Christmas break. It’s chic design and stylish décor offers a sophisticated ambience,

Grand Christmas Fests At

Cinnamon Hotels with the possibility for an adventurous or ro-mantic boat ride along the Mahaveli River.

On the southern coast are Cinnamon Bey Beruwela, Tranz Hikkaduwa and Bentota Beach Hotel - hubs for the discerning holi-day seeker looking for sun, sand and sea this Christmas break. Friends and families have the opportunity to have plenty of fun and enjoyment with an abundance of Christmas goodies also available to take back home. Further south is Cinnamon Wild Yala, a luxurious game lodge neighboring the Yala National Park.

If you’re a nature lover, this might be the ideal vacation to spend some time amidst the arid wild of Sri Lanka with a possibil-ity of spotting a leopard. The hotel will have its own charm for the season and plenty of goodies to choose from. Further up on the east coast is Blu Trincomalee, ready to greet its guests with refined festive decorations and many other surprises.

Cinnamon hotels in the city – Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Cinnamon Lakeside and Cinnamon red – debuts a joint

Cinnamon Season this year, promising patrons, that the en-tirety of the festive season and the start to 2015 will be an amazingly memorable one.

Special Hospitality Desks are now open in all three properties as part of this first-ever ‘Cinnamon Christmas in the City’ initiative with a seasonal brochure highlighting all events lined up for the holiday season, catering to both adults and kids alike.

Guests now have the opportunity to call the respective hotels for property specific events on the following num-bers: Cinnamon Grand Colombo - 011 249 7470, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo - 011 249 1884 and Cinnamon red Co-lombo - 011 214 5145 or collect a copy of the ‘Cinnamon Christmas in the City’ brochure from the Hospitality Desks. Or log on to Facebook pages of the three properties: Cinna-mon Grand -facebook.com/CinnamonGrandC, Cinnamon Lakeside - facebook.com/cinnamonlakeside and Cinnamon red - facebook.com/CinnamonRedColombo for more up-dates.

Cinnamon Hotels In The

City Unfolds Unique

Initiative‘Christmas In The City’

Celebrate Good Ol’ Christmas At MLH

Cinnamon Hotels planned out for families and kids a stunning line-up of festive fêtes – and unique holiday happenings this

season.There are diverse festivities melding historic Christmas tradi-

tions with a modern twist at the Cinnamon Grand, fun family times on the picturesque lakefront at Cinnamon Lakeside and plenty of opportunities to get into high spirits with fancy yuletide drinks, canapés and breathtaking city views at Cinnamon Red. Cinnamon Grand offers a 50% discount on selected beverages for the season.

Yuletide drinks and canapésFrom December 15, Cinnamon Red offers a special yuletide

beverage and canapés menu at the hotel’s trendy rooftop bar, Cloud Red..

Yule Log SpectacleCinnamon Lakeside will unveil Sri Lanka’s longest Yule Log

on December 20 at The Lounge from 12 noon onwards. This novel and edible masterpiece will be a 60 feet long log and weigh 100 kilos. A creation of Cinnamon Lakeside’s talented team of pastry chefs, a 750 grams portion of the Yule log can be purchased at Rs 1350 or a slice at Rs 190.

Family High TeaA Family High Tea experience will commence from Decem-

ber 20 to 23 with a buffet laid out at the Lounge from 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. The promotion will re-continue after the 25th for the whole month. Tickets: Rs. 1, 900 per person.

Cinnamon Kids’ Events Santa’s WorkshopCinnamon Grand launches its Santa’s Workshop at its Colom-

bo venue on December 17. Santa will share his secrets of baking and creative crafts in two sessions and is open for children aged between six to twelve years. Tickets: Rs. 3,000.

Christmas CarnivalOn December 20, the poolside of Cinnamon Grand Colombo

will be transformed in to a festive carnival, complete with food, fun and games for the young and young at heart. Tickets: Rs. 3, 000 for adults and Rs. 2,500 for kids.

Teddy Bears’ ChristmasOn December 21, kids can enjoy a lovely picnic at the pic-

turesque waterside in the company of huggable Teddy Bears.’ Baskets filled with yummy snacks, bowls of popcorn, fun games, face painting and a Christmas movie screening, and are part of this fun-filled afternoon. Tickets: Rs.2, 600. The three-hour picnic starts at 3.00 p.m.

Moods of ChristmasSoul Sounds, directed by Soundarie David will perform their

musical tribute to the season ‘Moods of Christmas’ with their tradi-tional and modern carols on December 21 at 7.30 p.m. at Cinna-mon Grand’s Atrium Lobby. Tickets for rows one to ten are priced at Rs.3, 500 and rest at Rs. 3,000. Guests will also have a taste of Grand’s special mulled wine, mince pies, and roasted nuts, with goodie bags for children from Santa at the end of the show.

Carols at the LoungeOn December 23 award-winning Metho Cantanti choir com-

prising past pupils of Methodist College Colombo will perform Christmas Carols at Cinnamon Lakeside’s lobby Lounge. Guests can enjoy traditionally brewed spiced mulled wine, mince pies and roasted nuts, while Santa makes a special appearance with give-aways for guests.

For inquiries and reservations, call the Event Desks – Cin-namon Grand: 011-2497470, Cinnamon Lakeside: 011-2491884 and Cinnamon red 011-2145145.

Unique Holiday Happenings At Cinnamon



Christmas Decor Ideas

for the Home

How to Make a Wreath

Making a stunning Christmas wreath is simple, just gather the right supplies, seasonal embellishments,

and a large dose of holiday spirit.With two basic techniques -- wiring materials to a metal

form or applying them to a rounded straw or foam base -- you can make an infinite variety of Christmas wreaths, from greenery wreaths meant to last through the holiday season to heirloom wreaths that can be treasured for years.

Wire frames are the most versatile supports for wreaths. Widely available in a variety of shapes, they’re sturdy enough for heavy materials like evergreen boughs and cit-rus fruits. A single-wire frame is best for a thin, delicate wreath; for a lush-looking wreath, start with a double-wire frame. Attach floral wire on a paddle to the crossbar of a double-wire wreath form of any shape. For this wreath, we used Noble fir, but you can use other evergreen cuttings.

For added shimmer, spray-paint a portion of the green-ery gold or silver before making the bundles. This will also extend the wreath’s life. For the petals, snip woody scales from pinecones, and glue them to plastic flowers on spe-cialty string lights. Arrange the lights in a vase, and add tiny pinecones on wire stems for a lush, compact bouquet. Set it on a side table or a mantel for easy cord-hiding

Mistletoe Ball

Prepare to pucker up beneath a decorative ball made of mistletoe, beads, wire, and velvet ribbon.

You can deck the halls with all kinds of evergreens, but only one plant evokes such a passionate response. Let mis-tletoe serve as a gentle reminder, amid the holiday hubbub, to take a momentary respite for romance.

Cut a 16-inch piece of 24-gauge wire with wire cutters, and bend it in half. Cut a 36-inch length of ribbon with scissors and fold it into three loops. Make the top loop approximately 9 inches; it will be used to hang the ball. Make the next two loops 7 1/2 inches. There should be a 12-inch tail of ribbon left. Cut 6 inches off the tail, and lay it on the other side of the loops. Pinch all the loops together at the center, and secure with wire. Twist the wire tightly to form a single stem. Trim the bow’s tails into a V with scissors.

Soak a 4 1/2-inch-diameter floral-foam ball in water

while cutting mistletoe into about 100 three-inch sections, called tips. Insert the bow’s wire stem through the ball until it comes out the opposite side. Fold over the end of the wire stem. Poke tips into ball until it is covered. String small silver, white, or pale-blue beads on 6-inch 24-gauge wires, and twist the wire ends together. Stick the beads into the ball wherever desired.

Lighted Pinecone Arrangement

Clip scales from large pinecones. Remove a plas-

tic flower from a string of flower lights. Hot-glue scales behind the plastic petals, making 2 rings of 5 each. Repeat for every third light. Clip flowers back onto lights.Gather lights into small bundles of 2 or 3 (leaving some pinecone flowers single); use floral wire to wrap their wires together, creating “stems” about 4 inches long.

Give small pinecones wire stems: Cut 8-inch lengths of floral wire; wrap the middle of 1 wire around bottom of 1 pinecone, and twist wire ends together. Tuck “stem” into arrangement. Continue to fill out bouquet as needed, arranging the lights in a pleasing way.

Glitter Candlesticks

Make plain candlesticks sparkle with a coat of shim-mery glitter. Buy inexpensive wooden candlesticks, or

use a weathered pair you already own. Work-ing in sections, brush craft glue onto the candlesticks, and dust with fine glitter (shake off excess). Let glue dry over-night. With a paintbrush, apply a thin

layer of clear shellac over glitter, and let dry.

Courtesy- Mar-t h a

Stewart 5 quick tips to save money on Christmas decora-

tions

1. Invest in LED lights as they use about 98% less electricity, costing you less in the long run. Plus, keep the lights off during the day when they can’t be seen to save on your electricity bill.

2. Head to the January sale to buy Christmas decora-tions for massive discounts and store them away until the following year.

3. If you’re buying your decorations this year make sure you get your timing right. As it gets closer to Christ-mas, retailers reduce the prices of decorations so hang back on making a purchase as long as possible.

4. Build your collection over time, starting with ba-sic pieces and add to it each year. Over the course of a few years you’ll have a Christmas decoration collection full of memories that didn’t break the bank.

5. If you have a big garden, invest for the future and plant your own tree. In around five years you’ll have a six foot tree. Keep growing lots of trees and you can sell on to your neighbours for a profit!

20 Sunday, December 7, 2014S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T

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2 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT 2014 - thesundayleader.lk fileDoctor Maulana Karenga, a Professor at Cal-ifornia State University in Long Beach, Califor-nia, created Kwanzaa in 1966. It is a