There is no Christmas without Christmas bells. And around this time of the year, they are about everywhere you go. It is the tradition in most Catholic countries that the church bells ring at all times during the Christmas season. From early in the morning to late at night, it chime having its own meaning.

In the US and other cultures where the Christmas tradition relies heavily on consumerism, we can hear the jingle bells and sleigh bells in shopping malls, supermarkets, offices, restaurants, etc. The concept is still there though. Christmas rings Christmas bells.

The “bell” has also become such an idiosyncratic image of the winter season. We see bells on Christmas cards, candy, ornaments and decorations, bells specifically designed to be put up on the Christmas tree.

There is a history behind the importance of Christmas bells. Bells were used many years ago to “scare away” the bad evil souls that would populate villages at night. Around the autumn and winter time, villagers were given the bells so they could make as much noise as possible, thus scaring the bad souls away. Over the years and after so much bell ringing, people started to associate the noise with good things happening like weddings or christenings. Obviously, the birth of Christ was the most celebrated birth and therefore when bells ring the most.

Christmas bells were also seen as an affordable musical instrument. Instruments were expensive and so people used bells when singing Christmas carols and would also take them to church. Then came Santa Klaus, and all his reindeers would wear tiny little bells called “Christmas jingle bells”. The noise would ward Santa of any danger and also make it to go through the snow.

Sleigh bells are really popular every year, you can buy packs of 50 to 1000 bells starting at around 30$. These bells are fantastic to use as Christmas ornaments, around doors and Christmas wreaths. They are a wonderful symbol of this time of the year, and the sound the produce is just charming and very evocative.

You can also look for Christmas bells lyrics online and send them as a ringtone to people over the holiday season. It is an inexpensive and great way of sending your Christmas greetings this year if you find yourself having to write too many cards!

Bells are one of the most iconic symbols of Christmas and everyone recognizes their universal sound. They are magical, delightful, and have become over the years an essential part of the Christmas tradition.

Hope you’ve got your camera ready for your Christmas video this year. Christmas is the perfect time to capture those very special moments as the whole family gathers together. Some of the members of the family live really far away or we just cannot see them that often! Celebrities, film stars and musicians do it too. Every year there are new Christmas videos out on the market, whether they’re clips or shows from the latest comedians to special Christmas events.

Christmas video assemblies are available at many retailer stores. You can find anything from oldies (even back to the 40s and 50s) to the new trends and shows. If there is a particular Christmas video you are looking for but cannot find it, check online and it will be there. Amazon is a great place for buying all sort of themed videos and the prices are usually lower than the high street.

If you are thinking of a Christmas gift video this year, check out the films that were popular the year before. Or the classics; “It’s a Wonderful Life” is always a winner!. The videos don’t have to be themed around the festive season, though. Think Wizard of Oz or Oliver Twist. They are always bound to be a complete success. Any films with Audrey Hepburn (My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany’s) will also be great choices.

A funny Christmas video is always welcome and it adds humor and warmth on a winter night while the whole family gather together watching TV by the fireplace. If you want quick sketches that can be really funny and there’s nothing on TV, search through youtube for funny clips. It is a great alternative to television because you will have control over what is being watched. Different members of the family might have different tastes and ask you for Christmas music videos, or to watch Christmassy clips that other people might have uploaded this year, etc. Also, a good idea would be to do a Christmas video of the whole family (you could all play different film roles, or film them while they play Christmas quizzes), upload it to youtube and show it to the members of the family that could not make it this year. It would be a fantastic surprise and a different touch to just plugging in the webcam (or sending digital photos).

Another good idea would be to interview all the members of the family – documentary style. Think of really funny questions, or something that would make them laugh. There are good editing software programs that are not expensive (you would probably get one when purchasing your video camera). Upload the moving images and create a “mini feature-film” by adding music, voiceover, credits… It is the best Christmas video you could ever watch on the evening of the 25th!

Ready to take your Christmas photos this year? Get yourself a good digital camera if you haven’t got one yet. A good Christmas photo is important as it will be a reminder of that year; the memories withheld in the image.

It is good practice to keep your camera handy at all time during the Christmas season. You never know when that amazing snap is going to be ready for you. The family all gather together in the festive season, and it is important that we take plenty of photos to place later on in our albums. Toys for Christmas are a must, and they add to the Christmas feel when displayed around the tree. Make sure to take a photo so you will have a forever lasting memory of what gifts where given this year. One of my favorite pics is the one of the dinner table at Christmas day. I just love drooling over the amazing food that is displayed every year on the table, the bottles of good wine and champagne, all sorts of sweets and desserts. That is an image that we should capture as it happens only once a year!

Family Christmas photos are just great. This festive time gives us the opportunity of being together, and members of the family that we haven’t seen for ages (maybe even years!) will come to join us during the season. We might not see them again for a long time, but the photos will remind us of them in a very memorable way.

What about the kids opening the presents? You just have to video them, or at least the photographs, kids just grow up so quickly! Their faces are so candid and full of happiness on Christmas morning, running towards the tree searching for their magic parcel. Back at home, we had Santa “magically” coming in during the day, paying us a “visit”, talking to the kids. Those images will stay in my head forever, that’s for sure, and it is such a shame we never took pictures. It is true that at the time digital cameras were unheard of – probably didn’t even exist – and Super 8 was just too much hassle (and usually to dark for quality filming). Cameras were also expensive, so we ended up with no physical memories of those days.

If you are looking for Christmas photo ideas, why not ask the whole family to get involved in playing a game, so then you don’t have to worry about them waiting for you to get the shot ready, etc. You could take the pics while they play, and the beauty of it is that they will all gather together as they concentrate on the game.

For funny Christmas photos, I would take pictures of my dog wearing a small wreath, or my cat playing with the ribbons and ornaments. I love buying silly little presents, like Santa’s hat in cowboy style that lights up, or joke type of gifts. They are great for taking pictures afterwords.

A good idea is to take christmas card photos; display your cards around the Christmas tree, or a shelf, or above the chimney and take a picture. That way when you place it on the family album, one photo will display all the Christmas cards you received this year.

Here are some of my favorite Christmas photos; courtesy of sxc.hu.