Christmas Tree Shops

Christmas Tree Shops are a retail chain that started in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts on Cape Cod in 1970 as a complex of three small stores; the Front Shop, the Back Shop, and the Barn Shop. The multiple store location, which was located on Route 6A, explains why the name is Christmas Tree Shops instead of Christmas Tree Shop. The chain's founders were Doreen and Chuck Bilezikian.

Since the 1980s, the chain has slowly been expanding beyond Cape Cod. As of May 2011, the company has stores in eighteen states (including all six New England states). Expansion for the chain has included stores in the Midwestern states of Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. Its newest stores opened in Augusta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas;[2] and Greensboro, North Carolina. These stores have been opened under new ownership.

The original stores are seen as a local phenomenon, since it has become a must see destination for many visitors when traveling to Cape Cod. Christmas Tree Shops was acquired by Bed Bath and Beyond in 2003, though the Bilezikians remain involved in the chain's executive operations. The original stores on Route 6A were closed in January of 2007. Some of the earlier Cape Cod locations, such as the store in West Dennis, Massachusetts, are far smaller in size than more recently built stores.  christmas tree decorations
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Store concepts

The Christmas Tree Shops store at the base of the Sagamore Bridge in Sagamore, Massachusetts.
Christmas Tree Shops are bargain stores, selling everything from food to toys to household furnishings to, of course, Christmas decorations. Most stores are typically made to resemble older buildings, in Colonial, Victorian, or even Old English barn styles (such as the Sagamore, Massachusetts, Pembroke, Massachusetts and Warwick, R.I. stores). Some, such as the Lynnfield, Massachusetts store, are even more conceptualized; that store is known for its lighthouse and fishing village motif.  progressive auto insurance    christmas greeting cards

Christmas Tree Shops also has several stores in enclosed shopping malls, such as the Holyoke, Massachusetts location, which is inside the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside, as well as Colonie Center in Colonie New York and Salmon Run Mall in Watertown, NY. "Christmas Tree Shops express" stores feature a smaller footprint and the merchandise mix is oriented towards seasonal offerings.
"andThat!" is a new banner used to expand Christmas Tree Shops to other parts of the country not familiar with the concept in order to eliminate confusion. "andThat!" stores have opened in Fredericksburg, Virginia and Flint, Michigan automobile insurance

Why is Christmas Day on the 25th December?

No one knows the real birthday of Jesus! No date is given in the Bible, so why do we celebrate it on the 25th December?

The early Christians certainly had many arguments as to when it should be celebrated! Also, the birth of Jesus probably didn't happen in the year 1AD but slightly earlier, somewhere between 2BC and 7BC (there isn't a 0AD - the years go from 1BC to 1AD!)

The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336AD, during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (he was the first Christian Roman Emperor). A few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would be celebrated on the 25th December. accident claims

There are many different traditions and theories as to why Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. A very early Christian tradition said that the day when Mary was told that she would have a very special baby, Jesus (called the Annunciation) was on March 25th - and it's still celebrated today on the 25th March. Nine months after the 25th March is the 25th December!

 March 25th was also the day some early Christians thought the world had been made, and also the day that Jesus died on when he was an adult.December 25th might have also been chosen because the Winter Solstice and the ancient pagan Roman midwinter festivals called 'Saturnalia' and 'Dies Natalis Solis Invicti' took place in December around this date - so it was a time when people already celebrated things. car insurance quotes

The Winter Solstice is the day where there is the shortest time between the sun rising and the sun setting. It happens on December 21st or 22nd. To pagans this meant that the winter was over and spring was coming and they had a festival to celebrate it and worshipped the sun for winning over the darkness of winter. In Scandinavia, and some other parts of northern Europe, the Winter Solstice is known as Yule and is where we get Yule Logs from. In Eastern europe the mid-winter festival is called Koleda. free car insurance quotes

The Roman Festival of Saturnalia took place between December 17th and 23rd and honoured the Roman god Saturn. Dies Natalis Solis Invicti means 'birthday of the unconquered sun' and was held on December 25th (when the Romans thought the Winter Solstice took place) and was the 'birthday' of the Pagan Sun god Mithra. In the pagan religion of Mithraism, the holy day was Sunday and is where get that word from! automobile insurance

Early Christians might have given this festival a new meaning - to celebrate the birth of the Son of God 'the unconquered Son'! (In the Bible a prophesy about the Jewish savior, who Christians believe is Jesus, is called 'Sun of Righteousness'.)The Jewish festival of Lights, Hanukkah starts on the 25th of Kislev (the month in the Jewish calendar that occurs at about the same time as December). Hanukkah celebrates when the Jewish people were able to re-dedicate and worship in their Temple, in Jerusalem, again following many years of not being allowed to practice their religion. auto insurance quotes
Jesus was a Jew, so this could be another reason that helped the early Church choose December the 25th for the date of Christmas!

Christmas had also been celebrated by the early Church on January 6th, when they also celebrated theEpiphany (which means the revelation that Jesus was God's son) and the Baptism of Jesus. Now Epiphany mainly celebrates the visit of the Wise Men to the baby Jesus, but back then it celebrated both things! Jesus's Baptism was originally seen as more important than his birth, as this was when he started his ministry.

 But soon people wanted a separate day to celebrate his birth.Most of the world uses the 'Gregorian Calendar' implemented by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Before that the 'Roman' or Julian Calendar was used (named after Julius Caesar). The Gregorian calendar is more accurate that the Roman calendar which had too many days in a year! When the switch was made 10 days were lost, so that the day that followed the 4th October 1582 was 15th October 1582. In the UK the change of calendars was made in 1752. The day after 2nd September 1752 was 14th September 1752.auto insurance quote

Many Orthodox and Coptic Churches still use the Julian Calendar and so celebrate Christmas on the 7th January (which is when December 25th would have been on the Julian calendar). And the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates it on the 6th January! In some part of the UK, January 6th is still called 'Old Christmas' as this would have been the day that Christmas would have celebrated on, if the calendar hadn't been changed. Some people didn't want to use the new calendar as they thought it 'cheated' them out of 11 days!Christians believe that Jesus is the light of the world, so the early Christians thought that this was the right time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

 They also took over some of the customs from the Winter Solstice and gave them Christian meanings, like Holly, Mistletoe and even Christmas Carols!St Augustine was the person who really started Christmas in the UK by introducing Christianity in the 6th century. He came from countries that used the Roman Calendar, so western countries celebrate Christmas on the 25th December.

 Then people from Britain and Western Europe took Christmas on the 25th December all over the world!The name 'Christmas' comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus). A Mass service (which is sometimes called Communion or Eucharist) is where Christians remember that Jesus died for us and then came back to life. The 'Christ-Mass' service was the only one that was allowed to take place after sunset (and before sunrise the next day), so people had it at Midnight! So we get the name Christ-Mass, shortened to Christmas.

So when was Jesus Born?There's a strong and practical reason why Jesus might not have been born in the winter, but in the spring or the autumn! It can get very cold in the winter and it's unlikely that the shepherds would have been keeping sheep out on the hills (as those hills can get quite a lot of snow sometimes!).During the spring (in March or April) there's a Jewish festival called 'Passover'.

This festival remembers when the Jews had escaped from slavery in Egypt about 1500 years before Jesus was born. Lots of lambs would have been needed during the Passover Festival, to be sacrificed in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Jews from all over the Roman Empire travelled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival, so it would have been a good time for the Romans to take a census. Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem for the census (Bethlehem is about six miles from Jerusalem).In the autumn (in September or October) there's the Jewish festival of 'Sukkot' or 'The Feast of Tabernacles'. It's the festival that's mentioned the most times in the Bible!

It was when the Jewish people remember that they depended on God for all they had after they had escaped from Egypt and spent 40 years in the desert. It also celebrated the end of the harvest. During the festival people lived outside in temporary shelters (the word 'tabernacle' come from a latin word meaning 'booth' or 'hut').

Many people who have studied the Bible, think that Sukkot would be a likely time for the birth of Jesus as it might fit with the description of there being 'no room in the inn'. It also would have been a good time to take the Roman Census as many Jews went to Jerusalem for the festival and they would have brought their own tents/shelters with them compare car insurance quotes.

The possibilities for the Star of Bethlehem seems to point either spring or autumn.So whenever you celebrate Christmas, remember that you're celebrating a real event that happened about 2000 years ago, that God sent his Son into the world as a Christmas present for everyone!

As well as Christmas and the solstice, there are some other festivals that are held in late December.Hanukkah is celebrated by Jews; and the festival of Kwanzaa is celebrated by some Africans and African Americans takes place from December 26th to January 1st. life insurance

Christmas Bells Ringing, Christmas Eve Carnival Together

Christmas Bells Ringing, Christmas Eve Carnival Together

1, ^ o ^ want peace, you Biexian late; want a gift, you better not sleep; want carnival, please do not say goodbye. . . This is Christmas! The annual Christmas again, looking forward to meet you again, happy rain!

2, ^ o ^ happy happy carnival dance, dance together at this moment. Take a deep breath and shook his head, get rid of the trouble and sorrow. God is with us, happy with our hand in hand. SMS delivery all over the world, moving it along! Merry Christmas !

3, ^ o ^ day flow away from the fingers, snow falling with ringtones. Holiday bell ringing sound, discourse Pragmatic blessing of the heart, gently brushed shoulders of snow, carnival together, romantic together for Christmas Eve cheer, for Christmas cheer.

4, ^ o ^ friends after a long love constantly, SMS, Contact Form miss; Eve in to carnival, happy happy to welcome Christmas; must not forget the Friends of the concept, greeting wishes to pass a pass, feelings deepen friendship and sweet, the festival co-smile. Merry Christmas and Carnival!

5, ^ o ^ Eve revelry intertwined with loneliness, Santa's blessings and my thoughts integration, with the flying snow blown by your side! May you have a happy and peaceful Christmas Eve!

6, ^ o ^ day flow away from the fingers, snow falling with ringtones. Christmas bells rang slowly, warm wishes to pass each other. Carnival together, cheering together, lit Christmas tree, write a new blessing, so moving between the mind flow.

7, ^ o ^ this festival, you can like a child, enjoy themselves, had a carnival Christmas Eve; enjoy playing, had a romantic Christmas. But carnival romantic, do not forget to send blessings Oh!

Christmas Eve Messages Friends

Christmas Eve Messages Friends

1, ^ o ^ Christmas Eve, let us wait for the bell sounded. Xu wish, a total of prayer, the desire to put up the Christmas tree. And other gifts, hope surprises, all wishes come true gave you. Even friendship, pass wishes happy to welcome Christmas.

2, ^ o ^ few days are Christmas, Christmas joy in people, even through the night without sleep; Christmas Eve have peace, Xu wishes for Christmas, carnival night delighted! My friends, let us also celebrate Christmas together now!

3, ^ o ^ Eve blessing bell sounded, the sky filled with warm snow, Santa's laughter filled with joy, I filled with warmth in your phone. This is my Christmas present, receive SMS, wish you happiness overflowing!

4, ^ o ^ Railway Bureau recently received notice of a happy Christmas No. subway today December 24, 2010 officially opened on Christmas Eve run, will take the number of passengers bound for happiness upload terminus, and through health, smooth, smug, happy Fortunately, etc. sites. By virtue of the electronic ticket validation boarding gates, Please save, Shun wish a Merry Christmas!

5, ^ o ^ nightfall, snow falling, neon bright, blessing sound, the gift of flying, along with my blessing and the arrival of Santa Claus: I wish you a happy Christmas Eve, the boundless joy of Christmas, New Year and good luck!

6, ^ o ^ Ping Road blessing day, Christmas Eve road safety. In peace forever, Ann mediocre dream long. Send an apple bless you, and may your life are safe. Christmas Day Eve, bless strings drifting!

7, ^ o ^ friends after a long love constantly, SMS, Contact Form miss; Christmas Eve to carnival, happy happy to welcome Christmas; must not forget the Friends of the concept, greeting wishes to pass a pass, feelings deepen friendship and sweet, the festival co-smile. Merry Christmas and Carnival!

8, ^ o ^ Christmas Eve Tao peace symbol, peace symbols written on my most beautiful blessing; Christmas in planting Christmas trees, Christmas trees swaying your happiness seasons. Christmas Eve, Christmas Jubilee double to wish you, life has a good luck blessing!

Christmas Eve Greeting Message

Christmas Eve Greeting Message

1, carefully selected a booming big apple, quietly crept into the pillow, in the Christmas Eve promised a sweet sweet honey good wish, do not have the money, do not have a romantic, only wish is to see SMS Friends in the new year can be physically fit, job satisfaction, happiness!

2, auspicious full of stars, that sparkle of joy, you may have perceived; happiness covered the entire house, full of wishful that you can have collections; text full of joy, full of blessings that you can had to accept; Christmas Eve, accompanied wish you peace, joy unlimited!

3, secretly tell you: Tonight, nothing will help you become busy leisurely; tonight, Ann will help you put an early realization of a dream; tonight, nothing will help you regain courage; tonight, Ann will help you put my heart filled with joy ; tonight, nothing will help you lose all the troubles tonight, Ann will let you expose bright smile; tonight, peace will be with you, and work together to recall a happy, happy Christmas Eve.

4, to give you peace of bells good luck, romantic Christmas Eve to make you happy, my MMS give you a big apple, bless your life and peace. Christmas Eve is willing to friends: good health, happiness, life of peace!

5, Christmas Eve is not a gift, a massage table mind, blessing through your cell phone, broke into your hearts, may your life as sweet as honey, healthy number of first, looks young and pretty, happy days no ratio. Happy Christmas Eve!

6, Ping and more melodious bell, spread on all sides, and Octagon. Sent wishful and good luck, everyone body is healthy. Laughter and song children sing, happy life years long. I wish a happy Christmas Eve!

7, Christmas Eve to send apples, fresh apples friendship Tibet. Such as apple red face, healthy and beautiful fairy-like; sweet apples, such as love, sweet sweet honey happy Pong; apples savory miles away, like a reputation Wanliyang. Apple sent a sop, wish you beautiful and healthy. I would always accompanied by side, laughter happiness long. I wish a happy Christmas Eve!

8 month on the willow scene, let us begin Christmas Eve Imagination. Listen to the wind chimes Qing Xiang, it is Christmas Eve auspicious. See shadow of the cloister walls, sharing time on Christmas Eve. Eve luck, I wish you well-being!

9, when the flickering candlelight and delicious cuisine of each other, when the cheerful songs and happy smile one, when the drift of snow and warm wishes to each other, I hope and pray peace written into the deep night sky, by the bright Starlight pass into your dreams, your heart, your life, really wish you Christmas Eve, every night peace, peace every day.

10, a sky full of fireworks flashing colors, warm lights shining happy faces, stars sway sweet romantic love, peace bell convey sincere wishes. Christmas Eve to wish you a happy, very happy forever

Greeting Christmas Eve

Greeting Christmas Eve

1, Taste a candy, it is a "sweet", called the sweet life; hear a carol, it is a "music", called the happy life; look at the fireworks, it is a "flash", called shine life; bite the apple, it is a "flat", called Ping lifetime; received a blessing, it is a "blessing", called the happy life; Christmas Eve I wish you: peace lucky with life!

2, with white snowflakes do a letterhead, wrote a sincere thoughts, happy affix stamps, put them good luck envelopes sealed with success, make healthy courier, sent to you on hand at the time of Christmas Eve, wish you good luck smug, safely and smoothly!

3, starry Christmas Eve, Christmas flowers bloom. Knot full of happiness and good fruit, honeysuckle flashing happy. Future development candlelit Christmas Song Qi wishes. A life and health Angie, I brilliant career flourishing. Wish a happy Christmas Eve until dawn!

4, drums over Christmas , naughty boy Sky warp. Cy cads Silver Flower tree, covered with cheers and laughter. Santa Claus snow to appear in front of your home. Christmas hats under the grinning, full blessing without boasting. Left a bag of gold and silver coins, the right gifts most mysterious. Midas is not unusual, I wish you a lifetime smoothly. I wish you a smooth, peace, happy!

5, dazzling fireworks to make the night even more splendid scene, so Christmas Eve candlelight atmosphere more passionate. Wine cake tempting smell the smell, the sound of melodious music like crazy like drunk people. Christmas Eve with friends and enjoying the thrill of America Wyatt, dance sing a good time together. Good friends: nightly peace, life Shun Yi, happy and healthy, happy forever.

6, sing a song of peace for you, every note sounds bland, but it is nerves. Write a letter to your peace, each character seems mundane, but reassuring. Christmas Eve, wish you a safe life.

Greeting Christmas Eve

7, snowflakes floating in the air, spin quietly, a Montreal completed a miss, the fire gradually warm the room, full of messages telling thoughts. Christmas Eve is willing to accompany my blessing on your side, close my eyes, promised a wish, will be able to achieve. Happy Christmas Eve!

8, eat apples, passed is auspicious stacks; over Christmas, the joy of the harvest is a string; send a text message, leaving wishful bottles; send a blessing, brought is a Unit of luck. Happy Christmas Eve!

9, the bell sounded happy, Santa whispered come. Wearing Red Hat dressed in green clothes, wearing the Red Sox a peaceful, full of happiness and good peace smug. Friend: "Silent Night" Come to accept Santa Claus to give you good luck being sent. I wish you good fortune shrouded trouble ring true discarded. Night after night flat-being, every year there is fish Fest.

10, snow and fog, deer bell echoed, Santa Claus wearing a red fitted, and hope to bring you a gift, a joy, a fortune, a safe, a healthy, all load your socks, happiness Forever After May you wear, Happy Christmas Eve!

11, Christmas Eve snow drift, there were numerous auspicious down, holding a peaceful fruit, mouth mantra meditation peace and happiness around you around, safe and healthy forever hand in hand, Christmas Eve, wish you good luck, peace, happy Christmas Eve!

12, auspicious fireworks, as you blink; warm lights, for you swaying; romantic starlight, as you sway; peace bell sounded for you; sincere wishes for you to send. Christmas Eve, wish you longevity being happy forever!

Merry Christmas SMS

Merry Christmas SMS

1, Christmas is approaching, and resources to protect the environment, reduce the purchase of traditional greeting cards, you can fill in the blank card on a big par value of RMB, send me! ∴ ° ☆ ° ∴ ☆ ° ★

2, There is a word, endure for a long time, because just want to say to you, all hold in the hearts of a whole year, waiting for a year, can finally say aloud the words of this sentence contains my mind: Merry Christmas!

3, Fast, speed your socks off to me, Huh? All this time you still do not know what I do? True Jackson, I want to be Santa Claus, my blessings are poured my heart to you anyway, well-behaved, do not be moved, Merry Christmas!

4,The feast of life to be thoroughly enjoyed themselves, MO the phone empty opponent, greetings blessing no less, thousands of sound Wan call starting out. Bless my friends good health, fortune, laughter every day, year after year say happy Christmas to whole world!

5,Bent on you, Janus-faced hug you, kiss you three hearts, four hearts around the corner, five heart began to shake, six heart trouble, seven heart getting better, eight heart shaking, nine heart a long long time, ten heart deeply phase India! Merry Christmas!

6,The snow did not drift lower, yet tall Christmas tree, Christmas lights not illuminated, barbecue turkey yet, socks not hang up before the phone has not delinquent. Wish you a Merry Christmas ^ o ^

7,Every day people do three things: The first is to laugh (^ _ ^); second was smiling (^ o ^); third was laughing (^ O ^); believe you will have a pleasant one day * ^ o ^ * Merry Christmas! happy day!

8,Give you the gift of Christmas trees falling over, on top of the largest and brightest is my heart sinking, here is my silly hang ribbon wrapped inside is my one constant Chixin, Merry Christmas!