The Best Christmas Web Sites Online

Christmas on the internet is like no other place and time!

The holiday season comes alive on the internet as those with a passion for the sights, sounds, smells and wonder of Christmas lavish their creativity on page after page of games, music, stories, crafts, history and just plain talking about Christmas. Memories and dreams intermix freely in a wonderland of small amateur virtual communities and big professional web sites alike.

From this enormous volume of Christmas web sites, there are a few that stand out from the rest. Noncommercial (they're not just there to sell you things) and nonjudgemental (Baby Jesus sleeps peacefully beside Santa Claus), perhaps above all, these web sites have managed to capture the true essence of Christmas - with all it's red and green gaudy glory, it's blue and silver peace from Heaven and it's noisy, every which color celebration of the exuberance of kids, old fashioned Christmas cards, high tech electronic gadgetry and more food and drink than any other time of the year. And the parties. The sleigh rides. The caroling...

My Merry Christmas
http://www.mymerrychristmas.com/
One of the best all around Christmas web sites, it's filled with explanations of traditions, legends, music, stories, how-to's and more. A lot more. Let The Merry Jukebox fill your home with Christmas music, send an ecard, become a Secret Spy for Santa, join the forums (amazingly abuzz year 'round), check out the Christmas news and so much more that you can get lost for hours in this place. Everything Christmas is here and it may be the only site you'll ever have time to explore but don't stop yet!

North Pole
http://www.northpole.com/
This one is geared to kids of all ages. Games, stories to read or listen to, puzzles, recipes, and coloring pages fill the site. Parents and educators get a royal welcome here as the "Elf Pal Academy" offers such activities as word searches, math puzzles, coloring, telling time and more - all interactive Christmas fun so the kids won't even know they're learning.

The Twelve Voices of Christmas
http://www.backtothebible.org/christmas/12home.htm
Listen to the story of Christmas (Christian) as told by the key players: Gabriel, Joseph, Mary, The Wise Men, Herod and more are presented in audio files of varying length - well over an hour's worth of wonderful listening for you and your children. Prepare to be drawn into the reality of the characters. Narrated by Woodrow Kroll and

Santa's Net
http://www.santas.net/welcome.htm
Christmas traditions from around the world is this site's most interesting page, along with "How 'Merry Christmas' is said around the world." There are the carols and recipes, of course, along with some jokes and games. If you're up to a little shopping, Santa's Net offers its toy picks. There's more to this site than first meets the eye. Don' miss the pages of Christmas facts, personal Christmas pages and Christmas poetry, among other things. Take your time and explore this site.

Christmas Stories and Articles
http://www.joyfulheart.com/christmas/
Looking for something to read while you're enjoying a cup of hot chocolate? Here are some of the finest Christian Christmas stories on the internet! Short stories and articles from Dr. Ralph Wilson will entertain and absorb you - a real break from the hustle and bustle of the season.

Listening to Christmas
http://www.alharris.com/audio/listening.htm
A personal favorite of mine, I listen to this several times each holiday season since first discovering it. Listen to the poem read by its author, Alan Harris. Find yourself listening to snow and listening to Christmas. This poem captures a magic part of Christmas that we cannot define, but cannot deny.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas
One of the internet's newest, hottest sites, Wikipedia, has a long and detailed (even for Wikipedia)Christmas page. You'll find link after link after link after link to everything Christmas, both pro and con, from the origins of the Christian story and pagan customs to decorations and the economical impact of this beloved season.

Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!
http://www.night.net/christmas/
Name that tune: "Diminutive masculine master of skin-covered percussionistic cylinders." If you know what this is, you'll have plenty of fun at Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! You'll love the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) About Christmas and the Juke Box that goes with you as you surf on. Setting of the date, movies, music, theories and of course, Santa Claus, gives you plenty to think about and enjoy.

There are many more Christmas sites on the internet, but how are you going to have time to take in any more? Christmas on the internet delivers the real thing!