Christmas in Wales20
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TORQUAY
Burlington Hotel
3 Nights DBB
8th & 22nd Jan - 4 Days
- from Only �69
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Barcelo Walton Hotel & Spa
1 or 2 Nights DBB
9th Jan - 3 Days - Only �105
31st Jan - 2 Days - Only �65
MANCHESTER SHOPPER
Holiday Inn Bolton/Bowden Hall
1 or 2 Nights DBB
9th Jan - 2 Days - Only �45
22nd & 29th Jan - 3 Days
- Only �75
DISNEYLAND RESORT PARIS
Choice of Hotels
4 Days / 3 Nights B&B
2 Day Hopper Pass
10th & 24th Jan
- from �235pp
AMSTERDAM
Lakeland Hotel
3 Nights B&B
15th Jan - 4 Days
- from Only �115
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Slough Windsor
Marriott Hotel
1 Night DBB
9th, 16th & 31st Jan
- 2 Days - Only �60
BOURNEMOUTH
Bournehall Hotel
4 Nights DBB
11th Jan - 5 Days
- Only �99pp
1960's Themed Break
TORQUAY
Bancourt Hotel
4 Nights DBB
11th Jan - 5 Days
- Only �99
Las Vegas Flutter
EASTBOURNE
Langham Hotel
3 Nights DBB
15th Jan - 4 Days
- Only �90
MURDER MYSTERY
BREAK
Hilton Newbury Centre
3 Nights DBB + Murder Package
15th Jan - 3 Days
- Only �99
PARIS
Le Cardinal
or Concorde Hotels
3 Nights B&B
15th Jan - 4 Days
- Only �150pp
BATH & CRIBBS
SHOPPER
Holiday Inn Bristol Filton Hotel
1 Night DBB
16th Jan - 2 Days
- Only �50
BIRMINGHAM
SHOPPER
Menzies Strathallen Hotel
1 Nigh DBB
16th Jan - 2 Days
- Only �50
DISNEYLAND RESORT
PARIS
Choice of Hotels
4 Days / 3 Nights B&B
3 Day Hopper Pass
17th Jan - from �255pp
AMSERDAM
Lakeland Hotel
4 Nights B&B
18th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �160pp
STAFFORDSHIRE
& PEAK DISTRICT
The Newton Hotel
4 Nights DBB
18th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �89
YORKSHIRE
Newlington Hotel
4 Nights DBB
18th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �99
BRUGES
The Park Hotel
3 Nights B&B
22nd Jan - 4 Days
- from Only �150
POUND A PINT -
CHESTER
Ramanda Jarvis Chester Hotel
3 Nights DBB
22nd Jan, 19th Feb - 4 Days
- from Only �149
WESTON SUPER MARE
All Inclusive
New Birchfield Hotel
3 Nights DBB + Drinks Package
22nd Jan - 4 Days
- from Only �115
RHINE
All Inclusive
Kurfurst Hotel
3 Nights DBB + Drinks Package
22nd Jan - 4 Days
- from Only �140
BLUE WATER &
LAKESIDE SHOPPER
Hilton Ddartford Hotel
1 Night DBB
23rd Jan - 2 Days
- from Only �55
CHELTENHAM &
STRATFORD SHOPPER
Holiday Inn Stratford Hotel
1 Night DBB
23rd Jan - 2 Days
- from Only �65
DELUXE SIDMOUTH
Brend Victoria Hotel
4 Nights DBB
24th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �310
DUBLIN SHOPPER
Regency Hotel Dublin
1 Night B&B, 3 Nights DBB
25th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �220
FOLKESTONE
& FRANCE
Grand Burstin Hotel
4 Nights DBB
25th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �115
RHINE
All Inclusive
Kurfurst Hotel
4 Nights DBB + Drinks Package
25th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �175
TORQUAY
Ashley Court Hotel
4 Nights DBB
25th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �90
ISLE OF WIGHT
Villa Mentone Hotel
4 Nights DBB
25th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �89
MAMMA MIA WEEKEND
Ramanda Jarvis Bowden
Hotel
3 Nights DBB
29th Jan - 4 Days
- from Only �149
LONDON SHOPPERS
4 Star Central Hotel
1 or 2 Nights BEB
1, 15 & 29 Jan - 3 Days Only
�115. 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 Jan
- 2 Days - Only �75
LONDON
"Choice of Shows"
4 Star Central London Hotel
2 Nights BEB
1, 15 & 29 Jan - 3 Days
- from Only �190
LONDON
"Choice of Shows"
4 Star Central London Hotel
1 Night BEB
2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 Jan - 2 Days
- from Only �155
DISNEYLAND PARIS
Choice of Hotels
3 Days / 2 Nights B&B
2 Day Hopper Pass
3rd Jan
- from Only �215pp
BOURNEMOUTH
Bayview Hotel
4 Nights DBB
4th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �115
ISLE OF WIGHT
Villa Mentone Hotel
4 Nights DBB
4th Jan - 5 Days
- from Only �89
LUXURY
MID WEEK BREAK
Bosworth Hall & Spa Hotel
2 Nights DBB + Free Bar
5, 12, 19, 26 Jan - 3 Days
- from Only �75
FOLKESTONE
& FRANCE
Grand Burstin Hotel
3 Nights DBB
8th & 22nd Jan - 4 Days
- from Only �85
(50682252)
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the strange history of
traditions around the world
W
e are all familiar with the vast
number of Christmas
traditions and customs we
observe today; however,
hundreds of equally
wonderful and bizarre traditions have been lost
or corrupted over the ages.
an old Victorian tradition was to hide a glass
pickle in the Christmas tree the night before
Christmas.
Whoever found the pickle would either receive
a special gift or get to open the first gift.
the story behind this tradition dates back to
medieval times. legend has it that a sinister
innkeeper captured two
hapless children and
imprisoned them inside
a pickle barrel.
st nicholas happened to walk by the inn later
on, and heard the children's cries for help. he
immediately tapped the barrel with his staff and
freed the children, who ran home for Christmas
dinner.
another infamous Victorian Christmas tradition
is that of humble pie. Venison was traditionally
served to the gentry on Christmas Day, while the
servants were given what was left over, including
the heart and insides of the deer.
the servants would bake the entrails in a pie
known as humble pie and eat it on Christmas
Day, hence the phrase `go and eat humble pie'.
in medieval Poland, predicting the future was
an important Christmas tradition.
maidens who were curious about their future
love would eavesdrop on their neighbour on
Christmas eve.
if they heard the word `go' it meant she would
be getting married in the next year. the word `sit'
meant she'd be single for a long time.
another way to find out their futures was to
blindfold each other on the way to Christmas eve
midnight mass and touch fence
pickets.
a straight and smooth
picket indicated a
resourceful husband.
a crooked and rough
one meant a clumsy and
awkward husband.
Until the introduction of the Christmas tree in
the Victorian era, the kissing bough was the
primary piece of decorative greenery in the
english Christmas.
it was formed in the shape of a double hoop
with streamers going up to a central point and
was made up of evergreen boughs, holly, ivy,
apples, pears, ribbons and other ornaments
along with lighted candles.
a sprig of mistletoe was hung from its centre.
as the name implies, any lady who accidentally
wandered under the kissing bough had to allow
herself to be kissed, in a similar way that the
mistletoe tradition is used today.
all of the Celtic countries are alleged to have
adopted an ancient custom of lighting a candle
at Christmas time to light the way of a stranger.
in scotland it was tradition for a stranger to
enter the house after midnight on new Year's
eve.
there were taboos about the luck such a
stranger would bring, especially in the days of
hospitality to travelling strangers.
a fair-haired visitor was considered bad luck in
most areas, partly due to the in-fighting between
the dark scots and the fair norse invaders.
however, in Christian times, a fair-haired man
was considered very lucky providing his name
was andrew, like the patron saint of scotland.
the Christmas tree was, of course, introduced
to Britain in Victorian times by Prince albert.
however, the origins of the Christmas tree are
embedded in ancient history.
the tree was an important symbol to every
pagan culture; in particular, the oak was
venerated by the Druids.
evergreens, which in ancient rome were
thought to have special powers and were used
for decoration, symbolised the promised return
of life in the spring and came to represent eternal
life for Christians.
the Vikings hung fir and ash trees with war
trophies for good luck. During the middle ages,
the Church would decorate trees with apples on
Christmas eve, which they called `adam and eve
Day'. however, the trees remained outdoors.
in 16th-century Germany, it was the custom for
a fir tree decorated with paper flowers to be
carried though the streets on Christmas eve to
the town square, where, after a great feast and
celebration that included dancing around the
tree, it would be ceremonially burned.

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