The Christmas tree tradition was started in Germany; The Germans were the first to bring the tree into the house.

Happy Birthday to Macaulay Culkin! We doubt he’s celebrating it alone. Also enjoying birthdays today are former New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro, R&B singer Cassie, and jazz musician Branford Marsalis.

In the Chipmunk’s rendition of “Christmas Don’t be Late,” which was originally released in 1958, Alvin wants a hula hoop.

GalleryCollection.com is excited and proud to announce our donation of 180,000 personalized Holiday cards to Soldiers’ Angels for use in Holiday care packages to deployed troops. If you recall, last year we made a similar donation to the organization, which provides support and assistance to fallen, injured, and deployed members of the United States military.

Regardless of anyone’s personal sentiments towards the war, there are thousands of men and women stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan who won’t be able to celebrate the holidays with their friends and family. Being a publisher of holidays cards – and in the spirit of the Soldiers’ Angels credo, “May no soldier go unloved” – GalleryCollection.com wants to make sure that no soldier feels forgotten this holiday season. So all 180,000 of our troops stationed overseas will be receiving an imprinted holiday card thanking them for their services and wishing them a happy Holiday Season and New Year.

We are donating three different peace-themed greeting cards. Here is what each design looks like:

And here is the personalized message that will be imprinted on the inside of each card:

We also donated an additional 180,000 blank holiday cards to a fellow company, which will be sending the cards to each service member overseas to write home to their family and friends.

Stay tuned for more activities involving GalleryCollection.com and Soldiers’ Angels.

I don’t know about you but I always have the hardest time picking out my Christmas cards every year. I personally like to go with one of the winter scenes cards we offer since they seem to be the most universally appealing to the very diverse group of people on my holiday cards list. I also have a personal preference for the personalized holiday cards we offer with winter scenes since they bring back some very happy childhood memories

I am especially fond of winter scene cards depicting a country landscape, since those greeting cards remind me of the Christmas tree farm we would trek to every winter to cut down our family Christmas tree. If you have visions of ten-year-old girl wielding an ax, don’t worry, my dad was in charge of the cutting and my sisters, brother, and I were in charge of getting the hot chocolate and apple cider from the stand set up in the farm’s barn.

Looking back, my parents were pretty brave taking their five kids on this annual adventure. We weren’t exactly the most pleasant group of people to have in the back of a station wagon (later on, a minivan) for the two hour trip from our home in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon to the farming communities brimming with Christmas tree farms. Looking at winter scenes Christmas cards really puts a smile on my face. I think I’ll send one of those greeting cards to my parents and siblings to see if they all have the same thought when they get their holiday cards in the mail this year.

Happy 40th birthday to Rachel Ray. Also celebrating birthdays today are Regis Philbin, model Claudia Schiffer, and 007 Sean Connery.

Brenda Lee’s popular Christmas tune is “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree.”

Todays is Cal Ripken, Jr.’s 48th birthday. Also celebrating birthdays are Rupert Gint, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, actress Marlee Matlin, and comedian Craig Kilborn.

The Christmas Eve snack usually left for Santa consists of milk and cookies, but sometimes he gets carrots as a healthy alternative.

If you guessed I Dream of Jeannie star Barbara Eden, you are correct! Also celebrating birthdays today are Cheers star Shelley Long and actress Vera Miles.