Every day is a special day, when you get to share it with someone that you really like. But once every year, there’s a remarkably special day – that’s St. Valentine’s, the day when you’re expected to really make sure the person you love gets treated with a wonderful time. The best thing about this day is that both individuals are expected to work hard for mutual benefit, so that’s double the energy in making everything perfect!

In fact, it’s almost funny that some people are oftentimes eager to think of something that will surpass their other half in expressing their mutual affection. If you’re looking for ideas that will get you ahead in the game of love, maybe we can help! For example, some people apparently believe it’s all about spending lots of money; this is a most unfortunate misconception, since genuine affection can hardly ever be expressed with something as crude as a price tag. So, if you want to grace your loved one with a perfect Valentine’s day, you should really dig deep into what you know she or he likes, to find the right course of action.

You do know about the legend behind St. Valentine, right? It’s all about a martyr priest who sacrificed himself for the sake of delivering romantic messages. Now, that’s the true essence of Valentine’s day: expressing your affections with full, unabashed clarity. And the best way to show someone you really care is showing them you know who they are; their darkest fears as well as hopes and dreams. So to organize a perfect Valentine day, you just need to put your head and heart into it, and try to figure out what will really make your lover happy! And hopefully, no one is better qualified for figuring that out than you are.

The world is always a better place when different people learn how to get along. This is why I think globalization could be a great way of promoting mutual knowledge and understanding among cultures; and while I’m not about to encourage you to actually adopt holidays from cultures other than your own – it might be disrespectful for the original culture – I definitely think that you should use such holidays as a chance to learn something new about different kinds of people.

Unless you’re a Jewish, I think there’s a good chance you don’t really know much about Hanukkah, except perhaps some shallow glimpse you’ve captured from trivial conversations or even TV shows. With that in mind, I thought it would be appropriate to provide some insight on this Jewish holiday. For the outside viewer, this is easily recognized as the festival of lights because, well… there are a lot of lights involved in the celebration. Regardless, there’s much substance lurking behind this religious ritual which you probably don’t know about.

Most people seem to think of Hanukkah as the Jewish version of Christmas; truth of the matter is there is really no connection or comparison between both holidays. Even though Hanukkah is celebrated in the same time of the year, it commemorates the physical and spiritual triumph of the Jewish people, which secured their creeds and independence more than 2,000 years ago. The celebration of Hanukkah is thus a deeply spiritual event (which spans 8 days) aimed at providing homage to the wonderful workings of God.

Ahh… what can I say about Christmas. This is probably one of the most magical holidays in the world, and it’s definitely a universal season; no longer is Christmas just a Catholic celebration! For sometime now, this holiday has been adopted as a good chance to celebrate peace on earth, and good will among men…. Religious preference notwithstanding.

There are many people who oppose Christmas because they feel it’s an overtly consumerist season, where people put aside what really matters. Well, let me tell you something… you’re then one in charge, and YOU decide what really matters. If you think Christmas Spirits is all about kindness and compassion, there’s no one stopping you from doing just that, and living through the season the best way you can! Here’s a thought: This year, why not think about making something really special out of Christmas Eve?

I know this is supposed to be a family event, but why not thing about gathering more of your family than you usually do… like those cousins and uncles you’ve almost got out of touch with? In fact, why not consider inviting a homeless person or someone who you know will be alone to spend the evening with your family? The more the merrier, right? If you really think Christmas should be a chance to show the best of ourselves, this is your chance to prove it! Do something different and special that makes this Christmas one of the brightest ever! If nothing else, just write a lot of postcards to send ALL the people you like? Trust me, small gestures can make a world of difference.

It’s true, these holidays we are getting back to the 1920′s, with the ghost of the recession hanging on our heads! But in the end, it could be all about returning to the basic, to the meaning of the season itself!! ‘’Saving it” only depends on your ability to show others your feelings for them, to be kind to the others, to really get the meaning of it in the personal sphere, without the material requests of this society of consumption!

So, this season keep it simple: be with your family, show the support they need, and be gifted with the affection and the wellbeing that they provide you! Be a present member of your community; help the others with your own work and dedication, stand for a greater good, putting aside your personal goals to archive a common one.

That is the true spirit of the season, the ability to be and to give something to the others, rather than a material gift, to ‘’catch-up” with your loved ones, to be part of a celebration that is intended to be a spiritual reflection about your year, about your projects, and about yourself!

In the end, you will see that, sometimes, in this stressful world, all you need is to lie back, and enjoy the simple things in life… like a smile, a simple conversation, or even an ‘’Hi, how are you?”! That’s really something you can hold on to!

If you really want to spend your money on gifts, be sure to visit sites like: eBay and Fatwallet to find deals!

Also, visit the Planaganza Event Shop to save on items to make your gatherings a blast! In addition to FREE SHIPPING on orders greater than $50. We are offering 10% off orders over $100. Use Discount code “HOLIDAY08″ (offer good until 12/31/08).

When it comes to under-rated and misunderstood holidays, Thanksgiving is probably one of the top ranked events all year round. For most people, Thanksgiving seems to be nothing but an excuse to eat some roast turkey or pumpkin pie and get most of the family together as a kind of prelude to the Christmas Eve. Well, we think it should be much more than that, and hopefully you’ll agree.

This is nothing personal we’re holding against Christmas, mind you; and we understand that Thanksgiving is traditionally a day when you’ll query your family concerning their desired Christmas presents… and there’s nothing wrong with that, really! Regardless… there’s a lot more to Thanksgiving once you think about it! This year, when you’re cutting up your nice beefy turkey, why not take the chance to just pause and think about what you’re really doing? I mean, don’t you have SO many reasons to be thankful? Just leave that turkey alone for an instant, and take a good look around you – I’m sure you’ll be thankful that you did.

You see, you might have thought I’d turn this into a pro-Native Indian rant, but there’s really a lot more to it! Besides its historic importance and background, Thanksgiving should be regarded as a chance to say thanks for everything you’re grateful for… your family, your friends, your career… everything in your life that makes you happy. Why not think about actually saying thanks, this year? If that’s not a family tradition in your home, it might as well become one, and you could just lead by example. Think about that!