Christmas is a Magic State of Mind
Christmas is indeed a state of mind, a magical state, for there's certainly something magical in celebrating with family and friends and in the sheer joyousness of giving and receiving gifts.
Our talented lensmasters here at Squidoo joyfully embrace the magic of Christmas. You can see it in their offerings of holiday food recipes, tips on frugal decorations, ideas for educational toys and collectible gifts, instructions for Christmas Tree displays, music and movies for Christmastime and even how to have a greener Christmas.
Come and join us for Christmas at Squidoo
Christmas Traditions
There are many traditions of Christmas. In different countries the traditions vary, but the emphasis is mainly on family and friends getting together to share food, exchange gifts and generally enjoy themselves.
Our lensmasters share the rituals of Christmas from their own cultural traditions.
Christmas around the World
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German Christmas Traditions
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My mom was born and raised in Germany and I'm half German. Growing up we celebrated Christmas with a lot of German traditions. Here is a collection of the things that are important to Germans at Christmastime including the Christmas tree, the advent...
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Christmas Traditions in Norway
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Have you ever dreamed of celebrating Christmas in Norway? Although Christmas traditions can vary from family to family, in Norway most families include customs that have developed from Yule and midwinter festivities in ancient times. Before Christia...
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Christmas Traditions in Britain
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It seems that every country that celebrates Christmas has its own traditions and customs and Great Britain is no different although I believe we share a lot of ours with the USA and Commonwealth countries. Individual families often have their own pa...
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Christmas in Australia
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Christmas is a splendid time of year in Australia. December and January are at the very height of our beach season, and we love to head for the beach and relax. The Christmas holidays stretch over the longest days of our long summers. The holidays b...
Io! Saturnalia! An Ancient Festival at Christmas
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Saturnalia, an Ancient Roman Festival at Christmastime
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Saturnalia was the most popular holiday of the Roman year. The joyous celebration, described by the ancient Roman poet, Catullus, as 'the best of days', was no quick affair but a succession of exuberant festivals lasting for over a week. The holiday...
Christmas Dinner
Christmas dinner is the primary meal traditionally eaten on Christmas Day, the main event when the family all gathers and eats together.
Here's the best of our Christmas recipes, tried and true, from the experts at Squidoo.
Don't forget the Crackers!
A must-have on the table at Christmas Dinner
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Christmas Crackers
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I decided to write about Christmas Crackers after hearing about a friend's experience outside of the UK, when it became apparent that other Nationalities (you know who you are!) didn't really know what to do with a cracker! A Christmas Cracker is a...
Best Christmas Turkey on Squidoo
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Turkey Dinner at Kathy's
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Two things I look forward to each year, Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner. Is it the turkey I look forward too? Naw, it's actually my stuffing and knowing I will make my homemade turkey soup the following day! I've used these same recipes for years...
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Cook the Christmas Turkey
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In Britain, dinner on Christmas Day is usually turkey with all the trimmings. The trimmings are the traditional accompaniments like cranberry or bread sauce, stuffings as well as gravy made from the giblets. On one bird there is enough to feed a larg...
The Christmas Cake
Christmas cakes are a nostalgic tradition, one which brings memories of childhood.
My mother would have a special day set aside in the last week of October to make our Christmas cake. My first memory of the cake-making was standing on a chair so I could reach the counter, wrapped in a big pinny to save my dress from staining, and carefully emptying a cup of mixed dried fruit into the big bowl.
The original Christmas cake started life as porridge. In the 15th century, people would fast all day for Christmas Eve and by the time morning came around, a bowl of gruel was very welcome.
As time went by and more food became available, spices, dried fruits, and honey were added. When the porridge became too chunky and stiff to eat, it would be tied in a cloth bag and boiled for a few hours. The Christmas Porridge became Christmas Pudding.
By the end of the 16th century, it became popular to add butter and eggs. The oatmeal was exchanged for flour, and the whole lot boiled as before. The Christmas Pudding became a boiled fruitcake.
These days we have much more enticing Christmas cakes. For scrumptious examples, see the cakes from our lensmasters on Squidoo.
Best Christmas Cakes on Squidoo
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Christmas Fruitcake -- A Delicious Recipe for a Holiday Tradition
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Growing up in Northeastern Ohio, we generally received a fruitcake each Christmas. Personally, I don't mind a little bit of fruitcake during the holidays despite the fact that the fruitcake fell out of favor within the past few decades. I hear...
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British Christmas Cakes
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The traditional British Christmas Cake is full of fruit, nuts, and spices, usually with added alcohol in the form of brandy or rum. It's a rich mixture, covered with royal icing (a kind of frosting) and decorated. It's often the centrepiece of the Ch...
Christmas Drinks
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Christmas Eggnog -- A Delicious Recipe for a Holiday Tradition
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Eggnog is something that my family looks forward to each Christmas. We like it so much that it's served at other holidays, as well. What's great about this particular traditional drink is that you can "spruce" it up with the alc...
Best Christmas Sweets on Squidoo
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Chocolate Recipes for Christmas
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Celebrations are a time that everybody wants their favourite food and for most people that includes chocolate. Of course, these recipes are very popular at Christmas - the big family occasion but most can be used for any important occasion. Some tak...
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Sugar Cookies - Gingerbread Cookies
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What would a holiday season be without cookies. Chocolate cookies, oatmeal cookies, coconut cookies and sugar cookies with a cherry on the top, each one tasting better than the one before. No bake cookies and cookies baked just a slight golden brown,...
Best Christmas Desserts on Squidoo
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Traditional Christmas Pudding
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The British Christmas Pudding is a very rich traditional dessert, served as part of Christmas Day dinner. Of course, many people just can't manage to eat it then, so often it's served later in the day and for several days following because, unless yo...
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Desserts for Christmas
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There are special occasions, like Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays, christenings and other big occasions, when only a special meal will do to celebrate and that's the time you need a really delicious and fabulous looking dessert. The good news is...
After the Feast .....
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Dieting Over Christmas
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It's difficult to stick to a weight loss diet at the best of times but over Christmas and New Year you may feel it is impossible. It takes just 500 excess calories a day for a week to gain one pound in weight and at Christmas it is easy to overeat....
Music for Christmas
Do you hear what I hear?
Music plays a large part in our experience of Christmas. Most of it has to do with memories of Christmas past.
There are specific Christmas songs which have become the tradition, all of the classics originally presented to us by Bing, Judy, Frank, Nat, Perry and Ella.
The music which I especially love to hear at this time of year is Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, words by Martin Janus, music by Johann Schop, arranged by J.S. Bach for the chorus closing his Cantata 147 and performed here exquisitely by Celtic Woman.
Our Christmas lensmasters have compiled their own choices for your enjoyment.
Celtic Woman : Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Best Christmas Music on Squidoo
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Christmas Music All Year Long!
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Looking for some new Christmas music? Whatever type of music you listen to, there is sure to be a holiday CD for you -- whether it be pop, rock, R&B, children's or any of an endless list of music genres...Merry Christmas! Whether it is Christmas time...
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Celtic Christmas Music
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Holiday and seasonal songs and tunes performed on traditional instruments associated with Celtic music will take you far from the supermarkets and commercial radio and put new life in your seasonal celebrations. Performers from both sides of the Atla...
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Australia Christmas Carols
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With Christmas just around the corner, I thought I would share Christmas songs and carols that are from Australia, or have been adapted to an Australian Theme. Many of the carols shared on this lens are sung to familiar tunes like Deck The Halls and...

Which Toys to Choose?
Best of Christmas Reading
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Christmas Reading for Kids
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You can get a head start on next year's holiday reading fun! Keep visiting as I add more info and book suggestions throughout the year. You'll find great gift ideas and if you're a teacher, you can get a jump on next year's planning. You might even c...
The Best of Family Craft Ideas on Squidoo
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A Clutter Free, Eco Friendly Christmas
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In recent years our family has tried to reduce the amount of clutter we generate at Christmas time. We have come to the realization that "stuff" is not that important. It is relationships and time spent together that really matter. I'll be giving you...
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Crochet Cupcakes - A Quick No Cal Holiday Gift
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Crochet Cupcakes are a simple, no calorie, healthy and guilt-free cupcake option to the normal cupcake. Crochet Cupcakes also make excellent last minute gifts, ornaments and stocking stuffers for the creative crafter. These delightful alternatives mak...
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Children's Christmas Crafts
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You've come to the right place! Children's Christmas Crafts has some great ideas to keep little fingers occupied and information on some great seasonal projects for children's groups such as Scouts, classes, or church groups. There are even ideas for...
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Knit Cupcakes - A No Calorie Holiday Treat
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Knitted Cupcakes are a holiday treat, perfect for a unique last minute, hand made gift item. You can create knit cupcakes hats, stocking stuffer ornaments, amigurumi (toys), paperweights, pincushions or just as a novelty gifts. You also might be ins...
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Christmas Craft Ideas and Projects
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At Christmas time and in the time leading up to it, it can be ideal to settle down with the children at the table, give them a craft to work on and then enjoy the focused peace and quiet that lasts for about five minutes! Other times, it's more fun t...
Best of Family Activities on Squidoo
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Looking For Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles?
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Each year my family works on Christmas jigsaw puzzles during the month of December. We put a Christmas themed puzzle out and occasionally someone stops and puts a few pieces in place. As you know if you are a puzzler, once the puzzle starts to come t...
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Christmas Costumes
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Christmas gives everyone an excuse to dress up in costumes. Of course the real Santa doesn't have to dress up but other people like to pretend to be Santa. Here you will find costumes for pretend Santas, Mrs Santa, Elves, Angels, Faries and all...
Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
The Very Best of Christmas Gifts on Squidoo
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Discover Christmas Collectibles
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Christmas is approaching fast and now is the time to think about gifts. How about buying Christmas collectibles for close friends and families this year? Not only are they interesting and decorative, they could well appreciate in value as well.Additi...
Best Christmas Decorating Ideas
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Christmas Lights Ideas
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Christmas lights; we have all seen them and almost all of us have used them before. Once it touches on Christmas lights, we generally associate those lights with Christmas trees. Though Christmas lights are usually used to decorate Christmas trees, d...
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Natural Christmas Wreaths and Other Crafts
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We love nature's bounty and enjoy gathering the supplies for our family's Christmas wreath. The gathering starts as soon as the interesting seed pods form, usually in the fall. Pine trees abound where we live, so our wreaths have a foundation of pine...
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Kitchen Christmas Decoration
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When thinking about decorating for Christmas, most people automatically think of their Christmas tree. Although decorating the Christmas tree is a big part of the Christmas holiday, it is not the only thing in your home that you can be decorated. Wha...
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Unusual Christmas Centerpieces
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We usually think of Christmas flowers when Christmas centerpieces are brought up. However holiday centerpieces can be designed from a lot of items and materials other than flora. Items that are, easily found laying around most homes. Red, white or gr...
Christmas with our Lensmasters
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My Favorite Things about Christmas
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As soon as Halloween is over, I turn my thoughts to ... The Holidays. I love the entire season, from November 1st clear through to the first few days of January. There's lots to love ~ the clear cold weather, potential for snow, rosy cheeks, steamy h...
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Take Time to Enjoy Christmas
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I love the holidays! There is always so much going on. They are only stressful if you let them be. Creating simple traditions can help, but, you have to....... RELAX, have fun, don't try to do it all. Decide what your favorite things are and take t...
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A Christmas Tree for a Little Boy
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Twenty-one years ago when we learned we were to have a little boy, we began to collect little boy Christmas tree ornaments. We had fun choosing ornaments with a "boy" theme. As it happened, we had two more boys so we continued to add to our collectio...
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Christmas at AJ's
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Christmas at AJ's is quite a traditional affair. There's Christmas stockings that Santa fills on Christmas Eve, presents under the tree, turkey for lunch, games in the evening and of course we have to watch Dr Who. The only thing that is usually miss...
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True Christmas Stories from a Wisconsin Farm
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Celebrate Christmas in the country during a simpler time when happiness was baking cookies, learning to make lefse, decorating the Christmas tree, or even just getting out of wearing snow boots to school.----- Christmas In Dairyland: True Stories From...
All inclusive at Squidoo
As you can see, the lensmasters at squidoo are as diversified as the customs of Christmas itself. Our backgrounds are broad, our habits heterogeneous. We transcend all barriers of gender, nationality, creed... and even species.
Christmas with our Animal Lensmasters
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Christmas with your Cat
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Christmas is an odd time of year. I never quite know what to make of it. People make a huge fuss and, apart from the rise in noise level, they also engage in many arcane and dangerous activities. Dangerous to cats! But before I pass on my sagacious...
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A Doggie Christmas!
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Us pups love the holidays! The food, the fun, the toys, the friends, the family - it just can't be a better time to be a dog than at Christmas. Here we bring you all things Doggie Christmas - from fun videos, poems, crafts, and important information...
All About Christmas
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byThe Christmas Tree
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Christmas Trees -- Will you cut fresh this year?
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By Sharon Stajda, Decide Where you will locate the tree in your home? Place the Tree. For obvious safety reasons make sure your tree will be well away from any heat source. It is also wise not to place the tree in front of a sunny windows,...
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Interesting and Unusual Christmas Trees
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There are many reasons why you might want to skip a traditional Christmas tree and look for alternatives. Maybe you've just moved into a smaller place and there's no room for a tree. Maybe you don't like the idea of cutting down a tree for a decorati...
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Christmas Tree Decorations
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As the Christmas holiday season starts to come near, the majority of people and families begin decorating for Christmas. Although almost anything in the home can be decorated, the biggest focus is pointed at the Christmas tree. As there is a good cha...
Queen Victoria's Christmas Tree

Queen Victoria's Christmas tree at Windsor in 1850 as painted by James Roberts (1824 - 1867). The presents around the tree are from Prince Albert.
Throughout her life Victoria loved celebrating Christmas, which she described as a 'most dear happy time'.
Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a tree.

A Traditional Christmas Tree
A Greener Christmas .....
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How To Keep Christmas Simple
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Does Christmas stress you out? Overwhelm you? Cause you to want to run away to a tropical island where nobody can find you? Actually, I sometimes feel this way when it is not Christmas. Keeping Christmas simple is a process of letting go of the comm...
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Twelve Days of a Green & Ethical Christmas
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The Twelve Days of Christmas to my family is simply a time of being together. When I was a child there was no such thing as "global warming" and vegetarians were very unusual. Naturally, as I have got older my awareness of the damage the human popula...
For those Forgotten at Christmas time.
From Christianna Garrett-Martin-
Poetry For Christmas - A Lion's Christmas - A Lion's Pride.
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With Christmas fast approaching, I turn my thoughts to the many people who will be spending it alone, through no fault of their own. To be lonely at Christmas surely must be the hardest, saddest thing to bear. What is worse is that a lot of these pe...
What's your opinion?
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Christmas and Non-Believers - Should they celebrate it?
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Some Christians are offended by the secular nature of Christmas now. It seems to some to have lost it's religious meaning. At the same time, non-Christians see Christmas as a festival that celebrates family and friendship. I guess most people fall s...
Leave a comment or suggestion for 'Christmas at Squidoo'.
lakeerieartists wrote...
This is a really great lens. I love the way it looks and feels and how you put it together. And that is not just because one of my lenses is listed. Very cool.
lakeerieartists wrote...
This is a really great lens. I love the way it looks and feels and how you put it together. And that is not just because one of my lenses is listed. Very cool.
seegreen wrote...
Lovely collection. Thanks for mentioning How to keep Christmas Simple.
naturegirl7 wrote...
Thanks for featuring our Natural Christmas Wreaths and Other Crafts lens. I have lensrolled your Christmas at Squidoo to it.
Agapantha wrote...
That rendition of Jesu Joy of Mans Desiring is brilliant. 5* for that and for everything else
OhMe wrote...
Very nice Christmas directory of lenses. There are some great ones here that I will definitely check out.
JaguarJulie wrote...
Ah, a delightful Christmas collection. I've got a few more Christmas lenses -- mistletoe, best presents, e-tidings. Ho Ho HO! ;)
debnet wrote...
Good work! I love all the Victorian images you've used on here. Thank you for featuring 'Christmas Crackers'! Lensrolled back ;) 5***** for you!
Mortira wrote...
A wonderful lensography! Thanks for bringing all this greatness together! * * * * *
10% of my income goes to continue the work of Fred Hollows in treating avoidable blindness and improving indigenous health.Photo : Khim Rath, who can now see after a successful cataract operation, Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia.
Blindness is a significant public health issue in Cambodia. Over 160,000 people are blind and an additional 20,000 become blind each year. The main cause of blindness is cataract, which can be treated by a simple 15 minute operation at an average cost of $25 (AUD$35).
Thanks for dropping by ......
Thanks very much for dropping to read about Christmas at Squidoo. My thanks also to the talented Lensmasters whose work I have featured here.You're more than welcome to leave a note in the guest book above and, if you're a member of Squidoo, you can also rate this lens :)
It's all much appreciated, Susanna
For more pages like this, my lens collection is at Susanna's Lensography
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About Susanna Duffy
My Bio
G'day from Melbourne, Australia where I write about King Arthur, Mythology, Legendary Beasts, Ancient Rome, Books, Fairy Creatures, Australiana and Adventures in my Kitchen. And now I'm an Angel (Please bear with me as I test the new wings). I'm also the GroupLeader of these vibrant communities -
Epicure
The Bookworms
All About Arthur
Wander Downunder
Legends and Lore
The Goddess
Feline Friends
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