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Howtoba Staff Reports "Christm; OK, once again, if s that time of year stress i :l i rliffinilf; fn wnen you grit yuur teem, pasie uu a smile and head home for the holidays. F This year, you say, things will be perfect A pet 1 Elvis Presley croons "White Jikeaswe Christmas" in your head, and you have ^ a ^raW( dreams of a sickly sweet family gathering, "If you complete with hugs and festive red giving an sweaters. Perfect. be brought But just in case you fall into bed Dec. have been 25 with your naive little heart broken, 4. Wa: read on and find comfort. After all, when get the b anticipating the holidays, we're subject used to co to images that build false expectations, until the ] Here are 12 myths of the holiday season, but not an 1. A white Christmas season is director o: normal in most parts of the United "Retail States. Sony folks, but South Carolina year with just isn't Antarctica. YouH have to keep waiting m dreaming for a white Christmas because y?u no there's only a 5 percent chance people more a^r: here will have one and only a 40 percent ^ chance for people in the mid-section of ^ enhcir the country, said Greg Carbone, a gifts ] climatologist and geography professor People at USC. to shop al "People have images of snowy ^ 1 Christmases from paintings of a colder settle for1 Europe a centuiy ago, but in reality most 5. Ch of the United States won't see snow," he purchase said. "Unless you're at a high elevation, Ifs more s live in the northern tier states or live cheaper if downstream from large lakes, such as of strugglii 4-Ua T nlr/vi /tUnnnna nv?n irAii oftur fllD 1 Idle vj1cul Uflt\ca, idicluv/Ca cue juu wuli 1/ cvxvw wxa^/ j see white on Christmas." USC finai He said Christmas is relatively early "The g in the winter season, so conditions for credit card snowfall and for snow to stick have to afford wh< be correct. "But peop 2. The suicide rate is highest at ^ forget Christmas. While depression is high January, during the Christmas season, the suicide car n rate is low during that time said Ron Manr Maris, a USC professor and suicidologist. Christma "Christmas has ceremonies, rituals, Put away church services and is more likely to before Ch have uplifting themes," Maris said, interest a "However, when there is a prolonged during Nc holiday, many people miss their work 6. C h and become isolated and depressed if Christm they don t have family and mends to letter C, interact with." commemc 3. Pets make good Christmas gifts, giftsaree Despite the cute pictures of a puppy But that's peeping out of a stocking, Christmas is Christma not the best time to introduce a pet to Cham the family. and Han "Bringing a pet into the household Christmas requires a lot of preparation," said professor veterinarian Dr. Robert Beattie, director studies at of USC's Animal Resource Facility. "Whil< _ r* i Learn abou See the be v t > Thursday, December 7, tile false ex as means additional activity 3 in most families, making it ir children and adults to bond , . IT equires commitment, it s not ater or a tie that you can put sr if you don't like it. i want to give a pet, I suggest TOLP for a dog or cat that can into a home when preparations fl i made," he said. it until Christmas Eve to test buy on gifts. Retailers ndition the consumer to wait I last minute for the best buy, ymore, said James Overstreet, fl f USC's Center for Retailing. ers are coming out earlier each H big sales to keep people from ntil the last minute," he said. H tice, retailers keep making it ^fl active to spend early." mm lat includes cataloguers, who I ig people to order early for free postage. who wait until the last minute so find that the merchandise picked over, and they have to what's left. targe your Christmas ss. YouH pay them off later. ensible, a lot less stressful and you save for Christmas instead ig to pay bills, plus the interest, loliday, said Steven Mann, a 1 ice professor. general rule is don't use your I to pay for something you can't j sn the bill comes," Mann said. 1 ' le get caught up in gift giving | ; they'll have other bills during mmmmmmmmMfr such as mortgage payments ;pairs." the birth of Jesus, Ci t said the best way to buy celebrate the birth of ( s presents is with money you he said. "Christmas is each month during the year day for Christians, j aistmas. 1 he money collects considered a minor 1 ind it's there for you to enjoy Chanukah is the ivember and December. "rededication" and c( anukah is the Jewish victory of the Maccah as. They both start with the Jewish brothers and tl ' are celebrated in December, Syrians in 164 B. rate an historical occurrence, 7. Buying a live xchanged and candles are lit. environment Buyinj where the similarities between tree actually is more s and Chanukah end. friendly, said Chris lkah, also spelled Hanukah environmental quality ukkah, is not the Jewish Office of Waste Redud , said Dr. Caii Evans, associate "Artificial trees and chairman of religious factories, and with any USC. comes pollution and s Christmas commemorates said. "Meanwhile, n u ' B& S f I $ - . . :t winter holiday trac autiful historic USi Cnjoy refreshment ) Join in \ S for\a> O^cc C^rvvrvvivnit*^ fot tvKyU 1995 j?| i|\^l The Gamecock pectations oi rjj hanukah does not constantly cleaning the air supply by Christ in any way," replenishing oxygen." i a major red-letter Thomas said it's important if you do and Chanukah is buy a live tree to dispose of it in a aoliday for Jews." responsible way. Hebrew word for "Have it mulched into chips and )mmemorates the landscape materials, so there isn't any ees, a group of five waste," said Thomas. "Please don't put ; heir followers, over it in the landfill." C- 8. Poinsettias are poisonous. It's i i tree hurts the true that poinsettias come from the toxic ; g a real Christmas euphorbia family, but you'd have to eat ] environmentally 50 to 75 plants for them to be toxic, said topher Thomas, Dr. Brooks Metts, director of the Palmetto i manager of USCs Poison Center at USC. s ion and Recycling. He said the poinsettia got a bad rap are produced in at the turn of the century when the death production process of a child in Hawaii was blamed on the s waste," Thomas plant. However, about 15 years ago ^ atural trees are researchers found it to be relatively safe, f ^ece^vXe^^jk i 630 JW ' . YA'rV,V*W V \ : : j&j ' ? . s ' -';X x-:'. : ; X-: : ' x: -:x x I : Kx X;' . . :'':x-x xi;x x:; X;; x: xx: x ':;x x^'xxiix x^Sx .: ; . x; : x-.. . ' . : xx x: x x x iitions of Gknstmas, He 9 Horseshoe tiQlow wim, X provided by the Honoi ing traditional holiday si tc& ^ ol Jiilt t*^(>uvyAttb*v, c?M777-6688 holiday see ha\ ^ eel dri H sai w SI u pec \ eg %$m ha^ dep ala an am k & ^ ^ wa ^ i B Bu BB "888SMMB8S* ^ SOT fc>wj|| ^ / as 1 ll|^_ ^JgBMtMMmm woi doi Other plants to be concerned about ^al during Christmas are holly, mistletoe ^ and English Ivy. But Metts says you have to eat more than a few berries or leaves to have any problems. ^ 9. You have to have turkey or ^ ham for Christmas dinner. There is ne no written rule that you have to center ^ /our holiday meal around a meat dish, said Dr. Roger Sargent, a nutritionist and professor in the USC School of Public , Health. be> "It may be tradition, but if s one that retj ;s not in our best health interest," he be, said. "Go for creativity, not tradition. Be ^ a change agent." ^ Sargent suggests having a beautiful sweet potato dish as the centerpiece, vith plenty of grains, pastas and lowat sauces. '995 I gvi {? > 1 Jllr ''' : ; C" l mwKKun, unu jlvm Miinireds of lurni "s Gollege! 4 mgs! >, nrxA 'DwtAU&rv ^ttoU&rvC~ 3 season "Sometimes changing behavior may m dull at first, but if people made ler rhniees nn these festive davs. well re more festive days to enjoy." 10. You have to have a drink to ebrate. Thirty-eight percent of adults ok one or no alcoholic drinks a year, d Rick Gant, coordinator of Student e programs at USC. "I think that shows that obviously pie don't have to have alcohol in social lationshe said. "You can still have [nog or punch, but it doesn't have to re alcohol in it." He said many people are already iressed during the holidays, and adding )hol to that can make them even more iressed. 11. Give children what they want, d they'll be happy. So you gave in i reached deep into your pocket to e Bobby the battery-powered car he nted and Molly the doll that cries, t chances are after a few days these unll Vvn/n vt f a rrnfU a* imauiciLcru lajya win ucgm vaj gatiici 3t. "Many newfangled toys don't stimulate tiild's creativity," said Dr. Irma Van ly, a USC child development expert, le toys do the work, and there's no m for imagination and make-believe." She recommends classic toys, such balls, bikes, puzzles, building blocks 1 plain dolls. "When in doubt about choosing a Id's toy, parents should look back to ir own childhood and recall the toys it they enjoyed," she said. 12. You have to spend the holidays th family. While Christmas is a oderful time to spend with relatives, a't do it at the expense of your Dpiness, said Dr. Clyde Flanagan, a ohiatrist and professor at the USC 100I of Medicine. "When visiting the in-laws, indparents and cousins becomes a jssful traveling marathon, it may be e to make a change," he said. "As the ids of a growing family change, don't locked into thinking only routine is sible." He suggests inviting family members our home on alternate years. It may easier for many relatives, such as rCkA rrron^nQronfe f/-\ tnoif \rnn Anr] kivu gJ. UUU^/(U bUUJj W TIOIV JUU. X UlUj said, ifs important for your immediate lily to establish its own traditions, so H build your own memories at home. vanzaa. navies!