Christmas 2008, Aviemore Park, Highland Park, Auckland, New Zealand

I started off this Christmas by sending a few text message to my family and good friends. We will be celebrating this Christmas with the family at Aviemore Drive, Highland Park, Auckland.

Why Santa wears red and other must-know Christmas facts.

Why are we asking this now?

Tonight you will put up the stockings, Santa Claus will arrive on his sleigh drawn by reindeer to slide down your chimney in his trademark red suit with a sack over his shoulder, and tomorrow you will open presents under your decorated Christmas tree, eat turkey and mince pies, and promise yourself that next year you won't leave it until the last weekend to write your Christmas cards, because it is Christmas, and it is traditional. But do you know how old these "traditions" actually are? Some are ancient, some are newer than you think.

Why is Christmas Day on 25 December?

The Bible offers no date for the birth of Jesus, which probably was not in the year 1AD, but a few years earlier, and may or may not have been in December. The celebration of the birth of Christ on 25 December dates back to the fifth century, when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

The date was chosen to coincide with the winter solstice and the Roman festivals associated with the shortest day of the year, which falls between 22 December and 25 December. This was seen as the day when the Romans celebrated Dies Natalis Solis Invicti - "the birthday of the unconquered sun". It was also Jupiter's birthday and, further back, the birthday of his Greek equivalent, Zeus. In Eastern Europe, the various Orthodox churches n the Russian, Greek, Armenian, Serbian et al, follow the old Gregorian calendar, and in which Christmas Day is 7 January There is no Santa Claus in the Gospels.

Where did he come from?

Nearly 1,700 years ago there was a bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor, who was imprisoned under the last pagan Roman Emperor, Diocletian, but reinstated under Constantine. A cult grew up around him in Greece and spread outwards, and he became the patron saint of children, among others. An old legend about him is that there was a poor man who could not afford dowries for his three daughters, until bags of gold were tossed through an open window by St Nicholas, landing in the stockings drying in front of the fire. In Holland and Germany, there was a custom that St Nicholas was the secret bringer of presents for children on 6 December, his feast day.

When did he start sliding down chimneys?

After the American revolution, New Yorkers tried to rediscover their Dutch roots, and revived the feast of St Nicholas, and his legend. The writer Washington Irving took the mickey out of this revived cult in a satire published in 1809, called Knickerbocker's History of New York. In it, St Nicholas appears as a fat, jolly figure, dressed in fur, with a clay pipe and beard, who slides down chimneys.

And the reindeer?

On 23 December 1823, the Troy Sentinel, in New York State, published an anonymous 56-line poem variously known as "A Visit from St Nicholas" or "The Night Before Christmas." which fused the feast of St Nicholas with Christmas, and had the St Nicholas that Irving created arrive on Christmas Eve in a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer. The author was probably a Professor of Oriental and Greek Literature named Clement Clarke Moore, who did not want to sully his fine academic reputation by putting his name to some nonsense he wrote to amuse his children. The reindeer had names, but none was called Rudolf. He of the Red Nose was created by an advertising copy writer in 1939.

And when did Santa get that ridiculous red outfit?

In 1863, the cartoonist Thomas Nast began a series of drawings in Harper's Weekly, based on "The Night Before Christmas", in which Santa Claus, as he had now become known, could be seen with flowing beard and fur garments. Around 1869, he turned up for the first time in a bright red suit, with a white belt, but he was not invariably dressed in red until the mighty Coca Cola corporation appropriated him for an advertising campaign that began in 1931, and ran every Christmas for 35 years. That is also when the reindeer became full size. In Britain, this American import merged with an older folk hero called Old Christmas, or Old Father Christmas, a fun-loving heavy drinker who seems to have arisen in reaction to the Puritans.

So where did the idea of a Christmas tree come from?

As you are sweeping up those annoying pine needles next month, you can blame the Germans. When Victoria married Prince Albert, he brought over the German habit of decorating a tree, which the English adopted out of reverence for their Queen. What started the Germans off is lost in the mists of time, but one story is that in 722AD, St Boniface came upon pagans who were about to sacrifice a child at the base of a huge oak. To save the child, he cut down the oak, and when a fir tree grew up at its base, he declared that this was the tree of the Christ child.

Why do people eat turkey?

Long ago, it was the smell of roast goose or the head of a boar that filled the Christmas air in Britain. Then in 1526, a trader named William Strickland imported six turkeys from the US and sold them in Bristol, for tuppence each. The birds were popular because they were tasty, and practical. Cows were more useful alive, chicken was more expensive than it is now, and other meats were not as popular.

And mince pies?

Mince pies are the modern descendant of the Christmas Pye, a large dish filled with shredded pigeon, hare, pheasant, rabbit, ox, lamb, or mutton, mixed with fruits and sugar. It had an oblong shape, said to resemble Jesus's cradle. After 1660, they became more like the pies we eat now.

What about Christmas cards?

The first person ever to think of selling Christmas cards was a civil servant named Henry Cole, who had worked on the introduction of the first postage stamp, the Penny Black, in 1840. He was too busy that year to write to all his friends, so he commissioned a designer named John C. Horsley, of Torquay, to design a card with the words "A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year To You". In 1843, the year that Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, Cole went a step further, by commissioning 1,000 cards. He used some, and put an advertisement in the press offering the others for sale at 6d each. One card from that batch was sold in December 2005 for £8,500.

Has the Christmas holiday always lasted this long?

As a religious festival, Christmas used to be almost as long as the festival of consumer extravagance that it now is, but it started and ended later. In the 1840, a Roman Catholic priest named Dom Geuranger published what many still regard as the definitive study of the liturgical year, which identified Christmas as beginning on 25 December, and ending with the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, on 2 February. "The custom of keeping this holy and glorious period of forty days as one continued Festival has every appearance of being a very ancient one," he wrote. So all those shopping binges, office parties and hangovers that preceded Christmas are one vast misunderstanding. Christmas begins tomorrow, and you should carry on celebrating it right through January. Get to it.

Illustrated Guide to Face Reading (GDI, David Lim, Auckland, New Zealand)

Could it be possible to know someone’s personality just by looking at his face?

Yes, at least that’s what a growing number of face reading experts think.

Being skilled in face reading can give you valuable insights into anyone just seconds after meeting. Knowing how to read faces while doing your next sales presentation can give you the edge you need in order to seal the deal.

Reading Face Shapes

Prominent cheeks

The individual with most prominent cheeks is usually the man with most personal power. This person might not hold the highest official position but he most likely has a strong backing by his friends and colleagues. If you convince him, others may follow.

Large Chin

If you want to speak to the person who will probably get in the last word of the subject, direct your attention to the person with the largest chin or whose chin juts out the most.

Having the person with the last say in your side can give you the edge you need.

Long Nose

The person with the longest nose or whose nose sticks out the most is usually in control of the money. A big bulb on the end of the nose indicates that the person is very concerned about money.

Big Jaws

If a person has big jaws or jowls, pay attention. These are the people who are used to getting their way. When communicating always use a respectful approach and be willing to listen, even if they interrupt before you have the chance to finish talking.

Large Upper Area

These people are thinkers - it is a good idea to give them all technical information and details. Don’t be afraid to use descriptive words and complex sentences - the more the better! To win them over you need to use logic and reason.

Large Middle Area

You don’t want to waste the time of these people. Show them how they will be the envy of their neighbors and co-workers and use lots of verbs and adjectives. People with a large middle area between their nose and mouth are usually after results, not caring too much about the people

Large Lower Area

Don’t press these people - make a connection first and then let them make up their own mind. The more relaxed and easygoing you are when talking to them, the better results you will get.

When pressured these people can feel discomfort and start avoiding you.

Protruding Cheeks and Big Jaws

These people are accustomed to getting their way. It is very important to show respect for their opinions and viewpoints - if you don’t do it they will probably not listen to you.

Getting them on your side can win over more people.

Pear Shaped Head

People with pear shaped heads like to be consulted. Ask for their opinion again and again and again, because when you won’t they will put up emotional walls. Once an emotional wall is erected it is very difficult to get around it.

Diamond Shaped Head

These people are usually very impatiant and they don’t have time to waste. If you want to win these people over you need to get to the point quickly - this is especially true if they also have high ears.

Freight Train Line

If these people get excited or start talking, they may be difficult to stop. Don’t worry - just wait patiently until they have finished and acknowledge their point of view before offering your position.

Reserved Features

These people have small mouths, thin lips, deep-set eyes and ears close to the head. They hold themselves in and are not outgoing. You cannot assume that you know what they are thinking or that they are agreeing when they nod their heads - that just means they heard what you said.

Face Reading - Eyes

It is often said that eyes are the mirror of the soul. Whenever reading a persons face it is important to take a good look at the eyes - they never lie.

Large Eye

Make sure that these people are looking at you when you are talking. These people take in information best when they can see it. If possible - use charts and draw pictures to make your point. This is also true for people with small ears.

Straight Bottom Lids

These people are mistrustful and suspicious - before you can win them over you need to gain their trust. Once the trust is established they will be your loyal supporters.

Eyes Angle Down

These people tend to look for problems. Don’t be too enthusiastic, and refrain from being jovial. They think that life is serious.

Eyes Angle Up

These people are the optimists. Tell them how great everything is going to be. They always expect everything to work out well.

Bulging Eyes

You may have a hard time trying to get your point across to these people, because they won’t stop talking. Be careful about interrupting because they may get their feelings hurt.

Recessed Eyes

These people look like they are agreeing with you when nodding their heads., but actually, they are analyzing everything and need some time to think things over. Don’t push them - just give them enough information so they can make up their own minds.

Face Reading - Eyebrows

Eyebrows and often considered to be a part of eyes but actually they are separate physical features - that’s also how how face reading experts treat them. It is important to read both features separately in order to get a good insight into the inner workings of a person.

Eyebrows are strong indicators of how a person thinks.

Straight Eyebrows

These are idea people. When trying to communicate a new idea, be sure that it is based on facts.

Continuous Eyebrows

These are powerful thinkers whose minds are always at work. Let them tell you some of their ideas and they will be happy.

Thin Eyebrows

These people need reassurance - especially if the eyebrows are high, round and pencil thin. They are also concerned with being judged, they want to be above reproach. When talking a sincere compliment can help pave way. You should also remember that these people are often self-conscious.

Tangled Eyebrows

These people will test your position by taking a devil’s advocate stance. Don’t start waffling when they challenge you - just explain your side and give facts. Don’t let them intimidate you - they just like to shake things up to test the validity of information.

Curved Eyebrows

These are people oriented individuals. Give them anecdotes and personal stories about whatever you are trying to get across. Explaining your idea to these people is not enough - you need to show how it works in the real world.

Angled Eyebrows

For a good relationship let them know that their opinions are important and allow them to feel in control. If possible, ask for their opinions and how you can assist them.

Managerial Eyebrows

It is OK to use all the details and technicalities with these people. You must know what you are talking about if you want them to trust you.

Winged Eyebrows

These people are visionaries. It’s best to use some facts but cut out excessive detail. Be ready to show the big picture and paint an enthusiastic vision of possibilities.

Face Reading - Nose

Straight Nose

These people respect logic. When communicating with them, avoid everything that is not clear and logical and stick to the facts. Try avoiding emotional appeals and have good answers when they question something.

Bump on Bridge of Nose

Take care not to make these people feel concerned. You can state your position as strongly as you want, but you must also stay open to their ideas if they become feisty.

These people consider themselves good negotiators.

Concave (ski jump)

These are people who respond to emotion. If you want them to accept an idea or buy a product, be sure to show them how good they will feel or how good it will make someone else feel.

Arched Nose

These people appreciate beauty and creative new approaches. Be willing to listen and appreciate their ideas and creative solutions.

They like when others have to implement their ideas.

Face Reading - Mouth

Our mouths are sources of huge amounts of vocal information, but what can they say to those willing to put their face reading abilities to the test?

Big gap in front teeth

These people can be unpredictable, but they are willing to take the risk. Given a choice between staying with what they’ve got, or taking a chance on it all, they will often choose to go for it.

Crooked bottom teeth

These people always see both sides of arguments and therefore can have trouble making up their minds. Reassuring them that they are making a good decision may be the most important feedback you can give them.

Mouth turns down

These people are wary of what others tell them. If you are trying to sell him something, it may be helpful to make a very balanced pitch by pointing out a few flaws or showing other alternatives to what you are selling. Your unexpected candor will help gain their trust.

Bigger upper lip

For these people it is important to be authentic. They connect less to what you say and more to what you are. A slick presentation may sound phony and they are quick to spot deception. When communicating with these people the best advice is to relax and be yourself.

Want to become a face reading expert?

This was only a short introductory course to face reading. If you now consider yourself to be a face reading expert you are deeply mistaken. True experts can distinguish between hundreds of facial features while this blog post only has 34 examples. For in depth face reading information I would suggest reading a book. While I haven’t been able to get my hands on all of them the 2 best one’s are definitely Amazing Face Reading and The Power of Face Reading. The first book is also where all the pictures are taken from.