How Christmas Came to Exist - Why do we celebrate Christmas?

This post is going to be slightly different. Because of the festive season, we wanted to write an article that is more Christmas-sy (if that's even a word). Many people do not know the story of Christmas and why it is even celebrated. In this article we will discuss why Christmas is celebrated and how it is celebrated in different parts of the world.

Why do we Celebrate Christmas?

Christmas is the celebration of Jesus Christ's birthday and literally means Christ's Mass. Christmas is celebrated all over the world by many people including non-Christians. While the birth of Jesus Christ is generally unknown, historians believe it to be around 7 and 2 BC. Many people are confused about the exact date of Jesus's birth. Around the time of the 4th century the Western Christian Church had Christmas on December 25.

Father Christmas/Santa Claus is always associated with Christmas, but why and where did he come from? It all started a very long time ago in the 4th century AD in a place called Myria (which is now Turkey). It started with a man called St. Nicolas who was a bishop, his parents died when he was young and left him all of their money therefore making him a rich man. He was known for his kindness and giving out gifts. One day there was a poor man who had three daughters, he wanted to get them married however he did not have enough money to pay for the dowry (a sum of money which is paid the the groom's parents). St. Nicolas dropped a bag of gold down the chimney during the night and it fell into a stocking that was being hung to dry. This is was enough money to get his daughter married and this is why we use stockings for Christmas.

There are many different stories about St. Nicolas some true and some false however he was a very extraordinary man with a very big heart. St. Nicolas died on 6 December 343 AD in Myra. Over the years St. Nicolas has been transformed into a jolly, over-weighted man with a white beard who wears a red suit giving out presents.

Christmas is usually celebrated in a spectacular fashion which includes a meal that depending on which country you are in, compromises of; Roast turkey, roast potatoes, mince pies and yule log. There is also gift-giving, caroling and Christmas music.

However many people have forgot the true meaning of Christmas and it has become very commercialized and many people just buy things for each other while forgetting why they are actually celebrating Christmas.

How is Christmas celebrated around the world?

The festive holiday is celebrated in different ways around the world. In South American countries like Argentina, Christmas begins very early in December and houses are decorated with bright lights and white flowers. On Christmas Eve at night, the skies are filled with 'Globos' (similar to Chinese Latterns). Some people spend all night on Christmas Eve chatting to friends and family and spend most of Christmas day sleeping. In Brazil it is normally celebrated in a fashion similar to the UK and USA.

In China since many people aren't Christian, only a small amount of the population celebrate Christmas but the number is increasing every year. Many people give Apples to each other on Christmas Eve and going to midnight mass service is becoming popular. In France a nativity crib is usually used to decorate the house while the main meal of Christmas is Reveillon and is eaten on Christmas Eve/Early Christmas morning after people come back from the midnight mass. Another great tradition in France is that 13 different deserts are eaten!

In the UK and USA it is normally celebrated in the same manner. People decorate their houses with a variety of different lights and some even use statues of Santa Claus and Snowmen to decorate their house. Like a lot of countries Nativity Plays and Carolling services are very common. The traditional meal is usually Turkey with cranberry sauce and Roast potato.

Boxing day is the day after Christmas which is on the 26th of December, it is only celebrated in a number of countries. It is a tradition that started in the UK over 800 years ago during the Middle Ages. On this day the alms boxes and collection boxes that are kept in churches for the poor are opened and distributed among the poor.

We hope this article has helped you learn more about Christmas. We should all remember that this should be a time to be grateful for what we have and spend time with our loved ones. We should also remember to help the less fortunate ones and help the poor.

Merry Christmas to everyone from The Marketing Guy and we hope you have a Happy and prosperous New Year. Remember to subscribe to our Mailing list for all the latest updates, offers, discounts and articles from us.

Clueless about Facebook: How to Create a Kick-Ass Facebook Page Available on Amazon Kindle

We have some great news to announce. Our first official book is now available on Amazon Kindle. You can read the book on any Smartphone, Tablet or Laptop/Computer and any other compatible device.

 

If you are new to Facebook or don't know what Facebook is, this book explains it all. This book will also explain how to:

• How to create a Fan page
• How to create a Group
• Make Money from Facebook
• Monetize your Facebook audience
• How to Engage with your audience
• Get more traffic to your Fan Page

Clueless about Facebook is available for free right now for a limited time only. Take advantage of this offer today and download it now.

Click on the link below to download it.

Download Now

Find out the Secret to Making Thousands of Dollars a Month on Amazon Kindle Selling eBooks Online

Making money on the internet can be kinda difficult at times. Especially with no guidance or even worse following the wrong guidance. You will just waste a ton of money on bullshit. Its a good job that we're here. In this article you will learn how to make money on Amazon, specifically with the Amazon Kindle.

What is Amazon Kindle?

Amazon Kindle is an online eBook publishing platform from online book and retail giants Amazon. People visit the Amazon Kindle Store to purchase ebooks that they can read instantly on their tablet, laptop, e-reader or other platform.

Amazon Kindle is a very good platform to make tons of money on. Amazon Kindle market and distribute your book on their website and you receive money if your book sells. It could not be any simpler. It is very easy to get started on Amazon Kindle.

Getting Started

The first thing you would need to do is register an account on the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) website, this would involving registering your personal details as well as entering in a bank account in which Amazon can pay you. Once you have your account set up you are good to go and you will be able to publish mind-blowing books.

There are many advantages to selling ebooks on the Amazon Kindle, the first one being it is very simple to use and its even easier to upload your content on. You get to keep full control of the book and just with one click you can publish your book globally and it will reach readers worldwide.

You choose between two options for royalty payments. The first option is you receiving a 70% royalty fee if your book is priced between $2.99 and $9.99. The second option is if your book is priced between $0.99 and $200 then you receive a 35% royalty fee. I would recommend using the 35% option at the start and price your book at $0.99. This is because your book is relatively new and it will bring people in as $0.99 is not much of a financial investment as a higher price such as $3.99. More people will buy your book and thus you will get more reviews and more profit. Once your book is more established you can raise your price up to $2.99 or higher to receive the 70% royalty fee.

Reviews are very important when it comes to establishing your book and making it successful. Reviews help a customer decide if they want to buy the book or not. A good way to receive good reviews is to enrol your book into the KDP Select programme. The KDP Select programme is an promotion that Amazon designed which is basically Amazon let users download your book for free for a selected period of time. If you enrol your book into the programme you will get more people to download your book. This means if your book is good, (which it will be) people will want to share it with their friends and recommend it. They will share it on social network websites like Facebook and Twitter. That means more positive words about your book and you receive free advertising. Enrolling your book in the programme will also mean more people will have the chance to post positive reviews about the book.

Check out the video below from our new YouTube channel which tells you how to make money on Amazon Kindle. In the video Annie explains how effectively make money on this platform. For more great videos from The Marketing Guy be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Finding a Profitable Niche

Ok, that's enough of our shameless self promotion, now back to business. You might be thinking what shall I write about? Write about your passion. Something you are passionate about helps because you will enjoy writing about it and you'll be knowledgeable about it (if not research about it on the internet). Your passion can be anything from cats and dogs to football or cars. You can teach people how to look after their dog properly or how to play golf properly. You can even write about fiction books and create the next Harry Potter. You could write children's books, romance novels, thrillers, anything that you want.

You also have to make sure the niche you have chosen is profitable, there is demand for it and it has low competition in the chosen niche. To see what is popular browse the Amazon Kindle Most Popular section or go on eZineArticles for some inspiration.


If you can't be bothered to write your book yourself then you can always hire someone to write it for you. You can find someone on freelancing websites such as Elance or Odesk and get them to write for around $30-$40 for a 60 page book. All you have to do is make an account and post a job, which are both free of charge. Make sure you specify all the details you would like to include in your instructions to your freelancer.

Make sure the book you write or get written for you is of high quality. This is very important as you do not want to receive a negative review for your book. Remember feedback and reviews are very important and you do not want to get bad ratings.

Next you will need a design a good looking front cover that will attract buyers. You could design it yourself if you have good skills on Photoshop or you could hire someone on Fiverr. Fiverr is a micro-jobs website and people charge only $5 to make an excellent looking front cover.

A good tip for making extra money from your book is to include affiliate links in your book. If you would like to learn more about Affiliate Marketing click here and here. Inserting affiliate links will make you extra money. Want more help with Affiliate Marketing? Read the review of the Online Affiliate Guide here. Don't overdo it and only put affiliate links in where you need to otherwise it will just look spammy. Also dedicate a page to writing down a copyrighted notice that protects your book like this.

Getting your book on Kindle

Once you have done this you can upload put your book and front cover together and convert it into PDF format. You can do this on Microsoft Word. After you have done that you can upload it onto Amazon Kindle. You also have to correctly format your book in the correct Kindle format. You can use AK Elite Bookmaker Software to correctly format your books in the correct method. You can also do it yourself by following the Amazon Kindle Formatting Guidelines Log into your Kindle account, click add title, set the price of your book and you are good to go. Make sure you make use of the description and the title. Write a good description as this is one of the main things that sells your book. Make sure you tell potential customers what the book is, what you will learn, why you should buy the book and any other information they need. The description word limit is up to 700 words so make sure you use all of them. Insert keywords into your title. So for example if your book is teaching people how to play golf then you could call your book:

Learn how to play Golf like a Pro - Step by step guide to play Golf

Play Golf like Tiger Woods - The Ultimate Guide to Playing Golf

 

Promoting your eBook

So you have now successfully published your book on Amazon Kindle. Well done. Now you need to promote it like crazy! Make social media pages for your book on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus and also post content that promotes your book. Get people to share it on their Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus. Create a blog for it. Make a video that promotes your book and post it on Youtube. Get bloggers to review your book. Anything that spreads the word of your book.

You could also give it away for free to people. Post it on Facebook groups and fan pages about your niche. In our golf example you could post it on Facebook and Twitter pages that are similar to your niche. You can gift the book to chosen email addresses therefore getting people to give verified Amazon reviews.

Submitting your book onto your website to get it more popular. The main aim should be to make the book viral. Posting it on book websites like GoodReads and LibraryThing. Get the Ultimate eBook creator, it also lets you publish to Apple iBookstore and Barnes and Noble. Click here to find out more about it.

Put a link to your website in the footer of your book on each page, this way people can visit your website. It will bring more traffic to your website or blog as well.

By following these steps and using a 'Repeat and Rinse' process you can create an eBook empire that brings you in thousands of dollars of passive income a month without you even doing anything. All you have to do is repeat this process and carry on publishing books.

Want to learn more about Kindle and find out how to make passive income month after month? Click here to find out.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this guide. If you enjoyed it please consider leaving a comment and share the article!

Bruce Lee : The Think and Grow Rich Story

If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. - Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee was one of the most famous martial artists and movie stars in the world. He was a true pioneer of Martial Arts and was the founder of Jeet Kune Do. Mr Lee made many famous blockbusters like Fist of Fury and The Big Boss. Bruce Lee was very clear in what he wanted to do like many famous and successful people. He was a very focused and driven individual who would do anything to achieve his goals.

At the age of 28, Bruce Lee was a very driven and talented Martial Artist who already had two children by then. However at that age he was not a known martial arts actor. The only thing he had was the hunger for success and the belief in himself that he would make it. Bruce Lee is one of the greatest success stories. 

He wrote a mission statement at 28 in the year of 1969. At the time he was a minor TV star in the USA. He featured in a small number of shows which included the short lived The Green Hornet TV series. He had no financial support or income and had his second child recently born. Bruce Lee wrote down exactly what he wanted to achieve (see the note he wrote below).

Bruce's success came from reading the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Check out the Review of the book from us. In the book Napoleon Hill writes you have to clearly visualize a goal to achieve it. Imagine you have already achieved your goal. This is what Bruce Lee did to achieve his goals of becoming such a powerful man. I encourage you to buy and read the book Think and Grow Rich, it will make your life better.

Transcript

My Definite Chief Aim

I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. In return I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will achieve world fame and from then onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession $10,000,000. I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.  

Bruce Lee

Jan. 1969 

Bruce Lee sharing his wisdom

Thank you for reading this article. I hope this has helped you and you have enjoyed reading this article. If you follow Bruce Lee's techniques you will surely achieve success. Make sure you read the book Think and Grow Rich as this book will help you on your path to success.

If you have any questions or queries please put them in the comment section below. Please consider sharing this article if you enjoyed it.

As you think, so shall you become. - Bruce Lee

Why you NEED a Marketing Strategy

The Marketing Strategy process

A Marketing Strategy is very important for any business and it is imperative for any business to succeed. First of all you might want to know what a Marketing Strategy is and why you actually NEED one. Basically a Marketing Strategy defines the way you are going and to if your business/website is going in the right direction or not. It helps defines objectives and goals to keep your business on track. Many people think they do not need a Marketing Strategy but there are many reasons to why you need a Marketing Strategy. In this article we will look at the different types of strategies you can use and why you need a strategy.

Having a good Marketing Strategy in place helps your business go in the right direction. It also helps you focus on the correct thing. It helps you find out who your target audience are and therefore serve your customers/clients better. To succeed it helps to know who your target audience are. Knowing your audience helps you market better towards them.

To develop a great Marketing Strategy for your business it is necessary to answer these questions. These questions help you define your business. You should answer questions like:

1. Who is your target audience and How do you Market to them?
2. Do you post good content and What kind of Content do you post?
3. What Resources does your business use and What kind of resources do you have access to?
4. Set KPI's (Key Performance Indicators - A KPI helps you understand if your business is actually reaching your business objectives and monitors your performance)

Answering these questions will help you understand your business better and therefore market your products better and make higher profit.

Do not follow the normal rules, Break the Rules

 

Market Segmentation

Market Segmentation helps choose a broad target market audience for your business and helps you segment or narrow down it down into different groups who have mutual needs, so it is easier to market to the groups of customers. Market Segmentation is the process of splitting a larger target market into a smaller more focused target market.

There are many smaller target audience segments you can split them up to. For example you can split them up by Demographics, Geographic, Behavioural, etc. So for example you could market to all the people in a certain country like New Zealand. Or you could market to people of a certain age range like 18-25 year olds.

When choosing a Market Segmentation for your business there are some things you need to consider. You would need to consider some things like your target market being large enough to make profit from. It must be able to be consistent and something that your chosen market segmentation must be interested in and be responding well to.

20 Great Quotes by Former South African President Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, aged at 95 has died. Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest African leaders. He fought for racial equality and was a key figure in the South African apartheid. Mandela focused on tackling major issues such as poverty, inequality and racial issues. He also received countless amounts of awards and honors including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize Award. Nelson Mandela was truly one of the greatest people to live and during his time he has said may inspiration and memorable quotes. This article will be a tribute to Nelson Mandela and will feature some of his most remarkable quotes and sayings.

Nelson Mandela on getting things and showing nothing is impossible

"It always seems impossible until its done."

A quote about freedom and how is not easy and the road is long and hard however with persistence and focus, anything is achievable.

"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires."

Nelson Mandela hated racism, this is just one of the many things he stood up against. 

"I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man."

A great quote about success and how to achieve it.

"Money won't create success, the freedom to make it will."

Another thought provoking and inspirational quote.

"Does anybody really think that they didn't get what they had because they didn't have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment?"

Mandela talking about freedom and how you should never give up.

"Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement."

You should never give up on your goal, like Nelson Mandela who wanted freedom for South Africa.

"If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness."

 Equality should be for everyone.

"Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all."

A message to the leaders of the world, less bloodshed and more peace.

"In countries where innocent people are dying, the leaders are following their blood rather than their brains."

Children should be growing up in a loving and peaceful environment, not one filled with diseases

"Give a child love, laughter and peace, not AIDS."

Nelson Mandela on how he has not fully experienced life. Nelson Mandela did spend a majority of his life in prison.

"Sometimes, I feel like one who is on the sidelines, who has missed life itself."

Mandela talking about the USA and how they should not just invade any country or nation they feel like.

"The United States has made serious mistakes in the conduct of its foreign affairs, which have had unfortunate repercussions long after the decisions were taken."

He was a born leader and was destined to be a great leader.

"By ancestry, I was born to rule."

Nelson Mandela was very passionate about his cause and was prepared to do anything for his cause and country, even die for his country.

"I started to make a study of the art of war and revolution and, whilst abroad, underwent a course in military training. If there was to be guerrilla warfare, I wanted to be able to stand and fight with my people and to share the hazards of war with them."

 

A memorable quote about failure and how every time we fail, we should just lift ourselves up and go for it again.

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall"

Nelson Mandela does not condone violence and expresses his outrage at oppression and exploitation.

"I do not deny that I planned sabotage. I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation and oppression of my people by the whites."

One of his best quotes on how to overcome fear and gain courage. Nelson Mandela was a very courageous man who fought for what he believed in.

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."

One of his best quotes. He speaks the truth

"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."

A quote about freedom and how it is necessary to have freedom and respect each other.

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

We should always strive for more and should always strive for excellence. Whatever we do we should be passionate about it.

"There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."

We hope you enjoyed this tribute to Nelson Mandela and hope this article has inspired and made you think. What is your best and most memorable Nelson Mandela quote? Did we miss any out? Please include them in the comment section. Remember to share to this article if you enjoyed it.

Top 30 Most Beautiful Football Goals Scored of All Time

This post is slightly different. Check out the Top 30 football goals scored by some of the greatest players of all time from FootSoul.

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