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Today marks the beginning of the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday. The day and the season are mostly associated with Roman Catholicism, but the tradition is also observed by denominations including, but not limited to, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists and Presbyterians. And, according to a Salt Lake Tribune article, many Protestant denominations that had once regarded Lent as a non-Biblical ritual are increasingly incorporating Lent into their observances.

Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches also observe Lent, though their observance began two days earlier on Ash Monday.

A common thread among all denominations is a period where Christians meditate on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ across a period of 40 days. Observers make a personal sacrifice during the season, and Lent commonly involves daily fasts and abstention from meat-eating.

Catholic Online has the messages and meanings of the Roman Catholic Lenten rite.

According to the Ash Wednesday page:

•The ashes, made from the charred palms used in the prior year's Palm Sunday, are a reminder of humankind's mortality. Ashes are placed on the forehead with the reminder that "Man is dust, and unto dust you shall return."

•The Catholic Church has a thorough code on the practices of fasting and abstinence. Fasting, or reducing the amount of food eaten during the Lenten period, must be observed by Catholics ages 18 to 59. Abstinence, or refraining from eating meat, is required of Catholics ages 14 and older on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays before Easter Sunday. The sick, pregnant and nursing women, and workers in jobs requiring strenuous manual labor are exempt from fast and abstinence.

•While Lent is a time of sacrifice, it is also a time for all observers to still carry out their obligations as students, workers and parents. So, no, vacations are not considered sacrifices.

For other questions regarding Lenten observance, Catholic Online has an FAQ page.

Today is the first day of the Chinese new year, the Year of the Ox, an event marked by parades and fireworks the world over.

But centuries ago, that fanfare wasn't just celebration -- it was a safety precaution.

According to a History Channel account, "legend spoke of the wild beast Nien (which also is the word for 'year') that appeared at the end of each year, attacking and killing villagers. Loud noises and bright lights were used to scare the beast away."

But we're up against a different beast this year, and those noises and lights might not be enough.

Even though the year has a bullish sign, it lacks the element of fire, which Chinese mythology says is essential to financial well-being.

The concerns aren't only about the economy. Some fortunetellers predict earthquakes, rising U.S.-Russian tensions and a rough start for President Barack Obama, even though he was born under in a Year of the Ox, in 1961.

The problem is that the ox zodiac sign conflicts with a traditional Chinese divinity called the "God of Year." He is also the 44th president, a number the Chinese deem extremely unlucky, because "four" is pronounced the same as "death" in Chinese.

"The new U.S. president is not having good luck this year. His honeymoon will only be short-lived," said fortuneteller Alion Yeo, predicting Obama may even face impeachment in his first year in office. "The Year of the Ox looks slightly better and less dire than last year, but it will still be bumpy."

But don't count Obama out yet.

Malaysian numerologist Weng Shi Ming suggested Obama's birth year would offset his bad luck. Weng said the symmetry of 1961 is "the perfect mix of ying and yang," rendering Obama "immune to the effects of 44."

After all, the ox, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, symbolizes calm, hard work, resolve and tenacity.

So it might be a bad year for Obama, but what about you? Get your Chinese horoscope based on your zodiac sign (determined by your birth year). And get even more insight into your fortune by finding out what your element is. All you need to enter is your birth date and time.

If your element is soil, prepare for some good news in April, because while the Chinese year of 4706 lacks fire, it contains strong earth.

And if that's not enough luck for you, wait a day to clean your house and wash your hair. Chinese superstition holds that performing either task at the start of the year will sweep away your good fortune.

Confused by the fire, the yin and the yang of the Chinese calendar? Learn a bit about how the elements and numbers work.

Throwing a party for a crossword fanatic?
How about an invitation and guest list in crossword form?
Can't draw boxes or make all the words fit together? Then this easy crosswords site is perfect for you. It provides a free service that lets you create a variety of crosswords for every occasion. Just type in the answer and the clue and it will construct a puzzle in just a few seconds. It comes with a number of prepared puzzles, which can help children or adults study for upcoming tests or tasks.
While the site says for a small fee it will provide more decorative options, they aren't really necessary.
There are a number of crossword creator site on the Web: This site for educators has an annoying pop-up but is designed for teachers;
This site points out that newspaper crossword puzzles aren't easy to generate but boasts it can provide you with simple crosswords with just a push of the button;
This site offers already prepared educational crosswords for ages 4-18.
One article on the Web claims that creating crosswords is now easier than solving them. And these sites and few others on the Web bear out that statement.

At least since the Romans decided to name the first month of the year after the god Janus (his two faces made it easy for him to look back and forward), the New Year has been a time for taking stock.

Although some sources say the practice of making New Year's resolutions has declined, 40 to 45 percent of American adults make one or more resolutions each year, according to http://www.proactivechange.com/motivation/resolutions/index.htm, which also offers tips on keeping resolutions in a free download, "Resolutions that Work."

Although the "goals guy" offers a number of goal-oriented services, http://www.goalsguy.com/Events/n_facts.html, whets the appetite for change with a look at New Year history, greetings in various language, a list of Jan. 1-born celebrities and even the complete text of "Auld Lang Syne."

More tips, and links to helpful Web sites, are available at http://www.ehow.com/how_12076_keep-new-years.html which suggests avoiding resolution overload ("it's difficult for the average person to follow through on even one resolution"), setting rewards and even waiting until a spring date, perhaps May 1.

It's Christmas Day, and you've probably scored some cool spoils ... as well as a messy pile of wrapping paper, ribbons and boxes.

Every holiday season, dedicated holiday recyclers find ways to reclaim wrapping paper, containers and bows. Here are some tips to reusing wrapping paper:

+ Gift wrap with few tears, folds or dangling tape can be ironed, tissue paper with no tears can be smoothed and flattened for storage, bows can be steamed and fluffed, fabric bags gently cleaned, and ribbons pressed and rewound for use good as new.

+ If you have no intention of chasing down gift boxes or bags after turning them over to friends, family or colleagues, you can cover store logos with inexpensive decals or seasonal fabric as a way to encourage receivers to pass them on rather than throw them out.

+ Check out http://craftstew.com/recycled-crafts/10-crafty-ways-to-recycle-wrapping-paper and http://tinyurl.com/a2jq52 for more ideas.

... The Associated Press

The big day is at hand. The preparations are complete. The halls are decked, the chestnuts roasted on an open fire, the stockings stuffed, the gifts wrapped, and the eggs nogged.

Now rest, ye merry gentlemen and ladies before a computer and follow these links for some Yuletide joy.

FunTrivia, which in the title bar claims to be the "world's largest trivia and quiz site!," has a very special Christmastime quiz section. Try your hand at any of 30 quizzes that test Noel knowledge. They even track who has been naughty or nice — in this case right and wrong — and reveal how many cohorts answered the questions correctly. Good luck!

For those who wish to give their eye-hand coordination some exercise, free Web-based game repository Miniclip has a collection of games just right for the season.

These games are sure to have your bells jingling.

Children of all ages, want to know when Santa Claus is coming to town after making and double-checking his list?

Verizon is teaming up with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, to track Kriss Kringle's whereabouts on Christmas Eve and pre-dawn Christmas Day. A volunteer force of more than 1,000 strong will track Santa's whereabouts using the world's most sophisticated military tracking technology — presumably while simultaneously defending North American air space.

From 3 a.m. Dec. 24 to 2 a.m. Dec. 25, Santa-seekers can call 877-HI-NORAD (446-6723) or visit NORAD's Santa tracking Web page. The Web site can be read in seven languages and has a YouTube video, information on how to track Santa in 3D on Google Earth and most importantly, a frequently asked questions section.

According to the FAQ, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Defense Command — with the equally cool acronym CONAD — have been tracking Santa's path since 1955, and while the command doesn't have his exact route, it knows from previous patterns that the man in red starts around the international date line and works west from Asia to the Americas.

• The San Francisco Chronicle reported on this paper alternative:

The eco-friendly company Fwrap, maker of fabric book covers and gift wrap, has a new line of packaging for the holidays, the Petals collection.

Fwrap uses remnants and scraps of fabric in ways that will make the giver want an equally well-wrapped gift in return. In fact, true friends will use their newly acquired Fwraps on gifts for the person who gave them.

The Petals collection contains irises and tulips.

The Fwraps range from $8 to $13.

• If you're looking to save some green while being green, consider recycling old calendars as wrapping paper or plucking decorations for your packages from your yard. Get six more eco-friendly wrapping options at the Office Supplies blog.

• If you choose to stick with more traditional gift wrap, here's one more tip, from the Eco Chick blog: "Avoid wrapping paper with foil accents. Metallic and foil papers usually can't be recycled, and in some recycling facilities, if they end up in the mix with other paper, they can ruin a whole batch, making it totally unusable."

Ways to simplify gift giving and the holiday rush are always welcome. In the middle of a major economic downturn, money-saving strategies are even more so. Several Web sites offer online resources for organizing economical group gifts and computerizing the popular but complicated "Secret Santa" exchange. Some even offer tips and links to gift-giving sites.

SecretSanta.com, a gift exchange planner, helps registrants with such exchange tasks as keeping track of gifts, choosing themes, e-mails, invitations and other pesky details. Hanukkah and Kwanzaa theme packages are available, as are general gift exchanges and swaps for other times of the year (Yankee Swaps and White Elephants).

Other sites have somewhat broader missions. FrumUs.com guides the user to the creation of a group gift page which can be linked to PayPal Premier and will aid with account setup if needed. It also links to gift sites in various categories (teacher, coaches, him, her, kids, and so on).

Elfster.com also plows the gift exchange turf, but in a media-intensive way. A video demonstration is a nice feature so you can learn how to use the site before you register. Particiants can set up their own wish lists.

With these sites, givers and organizers can conserve time, energy and pass the gift "hat" even among far-flung families or office locations.

Despite new safety standards, toys with choking hazards and high levels of toxic chemicals, such as lead, remain on store shelves this holiday season.

While federal legislation passed in August gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission more tools to regulate chemicals in toys, the law won't take effect until February.

The commission recently said manufacturers can sell toys containing some chemicals until the inventory runs out.

Given that, "We may need to watch out for years to come," said David Kosmos, a consumer advocate for the nonprofit Washington Public Interest Research Group.

Check on the toys you're bringing home at www.toysafety.net.

You can also get information on recalls and sign up for e-mail notifications about recalls at the CPSC's Web site.