Yule Log On

Before you go decking the halls and making latkes, you can plug into the holiday spirit online.

This year, three cultural and religious holidays coincide: Ramadan, Hanukkah and Christmas. People across the globe will be celebrating and honoring their traditions.

You can keep up with who’s doing what at several sites:

* https://www.holidays.net covers Christmas and Hanukkah but also has a page dedicated to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

* https://www.blackdog.net/holiday.html lets you make gift lists and has holiday quizzes, games and related links.

* https://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/december.html offers a diversity calendar with explanations of various holidays from all over the world.

* url www.flw.com/merry.htm shows how to wish the best for the season in 350 languages. It also has a moderately addictive Christmas concentration game.

* https://women.com/holiday/index.htm includes calendars and quizzes for Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, the African American celebration that starts after Christmas. This site includes a link to a holiday calorie counter, a great addition for the weight-obsessed.

Christmas is big on the Web. Sites cover everything from the holiday’s history and religious traditions to the more secular, including shopping tips, activities for kids and music.

If Santa’s helpers haven’t yet made a list, never mind checked it twice, https://www.santa.com/santa/plan can help with getting organized. You can create a to-do list or wish list and get that shopping list started. The animated site includes songs, movies and recipes to tempt most of your senses.

On the other end of that famous name is https://www.claus.com. There, you can pop in to Santa’s Village, with lots of distracting, fun things to do for kids and parents. Have you been naughty or nice? Check your rating. Even if you’ve been a grinch all year, you can try to change Santa’s mind by getting an elf buddy. You can also spy on Santa, who has had some issues with binge eating over the years--especially cookies.

From the warmth of your own home--that is, if the electricity is still on--check out what’s going on at the North Pole at https://www.northpole.com. This is another animated site that offers, among other things, personalized holiday stories. You can sneak something from Mrs. Claus’ cookbook and send her chubby hubby a letter and receive his reply.

In addition to the whole commercial element that most folks celebrate, https://www.christmas.com provides suggestions on and links to charities that will gladly take a bit of holiday cheer.

Think you know all there is to know about Christmas? Check out https://www.saint-nick.com/trivia for a fairly tough quiz. (Example: Dec. 26, also known as Boxing Day, is the holy day of which saint?)

This is also the season for parties. There are several sites dedicated to the art of partying. Martha Stewart weighs in on what should be done for the perfect holiday season. At https://www.marthastewart.com, you can print a holiday checklist that includes ideas for folks who have absolutely nothing else to do but prepare for the holidays. Some of the tasks include making your own ornaments and stockings. The site includes tips on choosing and maintaining the holiday tree.

But Martha’s site is just the tip of the candy cane. You can also get planning ideas and recipes from https://www.iparty.com/italk/partytalkhome.asp. If you’re looking to minimize the paperwork involved in inviting folks over, you can send them an Evite from https://www.evite.com. Not only can you design an event-appropriate invitation online, you can keep track of the replies.

Hanukkah also is celebrated all over the Web.

For kids, https://www.torahtots.com/holidays/chanuka/chanuk.htm offers games such as “Plopples” and “Replace the Latkes” and coloring pages. Clicking a mouse just doesn’t hold the same kind of enjoyment that actually spinning the dreidel does. Besides, you can’t enjoy your winnings.

At https://www.vjholidays.com/chanukah, you can see candle lighting at the Kotel (Western Wall), send a “Hanukkah virtual latke” and check out the educator’s guide.

Have trouble remembering whether it’s Day 4 or Day 5? You can click on https://www.torah.org/chanukah.html, which features a menorah updated at noon Pacific time on each day of the holiday. But, the site warns, rabbinic authorities agree that you can’t fulfill the mitzvah of candle-lighting by looking at a computer screen.

Another site, https://www.chanukah2000.com, has audio of prayers and a video, “Miracle of the Maccabees.” And you can select from all your good deeds and share a mitzvah.

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Michelle Maltais is a broadcast producer and copy editor at The Times.