Christmas

Read the most recent news stories about Christmas on Newser.com

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Dying Girl, 6, Gets Mountain of Christmas Cards, Parade

This may be Addie Fausett's last Christmas

(Newser) - Addie Fausett inexplicably stopped growing when she was 3, and at now, at 6 and with her illness still undiagnosed, she's expected to live just one more year. Unpredictable outbursts are among her symptoms, so she can't play with any children other than her two sisters—and for...

Why Can't Anybody Write a New Classic Christmas Song?

'WaPo' writer laments it's been at least 20 years since an enduring standard

(Newser) - Everyone got on Mariah Carey earlier this month for her faltering isolated vocals in "All I Want for Christmas Is You" at NYC's tree-lighting ceremony, but the truth is this: Mimi's the last one to have come out with a Christmas classic, and that was two decades...

Guy Grumpy Over Christmas Greeting Thrown Off Plane

Would-be flier didn't like being wished 'merry Christmas'

(Newser) - You may not like it when people wish you "Merry Christmas," but if you're traveling today, you may want to try not to lose your temper over it. One man in New York couldn't quite do that Tuesday, and he got tossed off a plane as...

Francis Condemns ISIS' 'Brutal Persecution'

Derides 'contemporary Herods' with blood on their hands

(Newser) - Pope Francis focused his second Christmas address on the "so many tears" being shed on Christianity's biggest holiday, blasting in particular the "brutal persecution" being suffered at the hands of the Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. "I ask him, the savior of the world,...

Hot on Santa&#39;s Trail: NORAD
 Hot on Santa's Trail: NORAD 
Dec 25, 2014 5:40 AM CST

Hot on Santa's Trail: NORAD

Annual Santa watch is growing, depending more on social media

(Newser) - Volunteers at the North American Aerospace Defense Command are monitoring Santa Claus as he makes his storybook Christmas Eve flight. So far, NORAD says it used the heat signature from Rudolph's nose to "track" St. Nick over spots ranging from Australia to South America and on to the...

It's the Most Terrible Movie Time of the Year

Studios increasingly schedule junk for the holidays: Nico Lang

(Newser) - Night at the Museum, anyone? How about Annie, or Big Eyes? Once again, it's a year of unappealing films for the holidays—no big surprise, considering what's been released around Christmas in recent years, ranging from It's Complicated to Gulliver's Travels. Christmas has increasingly become what...

Town to Man: Take Down Zombie Nativity

Township says he's in violation of zoning regulations

(Newser) - A suburban Cincinnati township has ordered a man to kill off his large "Zombie Nativity" scene. Sycamore Township has sent Jasen Dixon two notices of zoning violations after, officials say, they received complaints about debris at the home and upon inspection concluded the nativity violates rules on size and...

Tinsel Was Once Dangerous to Kids

FDA took action over lead in the decoration

(Newser) - A harmless symbol of Christmas cheer was once deemed so risky that the FDA had to regulate it. Tinsel once contained lead, which, as scientists realized in the 1960s, made it dangerous to kids. That prompted a deal between the FDA and tinsel makers to alter manufacturing methods, the American...

Your Holiday Decorations Likely Came From This Town in China

Welcome to Yiwu, or 'Christmas village'

(Newser) - Quick, picture Santa's workshop. Industrious elves at work as a gentle snow falls outside? That's not quite the image at a place the Guardian calls "the real Santa's workshop," the city of Yiwu, China. Think 600 factories filled with migrant laborers armed with glue guns...

Let&#39;s Shift Christmas to Feb. 7
 Let's Shift Christmas to Feb. 7 
OPINION
Dec 19, 2014 1:05 PM CST

Let's Shift Christmas to Feb. 7

Slate writer LV Anderson makes her case

(Newser) - There are only six shopping days left til Christmas, but if Slate writer LV Anderson had her way, there'd be more than 40. Anderson makes the case that Christmas should be pushed from Dec. 25 to Feb. 7. She's got all kinds of arguments—it's too close...

Restaurant: No Couples Allowed on Christmas Eve

PiaPia in Tokyo deems it too painful for single people

(Newser) - Couples seeking a romantic Christmas dinner in Tokyo better avoid PiaPia restaurant, if a sign in the window is for real. "We will be refusing entry to all couples on December 24, with no exceptions!" the handwritten message reads, the Telegraph reports. The note—which includes images of...

Ugly Christmas Sweaters Are Making People Rich

Demand for festive garb shows no sign of slowing

(Newser) - It's time to raid your grandma's closet for all those bauble-covered holiday jumpers, because ugly Christmas sweaters are the coolest thing in festive fashion—and a booming business. Not only do many retailers carry the hideous getups—sometimes with a hefty price tag—the sweaters have their own...

Suck It, Barbie: You're Not Most Popular Anymore

More parents want merchandise from 'Frozen'

(Newser) - Bad news, Barbie: Parents these days kinda prefer Queen Elsa and her animated co-stars from the movie Frozen, CNBC reports. A holiday toys survey finds that one in five parents plan to purchase merchandise from the Disney flick for their girls, while Barbie ranks second (for the first time in...

City Freaks Out Over 'Ugly' Christmas Tree

Was topped with lighted pretzel

(Newser) - A Christmas tree that might make Charlie Brown think twice is getting kicked to the curb a little early after residents of a Pennsylvania town complained it was too ugly. Reading's spindly 50-foot spruce drew the ire of residents who said it was ruining their holiday spirit. Now a...

US Pigs Are Too Fat for Thanksgiving Table

Farmers bulked up hogs after virus, but now too big for popular spiral-cut hams

(Newser) - We use almost every part of the pig imaginable—even the blood, glands, and bones, the Atlantic reports—but when it comes to holiday dinners, Americans are very specific about what they want to serve: Spiral-cut ham , averaging about 7 pounds, is the most popular choice, Bloomberg reports. But there'...

On Offer in Neiman Christmas Book: $475K Perfume

Plus: $300K model racetrack, $100K amphibious vehicles

(Newser) - Looking for the perfect gift this holiday season? Look no further: For just $475,000, Neiman Marcus is offering the chance to design a perfume with an expert in Paris. Your fragrance will come in 14-karat gold bottles, the Dallas Morning News reports. If that doesn't strike your fancy,...

What Went Wrong at UPS This Christmas

Last-minute online sales were bigger than expected

(Newser) - Just how did UPS manage to leave many would-be gift recipients empty-handed on Christmas? The company says it's too soon to know for sure. The Wall Street Journal , however, notes that there was a lot more last-minute online shopping this year than last. Online sales the weekend before Christmas...

Cops: Teen Who Didn't Get iPhone Pulls Knife on Dad

Massachusetts youth faces assault charges

(Newser) - Siri, what's the penalty for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon? An 18-year-old in Brockton, Massachusetts, might find out after police say he pulled a knife on his father when the iPhone he wanted didn't show up under the Christmas tree, reports the Enterprise . Cops charged Alexander...

Attacks on Baghdad Christians Kill 37

And US embassy in Kabul hit by indirect fire, but no one injured

(Newser) - Militants in Iraq targeted Christians in two separate bomb attacks in Baghdad today, killing at least 37 people. In one attack, a car bomb went off near a church during Christmas Mass in the capital's southern Dora neighborhood, killing at least 26 people and wounding 38, a police officer...

DC Santa Shot in Back by Pellet Gun

And barely misses a beat as helpers step up

(Newser) - Grandma may have escaped that perennially reckless reindeer this year, but somebody with a pellet gun got the better of a guy playing Santa in southeast DC, reports the Washington Post . "Man, this is awesome," Xavier Hawkins was crowing just before he was shot in the back yesterday...

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