Christmas

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

Stories 181 - 200 | << Prev   Next >>

Obama Will Return to DC Early Over Fiscal Cliff

President cutting short vacation as public pessimism mounts

(Newser) - The Christmas break has turned into Cliffmas for President Obama, who is cutting short his vacation in Hawaii to return to DC for a final attempt to strike a budget deal before the Jan. 1 fiscal cliff, the Washington Post reports. Obama will leave for Washington tonight after four days...

Not Very Merry: Holiday Spending Was Scrooge-Like

Shoppers eying fiscal cliff, storms sat on their wallets

(Newser) - With Christmas officially in the rearview, the first snapshot of holiday spending is rolling in and the picture isn't too pretty: In the two months leading up to Christmas, sales of popular gift items like electronics and apparel grew only .7%—a measly increase well below analysts' expectation of...

Jesus Would Friend You on Facebook: Bishop

Mark Zuckerberg had a heck of an idea for missionary work, he thinks

(Newser) - Pope Benedict joining Twitter might seem quite modern of him, but Jesus Christ himself would have happily hopped on the social media bandwagon, says the head of Germany's Catholic Church, according to the Local . "He was always looking for people, and took unusual routes to do this,...

Guess Who Katy Perry Brought Home for Christmas?

John Mayer. Happy holidays, Perrys!

(Newser) - It's just what every daddy never wants to hear, ever, under any circumstances: "I'm bringing John Mayer home for Christmas!" Such is the fate of Katy Perry's family this holiday season, though on the bright side, presumably Russell Brand won't be popping in. "...

Could the Burglars Have Survived Home Alone ?
Could the Burglars Have Survived Home Alone?
analysis
Dec 25, 2012 9:37 AM CST

Could the Burglars Have Survived Home Alone?

Yes, but with serious injuries, says a doctor

(Newser) - Home Alone is a modern Christmas classic—but, as Lauren Hansen points out in The Week , it requires quite a suspension of disbelief. Could the "Wet Bandits," played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, really have taken an iron to the face, a blow torch to the head,...

Pope: In Daily Hustle, Find Time for God

Pontiff will give Christmas Eve Mass shortly

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI marked Christmas Eve with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and a pressing question: Will people find room in their hectic, technology-driven lives for children, the poor and God? The pontiff also prayed that Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and freedom, and asked the faithful to...

Ex-President Bush to Spend Christmas in Hospital

Doctors 'cautiously optimistic,' but want him to gain strength

(Newser) - Former President George HW Bush will spend Christmas in a Texas hospital after developing a fever and weakness following a monthlong, bronchitis-like cough. A Bush spokesman said today that doctors remain "cautiously optimistic" the 88-year-old will recover, but they want to keep him in the hospital. A hospital spokesman...

The Reason Rudolph's Nose Is So Bright

Lots of blood vessels, researchers explain

(Newser) - Everyone knows Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has "a very shiny nose" that even, some might say, "glows." But why? A new—and, The Local notes, tongue-in-cheek—investigation explains. Researchers in Norway and the Netherlands compared reindeer noses to human noses and found that reindeer have 25% more...

Feel Free to Have a Christ-Free Christmas
Feel Free to Have a
Christ-Free Christmas
OPINION
Dec 24, 2012 11:10 AM CST

Feel Free to Have a Christ-Free Christmas

Amanda Marcotte thinks the Christmas story isn't relevant anymore

(Newser) - Suppose you're a basically non-religious parent. Do you have a responsibility to tell your kids the story of Jesus this holiday season? Andre Park at Salon tried, and soon found himself awash in questions he couldn't answer: "Where's Galilee? Who's Herod? What's Myrrh?" He...

Your Christmas Tree: Home to 25K Bugs?

The good news is, they'll end up dead

(Newser) - Santa may be sneaking down your chimney, but he's not the only one making his way into your home. An avalanche of bugs is likely riding the Christmas Tree Express straight into your living room, reports the AFP . It spoke to a scientist who cited research that has found...

Judge: Woman Can Flip Off Neighbors Via Holiday Lights


 Judge: Woman 
 Can Flip Off 
 Neighbors Via 
 Holiday Lights 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Dec 23, 2012 12:00 PM CST

Judge: Woman Can Flip Off Neighbors Via Holiday Lights

Louisiana resident has a unique display

(Newser) - A Louisiana woman can resume giving her neighbors an unusual holiday greeting— Christmas lights in the shape of a middle finger. Sarah Childs was in a dispute with some of her neighbors in Denham Springs, just east of Baton Rouge, and decided to send a message with her decorations. Neighbors...

McDonald's to Franchises: Open Doors on Christmas

They could make $5.5K each, apparently

(Newser) - Ho ho humbug? McDonald's is pushing its franchisees to stay open on Dec. 25, with a memo sent by corporate last month calling Christmas Day "our largest holiday opportunity," according to Ad Age . It estimates that the 6,000 restaurants that stayed open on Thanksgiving brought in...

Police Chief Sends Crooks Holiday Cards

Complete with image of gun-totin' Santa in bulletproof vest

(Newser) - Criminals in a Canadian city will be receiving an unexpected Christmas card this year ... from the police chief. The card being sent out this week to "prolific offenders, property offenders, and persons known for drug and gang activity" feature the chief wearing a Santa suit (and a bulletproof vest...

Found in Red Kettle: Gold Coin Wrapped in $100 Bill

Salvation Army volunteers found donation, note

(Newser) - A gold coin worth $500 wrapped in a $100 bill has been found in a Salvation Army red kettle set up at an upstate New York shopping plaza. Officials with the Elmira Salvation Army tell the local Star-Gazette that the coin was donated anonymously Friday at the Village Plaza in...

To End Homelessness, Stop Buying Holiday Decor?

Americans will spend more than the $20B that HUD needs

(Newser) - If Americans passed on buying Christmas trees, illuminated reindeer, and poinsettias, and instead donated the money they would have spent to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, we could theoretically end homelessness. Or so says ThinkProgress . HUD's latest annual report shows that progress isn't being made quickly...

Santa Is a Democrat, Say Voters
 Santa Is a Democrat, Say Voters
new poll
Dec 11, 2012 7:30 AM CST

Santa Is a Democrat, Say Voters

No word on Rudolph

(Newser) - Seems the North Pole is a blue state. According to 44% of American voters, Santa Claus is a Democrat. Some 28% say he's a Republican, and another 28% aren't quite sure, finds a survey by Public Policy Polling . And when it comes to the naughty-nice spectrum, Mitt Romney...

Obama Attends PSY Gig Despite Controversy

Gangnam star performs at Christmas in Washington concert

(Newser) - President Obama and his family attended a charity concert starring K-Pop juggernaut PSY last night despite controversy over anti-American lyrics he rapped in 2004 . Other performers at the annual "Christmas in Washington" concert, which raises funds for a children's hospital and has been attended by the first family...

Stores Make Holiday Shopping Awful On Purpose
Stores Make Holiday Shopping Awful On Purpose
OPINION
Dec 9, 2012 3:57 PM CST

Stores Make Holiday Shopping Awful On Purpose

Oliver Burkeman explains how stores make you miserable to make you spend

(Newser) - Do you hate holiday shopping? Does it sometimes seem like the entire experience—from the lights, to the confusing sales, to the incredibly loud endless renditions of "The Little Drummer Boy"—is designed to make you miserable? Well, that's because it is, Oliver Burkeman writes in today'...

Mall Fires Grumpy Santa

He wouldn't let one kid sit on his lap

(Newser) - Ho ho ... humbug? A mall in Maine has sacked Santa Claus after children and parents complained he was rude, grumpy, and wouldn't even let one child sit on his lap. Jessica Mailhiot and her 6-year-old daughter, Chantel, went to see Santa this week, and told a local TV station...

'12 Days of Christmas' Gifts Will Set You Back $107K

Hey, swans-a-swimming aren't cheap

(Newser) - The perfect gift for that person who seems to have everything? How about 12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 lords a-leaping, and, well, you get the idea. This year, if you tried to buy all 364 items from the "12 Days of Christmas" song, including that partridge in...

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