Christmas

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Defiant Iraqi Christians Mark Somber Christmas

Celebration subdued as al-Qaeda threatens more violence

(Newser) - Iraqi Christians gathered today to mark Christmas in the same church where less than two months ago dozens from their beleaguered community were killed by Muslim extremists intent on driving them from Iraq. The walls were pockmarked with bullet holes, plastic sheeting covered gaps where glass windows used to be...

Record Crowds Throng Bethlehem
Record Crowds
Throng Bethlehem
Dec 25, 2010 5:46 AM CST

Record Crowds Throng Bethlehem

Most pilgrims in a decade come to mark Jesus' birth

(Newser) - The largest number of pilgrims in a decade gathered in Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas, with tens of thousands flocking to the Church of the Nativity for prayers this morning. Israeli military officials, who coordinate movement in and out of the West Bank, said more than 100,000 pilgrims have come...

Amid Heightened Security, Pope Ushers In Christmas

Pontiff heralds holiday without incident

(Newser) - Pope Benedict XVI ushered in Christmas Eve with an evening Mass today amid heightened security concerns following the package bombings at two Rome embassies and Christmas Eve security breaches at the Vatican the past two years running. Benedict made his way down the central aisle of St. Peter's Basilica at...

Stinky Nativity Tradition: Pooping Catalan Doll

Cute 'caganer' adds a unique twist to Christmas

(Newser) - In Barcelona at Christmastime, you can find plenty of Nativity scenes, with shepherds, magi, baby Jesus, and the like. But you can also find one uniquely Catalan character hidden in the background—or squatting, with his pants down, the caganer, or "the defecator" (though our sources tell us the...

Two Bad Santas Rob Supermarket
Two Bad Santas
Rob Supermarket
Dec 23, 2010 1:56 PM CST

Two Bad Santas Rob Supermarket

They spoke not a word—except to demand cash from the register

(Newser) - This is not how the Christmas story's supposed to go: Two men in Santa costumes robbed a supermarket in Berlin, reports Reuters . The men showed up with red coats and beards, and, when asked to remove their costumes, produced pistols and demanded all the cash from the register. They got...

Let's Stop Lecturing Once-a-Year Churchgoers
Let's Stop Lecturing
Once-a-Year Churchgoers
OPINION
Dec 23, 2010 10:05 AM CST

Let's Stop Lecturing Once-a-Year Churchgoers

Reverend: Instead, we should celebrate they're still coming

(Newser) - The Rev. Scott Black Johnston knows his church will be packed tomorrow night with people who attend only once a year at Christmastime. But he's not bemoaning the fact—he's celebrating it, especially in an age where more young people than ever claim no faith. "Instead of wagging our...

Iraqi Christians Cancel Christmas
Iraqi Christians
Cancel Christmas
Dec 23, 2010 7:49 AM CST

Iraqi Christians Cancel Christmas

Al-Qaeda threatens more violence against the beleaguered minority

(Newser) - Iraq's Christian leaders have canceled Christmas services and urged worshippers not to decorate their homes this year after they received fresh threats from al-Qaeda in Iraq on Tuesday. Even an appearance by Santa Claus was called off, reports the AP . "Nobody can ignore the threats of al-Qaeda against Iraqi...

Dear Santa: I Want a Diarrhea to Write in, Happy Terrorists
Dear Santa: I Want Happy Terrorists, Dad to Come Home
kids' christmas wishes
Dec 23, 2010 2:22 AM CST

Dear Santa: I Want Happy Terrorists, Dad to Come Home

Veteran Claus reveals kids' secret desires

(Newser) - A 28-year veteran of the Santa Claus role has finally revealed in a blog what we already knew: Kids can be hilarious and heartbreaking. But he's got some perfect tales to illustrate it. Beyond the expected requests for the latest Barbie and video game, kids have whispered into Santa Carl...

Antoine Debuts 'Chimney Intruder'
Antoine Debuts
'Chimney Intruder'
Dec 22, 2010 2:04 AM CST

Antoine Debuts 'Chimney Intruder'

He's snatchin' up yo cookies

(Newser) - There's another intruder in Antoine Dodson's neighborhood and this time he's after the eggnog. Dodson—whose "Bed Intruder" song was YouTube's biggest hit of the year —debuted his "Chimney Intruder" song on Lopez Tonight, Gawker reports. "Hide your gifts, hide your trees," advises Dodson, who...

Lady Gaga Stomps Santa Claus
Lady Gaga Stomps
Santa Claus
Dec 20, 2010 2:05 AM CST

Lady Gaga Stomps Santa Claus

'I hate the holidays,' says concert shock mistress

(Newser) - Is nothing sacred, Lady Gaga? Apparently not. Poor Santa Claus took a stiletto heel to the head at the singer's Monsterball London concert, reports the Telegraph . Someone tossed the small stuffed Santa onto the stage and Gaga first tried to bite its head off, à la Ozzy Osbourne. But the...

Senate's Fight Over Christmas Schedule Still Going

'Sacrilegious,' says Jim DeMint; 'Sanctimonious,' says Harry Reid

(Newser) - The Senate may be too busy to get done everything it needs to get done by Christmas, but senators aren't too busy to argue about working the holiday. Today's latest, from Politico :
  • Jim DeMint: “We shouldn’t be jamming a major arms control treaty up against Christmas; it’s
...

How We Got 10 Bizarre Christmas Traditions

There wasn't always a Rudolph

(Newser) - Why do we kiss under the mistletoe? Hang stockings? Christmas is a time of tradition, but where did it all start? Here is a list of 10 strange beginnings to common Christmas traditions.
  1. Decorating Christmas trees—Most people credit Martin Luther with starting the tradition. Inspired by the sight of
...

Reid: Senate Can Work Past Christmas

GOP accuses Reid of dissing holiday

(Newser) - Senators dreaming of Christmas turkey should be thinking more about lame duck, Harry Reid warns. The majority leader says that after the tax cut deal is passed, he wants to address the START treaty, the DREAM Act, health care for 9/11 first responders, and the Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal,...

Megachurch Targets 'Grinch Stores' That Ignore Christmas

Baptist pastor won't tolerate 'minority voices'

(Newser) - A Dallas megachurch is getting downright Black Peter and landing like a ton of coal on stores that aren't celebrating Christmas. "Politically correct" establishments shying away from the Christian holiday get no peace and goodwill from the First Baptist Church . Instead, Pastor Robert Jeffress has launched a " Grinch...

Macy's Santa Claus Canned for Naughty Joke

Union Square Santa was legendary in San Francisco, had gig for 20 years

(Newser) - John Toomey has been telling the same mischievous joke to his adult visitors for the 20 years he's been playing Santa Claus at a San Francisco Macy's—but this year, it got him fired. "When I ask the older people who sit on my lap if they've been good...

Facebook May Kill Christmas Letters
 Facebook May Kill 
 Christmas Letters 
OPINION
Dec 5, 2010 11:54 AM CST

Facebook May Kill Christmas Letters

... but there's a way to save them

(Newser) - As Francine Kiefer sat down to write her annual Christmas letter this year, it struck her that friends and family already knew all the stuff she was putting down on paper—courtesy of Facebook. Looks like the days of this annual rite might be numbered, she laments in the Christian ...

Christmas Caroling: Quaint Tradition Begun By Drunks

Also, Santa? Didn't start out being so jolly

(Newser) - Cheerful church groups love Christmas caroling, but the tradition was actually started by a bunch of lushes. Back when "Christmas" was actually a celebration of the winter solstice, poor carolers would go from house to house singing ... and also threatening to break windows if they were not plied with...

Merry Christmas! Jersey Billboard Takes on God

Atheists battle Catholics in ad war

(Newser) - Just in time for Christmas ... a giant New Jersey billboard is challenging the existence of God. "You know it's a myth," says the atheist ad that appears over the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, featuring an image of the Magi traveling to a nativity scene. "This season,...

'12 Days of Christmas' Gifts Will Cost You $97K

Gold prices push the cost of 5 rings to $650

(Newser) - If your true love gives you everything from 12 drummers drumming to a partridge in a pear tree this year, he or she will have shelled out $96,824. That’s up 10.8% from last year, the AP reports. High gold prices pushed the cost of five gold rings...

Christmas Is Here... Way Too Early

Six signs that the holiday season has gotten too impatient

(Newser) - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... even though we're not yet past Thanksgiving. The Week pores through local papers to find six tales of Christmas coming too early this year:
  • It's never too early for eggnog lattes: In Seattle , at least one Starbucks started selling seasonal drinks right
...

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