Christmas Links #3

Bringing to life a Brussels sprout: Creating BBC One's Christmas veggie:
"We always saw him as a wide-eyed innocent, so excited that Christmas has finally arrived. He sees festive joy in everything, even if he’s not exactly welcomed with open arms. But despite his rejection, his spirit shines through and he never gives up hope. Finally, his persistence is rewarded."

Postpone Christmas: Why we should celebrate Jesus’ birth in early February, not the end of December:
"This may sound crazy, but delaying Christmas makes sense for a lot of practical and emotional reasons. As it stands, Christmas occurs far too soon after Thanksgiving. Four weeks, give or take, is not nearly enough time to recover from the culinary excess and psychological stress of Thanksgiving before having another almost identical meal with your crazy, lovable family. I appreciate stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie as much as the next person, but I could stand to have a little more downtime between the Thanksgiving feast and Christmas dinner."

Kylie Minogue – ‘Every Day’s Like Christmas’ (Stock Aitken Waterman mix)
"This is SAW’s first single release in a quarter of a century and Pete Waterman has described working again with Mike and Matt as “a hoot”. The result? Well, in the very best way possible, it sounds exactly like you’d expect, and in these turbulent times sometimes that’s just what you need."

Net migration:
"Before I recycle this October 26 edition of the New Yorker by passing it on to my friend Lucy, I want to direct you to what is a typically very looooooong article detailing the journey of a young Syrian law student called Ghaith from his home town of Jdeidet Artouz, southwest of Damascus, to Sweden, where he now lives. (It’s available to read for free, in full, here.) I was struck, as I always am, by the sheer guts, determination and self-belief that takes a citizen from one side of the world to another, by land and sea. But then I have never fled from war, as I have never been in one. I have never fled from anywhere, except a dodgy early-80s houseparty in Northampton when the front door was being kicked in (a few of us actually escaped via the rooftops and ended up in an old lady’s back garden – she let us go through her house to the street outside and didn’t call the police). I won’t detail Ghaith’s entire, titanic journey – although X-Factor contestants should check their use of the term “journey” after reading about this actual one – as that’s not the point of what I’m writing about."

New Yorkers discover giant switch that turns on thousands of Christmas lights:
"Improv Everywhere is perhaps best known for their annual no pants subway ride, but they’ve been stepping up their holiday prank game for some time. Last year they staged a feat of epic caroling, and this year’s prank is simple but stunning. Charlie Todd, the leader of the “prank collective,” worked with his team to erect a 7-foot-tall light switch in New York City’s Father Demo Square. Passersby were then invited to flick the switch, and the results were dazzling: 50,000 Christmas lights came on at once."

The 58 most commonly misused words and phrases:
"Whether you're trying to sound sophisticated or simply repeating what you've heard, word fails are all too common and can make smart people sound dumb. In his latest book, "The Sense of Style," Harvard cognitive scientist and linguist Steven Pinker explores the most common words and phrases that people stumble over."

Have You Seen This? Orem pizza delivery turns into surprise concert:
"When you order pizza for a quiet night in, you probably don't expect it to arrive with a horse-drawn carriage and fireworks. More than 80 musicians helped surprise three families in Orem with an epic Christmas concert on their doorstep on a Tuesday evening. The families all ordered Triple Treat Box deliveries from Pizza Hut, which posted videos of the event on its YouTube channel and Facebook page Wednesday."

Food-Themed Christmas Ornaments Have Zero Calories and Oodles of Yuletide Spirit:
"Replacing the angel atop your Christmas tree with an actual Parma ham is probably not a good idea, but how about a hand-blown glass Parma ham ornament?"

22 Times We Reached Peak Guardian In 2015:
“Help! Is my quinoa destroying the planet?” [via]

Private Jets Descend on Nantucket for Christmas Stroll:
"​The airport manager said he's been surprised by some of the items unloaded off the jets: "There are a lot of things that come off those planes that make you go, really? You're traveling with that why? Like toilet paper. The Nantucket economy could use you to buy that here, but I guess butlers and maids are packing that for them to bring."