Christmas Links #19.

Sabrina Mahfouz on the poetic train journey out of London:
"British-Egyptian playwright, Sabrina Mahfouz observes the journey out of London in poetic verse."

Fight for your right: the "war on Christmas" films nobody needs to see:
"A dubious new genre is centred on characters “saving” the holiday and all its trimmings from scrooges – and the concept of cultural inclusivity."

End of term shows and Christmas extravaganzas:
"Jon Jacob looks back at some children's TV Christmas extravaganza's and considers how they, like the Strictly Come Dancing, are the perfect start to the festive celebrations."

A Backwards Recording Of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas":
"There are plenty of holiday songs which feature lyrics that are a bit backwards, but We Wish You A Merry Christmas isn't one of them."

Enter The Christmas Special Thunderdome:
"Christmas specials: They’ve survived unchanged for decades and still pull absolutely crazy TV viewership."



The Christmas High Street Christmas Food Taste Test:
"In recent years, the run-up to Christmas has become a race between high street supermarkets, shops, and cafes to see who can come up with the most exciting and innovative festive twists on lunchtime food. Knowing our European counterparts tend to look less than favourably upon British cuisine, we asked teams of French and German BuzzFeed employees to try a sample of British high street Christmas food, to see if our winter offerings redeem us in international eyes."

Boston U. student raises $700 for homeless man just before Christmas:
"Blake Smith, a Boston University junior, turned a class assignment into a Christmas gift. His task? “Create a video that persuades people to think about something differently” for a communications course. Smith’s immediate idea was to craft a video showcasing a man he knows as Freddy, a friendly homeless man in Boston’s Kenmore Square."

Christmas chaos in literature, from Emma to Adrian Mole:
"Forget Dickensian happy endings, the real Christmas classics tell stories of fraught family gatherings, orgies of consumption and festivities for one, writes John Mullan."

Watch Hillary Clinton Meet Love Actually in Perfect S.N.L. Christmas Sketch:
"Clinton tries to woo an elector at the last minute."

Twelve of the best Radio Times Christmas covers:
"For 93 years the Radio Times Christmas issue has been as much a part of British seasonal festivities as mince pies and tinsel. ALISTAIR McGOWN pulls out his highlighter pen to select a dozen front covers that tell its story."