Christmas Links #14

The Hallmark Holiday Gazebo Is Dead, Long Live the Hallmark Holiday Gazebo:
"Even if you’ve never dabbled in the art of the squeaky-clean, delightfully soapy Hallmark Christmas movie, you’ve most likely still picked up on their distinguishing characteristics by Yuletide osmosis."

Gizmo Is Basically Jesus Christ, Right?: Revisiting Gremlins in Time for Christmas:
"You know the Gremlins rules right?"

21 Movies That Aren't Technically Christmas Movies But Are Totally Christmas Movies:
"Yes, Die Hard is on this list."

11 Christmas movies for people who hate Christmas movies:
"What makes a Christmas movie a Christmas movie? Is it the presence of Christmas trees? Or feel-good themes like "giving" and "believing"?"

This 'Broken Ornament' Led To Christmas Magic:
"Some of the best stories begin at home — and in fact, that's where Tony DiTerlizzi got the idea for his latest book. The Caldecott Award-winning author and illustrator, perhaps best known for The Spiderwick Chronicles, is taking a big leap into the unknown with his first Christmas book, The Broken Ornament."

New Yorkers Are Losing Their Minds Over The "HOLLAMD TONNEL" Christmas Decorations:
"The holidays are too stressful already and Port Authority makes us stare at this sheer stupidity every [day]."

Make These Sheet Pan Breakfast Sliders for Christmas Morning:
"You know what I like doing on Christmas? Eating. You know what I don’t like doing on Christmas? Cleaning. You know what lets me do a lot of eating and very little cleaning? The pull-apart bacon, egg, and cheese sliders you see above, which are cooked entirely in one sheet pan."

'Someone called me the antichrist': behind the battles for Christmas No 1:
"Christmas No 1 was once a fiercely fought-over prize. From Rage Against the Machine v Joe McElderry, Slade v Wizzard and George Michael in Wham! v George Michael in Band Aid, winners and losers recall the great festive stand-offs."

BBC Christmas Food:
"BBC History Manager John Escolme takes a look at the more eccentric side of cookery on BBC TV at Christmas, and discovers that programme makers have always had an eye for something different at this time of year."

Why I'm ditching my Christmas cookie swap:
"Baking is how I relax, how I shut out the Twitter trolls and the negative nancies and — most of all — the soul-crushing barrage of the news. When I need to decompress, it's time to turn off the TV, turn up the music, put on my "Let's Get Baked" apron, and start sifting my way to nonpartisan nirvana."

Princess Charlotte Wears Prince George's Sweater in the Royal Christmas Card:
"Prince Louis wore a hand-me-down from their big brother, too."

First Minister reveals her Christmas card for 2018:
"THE First Minister has unveiled her 2018 Christmas card and announced the photograph will be auctioned for charity."

YouTube-obsessed eight-year-olds review this year’s Christmas TV adverts:
“I think his name is Elton John Lewis”

The year's brightest comet streaks by Earth this weekend:
"The night sky will come alive this weekend when a green comet streaks by Earth on the heels of the Geminid meteor shower's display of green fireballs."

The Price of True Love:
"In a setback to true loves around the world, the cost of gifting the traditional gifts from “The Twelve Days of Christmas” carol has edged up slightly again this year."

Santa baby’s billion-dollar Christmas:
"You’ve seen this one before, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” story that tallies up the cost of all the bizarre gifts offered in the song. It’s a tale as old as time: Some guy gives his significant other a steady stream of trees, birds and leaping lords over nearly two weeks — an expensive proposition and almost certainly an unwelcome one. (That the gifts are so terrible and cumbersome makes us assume the giver is a man.)"