Christmas Links #16

Why 2m kilos of Christmas cheese will end up in the bin:
"It was once a simple choice of stilton or cheddar with a few grapes on the side and the pleasure of assembling a course that requires no cooking."

Bad weather hits Christmas shopping on the High Street:
"Bad weather and the lure of online shopping saw consumers shun UK High Streets on one of the busiest days before Christmas."

Damascus prepares for Christmas without mortar fire:
"Christmas decorations are going up for the first time in years in a Damascus neighborhood that was a frontline in Syria’s war until government forces wiped out the last rebel enclaves in the capital earlier this year."

Inside Brazil's abandoned Santa theme park:
"Driving through Brazil to Rio de Janeiro, you might spot an eerie sight on the side of the road: a derelict gang of Santas, lying abandoned surrounded by palm trees and greenery."

Coronation Street – 25th December 1961:
"To begin with, there seems to be a clear division of the sexes. Whilst the men – in the shape of Albert, Frank, Ken, Harry and Len – are heading off to a football match, the women (such as Concepta and Elsie) are fretting about their Christmas lunches."