Christmas Links #22

We Need to Move Christmas:
"The worst thing about Christmas is that it makes winter longer, and unbearably so."

Can 'Super Saturday' save Christmas?
"Retailers hoping for a last-minute rush of Christmas shoppers on "Super Saturday" may be disappointed as trade looked set to peak before the weekend."

The Secret to Being the Hero of Every Holiday Party:
"It’s a big-ass bottle of wine."

Police department donates $20,000 worth of toys to children's hospital:
"Christmas came early for patients at a Washington state children’s hospital thanks to a small town police department."

Netflix’s A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding is straight trash. But it’s cozy trash:
"No one who made the sequel to A Christmas Prince cared, and that’s the secret to its appeal."

The lies I will and won’t tell my kids this Christmas:
"Christmas in our house is a time of great joy, largely because my husband and I are freelancers, so between us we have approximately three-and-a-half days off over the festive period and, by God, we plan to enjoy them."

Christmas Lights Can Slow Wi-Fi But They Probably Won't:
"Wondering if you must choose between decking your tree out with Christmas lights or having usable Wi-Fi in your home for the holidays?"

Christmas in La-La Land:
"Holiday magic in Los Angeles comes down to the thing that always sets California apart: the quality of light."

Sorry, Santa: A Chinese City Has Just Banned All Things Christmas:
"Santa Claus is no longer welcome in a Chinese city where local authorities this year banned all things Christmas."

20 years of Christmas number ones:
"Every year, for a reason we’re still not quite sure of, a number of artists vie to top the charts over Christmastime."

Christmas Links #21

Christmas traffic: Where to avoid on the roads and rail:
"The Christmas getaway means congested roads and cancelled trains. Drivers have been warned of possible delays of nearly two hours as millions of cars take to the motorways. But where should you avoid and at what times will traffic be busiest?"

Explainer - How drones caused travel chaos at Gatwick airport:
"London Gatwick Airport reopened on Friday after a rogue drone saboteur wrought travel chaos for hundreds of thousands of Christmas travellers."

Adoption ban reminds Germans pets are not just for Christmas:
"Europe’s largest sanctuary will keep 1,400 animals over festive season so that none end up as unwanted gifts."

Christmas puppy surprise: Oklahoma parents secretly adopt dog daughter had been caring for at shelter:
"Christmas came early for one Oklahoma daughter whose father adopted the dog she was caring for at a shelter — and the moment was caught on camera."

Please sign for this delivery:
"DING DONG! Merrily on high, but also as in: the sound of a doorbell! Who's there? It's a delivery person and they are happy to deliver, leave on your doorstep or hand to a neighbour you've never met… A new Popjustice website!"

24 Amazing Pop Christmas Songs That Aren't "All I Want For Christmas Is You":
"Don't worry, Mariah still makes an appearance!"

Radio 3 Carol Competition 2018:
"And the winner is… John Merrick!"

Inside the Christmas movie mega-complex churning out festive films:
"Hollywood blockbusters cost staggering amounts to produce. But Hallmark makes Christmas movies for $2m each and it makes tens of the movies each year. These are the secrets to its success."

Stump-Grown Christmas Trees Are the Gift That Keeps on Giving:
"Using the sustainable and ancient method of coppicing, evergreen Christmas trees can be regrown indefinitely."

Millennials Strike Again: This Time We Are Killing Cash And 'Merry Christmas':
"The Grinch might as well get in line behind millennials."

Kate Middleton and Prince William Will Reportedly Only Spend Christmas with the Royals "Moving Forward":
"It has to do with the Queen and Prince Philip's "advancing ages.""

Gigantic ice-filled crater on Mars portraying idyllic wintry scene:
"An 82 kilometre-wide crater on Mars that may be topped with snow has been photographed by the ESA’s (European Space Agency) Mars Express."

Christmas Links #20

10 Must-Hear Old-School Country Christmas Albums:
"From Brenda Lee to Buck Owens, a round-up of country’s best holiday releases."

Gwyneth Paltrow Hangs Christmas Stockings In Conscious Uncoupled Style:
"The actress showed her holiday spirit in an Instagram photo promoting her business."

Here in My Heart: Al Martino and the song that would become both the UK’s first Christmas number one and its first ever chart-topper:
"AL MARTINO’S 1952 song Here in My Heart was quite the history maker when it was first released in the UK."

This woman sends over 4,000 Christmas cards to LGBTQ+ people around the world:
"I realised how it would feel if my coming out had been met with a different reaction and I had received rejection instead of acceptance."

I Spent a Year Wrestling With the Metaphysics of The Muppet Christmas Carol:
"Can Michael Caine's Scrooge see Gonzo and Rizzo?"

Bell, Book and Candle: The Best, Witchiest and Most Festive Rom-Com Ever:
"The holiday season is a time for traditions, from the people we spend it with, to the food we eat, to the films we watch."

'Pathetic' Kiev Christmas tree divides social media:
"This is the worst Christmas tree of all time."

WATCH: FlightAware is tracking the busy skies as Americans begin their Christmas travel:
"Click to unmute."

Carol singers grant dying man's last Christmas wish:
"Canadian carollers have helped grant a dying man's final Christmas wish by singing to him."

Christmas Links #19

Amazing arts treats to watch and listen to this Christmas:
"Christmas is the perfect time to indulge in guilt-free binge watching and listening. But don’t be ruled by a remote control – playlist your festive treats with our selection box of cultural delights on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Entertainment, enchantment, mystery and marvels await."

The Queen of Christmas:
"Elizabeth Chan, a full-time Christmas-song singer and composer, visits Santaland at Macy’s."

Best Christmas film: Elf, The Muppets and L**e A******y miss top spot:
"It was made in 1946 but It's A Wonderful Life has been voted Britain's most popular Christmas film."

Mistletoe: The Evolution of a Christmas Tradition:
"Why does this parasitic plant remind us of romance?"

How “Coventry Carol,” a lullaby about killing babies, became a Christmas song:
"Plot twist: During the Renaissance, it was performed in the summertime and may have been considered funny."

Christmas: 'Too old' girl uses £100 voucher to buy gifts for children's ward:
"A girl who won a £100 shopping voucher but decided she was "too old" for toys has spent it on Christmas gifts for a children's ward."

Eat Christmas Dinner To See What Country You Actually Belong In:
"Eat, drink, and be merry."

A humble weed grew in a cracked city sidewalk. Now it’s the Christmas Weed, a festive holiday destination:
"Alyssa Emrick and her family were on their way home from church on Dec. 9 when they spotted an unusually tall weed growing at a busy intersection on the west side of Toledo."

National Gallery unveils Italian painting as 'Christmas gift to the nation':
"Work by female Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi will go on ‘grand tour’, says gallery."

Multi-Story: Episode 11: Christmas:
"Festive audio treats, featuring Christmas in prison and a life-sized nativity."

Christmas Links #18

Row over Belgrade's Christmas decorations leaves city more furious than festive:
"Serbian capital’s £2.56m taxpayer-funded decoration budget met with outrage and accusations of corruption."

The mystery 'angel of Everton' who is feeding 90 struggling families this Christmas:
"A real-life secret Santa has made an anonymous donation of almost 100 luxury hampers."

Before he died, an elderly man left his 2-year-old neighbor Christmas presents for the next 14 years:
"When Owen Williams opened the door of his home in Barry, Wales, he couldn't believe his eyes."

Michigan business FloraCraft hands out $4 million in Christmas bonuses to workers:
"As General Motors and Ford prepare to cut jobs, a Michigan family-owned business, FloraCraft, is giving tens of thousands of dollars to each of its full-time employees."

How to Make Puppy Chow:
"Nothing says Christmas like gobbling this sweet snack until you can't move."

'My Christmas parcel ended up being recycled'
"Over the Christmas holiday season the number of parcels being delivered goes through the roof, causing headaches for delivery companies and frustration for customers when orders go astray. Can technology cope with the rise and rise of online shopping?"

Christmas Links #17

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas:
"With a bit more than a week left until Christmas, lighted displays, colorful markets, and Santa’s helpers are out in force. From Europe to the Americas and Asia, gathered here as an early gift, is a collection of holiday cheer and light wrapped up in 35 photographs."

Was Jesus really born on Christmas Day? 12 yuletide questions answered:
"The thrice-risen Italian favourite is now a seasonal staple in the UK. But can new fanciful flavours beat the golden, fruit-studded classic?"

How to host a medieval Christmas:
"Christmas is today associated with merriment, gift giving and indulgence. But how was the festive season celebrated in the Middle Ages? What food was eaten? What traditions were upheld? Here, Dr Matthew Champion brings you the facts about medieval Christmases..."

The exciting Christmas events planned for Liverpool in 2018 - dates and times:
"Here are all the dates you need to know for Christmas markets, Liverpool ONE festivities, family events and more."

Father Christmas delivers University gifts to Alder Hey:
"Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the University have been working together to ensure Father Christmas brought some festive cheer to the Children of Alder Hey."

Santa Claus crawls on the floor to help a blind boy with autism feel the Christmas spirit:
"A Texas mom says her 6-year-old son met "the real Santa" last week at a Fort Worth sporting goods store."

Are teachers' Christmas gifts getting out of control?
"There is no shortage of ideas online for what to get schoolteachers at Christmas."

A Class Surprised Their Professor After She Told Them The Holidays Are Difficult For Her:
"Professor Wharton (who didn’t want to use her full name, for privacy reasons), who teaches high school students in dual-enrollment classes in Texas, teared up as she recalled last week’s surprise from the juniors in her Composition 1 class."

Dear Therapist: I’m Not Sure Why My Sister Stopped Giving Gifts to My Children, and I’m Afraid to Ask:
"I don’t really care about the presents themselves—I just want to know what prompted the change."

From toys to socks, celebrities share their best and worst Christmas gifts:
"Still wondering what to get loved ones this Christmas? Perhaps some celebrity pointers might help."

The ideal bauble ratio and the sparkly science of decorating the perfect Christmas tree:
"Yes, there is an ideal bauble ratio."

The Nerdiest Christmas Cards Ever May Be These Microscope Slides Composed of Shells:
"The unusual holiday exchange, which lasted decades during the early 20th-century, hints at the drama between the two colleagues."

Truly Unconventional Christmas Films For The Bleak Midwinter:
"Transpositions is the official blog of the Institute for Theology, Imagination, and the Arts at the University of St Andrews."

Why Do Artists Still Make Christmas Albums?:
"Vintage holiday favorites still rule on streaming services, but for the right act, a new Christmas album can be a savvy move."

Watch the Monkees’ Trippy New ‘Christmas Song’ Video:
"The clip takes place in the trippy world of the group’s Sixties television show."

Hotel accused of discrimination for canceling homeless Christmas booking with no explanation:
"It was meant to be a warm and safe Christmas for dozens of UK rough sleepers but something has gone wrong at the last minute."

Christmas back on the menu for Hull’s homeless after hotel cancellation row:
"A charity whose booking for 28 homeless people was cancelled by a Hull hotel has said “who says miracles don’t happen” after another city hotel stepped in to help."

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."