Christmas Links #23

Southport couple find 4ft python behind tumble dryer:
"A couple were left hiss-terical after finding a 4ft (1.2m) royal python curled up behind their tumble dryer."

Successful, Sentimental And Satirized, 'Love Story' Celebrates 50th Anniversary:
"Fifty years ago, a simple but tragic love story became a global sensation that stunned the entertainment industry. Love Story, the romantic tearjerker starring Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw, broke box office records and the book it was based on was a bestseller that was translated into more than 30 languages."

A Choir Tries to Keep Its Christmas Tradition Alive:
"The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, spent months rehearsing for its Christmas Eve service, which is broadcast worldwide. Its hope was to perform it live."

The legend of panettone, Italy’s mythical Christmas cake:
"It began in Milan, but bakers across Italy keep the centuries-old tradition alive."

'Whamageddon' is secretly the best Christmas tradition:
"Can you make it to December 25th without hearing 'Last Christmas'?

All that glitters: UK retailers shift away from plastic Christmas:
"Manufacturers and shops remove millions of pieces of single-use plastic from their ranges."

Literary Scholars Discover First Draft Of ‘A Christmas Carol’ Where All 4 Ghosts Show Up At Once And Just Beat The Shit Out Of Scrooge:
"This incredible manuscript shows how Dickens developed the story from his original concept of a gang of malevolent spirits absolutely wailing on Ebenezer Scrooge into the iconic holiday classic we know and love today ..."

A Taste of the German Christmas Market at Home: Glühwein mit Schuss:
"Normally at this time of year, the German-speaking lands of Central Europe would be bustling with Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets) or Christkindlmärkte (Christ Child markets), filled with food, drink, good cheer, and other longstanding traditional activities. But nothing seems to be normal in 2020, so almost all of those markets never opened."

10 Christmas coffee recipes you need to try this festive season:
"From cinnamon to gingerbread syrup to marshmallows..."

When to Take Down Your Christmas Tree:
"If only the holidays could last throughout the winter months—the twinkling lights and Christmas cookies make the cold and dark so much more bearable."