Christmas Links #7

'Crappy half-dead' poinsettia from grocery store just won't stop growing:
"The holiday plant has so far survived three Christmas seasons and is now huge."

‘This is Music Hall’, 1955:
"I am increasingly fascinated by British television in the early to mid-1950s. This was a moment when the medium was becoming increasingly confident and an ever more significant presence in both public life and in the private lives of viewers. But it was also when the BBC’s television monopoly, which – with a break for the war – had been protected since late 1936 was challenged by discussions about and then the establishment of a new commercial service, ITV, which went on the air in London in September 1955."

The quirky Christmas tree forest in Liverpool's Georgian quarter:
"'We wanted to give people some joy after a difficult year'"

Italy lights up the world's largest Christmas tree:
"Each year people 'adopt' a light from the world-famous Christmas tree display in central Italy."

Anya Taylor-Joy: 'I likened Beth's passion for chess to my passion for acting. It's a calling':
"It’s been an amazing year for the 24-year-old star of The Queen’s Gambit. She reflects on Netflix’s unlikely chess drama hit and her next film, an Edgar Wright psychological thriller."

Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn Reportedly Hated Each Other So Much They Refused to Film a Sex Scene for This Christmas Comedy:
"In the 2008 comedy Four Christmases, Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play a self-involved couple who typically spend the holidays on an exotic vacation rather than with their dysfunctional families."

Star Trek and Hell on Wheels actor Colm Meaney stars as Santa in new Christmas ad for Aldi Ireland:
"If you live in the U.K. or Ireland, there’s a good chance you have heard of Kevin the Carrot. For the rest of the world, here’s a little primer: Kevin the Carrot is a popular holiday mascot used in Christmas advertising for Aldi grocery stores."

Retro gaming at Christmas … the essential collection:
"After browsing through the latest Christmas TV Times I am seeing less originality than another Flappy Birds game, it’s like being in 1987 again."

Paris's Champs-Élysées switches on its Christmas lights:
"Paris's iconic Champs-Élysées avenue switched on its Christmas lights on Sunday, welcoming the festive period in the French capital."

Microsoft releases Windows 95 ugly Christmas sweater:
"Microsoft has released a line of ugly Christmas sweaters with retro Windows themes."