Christmas

Read the most recent news stories about Christmas on Newser.com

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Beloved Christmas Nut Is 'Virtually Extinct' in US

Researchers are working hard to revive the American chestnut, felled by blight

(Newser) - It's been a very long time since vendors sold the American chestnut on city sidewalks. It's no longer the variety whose smell some people associate with Christmastime as it wafts from street carts. That's because it's virtually extinct. But researchers want to bring the American chestnut...

In Nigeria, Another Deadly Stampede at Holiday Event

At least 10 are dead, including 4 children, after tragedy in capital city of Abuja

(Newser) - Ten people, including four children, were killed in a stampede in Nigeria's capital city as a large crowd gathered to collect food and clothing items distributed by a local church at an annual Christmas event, the police said Saturday. It's the second such stampede in a week in...

Here's How Much to Tip During the Holidays

A new Bankrate report averages what Americans give everyone, from housekeepers to teachers

(Newser) - For those with a long list of people they plan to tip this holiday season, Quartz offers a little help in the etiquette department by breaking down a new Bankrate report on how much cash Americans typically dish out. And despite many feeling the pinch in their wallets this year,...

That White Christmas You're Hoping for May Prove Elusive

'Milder than average' temps will likely keep the white stuff at bay in most of US

(Newser) - If Bing Crosby has been cramming thoughts into your head about a white Christmas, NPR says "there's hope" for that, though it depends what part of the country you live in and looks likely there'll be just a small slice of snow-covered celebrations. "With few exceptions,...

Kids Get to Hop a Flight to the North Pole

Santa and fun await in a transformed Denver airport hangar

(Newser) - Dozens of kids cheered on a festively decked-out plane in Denver when the pilot announced their destination for the day: the North Pole. More than 100 children, some of whom have serious health issues, were then taken on a roughly 45-minute flight near the city over the weekend before landing...

These Are the Most Christmasy Cities in America

Atlanta tops WalletHub's list of the best cities for Christmas

(Newser) - If you're looking to vanquish a "bah humbug" feeling, head to a city where the Christmas spirit is in the air. To figure out which places qualify, WalletHub checked out the 100 most populated cities in the nation, reviewing 28 metrics in five main categories: tradition and fun;...

Spy Agency's Xmas Card Is 'Riddle Wrapped in an Enigma'

GCHQ's annual greeting features 'fiendishly difficult' puzzles to excite the minds of UK kids

(Newser) - What does a spy agency give for Christmas? How about a riddle wrapped in an enigma inside a mystery? GCHQ, Britain's electronic and cyberintelligence agency, on Wednesday published its annual "Christmas Challenge" —a seasonal greeting card that doubles as a set of fiendishly difficult puzzles designed to...

A Millennial Admits: Sappy Christmas Films Aren't Terrible

NYT columnist Amanda Hess is surprised to find she's 'aged into the bad Christmas movie'

(Newser) - If you've ever scoffed at the treacly looking Christmas movies churned out annually by the likes of the Hallmark Channel and Netflix, refusing to become an old cat lady (or lad) sobbing over a rom-com, take comfort that "old" isn't the only demographic that these type of...

NBA Player's Stolen Dog Tale Is a 'Christmas Miracle'

After 12 hours of searching, Kelly and Jackie Olynyk reunite woman with dog missing for 4 years

(Newser) - When Utah Jazz player Kelly Olynyk and his wife, Jackie, found a lost dog, it was the start of a 12-hour Christmas Day adventure that would see the couple enjoy dinner in the cold with their new pal and later reunite him with his home after four years. The heartwarming...

Toddler Opens All Family's Gifts at 3am: 'No Present Spared'

Hilarious X thread shows what happens when a 3-year-old has free rein under the tree

(Newser) - As a science fiction and fantasy author, Scott Reintgen is used to probing Q&As . Over the Christmas weekend, however, the North Carolina resident held an impromptu one on social media after he and his wife made a rather jolting discovery early Christmas morning. "Yall. My three year old...

Next Christmas, Mariah Will Shoot for 23,701,698

Carey sets the Spotify record for single-day streams with, of course, 'All I Want for Christmas'

(Newser) - Mariah Carey is doing her best to cement the designation as "Queen of Christmas." On Christmas Eve, she busted her own Spotify single-day streaming record with 23,701,697 streams of "All I Want for Christmas," reports TMZ . That eclipsed the record she set last year...

Men at Greater Risk of Penile Fractures During Holidays
Unwelcome Christmas Gift:
Risk of Sex Injury Is Up
NEW STUDY
Dec 25, 2023 12:49 PM CST

Unwelcome Christmas Gift: Risk of Sex Injury Is Up

The season's 'intimacy and euphoria' come with greater risk for penile fractures

(Newser) - Hang your mistletoe with extra care, because a new study published in the British Journal of Urology International found that the season of love comes with greater risks for a painful trip to the ER. According to the Guardian , researchers found that penile fractures are most common during Christmastime. The...

The Secret Life of Gift Cards
The Secret Life of Gift Cards
Dec 25, 2023 12:10 PM CST

The Secret Life of Gift Cards

Billions go unused every year

(Newser) - Gift cards make great stocking stuffers—just as long as you don't stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays. Americans are expected to spend nearly $30 billion on gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Restaurant gift cards are the...

King Charles Tweaks Tradition With Christmas Message

He stands next to the palace's first live tree, a nod to his push for the environment

(Newser) - Updated with details from the address. King Charles III gave his second Christmas message from Buckingham Palace in front of a live tree with sustainable ornaments—a nod to his environmental ambitions. The tree itself marks a break from royal tradition because it's the first such address featuring a...

In Snub to Russia, Ukraine Celebrates Christmas on 25th

Nation shifts to Gregorian calendar, joins the West

(Newser) - Christmas is being celebrated around the world on Monday, but festivities in Ukraine are particularly noteworthy. The nation is marking the day on December 25th for the first time since 1917, reports VOA . Ukraine has long celebrated Christmas on January 7, where it falls on the Julian calendar. But this...

Ukraine: 'There Are No Holidays for the Enemy'

Russian barrage kills four people in Kherson region

(Newser) - Russian shelling in southern Ukraine's Kherson region killed four people Sunday, including an 87-year-old man and his 81-year-old wife who died after a strike on their apartment building. The barrage injured nine other people, including a 15-year-old, sparked fires in homes and at a private medical facility, and set...

Poinsettia Namesake Comes With Thorny Past

US official Joel Roberts Poinsett spotted the plant in Mexico 200 years ago, popularized it in the US

(Newser) - Like Christmas trees, Santa, and reindeer, the poinsettia has long been a ubiquitous symbol of the holiday season in the US and Europe. But now, nearly 200 years after the plant with the bright crimson leaves was introduced north of the Rio Grande, attention is once again turning to the...

Have You Gotten 'Whammed' Yet This Holiday Season?
39 Years Later, Wham!
Tops UK Christmas Chart
updated
Dec 23, 2023 5:45 PM CST

39 Years Later, Wham! Tops UK Christmas Chart

George Michael wanted a holiday No. 1, Andrew Ridgeley says

(Newser) - The avoidance game that's all the rage apparently is not hurting the popularity of "Last Christmas," released by Wham! 39 years ago. For the first time, the song is top of the Christmas chart in the UK, the BBC reports. Andrew Ridgeley said the other half of...

This Is America's Most Christmas-y City

Atlanta is No. 1 on WalletHub's list of where the spirit of the season shines, affordably

(Newser) - Looking to get your Yule on? WalletHub has sought out the cities across the US where celebrating Christmas doesn't have to break the bank. The site looked at 100 of the nation's largest cities, tapping into more than two dozen metrics in five main categories: traditions and fun,...

Bing Crosby Would Be Disappointed This Christmas

Prospects aren't good for a white Christmas across much of the US—except in Alaska

(Newser) - For most Americans dreaming of a white Christmas, this year's prospects aren't good. Although parts of the Rockies and Midwest already have snow or could get a fresh dusting by Monday, other parts of the country that are normally coated in white this time of year are still...

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