Christmas

Keith and Melanie Hubbard, who portray Santa and Mrs. Claus in Oklahoma greet their grandchildren in 2019.

National

How COVID-19 Is Making The Holiday Season Not So Jolly For Santa Clauses

8:18am December 15, 2020

by Rachel Hubbard

People who work as Santa are making tough choices due to the coronavirus. How close should they get to children? Are Zoom meetings best? For one Santa and Mrs. Claus in Oklahoma, it's not easy at all.

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'Panic Buying' Of Christmas Trees Hits NC Amid Tree Shortage

12:38pm December 14, 2020

by Associated Press

A cold drizzle fell on Boyd's Christmas Trees, but the holiday spirit hummed along apace at the Swannanoa River Road tree lot, where Rhonda Heath said she's had the best season in more than a decad

A demonstrator holds a sign reading "Black Pete Is Racism" during a 2013 demonstration in Amsterdam. Zwarte Piet or Black Pete is traditionally depicted by white people wearing blackface, Afro wigs and red lipstick.

George Floyd's Death And Years Of Dialogue Are Helping The Dutch Disown Black Pete

8:02am August 02, 2020

by Gregory Warner

"There's quite a risk that we could have said, 'Oh, that's in the United States. That's not us,' " says Amma Asante, a former member of the Dutch Parliament. "And now there's no denial anymore."

Pope Francis called for compassion toward migrants in a Christmas Day speech from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

In Christmas Day Message, Pope Francis Shines Light On Migrant Suffering

1:34pm December 25, 2019

by Laurel Wamsley

"It is injustice that turns them away from places where they might have hope for a dignified life, but instead find themselves before walls of indifference," the pontiff said in his holiday address.

"It's the most nauseating idea in the world: a comedian in a gown leaning against a baby grand without making a joke," Ana Gasteyer says. There are plenty of jokes (and a lot of great singing) on her new holiday album.

Music & Culture

Ana Gasteyer's 'Sugar & Booze' Is Holiday Music With 'A Modern Wink'

6:33am December 25, 2019

Saturday Night Live alum Ana Gasteyer's new Christmas album, Sugar & Booze, is partly a send-up of the holiday and partly an earnest embrace of its warmth.

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Joey Clawson at one of his Christmas tree stands on the first day of harvest. He grows about 95,000 firs on his operation.

A Christmas Tree Thrives On Farms, Struggles In The Wild

7:24pm December 24, 2019

by Irina Zhorov

The Fraser fir is found in a lot of homes around Christmas. But its wild cousins have been in decline for almost a century because of a small invasive pest.

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A horn player (left) in this detail from a 1694 altar carving by Francesco Antonio d'Alberto in Piedmont, Italy, clearly has a swollen neck that signifies goiter, medical historians say. The thyroid condition was a sign of poverty in those days.

Why Certain Poor Shepherds In Nativity Scenes Have Huge, Misshapen Throats

4:56pm December 24, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

In some historical Nativity scenes, the shepherds have grossly enlarged thyroid glands — also known today as goiter. It's an apparent symbol of their poverty and iodine-deficient diet.

Amy Grant performs a Tiny Desk Concert on Nov. 7, 2018.

Music & Culture

'Tis The Tiny Season: Our 5 Favorite Holiday Tiny Desk Concerts

8:09am December 23, 2019

by Cyrena Touros

The Tiny Desk concert series is old enough to have some traditions of its own. Here are five of our favorite holiday performances from over the years.

The Choir of King's College Cambridge conduct a rehearsal of their Christmas Eve service of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in King's College Chapel on Dec. 11, 2010 in Cambridge, England.

Music & Culture

Commemorating A King's College Christmas Tradition

2:21pm December 22, 2019

A new album commemorates the Centenary Service of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge.

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Dressed as Santa, Tim Zander gives pointers on how to be the perfect Santa to applicants at a workshop run by Weihnachtsmann2Go (Santa2Go).

World News

Ho Ho, Oh No! Germany Has A Santa Shortage

9:02am December 22, 2019

by Rob Schmitz

Across Europe and North America, throngs of Santa impersonators have been busy preparing children for Christmas. But in Germany, there's a lack of interest among people to play the jolly character.