Christmas

In a bid to cut down on wait times, Macy's flagship store at Herald Square in Manhattan is now requiring reservations for children to meet Santa.

They've been run over with cars, exploded by fireworks, bombarded by cannons and squished under children's snow boots. But in Australia, these baked buildings are demolished for charity — and fun.

A cold prevented the queen from attending services for the first time anyone can remember. Her prerecorded message offered encouragement to those overwhelmed by the world's problems.

Through the years, first families have done plenty with Santa — from singing and dancing (Obama) to reading (Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton) to a celebrity kiss or two (Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush).

The Muslim-owned restaurant is expecting hundreds to attend their free, three-course meal on Christmas day.

The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is more than 1,500 years old and in the midst of a large restoration project, cleaning grime off mosaics and giving the church its first face-lift in centuries.

Made with breadcrumbs, milk, onion and spices, bread sauce is a key part of traditional English Christmas dinners. It's a culinary relic of medieval times when bread-soaked sauces were all the rage.

Joy to the ward! New Orleans' ageless Seventh Ward Santa Claus inspires a Twitter reunion of generations.

"We didn't have much," writes Edward Mabaya, who grew up in a family of 10 kids in rural Zimbabwe. "But I didn't feel that I was poor."

So how did these prized threads from the crocus flower end up lacing through dark northern winters? It's a story of high-value seasonings, Sicilian saints and pagan rituals.