The Week: Most Recent holidays

Why December 26 is a 'monster' shopping day: 4 theories

By The Week Staff — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:02:00 -0500

Plan on hitting the mall today? You're not alone. In a recent American Express survey, 57 percent of Americans said they planned to go shopping on December 26, up from 43 percent in 2010. In fact, the day after Christmas is second only to Black Friday as the busiest shopping day of the year. But why are more Americans willing to circle around crowded parking lots than last year? Here, 4 theories:

1. More people are spending on themselves
In the days leading up to Christmas, Americans are consumed with shopping for friends and family. After the 25th, the focus shifts. One out of five shoppers...

The history of Santa Claus: 7 interesting facts

By The Week Staff — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:42:00 -0500

As Christmas approaches, children around the world have Santa on the brain. They're anxiously wondering if they've been overly naughty or sufficiently nice, and eagerly daydreaming about their potential gift hauls. But exactly how did the jolly, bearded North Pole resident evolve into the cultural icon we know today? Here, seven interesting facts about his evolution:

1. He was real... sort of
Folklore may have turned Santa Claus into a toy distributor who mans a sleigh led by eight flying reindeer, but he is actually based, loosely, on a real person. Born around the year 270, St. Nicholas was the...

America's 'booming' Christmas tree business: By the numbers

By The Week Staff — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:00:00 -0500

The economy may still be floundering. But the Christmas tree business is booming. According to new study by research firm IBISWorld, Americans will spend an estimated $3.4 billion on Christmas trees this year, the highest amount since 2007. Here, a brief guide, by the numbers, to this "booming" holiday business:

25 million
Real Christmas trees Americans will buy this year, according to IBISWorld's forecast

$800 million
Estimated retail cost of those trees

10 million
Artificial trees Americans will buy this holiday season

$2.6 billion
Estimated retail cost of those artificial trees

$3.4 billion...

The holiday season's 8 most anticipated films

By The Week Staff — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:31:00 -0500

It's that time of year. No, not Christmastime — holiday movie time. A glut of buzzy, Oscar-contending films are crowding theatres. What are they, and what's worth seeing? Here, a guide to the eight most talked about movies of the season:

The Adventures of Tintin
Steven Spielberg's adaptation of the beloved Belgian comic series about a boy adventurer is drawing comparisons to Indiana Jones. (Spielberg himself called it "Indiana Jones for kids.") "With its mixture of treasure-hunting, globe-hopping, brawling and puzzle-solving," it's definitely a throwback to to Raiders of the Lost Ark...

7 silly Santa photos: A slideshow

By The Week Staff — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:43:00 -0500

It doesn't take an ax-wielding Santa to make a holiday photo awkward. Indeed, uncomfortable holiday photos are as much a staple of the season as egg nog and decorating the Christmas tree. Here, a collection of endearingly embarrassing moments with Santa. (And thanks to our readers for the submissions!)

11 Christmas gifts for those who have everything

By The Week Staff — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:20:00 -0500

Everyone has those hard-to-buy-for people in their lives, individuals who already own everything they could conceivably want or need. Flummoxed when it comes to holiday shopping for these problem recipients? Is money no object? Then check out these extravagant, strange, and truly original gift suggestions:

Is the U.N. declaring 'war on Santa'?

By The Week Staff — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:40:00 -0500

The video: A new UNICEF-Sweden commercial is taking a swipe at Santa Claus. In the video (watch it below), Santa begins by laughing at his desk while he examines toys. Then he picks up a box filled with UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) medical supplies — malaria tablets, rehydration bags, polio vaccines — destined for an impoverished country. Santa scoffs: "All this stuff goes to poor kids, like in Africa?" Santa then looks at a gift card the United Nations relief organization sends to people when someone makes a donation in their name. "What am I supposed to say when I give...

Are loud toys damaging your kids' hearing?

By The Week Staff — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:15:00 -0500

Raucous holiday celebrations may leave your ears ringing. But the worst offender might not be that egg-nog-swilling uncle clamorously belting Christmas carols. The most dangerous noisemaker might actually be sitting under your tree, according to a new study from the University of California, Irvine. Researchers tested a number of noisy children's toys, and found that several popular models were loud enough to damage your child's hearing when held close to the ear. Here's what you should know:

How loud do these toys get?
To find out, researchers tested two dozen popular toys in a soundproof...

When Americans banned Christmas

By The Week Staff — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:48:00 -0500

How did the first settlers celebrate Christmas?
They didn't. The Pilgrims who came to America in 1620 were strict Puritans, with firm views on religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Scripture did not name any holiday except the Sabbath, they argued, and the very concept of "holy days" implied that some days were not holy. "They for whom all days are holy can have no holiday," was a common Puritan maxim. Puritans were particularly contemptuous of Christmas, nicknaming it "Foolstide" and banning their flock from any celebration of it throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. On the first...

'Christmas tree syndrome': An instant guide

By The Week Staff — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:57:00 -0500

We've all heard of the "war on Christmas." But is Christmas declaring war on us, too? A new study from State University of New York's Upstate Medical University suggests that our beautiful, festive Christmas trees are actually making a lot of unsuspecting Christmas revelers ill, sometimes with dangerous, long-term health problems. What exactly is this "Christmas tree syndrome," and what can you do to prevent it from Grinching up Christmas? Here's what you should know:

What is Christmas tree syndrome?
It's "not as pleasant as it sounds," says Sora Song at TIME. Dr. Lawrence Kurlandsky...

The Secret Santas who are paying strangers' debts

By The Week Staff — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:15:00 -0500

The spirit of giving is alive and well across the country, especially at discount stores, where anonymous donors are paying off the layaway accounts of struggling strangers to make sure their kids get all the gifts on their Christmas lists. Here's what you should know:

What exactly to these good Samaritans do?
Typically, they call up Kmarts or Walmarts and ask to pay for Christmas gifts that impoverished parents have put on layaway for their kids. Many of the donors pay off all but a few dollars of the balance. That way, the layaway items remain in the store's system, and customers get a happy surprise...

Why are there no new Christmas songs?

By The Week Staff — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:32:00 -0500

Justin Bieber is the rare modern pop star to have a hit holiday song. The catch? The song he's singing is nearly as old as he is. Bieber is enjoying success with a new duet version of "All I Want for Christmas Is You," which Mariah Carey originally released in 1994. And really, says Jeff Alexander at TIME, Carey's was the last new Christmas track to truly enter the holiday music canon. Why can't more holiday songs find success? Perhaps radio stations, Spotify streams, satellite channels, and Vevo playlists are dividing listeners. When songs like "Frosty the Snowman" and "Rudolph...

Jimmy Kimmel's 'Terrible Christmas Presents' prank: Mean or hilarious?

By The Week Staff — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:03:00 -0500

The video: Kids say the darndest things… especially when confronted with bogglingly terrible Christmas gifts. As a prank, late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel encouraged his viewers to tape their children as they opened special early Christmas presents (reprising a Halloween segment for which Kimmel asked parents to film kids' reactions after pretending to eat their candy). The catch? The gifts were intentionally awful: A raw hot dog, a sandwich with a bite taken out of it, and a battery, among others. (Watch the video below.) The children were often left depressed, puzzled...

'All I Want for Christmas Is You': The best viral videos

By The Week Staff — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:50:00 -0500

As it does every year, Mariah Carey's 1994 holiday hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has taken over radio stations and shopping store playlists (not to mention the tween zeitgeist, thanks to a new Justin Bieber duet version). This week, the track took over the internet, too, with a trio of viral videos. (Watch all three below.) Up first: The crew of the British Royal Navy's HMS Ocean — who saw their seven-week tour at sea extended to seven months after a detour to Libya — recorded a cheeky, often shirtless lip-synched version after hearing the news that they'll be home with their...

Toygaroo: Will parents really rent kids' Christmas gifts?

By The Week Staff — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:00:00 -0500

This holiday season, some parents are turning to a new toy-rental website called Toygaroo to put more under the tree for less. Similar to Netflix, but for toys, Toygaroo provides a regular, rotating supply of toys so kids frequently get new goodies in the mail throughout the year. Here, a brief guide:

How exactly does Toygaroo work?
The online toy-rental service lets parents subscribe to plans that range in cost from $24.99 to $52.99 per month. In exchange, kids get four to eight toys a month, or every other month with the lower-end plans. At the end of a rental period, parents put the...

Tips from Santa training school: Managing kids' gift expectations

By The Week Staff — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 07:30:00 -0500

Even Santa Claus isn't immune to the effects of the recession. The New York Times reports that students and alums of the nation's largest Santa school are adjusting their act for our troubled economic times. Here, a brief guide:

First, what is this Santa school?
For the last 75 years, the non-profit Charles H. Howard Santa Claus School has worked to "uphold the traditions and preserve the history of Santa Claus." Its goal is to help students to "further define and improve their individual presentations of Santa Claus." Teachers cover the history of Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas, real-live reindeer...