A “classic” Christmas movie isn’t just old—it’s rewatchable. It’s the kind of film (or TV special) people return to every December because it delivers something reliable: comfort, laughs, a hit of nostalgia, or that one scene everyone quotes at the … Read More
For many people, Christmas is as much about what’s on the table as what’s under the tree. While dishes vary from country to country (and even from family to family), certain Christmas foods show up again and again because they’re … Read More
The holiday season has commenced in Manhattan with the 99th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, filling the streets with large character balloons, intricate floats, and hundreds of performers. The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. ET on the Upper West Side … Read More
Christmas is celebrated in some form on every inhabited continent, and while the details vary wildly, a lot of the underlying themes are surprisingly similar: light in the darkness, sharing food, giving gifts, and spending time with people you care … Read More
Santa Claus is the jolly, bearded gift-giver of Christmas Eve, but behind the red suit and flying reindeer is a story that stretches back more than 1,700 years. Let’s unpack who “Santa” really is and how this legendary figure came … Read More
Christmas is, at its heart, the Christian celebration of God becoming human in the birth of Jesus Christ—and, over time, it has also become a global cultural festival woven from scripture, theology, empire politics, winter traditions, and a lot of … Read More
Most of the world celebrates Christmas on December 25. But in many churches and countries you’ll also see Christmas on January 7, January 6, or (in one famous local exception) January 19. The differences aren’t about different stories—they’re mostly about … Read More
Christmas characters and food, Christmas-linked holidays and music, Santa Claus and traditions. Related to Annunciation, Incarnation; Crucifixion; Advent, the four weeks preceding Christmas; and the period between the day after Thanksgiving and the Sunday after New Year”s Day, the American … Read More
Saint Nicholas is celebrated in Germany from the tenth century, and the day of December 6 is chosen as the day of the festival of traders, bakers and sailors. The Saint-Nicolas is today a festival mainly directed towards children, staging … Read More
(The Immaculate Conception (1628-1629) by Pierre Paul Rubens, Prado Museum.) The Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8th, or on December 9th when the 8th falls on a Sunday, the “supposed” date of Mary’s conception, since 1477, by decision of … Read More
Christmas carols are songs (Christian or secular) traditionally interpreted during the holiday season. According to Catholic tradition, the first Christmas carols were sung by the angels above the manger to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. Historically, the first Christmas … Read More
Before the Christianization of the West, Christmas was called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti and corresponded to the birth day of Sol Invictus. The date of 25 December has been set as the great feast of the undefeated Sun (Sol Invictus) … Read More
