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Christmas

Santa could make his home on floating sea ice, but the Arctic may be ice free as early as 2016, according to the U.S. Navy.

Six Ways Climate Change Is Waging War on Christmas

If Santa really lived at the North Pole, he would have drowned long ago—his icy abode is slowly melting

How America’s Most Popular Potted Plant Captured Christmas

On National Poinsettia Day, the third generation behind the Ecke Family Ranch talks about how his family developed a hundred varieties of the plant

Would You Eat A Holiday Dinner in a Can?

British designer Chris Godfrey dreams up a tinned, nine-course meal for gamers glued to their consoles

New York Might Never Top the 1949 Rockefeller Center Tree

Although this years tree will have far more lights (45,000 in total) it won’t be quite the silver, spinning whirlwind of 1949

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With 502,165 Bulbs, Australian Man Retakes World Record for Most Christmas Lights on a Single Home

David Richards first claimed that title back in 2001, with a paltry 331,038 lights, but last year he was overtaken by a New York family

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Santa Claus Builds A Flying Machine

As the 1800s gave way to the 1900s, many Americans felt that old Saint Nick needed a new way of getting from house to house

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Last Minute Food-Themed Gift Ideas

There’s still time to pick up these magazines, books, kitchen gadgets and food stuffs for your Christmas shopping needs

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The Scientific Reason Why Reindeer Have Red Noses

Some reindeer really do have red noses, a result of densely packed blood vessels near the skin’s surface

Actor Bing Crosby, Actresses Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen, and Actor Danny Kaye, during the 1954 Paramount production of “White Christmas.”

Is White Christmas the Best Popular Song Ever Written?

The idyllic scenes of the dreamy holiday tune were painted by a Russian Jewish immigrant named Israel Baline, better known as Irving Berlin

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Not Even Canadians Are Likely To Get a White Christmas This Year

The odds of a white Christmas has dropped 15% in recent decades

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Your Guide to the Most Delicious Drinks for the Holidays

Few beers may so strongly evoke the image of dark winters and frozen European landscapes as Imperial Stout—and a bottle fits nicely in a Christmas stocking

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The Christmas Tree Worm, Decorating Coral Reefs Year-Round

The oceans show holiday spirit with a worm on coral reefs that resembles a fluffy fir tree adorned with colored ornaments.

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Why Japan Is Obsessed With Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas

Thanks to the successful “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign in 1974, Japan can’t get enough KFC on Christmas Day

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The First Nativity Scene Was Created in 1223

Nativity buffs will also note that the familiar cast of characters relied upon today is not biblically accurate

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The Legend of the Christmas Stocking

What’s behind the holiday tradition of hanging hosiery on the fireplace?

Holiday card design, 195-?. Frederick Hammersley papers, circa 1860s, 1890-2009

Handmade Christmas Cards Sent By Famous Artists to Their Friends

Original designs from artists over the years to celebrate the holidays

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Pet Store Refuses to Sell Impulse-Buy Puppies for Christmas

Too many animals end up on death row, one Australian pet shop says, so their shop will not sell kittens or puppies around Christmas time

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Your Christmas Tree Helps Fight Climate Change

The key for trapping carbon lies in the soil, rather than the trees.

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Your Guide to Selecting the Best (or Is It Worst?) Ugly Christmas Sweater

Holiday cheer with a touch of nostalgia celebrates garish knitwear from the 1940s to ‘80s

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We Don’t Know the Origins of the Candy Cane, But They Almost Certainly Were Not Christian

There are a lot of explanations floating around out there about the candy cane—but almost none of them are true

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