Tag: Christmas

Analysis Ranks Top U.S. Cities for Christmas

The Center Square

Two cities in North Carolina and two in California are in the top five among the best cities in the country for celebrating Christmas, according to a new study from WalletHub.

Durham, N.C., edged out San Jose, Calif., by less than one point to take the top spot with a cumulative score of 68.16, compared to 67.99. Honolulu, Hawaii, took third with 67.92 points, followed by Oakland, Calif., (67.09) and Raleigh, N.C. (67).

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44 Percent of People Say They’re Not Doing Christmas in Person Due to Coronavirus

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A study found 44% of Americans said they’re not gathering for Christmas with their loved ones, a Civic Science infographic said.

More respondents in December reported canceling in-person Christmas than in October, the study’s infographic said. In October, 36% responded that they still planned in-person gatherings, but that number dropped to 30% just before the holiday.

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Favorite Christmas Songs by State

Jacob Taylor

Christmas Day has finally arrived and although many people’s plans may look quite different this year, there is one thing about the holiday season that can never be changed: catchy, calming and irresistible Christmas songs.

Whether a person listens to Christmas music all 365 days of the year or only starts once winter has set in, almost everybody has a favorite jingle that inevitably gets played more often around the holidays.

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Commentary: Charlie Brown’s Christmas Message to America

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Parents and children across America breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced that “A Charlie Brown Christmas” would air on public television after all. This classic favorite seemed ready to disappear like everything else in 2020 when Apple TV obtained the rights and planned to air the program on its streaming service, instead of broadcast TV as has been done since 1965.

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Fauci: Americans Should Not to See Their Kids for Christmas

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Dr Anthony Fauci has revealed that he and his wife won’t be spending time with their three adult children for Christmas this year and urged other Americans to do the same as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the U.S.

The nation’s alleged top infectious disease expert told The Washington Post it would mark the first Christmas not spent with his three daughters since they were born.

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Commentary: On the First day of Christmas…Teachers Got a Legal Headache Over Blurring the Line Between Church and State

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During a school year disrupted by pandemic-related closures, students across the U.S. will soon be absent for a scheduled reason: the annual Christmas break.

In New York City, the U.S.‘s largest school district, children will be off from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1. Officially called “winter” recess, the December hiatus coincides with Christian celebrations, adding to the number of approved days that many students take off from school on religious holidays, including Eid al-Fitr and Yom Kippur.

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CDC Tells Americans to ‘Stay at Home and Not Travel’ for Christmas

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discouraged Americans from Christmas travel due to the coronavirus pandemic during a telephone press conference Wednesday.

“We did put out a message to postpone and stay at home […] around Thanksgiving and we’re putting out the same message: The best thing for Americans to do in the upcoming holiday season is to stay at home and not travel,” Dr. Henry Walke, director of the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections (DPEI) in the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, said in the briefing.

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Gov. Whitmer: Michigan’s Hospitals Nearing Capacity, Family Holiday Gatherings Limited to 10 People

The Center Square

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urgently stressed the need for social distancing, masking up and frequent hand washing during a news conference held Thursday afternoon,.

Once again, Whitmer assailed the state’s legislators for not codifying the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ mask mandates by passing a bipartisan law.

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Commentary: The Powerful Messages of Christmas Carols

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This is the time of year when we hear Christmas music on the radio, in the mall, and in school concerts. Unfortunately, attempts to meet the mandates of political correctness have resulted in less air time for traditional selections. “Away in a Manger” and “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” have been replaced by such insipid fare as “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or festive but somewhat meaningless songs such as “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree.” While cultural literacy wanes for some, others know that powerful messages can be found in the old favorites.

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Jesus Robbed From Nativity Scenes Across Minnesota

Anthony Gockowski

Churches and communities across Minnesota are beginning to install security systems to prevent thieves from stealing Jesus and Mary from their Nativity scenes. The New York Times reported Sunday that Christians across the nation now have to use “bolts, cameras, and tethers” to combat the sad trend of Nativity-scene crimes. In that article, three Minnesota towns were highlighted that have seen repeat offenders. “This year, thieves have raided Nativity scenes in Tennessee, West Virginia, Minnesota, and plenty of other places, and made off with Jesus figurines,” The Times reports. In Alexandria, for instance, a baby Jesus was robbed from a creche outside a local bed-and-breakfast, whose owners told Echo Press about the incident. “At first we were very disheartened but in keeping with this joyous season of love and generosity, we decided not to despair,” said Rose and David Gibson, owners of Cedar Rose Inn. “Evidently the person/persons responsible needs Jesus in their lives, as do all Christians.” In St. Cloud, meanwhile, a Nativity set near the local fire station lost its Jesus figurine to thieves. The Star Tribune reports that the statue was part of a historic set purchased by local schoolchildren in the 1940’s. Last year, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church had its…

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The Hero of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ Isn’t George Bailey

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by Eric Teachout   I think I’m not the only person that cries every time I watch “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The movie pulls our heart strings because we can all relate to George Bailey: man has dreams to see the world and do big things, but is instead given a meager life of service. Many reduce the film’s central message to a dichotomy of  selfishness vs. selflessness, for good or ill. However, it’s not the greedy capitalists or the needs of others that George is struggling against, but something much deeper. Ultimately, George is wrestling with his own destiny, and often in the midst of life’s frustrations, so are we. I try to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” every Christmas, and after watching it this year with a friend, we noticed something new. It wasn’t the dramatic change in the protagonist, but the steadiness of his wife: the ever faithful Mary Hatch Bailey. Now we’ve all been taught—by middle school English teachers and film critics alike—that morally perfect characters are flat and boring. If this is true, then Mary Bailey should hold no sway over our hearts. Throughout the plot, Mary is seemingly flawless; about the only crime she…

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Commentary: Merry Christmas – We’re All Gonna Die (Again)!

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by Thaddeaus G. McCotter   One of the less salubrious effects of the anti-social network is how everything and anything is deemed the end of the world and, logically, the end of humanity. True, to the Regressives, the end of humanity does not mean the end of the world but, rather, a reprieve from us for Goddess Gaia. But why quibble and ruin the spirit of the season? Speaking of ruining the spirit of the season, to paraphrase President Ronald Reagan: “Well, here we are again.” Here at home, the Dow is down and the Donald’s ire is up. The government is shut down over the issue of funding for the southern border wall. General Michael Flynn was in court for sentencing and is still not sentenced. Michael Cohen is going to jail and the president has discussed the case with his acting attorney general, causing within the political class an outpouring of narcissistic panic about the fate of our free republic not seen since lunch. Naturally, the hashtag “#TrumpResign” is trending number one, because the onanistic resistance has mystically divined that this is the silver bullet that will make the bane of their existence pick up his money bags…

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The Humble Origins of Silent Night

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by Sarah Eyerly   One of the world’s most famous Christmas carols, “Silent Night,” celebrates its 200th anniversary this year. Over the centuries, hundreds of Christmas carols have been composed. Many fall quickly into obscurity. Not “Silent Night.” Translated into at least 300 languages, designated by UNESCO as a treasured item of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and arranged in dozens of different musical styles, from heavy metal to gospel, “Silent Night” has become a perennial part of the Christmas soundscape. Its origins – in a small Alpine town in the Austrian countryside – were far humbler. As a musicologist who studies historical traditions of song, the story of “Silent Night” and its meteoric rise to worldwide fame has always fascinated me. Fallout from war and famine The song’s lyrics were originally written in German just after the end of the Napoleonic Wars by a young Austrian priest named Joseph Mohr. In the fall of 1816, Mohr’s congregation in the town of Mariapfarr was reeling. Twelve years of war had decimated the country’s political and social infrastructure. Meanwhile, the previous year – one historians would later dub “The Year Without a Summer” – had been catastrophically cold. The eruption of Indonesia’s Mount…

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Darrell Scott Commentary: DNC Chair Reminds America of Dems’ Conflict With Faith

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by Darrell Scott   Democrats couldn’t have picked a worse time than the Christmas season to remind Americans how much conflict they have with people of faith. During a recent speech at a far-left conference, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez suggested that the reason people vote for Republicans is that “their principle sources of information are Fox News, the NRA newsletter, and the pulpit on Sunday.” According to Perez, the only reason Republicans view the courts as an important issue is “because that person on the pulpit is saying ‘ignore everything else that this person has done and is doing, we have to focus on one issue of Roe vs. Wade.’ And people buy it. Because that’s their only source.” In other words, Perez believes that pro-life Christians are only pro-life because they haven’t been exposed to Democrat talking points, and therefore rely solely on religious leaders for moral guidance. This is obviously a matter of grave concern for Democrats, who see organized religion primarily as competition against their own deification of government. In the eyes of liberals like Tom Perez, those who believe the Word are dumb, while those who put their faith in government are smart.…

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Former Minneapolis Mayoral Candidate Uses Christmas to Attack Trump

Anthony Gockowski

Failed Minneapolis mayoral candidate Tom Hoch is back in the news for calling President Donald Trump a “traitor” in a Christmas-lights display adorning his ritzy Lake of the Isles home. “Trump is a traitor” spelled out in Christmas lights now radiates from the top of Hoch’s home, which apparently backs up to Minneapolis’ Lake of the Isles, according to The Star Tribune. “I think it’s hard to come to any other conclusion about someone who is willing to turn against this country for his own enrichment,” Hoch explained. “I don’t view this as a big judgment call; this is a true statement.” His holiday message is likely viewed by hundreds of passersby everyday who visit Lake of the Isles for a walk or bike ride, or pass through the downtown Minneapolis destination on their way to work. But Hoch claims that the response has been only positive, and said he’s even been asked to keep the display up year round. “I was walking my dog and some guy pulled over and said, ‘Bravo, Bravo!’” Hoch told The Star Tribune. “A lot of people have stopped. I’ve been quite surprised.” Fr. James Bretzke, Hoch’s cousin and a Catholic priest, celebrated the…

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Atlanta Suburb Honors Hometown Hero, Injured Tennessee State Football Player Christion Abercrombie

Scott Wallace

SOUTH FULTON, Georgia – Cheerleaders, students and football players recently filled Westlake High School’s gymnasium for a pep rally, but there was no football game. School leaders welcomed back injured Tennessee State University football player Christion Abercrombie, a Westlake graduate. It’s the first time Abercrombie has made a public appearance since being injured during the TSU game against cross-town rival Vanderbilt University. He suffered a life-threatening head injury during his team’s 31-27 loss. He collapsed on the sideline. The team knew it was serious, but had no idea he would have emergency surgery on his skull that night and many more ahead. “He understands some days and some days he doesn’t. (It) depends on his mood,” said mom Staci Abercrombie. After several surgeries and lots of prayer, Abercrombie is moving quickly on the road to recovery. “Christion is an inspiration to all of us,” said South Fulton Mayor Bill Edwards. “He has persevered through his head injury. In football sometimes, the other team will recover a fumble. Christion has recovered his own fumble and is still on the road to recovery. Today, December 19, 2018 from now on will be known as Christion Abercrombie Day in the City of South…

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Commentary: Why the Left Hates the Holidays

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by Robert Miller   As immediate memories of the midterm elections fade in the face of the holiday season, the country’s cultural cold war will inevitably encompass battles over “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy Holidays,” the appropriate “inclusiveness” of workplace parties, and absurd debates over Starbucks coffee cups and the potential racism of “Jingle Bells.” As December unfolds and guides us towards a 2019 guaranteed to be plagued with political polarization, it is worth examining the deeper civilizational zeitgeist beneath the annual seasonal festivities. Underpinning our annual holiday dilemmas is an elemental divide in Western civilization, and one that juxtaposes Judeo-Christian meaning against materialism and nihilism. Christmas and Hanukkah, the two premier holidays of December in America, both celebrate concepts that are an anathema to the Left. Hanukkah, with its celebration of religious liberty and military victory carries with it a commemoration of national sovereignty in the face of a godless and power-hungry government. The religious meaning of Christmas and its focus upon the advent of a historical incarnation of the Divine within a human being places inherent worth within the individual. In the case of the Christian tradition, a human incarnation of the Divine is predicated upon the notion that…

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President Trump Has Fun with His Grandkids and Son Barron in Family Photos from Christmas Dinner

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The picture appears to have been taken during the Trump family’s Christmas celebrations in Mar-A-Lago and features Barron posing between his two younger nephews with the presidential photobomb going on unnoticed behind them. The foursome celebrated Christmas with the whole rest of the family, including First Lady Melania Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, their respective spouses and all nine of the president’s grandchildren at his Florida resort.

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Why Jesus Came into the World

Tennessee Star Staff

When my niece, Alexandria, was very young, she was always eager to come and help arrange the figures. She carefully studied the placement of every angel and shepherd, frequently stepping back to evaluate her work. This ritual always seemed to prompt questions: “Did the Baby Jesus get cold in the manger?” she would ask. “Did Mary and Joseph have a blanket to cover Him, or were those swaddling clothes warm enough?” One December, as we put out the worn old manger and its well-loved pieces, my niece asked her most profound question yet: “Uncle Alex, why did Jesus come?”

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Groundbreaking ‘Trans-Siberian Orchestra’ Founder Paul O’Neill Found Dead

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star

  The music world has suffered another loss as the unexpected passing of Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO) founder Paul O’Neill was announced Wednesday.   The Los Angeles Times reported: Paul O’Neill, who founded the progressive metal band Trans-Siberian Orchestra that was known for its spectacular holiday concerts filled with theatrics, lasers and pyrotechnics, has died at the age of 61. O’Neill was found dead in his room by hotel staff at a Tampa Embassy Suites late Wednesday afternoon, University of South Florida police spokeswoman Renna Reddick said. There were no obvious signs of foul play, and a medical examiner is working to determine an official cause, she said. TSO burst onto the music scene shortly after their founding in 1996 with their unique re-imagining Christmas carols an original holiday-themed tunes – but many will remember their first time hearing the band with this classic viral video from 2005: https://youtu.be/rmgf60CI_ks   Selling more that 12,000,000 albums and selling out the largest arenas, TSO defied the struggles many music acts face in today’s marketplace. LATimes: O’Neill was a rock producer and manager who began putting together the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in 1996, blending heavy metal with classical music and creating a unique brand…

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