Christmas Newswire:  Oldman to Play Multiple Parts in Christmas Carol

It seems to be a trend in Christmas movies made by Robert Zemeckis. Just as Tom Hanks played multiple characters in Polar Express Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman are tabbed to take up several characters in Zemeckis’ adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Gary Oldman revealed that not only will he have a part in the [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  White Christmas Could Hit Broadway in 2008

With the Grinch on the fence about returning to New York this November, producer Kevin McCollum is in talks to bring a stage adaptation of the 1954 Irving Berlin movie musical “White Christmas” to Broadway. McCollum, 46, said he needs concessions from Broadway’s unions to make the $4 million to $4.5 million show viable. “I [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Classic TV Episodes Coming to DVD

Paramount Home Entertainment has announced the October 7th release of T.V. Sets: Holiday Treats, a new single-disc release compiling “8 heart-warming classic TV episodes” from some of the most beloved shows in their library: Family Ties, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Brady Bunch, The Andy Griffith Show, Frasier, Wings and the stalled-on-DVD series Taxi [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas with the Nelsons (Ozzie & Harriet)

Shout! Factory has announced that The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet - Christmas With The Nelsons will be roasting on an open DVD player in your household this holiday season! This is a 90-minute collection from the longest-running sitcom on U.S. television (well, for now…The Simpsons is set to pass it in episode count next [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Lifetime Networks Show Christmas in July

Lifetime Networks celebrates Christmas in July, all month long. The festive programming on the two most popular women’s networks begins with “Fa La La La Fourth” — Lifetime Television’s Independence Day lineup of Christmas-only movies airing Friday, July 4, from 9AM-11PM (ET/PT). Hosted by Melissa Peterman (”Reba”), “Fa La La La Fourth” features talent including Dylan Walsh, Rob Lowe, Valerie [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Drake and Josh Do Christmas

Nickelodeon Thursday announced that Drake Bell and Josh Peck, stars of the network’s popular teen sitcom Drake & Josh, will co-star in “Drake & Josh: Best Christmas Ever,” an original television movie coming to the network in December. Filming on the new movie, which was announced Thursday by Marjorie Cohn, Nickelodeon’s, executive vice president, development and [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Actor Who Played Young George Bailey Dies

Robert J. Anderson, a former child actor best known for playing the young George Bailey in the 1946 Christmas film classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” has died. He was 75. Known as Bobbie when he was young and Bob as an adult, Anderson died Friday of melanoma at his Palm Springs home, said Stephen Cox, a [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Canadian City Changing from Christmas to Winter Lights

The plug may be pulled on the candy canes, Santa characters and toy soldiers that have lit up downtown streets for the past two decades. There’s a plan in the works to replace the traditional Christmas decorations with “more general winter-oriented designs” as early as this fall. “In the last few years we’ve got more and more [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Movie Pushed Back to 2009

The holiday-themed movie that was filmed during a whirlwind production schedule last month now isn’t scheduled to be released until Thanksgiving of 2009. “Last Ounce of Courage,” which will be about a small-town mayor who is fed up with the political correctness of Christmas, originally was planned to be released this Christmas. Officials from Outpost Pictures [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Grinch Starts National Stage Run

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas will be going on tour starting later this year. The musical played the St. James in 2007 and the Hilton in 2006 but will now be spreading its cheer at Baltimore’s Hippodrome from Nov. 11-23. Patrick Page starred in the Broadway production but no casting has been announced [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Tree a Headache for Florida City

Poor Port St. Lucie, Florida. For years they have been teased in the media because their Christmas tree kept dying. Season after season the city spent thousands in an effort to replace a beloved city symbol in a tree that had served well for decades but succumbed to a disease. They planted new trees each [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  A Christmas Treasure Returned

When the Hock family Christmas tree goes up this year, one ornament is likely to stand out. The small, silver nutcracker, which marks a child’s first Christmas, was nearly lost. Come December, “We would have wondered where it was,” Meg Hock said last week of the ornament that contains a photo of her oldest son, [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  The Christmas Card of Anne Frank

A Christmas card from Anne Frank has been found in a Dutch antique shop. The card, bearing the signature of the schoolgirl who hid from the Nazis for years in an Amsterdam house before being caught, was sent in 1937 two years before war broke out. It was addressed to Samme Ledermann, one of Anne’s best friends, [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  ‘Best Santa Ever” Arrested on Sex Charges

Sad news for Christmas fans everywhere — the worst kind of predator is also known as “the best Santa ever”. News like this comes as parents and Santa Claus Employment agencies continue to grapple with issues revolving around the backgrounds of professional Santas. A rare international alert seeking a man shown in dozens of raw child [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Light Regulation Turning UK Humbug

In the name of health and safety many British towns may have to forego festive lighting this holiday season. According to a report in the Telegraph stringent new regulations and huge insurance premium increases could make Christmas lights scarce. This year councils must use a pressure gauge to individually test every bolt holding a cable [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Mrs. Fields Attacked for Avoiding Christmas

The American Family Association took aim at Wal Mart last year — and won. After declaring “an open mind” when it came to the use of the word “Christmas” in their advertising, Wal Mart caved and splashed “Christmas” liberally. This year, the American Family Association is targeting a more upscale outfit: Mrs. Field’s Cookies. Last [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Researcher Claims Scientific Proof of Christmas Star

For centuries, historians, scientists and scholars have debated the existence of the Star of Bethlehem in the Biblical telling of Christ’s birth. Now the existence of this celebrated, yet debated, Star has been proven by Texas lawyer and professor, Rick Larson, in the documentary, “The Star of Bethlehem,” available on DVD Oct. 23 at [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  What We Really Want for Christmas

The votes are in — and we want high tech for Christmas this year. According to Solutions Research Group, 76% of all Americans want some sort of digital gizmo under the tree this year. Their survey of more than 1200 Americans in September 2007 shows that just about any kind of tech product easily beats [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Site of the Week: TERD.org

No, we’re not being crude and we’re not making this up. We’re loudly applauding the efforts of an organization that aims to “to explain the unexplainable, prove the unprovable, and make the mysterious unmysterious.” We’re talking about T.E.R.D. This is what they claim: “There are a lot of websites with a lot of phony [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Did the City Really Steal Christmas?

It all began in the heat of summer — and by asking for permission. Ankeny, Iowa sounds like a reasonable place. Located in the heart of the Midwest, this little town of of roughly 35,000 is reportedly as American as apple pie. But these days it defends itself from anti-Christmas charges.   Dave Sanderson, a local [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Michigan Court Battle, Vote Heating Up

Last winter, cowed by threats from the ACLU, the Berkley City Council in Michigan voted to remove a decades-old nativity display from city property. The council’s controversial action ignored the plea from many of this small town’s citizens to keep the display. As a result, a grassroots effort “Berkley Citizens Vote YES to [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Strategies For Planning Early Christmas Shopping

Shopping early for the Christmas is always a good idea because you will find yourself ahead of vast majority of the crowds that only start their shopping when Christmas is just days or weeks away. Shoppers and other people generally will be green in envy this holiday season knowing that you are way ahead [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Bloggers Awaken to Wage Christmas Battle

Let the games begin. Around the world and documented in the blogosphere the war on Christmas 2007 has begun. From the UK, comes this musing about whether or not the war starts a little earlier each year. Here is a recent convert to atheism wondering if she’s selling out to Christians by celebrating Christmas. Here is a sad [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  The Family Christmas Meal

Cooking large meals during the holiday season is basically a holiday tradition in many families. It is part of the fabric of a family. I can remember countless years of gathering the extended family around a large table (children at their own table of course), attempting to put aside the disagreements of the past [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Three Tips for Decorating for the Holidays

You don’t have to work yourself into a frenzy to decorate your home for the holidays. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best and can help to reduce the stress level of major holidays. First of all, you don’t have to go run out and buy your decorations the same year the holiday comes up [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Fergus Falls Debates the Christmas Tree

News that Fergus Falls will hold a community Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the evening after Thanksgiving Day has switched on an interesting little debate on The Journal’s web site. The topic at hand isn’t really whether the community tree lighting is a good idea. Most seem to think it is a fine plan, a [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Site of the Week: Old Christmas Lights.com

Christmas brings out the best of passions in people. Some folks like to bake, some go crazy for decorating and others even wear Christmas colors all season to show their spirit. This week we’re thrilled to introduce you to George Nelson, a pioneer in celebrating Christmas online through his passion for old Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  The Legend of the Christmas Flower

The ancient Aztecs considered the poinsettia to be a symbol of purity. Today, poinsettias are the most easily recognized flower symbolic of Christmas. Poinsettias are also known as the “Christmas flower” and “Mexican flame leaf.” Poinsettias originally came from Mexico and Central America. According to legend, one day near Christmas a child who was too [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Canadian Muslims Debate Christmas

Muslims in Canada are speaking out about Christmas. And it is a subject they can hardly agree on. A Canadian mosque has warned followers that wishing someone a Merry Christmas is like congratulating a murderer, reports the Toronto Star. The e-mailed alert went out on the Khalid Bin Al-Walid mosque’s Internet message service on Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Inexpensive and Creative Christmas Decorating

Christmas decorating doesn’t have to be a bank-breaking event. There are plenty of ways to create a warm and festive environment with limited resources. Begin by pulling out all the family favorites. Homemade ornaments made throughout the years are far more special than anything you could buy in the store. Display them on your [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Town Killing Off Christmas Charity

It is one of those “can’t see the forest thru the trees” scenarios — literally. Springettsbury Township in York County, Pennsylvania, wants to end a 20-year tradition by denying the operation of Glenn Olsen’s Christmas Tree Lot due to a new ordinance dealing with temporary use permits. Big deal, right? After all, old Glenn can [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Sears to Revive Their Christmas Wishbook

Sears Christmas Wishbook was part of the Christmases of my childhood. Every autumn the Wishbook would come out and with it came my dreams of Christmas. I literally once had a dream where I won a Sears contest that gave the winner one item from every page in the Wishbook. I dreamt that I had to [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  24 Creative Gift Wrap Ideas

The purpose of a present is to make the recipient feel treasured, and with a little special care in the gift wrap, you can do just that. Here are 24 creative gift wrap ideas. 1. Wrap your gifts with another gift. For example, you might wrap a gift with a bright new silk scarf. Wrap a [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  What Guys Really Want for Christmas

Okay, ladies: listen up! I am here to tell you what men want for Christmas. It isn’t cologne and it isn’t some awful looking tie. Please! It could be NFL playoff tickets, but we know that prices for them are through the roof. Instead, us guys want stuff that is both useful and practical [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Ramadan Added to School Holidays

Instead of banning Christmas and Halloween, an Illinois school board decided to add Ramadan to the school calendar. Dozens of parents said at an Oak Lawn school board meeting Tuesday night that while they’re happy to have a student body of varying religions, they want to keep celebrating what they say are traditional American holidays [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas for the Rich and Shameless

Neiman Marcus unveiled its 81st annual Christmas Book Tuesday, boasting everything from a $20 set of four peppermint tins to a $2.3 million getaway to the Ameya Preserve in Montana. The Dallas-based luxury retailer’s catalog, first published in 1926, is seen by many as a harbinger of the Christmas shopping season. The “ultimate wish book” [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas With the Kranks

Based on the best-selling John Grisham novel titled Skipping Christmas, Christmas With The Kranks resembles the book in almost every facet save for the title. Starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, Christmas With The Kranks is an instant Christmas holiday classic. Although not in the same league of Yule tide comedy gems Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas With the Kranks

Based on the best-selling John Grisham novel titled Skipping Christmas, Christmas With The Kranks resembles the book in almost every facet save for the title. Starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, Christmas With The Kranks is an instant Christmas holiday classic. Although not in the same league of Yule tide comedy gems Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Light Regulation Turning UK Humbug

In the name of health and safety many British towns may have to forego festive lighting this holiday season. According to a report in the Telegraph stringent new regulations and huge insurance premium increases could make Christmas lights scarce. This year councils must use a pressure gauge to individually test every bolt holding a cable [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Mrs. Fields Attacked for Avoiding Christmas

The American Family Association took aim at Wal Mart last year — and won. After declaring “an open mind” when it came to the use of the word “Christmas” in their advertising, Wal Mart caved and splashed “Christmas” liberally. This year, the American Family Association is targeting a more upscale outfit: Mrs. Field’s Cookies. Last [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Researcher Claims Scientific Proof of Christmas Star

For centuries, historians, scientists and scholars have debated the existence of the Star of Bethlehem in the Biblical telling of Christ’s birth. Now the existence of this celebrated, yet debated, Star has been proven by Texas lawyer and professor, Rick Larson, in the documentary, “The Star of Bethlehem,” available on DVD Oct. 23 at [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  What We Really Want for Christmas

The votes are in — and we want high tech for Christmas this year. According to Solutions Research Group, 76% of all Americans want some sort of digital gizmo under the tree this year. Their survey of more than 1200 Americans in September 2007 shows that just about any kind of tech product easily beats [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Site of the Week: TERD.org

No, we’re not being crude and we’re not making this up. We’re loudly applauding the efforts of an organization that aims to “to explain the unexplainable, prove the unprovable, and make the mysterious unmysterious.” We’re talking about T.E.R.D. This is what they claim: “There are a lot of websites with a lot of phony [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Did the City Really Steal Christmas?

It all began in the heat of summer — and by asking for permission. Ankeny, Iowa sounds like a reasonable place. Located in the heart of the Midwest, this little town of of roughly 35,000 is reportedly as American as apple pie. But these days it defends itself from anti-Christmas charges.   Dave Sanderson, a local [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Michigan Court Battle, Vote Heating Up

Last winter, cowed by threats from the ACLU, the Berkley City Council in Michigan voted to remove a decades-old nativity display from city property. The council’s controversial action ignored the plea from many of this small town’s citizens to keep the display. As a result, a grassroots effort “Berkley Citizens Vote YES to [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Strategies For Planning Early Christmas Shopping

Shopping early for the Christmas is always a good idea because you will find yourself ahead of vast majority of the crowds that only start their shopping when Christmas is just days or weeks away. Shoppers and other people generally will be green in envy this holiday season knowing that you are way ahead [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Bloggers Awaken to Wage Christmas Battle

Let the games begin. Around the world and documented in the blogosphere the war on Christmas 2007 has begun. From the UK, comes this musing about whether or not the war starts a little earlier each year. Here is a recent convert to atheism wondering if she’s selling out to Christians by celebrating Christmas. Here is a sad [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  The Family Christmas Meal

Cooking large meals during the holiday season is basically a holiday tradition in many families. It is part of the fabric of a family. I can remember countless years of gathering the extended family around a large table (children at their own table of course), attempting to put aside the disagreements of the past [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Three Tips for Decorating for the Holidays

You don’t have to work yourself into a frenzy to decorate your home for the holidays. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best and can help to reduce the stress level of major holidays. First of all, you don’t have to go run out and buy your decorations the same year the holiday comes up [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Fergus Falls Debates the Christmas Tree

News that Fergus Falls will hold a community Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the evening after Thanksgiving Day has switched on an interesting little debate on The Journal’s web site. The topic at hand isn’t really whether the community tree lighting is a good idea. Most seem to think it is a fine plan, a [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Site of the Week: Old Christmas Lights.com

Christmas brings out the best of passions in people. Some folks like to bake, some go crazy for decorating and others even wear Christmas colors all season to show their spirit. This week we’re thrilled to introduce you to George Nelson, a pioneer in celebrating Christmas online through his passion for old Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  The Legend of the Christmas Flower

The ancient Aztecs considered the poinsettia to be a symbol of purity. Today, poinsettias are the most easily recognized flower symbolic of Christmas. Poinsettias are also known as the “Christmas flower” and “Mexican flame leaf.” Poinsettias originally came from Mexico and Central America. According to legend, one day near Christmas a child who was too [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Canadian Muslims Debate Christmas

Muslims in Canada are speaking out about Christmas. And it is a subject they can hardly agree on. A Canadian mosque has warned followers that wishing someone a Merry Christmas is like congratulating a murderer, reports the Toronto Star. The e-mailed alert went out on the Khalid Bin Al-Walid mosque’s Internet message service on Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Town Killing Off Christmas Charity

It is one of those “can’t see the forest thru the trees” scenarios — literally. Springettsbury Township in York County, Pennsylvania, wants to end a 20-year tradition by denying the operation of Glenn Olsen’s Christmas Tree Lot due to a new ordinance dealing with temporary use permits. Big deal, right? After all, old Glenn can [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Ramadan Added to School Holidays

Instead of banning Christmas and Halloween, an Illinois school board decided to add Ramadan to the school calendar. Dozens of parents said at an Oak Lawn school board meeting Tuesday night that while they’re happy to have a student body of varying religions, they want to keep celebrating what they say are traditional American holidays [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Inexpensive and Creative Christmas Decorating

Christmas decorating doesn’t have to be a bank-breaking event. There are plenty of ways to create a warm and festive environment with limited resources. Begin by pulling out all the family favorites. Homemade ornaments made throughout the years are far more special than anything you could buy in the store. Display them on your [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Sears to Revive Their Christmas Wishbook

Sears Christmas Wishbook was part of the Christmases of my childhood. Every autumn the Wishbook would come out and with it came my dreams of Christmas. I literally once had a dream where I won a Sears contest that gave the winner one item from every page in the Wishbook. I dreamt that I had to [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  24 Creative Gift Wrap Ideas

The purpose of a present is to make the recipient feel treasured, and with a little special care in the gift wrap, you can do just that. Here are 24 creative gift wrap ideas. 1. Wrap your gifts with another gift. For example, you might wrap a gift with a bright new silk scarf. Wrap a [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  What Guys Really Want for Christmas

Okay, ladies: listen up! I am here to tell you what men want for Christmas. It isn’t cologne and it isn’t some awful looking tie. Please! It could be NFL playoff tickets, but we know that prices for them are through the roof. Instead, us guys want stuff that is both useful and practical [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas for the Rich and Shameless

Neiman Marcus unveiled its 81st annual Christmas Book Tuesday, boasting everything from a $20 set of four peppermint tins to a $2.3 million getaway to the Ameya Preserve in Montana. The Dallas-based luxury retailer’s catalog, first published in 1926, is seen by many as a harbinger of the Christmas shopping season. The “ultimate wish book” [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas With the Kranks

Based on the best-selling John Grisham novel titled Skipping Christmas, Christmas With The Kranks resembles the book in almost every facet save for the title. Starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, Christmas With The Kranks is an instant Christmas holiday classic. Although not in the same league of Yule tide comedy gems Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Wal Mart Announces Their Top 12 Toys of Christmas

With its annual list of the “Top 12 Toys of Christmas,” Wal-Mart announced today an added incentive for early holiday shopping — numerous, deep rollbacks on what the retailer considers to be the items on wish lists this year. Starting this week, Wal-Mart will announce rollbacks each week in this aggressive move to lead the [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Four Great Christmas Craft Ideas

Homemade Christmas decorations are some of the most unique. They are also a lot of fun because you can enjoy them with your family. Below are 4 fun and easy to make homemade Christmas decorations: Popcorn Stringing If you like strung popcorn, it’s really simple to make. Start with a big bowl of popcorn (unbuttered, of [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Organizing Your Holiday Baking

There is nothing more comforting than the smell of Christmas cookies fresh out of the oven. As a little girl, I remember eagerly watching my mom, as she would carefully remove the hot cookie sheets from the oven. I couldn’t wait to help decorate with the homemade frosting, the cinnamon candies and the multi-colored [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Traditions: Manufacturing Memories

What are your favorite memories of the holidays as a child? More than likely those memories include family traditions from, the day you choose to decorate your tree, to the kinds of food you eat at the holidays. Remember that you and your husband came from separate families with different customs and traditions. When creating a legacy [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  A Sneak Peek at This Christmas

Here is the first trailer for Chris Brown’s new movie This Christmas, to be released in November: Share This [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Mr. Finnegan’s Giving Chest

Dick Van Dyke will forever be remembered as Bert in the classic movie “Mary Poppins.” Now he touches a whole new generation of fans with the beautifully illustrated Christmas book “Mr. Finnegan’s Giving Chest” (Shadow Mountain, $19.95). Van Dyke portrays the loveable toymaker Mr. Finnegan, and also reads the book on an accompanying CD. Mr. [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Site of the Week: Why Christmas

In all the years we’ve followed Christmas online we’ve seen just a handful of sites dedicated to Christmas that were non-commercial in nature and that actually stayed online. This week we feature such a site and we dare to say that not only has this site survived the dot com crashes that so [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas and the Salvation Army

The Red Kettle campaign, first started in San Francisco in 1891, has traditionally been The Salvation Army’s most prominent fund-raiser. In 2004, the Salvation Army raised over $100 million in communities nationwide, with the spare change all being put to good use in the towns where the money was deposited into the kettles. The funds [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Frosty the Snowman

A gold member of the Christmas classic elite, Frosty The Snowman has entertained several generations of children and adults with its charming holiday magic. Jimmy Durante narrates this 1969 animated creation that features the birth of Frosty, a happy upbeat snowman brought to life by a magical hat. The story is based on the [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  The Benefits of Christmas Shopping Online

I recently did a radio interview with a station based out of Arkansas and we were discussing the differences between doing your Christmas shopping at the local mall versus shopping online. I made the point that many consumers still like to go the mall to get some of that Holiday vibe and the sense [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  A Modern Christmas Classic

Americans are being inspired to reach out to others in a whole new way by the book Christmas Jars (Shadow Mountain, $7.95, softcover). Bursting on to the national scene in 2005 by selling nearly 90,000 copies in three short months, Christmas Jars unfolds the story of Hope Jensen, a young newspaper reporter who receives [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

If you’re working on a weight loss plan, one of the most difficult times of year can be the holidays. Around Christmas and New Years, the parties and meals you’ll attend will include foods that are high in fat and calories and low in nutrition. Fortunately, by following these five tips you can stick [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Delicious Christmas Pudding

Pudding Recipes given here are easy to cook and absolutely delicious. Properly made Christmas puddings will be extremely tasty and make your Christmas celebrations a memorable experience. Enjoy these Puddings with your loved ones during this Christmas. Christmas Pudding (1). Ingredients of Christmas Pudding:- 1 lb. raisins (stoned), 1 lb. chopped apples, 1 lb. currants, 1 lb. [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  What to Look For in An Artificial Christmas Tree

You walk through the aisles of your big box retailer and you see dozens of Artificial Christmas Trees. It’s hard not to think of the convenience and low maintenance of a fake tree this year. The retailer has a large selection of trees in many price ponts. What’s the difference between the trees. First, be [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Save Your Christmas Tree From Your Cat

How many years have you spent, with your cat finding your Christmas Tree irresistible? Younger cats love to play with the baubles hanging off the tree, as they are shiny and interesting things that they don’t see very often. What normally happens when your cat spots the baubles is that it will tap it [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Starting Inexpensive Christmas Traditions

The Christmas holiday is fast approaching and along with it the overspending and over abundance of stuff, stuff and more stuff. What usually comes after the ‘stuff’ has been devoured destroyed or stashed away? For most families it’s the stress of how to pay the credit card bills. Here’s an idea, keep the cards [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Sissel Perform Christmas

Music critics have called her voice “ethereal,” “pristine” and “captivating.” Throughout her career, Norwegian-born singing sensation Sissel has performed with a variety of artists such as Celine Dion and Sting. But for Sissel, singing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square was “a match made in heaven.” In her first-ever Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Left Off School Calendars

When parents and PTA members of Monroe-Woodbury took the district to task last week for identifying some religious holidays in its calendar and not others, they were not alone. Officials of Clarkstown School District in Rockland County (New York) said that it plans to reprint all of its calendars after it was discovered that Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Sonoma California Re-Ignites Christmas Controversy

Some people were already calling it the “Creche War” before Wednesday night’s City Council convened. There were expectations that angry words would fill the air. But by the time a succession of concerned citizens had each finished their allotted three minutes at the podium during an 80-minute public hearing, there was a minimum of verbal [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Toby Keith Finds Jesus

In a new video message on his website, Toby Keith tells his fans that he made the upcoming Yuletide album, A Classic Christmas, for them so they can have “more of the big dog” during the holidays. Toby says that for him, Christmas is the most important birthday of the year, and he makes [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Reality Christmas Television

First there came word of television cameras following Santas around while doing their duties in the malls at Christmastime. And now this new idea from NBC about choirs trying to outsing each other with Christmas carols in a televised competition. NBC is putting a new twist on the reality singing-competition genre with “Clash of the Choirs,” [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Tony Bennet Re-Issues “Snowfall” as “Deluxe Edition”!

Bennett’s Christmas Album, Snowfall, was first issued as a 10-song LP in 1968 and was a yuletide staple for years. In 1994, it was upgraded to CD for the first time, expanded with a bonus track recorded on The Jon Stewart Show (broadcast at the time by MTV Networks). Ten years later, the CD [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Smithereens to release Christmas CD

New York, NY — Central Jersey favorite rock ‘n’ roll sons The Smithereens wil released their first Christmas CD Oct. 9 on KOCH Records. “Christmas with The Smithereens” is hot on the heels of the smash Beatles tribute, “Meet the Smithereens,” their version of the Beatles debut album. “THE SMITHEREENS set out to re-invent the Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Jaci Velasquez to Release Christmas EP

Jaci Velasquez will release a 3-track Christmas/New Year’s EP titled Open House on 30 October, A’postrophe Records announced. This EP includes a well-known Christmas song “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”, an original Christmas song titled “Quiet Christmas Night” and also a Velasquez version of “Auld Lang Syne”, the popular New Year’s song. Velasquez states, “I [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Site of the Week: Christmas Crafts at Kaboose.com

Christmas is hands-on and we found a site — Kaboose.com’s Christmas Crafts — that will show you just how hands-on it can be. It is another winner of our Site of the Week honors. Technically, Kaboose.com isn’t a Christmas site. It is a family/Mom portal featuring a plethora of parenting, schooling and family material. But [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Booking Holiday Travel

Years ago one of my favorite all-time holiday movies was Planes, Trains and Automobiles. This John Hughes late-80s classic still tickles me but there are scenes within it now that just make me cringe. Steve Martin’s rental counter meltdown is one such scene. But holiday travel does not have to be such a drag. And [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Easy Holiday Reading

If there is one thing the Internet is great for it is the rise in popularity of self-publishing. Never in the history of man has it been easier for one to get their opinions and passions broadcast to an international audience. For a topic like Christmas, the Internet is the ultimate sharing device. Take Christmas Town.net, [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Alvin and the Chipmunks — Remastered

Alvin, Simon and Theodore are household names around the world as the mischievous members of a Grammy-winning ensemble that has sold more than 43 million albums. Since first scurrying into the charts in 1958, Alvin & The Chipmunks have put their trademark spin on many of music’s most popular rock, pop, country and standard [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Randy Travis Releasing 2nd Christmas CD

Randy Travis will release his second Christmas album, Songs of the Season, on Sept. 25 on Word Records. It’s his first Christmas album since An Old Time Christmas in 1989. Selections include “Away in a Manger,” “O Holy Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Angels We Have Heard on High” and “Let It [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Kimberley Locke to Release a Modern Christmas Album

KIMBERLEY LOCKE will release a new collection of holiday recordings on November 6, 2007. Simply titled Christmas, the set will include her two Billboard #1 AC hits “Up On The Housetop” (2005) and “Jingle Bells” (2006). Other highlights include classic arrangements of holiday must-hear songs, including “Frosty the Snowman,” “Away In A Manger, “Holly Jolly [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  WOW GOSPEL CHRISTMAS 2007: CD features gospel greats singing popular holiday songs.

The widely popular WOW Gospel compilation synonymous with today’s hottest gospel music continues to build it’s brand, launching the first holiday album-”WOW Gospel Christmas 2007,” which is slated to release September 25.         One of the most anticipated gospel holiday albums of this decade, “WOW Gospel Christmas 2007″ is a double disc collection of classic [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  The Year without a Santa Claus Deluxe Edition to be released on DVD

The holidays will indeed be joyous this year when Warner Home Video (WHV) releases The Year Without a Santa Claus Deluxe Edition on DVD October 2, 2007. Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Heat Miser, Snow Miser and their pals will surely put consumers in the Christmas spirit with this deluxe, collectible edition of the all-time holiday classic. [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Wood May Record Gothic Christmas Album With Manson

Washington, September 11: Teenage actress Evan Rachel Wood has hinted that she may take out a gothic Christmas album with beau Marilyn Manson. The 19-year-old, who has collaborated with Manson only on the karaoke stage, says that she may enter the recording studio with her boyfriend to rework a few famous Christmas carols. “If we [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Sister Hazel Rocks Christmas 2007

We announced the release of their latest album, Santa’s Playlist – and now we’re going to gush a bit about it. Sister Hazel rocks, folks. And we’re going to hear them a lot this season on MCR. Take a listen at this link. The CD hits distribution on September 25th with these tracks: 1. Merry Christmas Baby 2. Have [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Site of the Week: Hymns and Carols of Christmas

We’re pleased to announce Hymns and Carols of Christmas as winner of our Site of the Week honors. Like all great Christmas sites, Hymns and Carols of Christmas began as a real-life, offline endeavor built upon the love of the season. Way back in 1996 Douglas Anderson was performing guitar as part of a bluegrass [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Dave Koz Releasing Memories of a Winters Night

Deck the halls — multiple Grammy nominee Dave Koz is back with a new holiday CD and the 10th anniversary edition of the Dave Koz and Friends A Smooth Jazz Christmas tour! Capitol Music Group will release Memories Of A Winter’s Night, Koz’s third holiday CD, on September 18th. Memories Of A Winter’s Night — [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Site of the Week: Christmas Recipes

Food is as big — maybe even bigger — an element of the holiday season as music, decorating and Santa Claus. Everyone has their favorite Christmas foods. The great thing about traditional foods is that one can always put a fresh spin on things through unique recipes. And that’s where this site of [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Tree Growers Promote Benefits of Real Trees

SALEM - Two of Oregon’s largest Christmas tree growers announced this week they are forming a coalition to promote sustainable Christmas tree production and recapture some of the market share growers have lost in recent years to artificial trees. Executives with Holiday Tree Farm of Corvallis, Ore., and Yule Tree Farm of Aurora, Ore., explained in [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Pink Panther Christmas

MGM will release Pink Panther’s Pink Christmas, a single disc release featuring 81-minutes of Pink Panther including “Pink Christmas”. The price will range from about $10 at discounters to $15 at full MSRP. The disc will be released on November 6th, 2007.   Share This [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Hotel Now Open for Business

There’s room at this inn: The Inn at Christmas Place, an entirely Christmas themed hotel, claims to be four-star and full of old world charm.   Draped with red bows and garland, The Inn at Christmas Place  puts you in the holiday mood the moment you arrive. The lobby features a gigantic Christmas Tree, a [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Mannheim Steamroller Announces New Christmas Release

Mannheim Steamroller solicited ideas from fans in selecting a favorite Christmas tune to be showcased on their newest Christmas CD. The winner? The Christmas Song. On October 9th, 2007 the Steamroller will release The Christmas Song CD featuring a surprise guest vocalist. Announcement of the new CD was followed with a promise that the 2007 holiday [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Album Coming from Tracy Lawrence

Tracy Lawrence is releasing his first Christmas album this fall. The as-yet-untitled disc will include several traditional holiday songs as well as a few originals. Tracy says that while the recording of the album was pretty simple, finding songs was not. “I did weeks of song search going through the usual piles and piles [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Snow Angels to Be Released October 2nd

Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler of Over the Rhine draw on their jazz, blues, and folk influences for the Christmas album ‘Snow Angels’ (Oct. 2nd, Great Speckled Dog). The married couple, who are among PASTE’s “100 Greatest Living Songwriters”, applies their sultry style and witty lyrics to twelve refreshingly new, sophisticated and sometimes dark [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Carrie Underwood spearheads new Christmas compilation disc

Thursday, August 23, 2007 – Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney and Brooks & Dunn contribute holiday songs to an upcoming Christmas compilation disc coming out in October.”Hear Something Country Christmas” drops Oct. 2 from SonyBMG with 14 songs. Six were recorded exclusively for this collection. Underwood, who will release her own CD later in October, [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Brian Setzer Orchestra’s 6th Annual Christmas Extravaganza Coming to Spotlight 29 Casino

Boogie Woogie Holiday Show a Traditional Sellout     COACHELLA, Calif., Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ — Holiday traditions in the Coachella Valley are much like holiday traditions around the country – presents under the tree, twinkling lights, holiday parties and good cheer, a sellout concert by rocker Brian Setzer…     Back by popular demand for an incredible sixth straight year, Brian Setzer [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Relient K Releasing Christmas Album Just in Time for Halloween!

Relient K - the band that brought you Five Score And Seven Years Ago, mmhmm, Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…(But Three Do) and The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek - is heralding the holiday season in its own inimitable style with the release of its first-ever, full-length Christmas album: Let It Snow, [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Eve in Billings, Montana 1954

Early last week, James Carroll of Tyler, Texas, came to Billings for the second time in his life. It was an enjoyable visit, but it was hard to top that first one, on Christmas Eve 1954. Carroll was a 23-year-old Army private at the time, just out of basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, on his [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  The Munsters Scary Little Christmas

Are we mixing our seasons? Munsters fans know the original 1964 series was followed by two films (now out on DVD) starring the original cast. After that came the second series, The Munsters Today (a.k.a. The New Munsters) in 1988, then the telefilms Here Come the Munsters in 1995 and The Munsters’ Scary Little Christmas in [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  What Goes Around, Comes Around

More than 18 million Mattel toys on recall world-wide Fisher-Price recalls almost 1 million toys Thomas & Friends toys recalled for lead poisoning And thats just a few headlines and in one part of industry; toy manufacture. And its not just the fault of the factories in China and the companies who readily outsource to them. All in [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Time-Life Announces New Christmas CD

On September 25, Time-Life Music and BET J will jointly present “Love’s Holiday: A Gospel Christmas.” The CD features several big-name artists: Whitney Houston, Cristina Aguilera, Mary Mary, Alicia Keys, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle, to name just a few. The fourteen-track compilation features both traditional and new gospel-inspired Christmas recordings by both established [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Vickie Winans Offers New Holiday CD

Vickie Winans has been working through the heat of summer to create a very cool CD. She has just finished recording her first Holiday project titled, Happy Holidays from Vickie Winans, the first release on her Destiny Joy Records label. The project releases October 2, 2007 with distribution through Central South Distributors in Nashville, [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Manchester Pa. Light Display Seeks Compromise

Some Manchester Township residents are a little leery of the Christmas season this year, and a neighbor’s seasonal light display, they say, is the reason. This past season, a light and music show - Witte Wonderland - attracted drivers to Burning Tree Court. When people visited the wonderland, vehicles lined the cul-de-sac and spilled around the [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Say Merry Christmas by Finding Toys Made in the USA

Next to “Merry Christmas,” here’s the greeting toy shoppers are most likely to hear and see this holiday season: “Made in America.” After Mattel’s back-to-back recalls of Chinese-made toys — and amid growing, broader concerns about the safety of products from China — some small American toy makers and sellers are gearing up for a “Made [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Tree Growers Try to Take Back the Market

BANGOR, Maine - Maine tradition took center stage Friday afternoon at the Bangor Civic Center as two competitors raced to be named the fastest wreath maker at the National Christmas Tree Association Convention and Trade Show. More than 50 Christmas tree growers, retailers and vendors from around the United States and Canada witnessed Maria Kingsbury [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Kenny Loggins December — a Review

Kenny Loggins is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve.  His songs have feeling, emotion, and one of the great voices of pop music.  His career spans decades, his mastery of many styles unparalleled.  He is truly one whose voice is an instrument.  It is no surprise, therefore, that when he turned [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Town Changes Decades Old Display Due to Legal Threats

Vernon, Connecticut has had a Christmas nativity display for decades. And it appears it will have one this year, too. But this year’s display will be different in that it will be smaller, relocated and surrounded by other winter religious symbols celebrating such holidays as Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, pagan winter solstice, [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Niceville Sounds Anything But

Niceville, Florida sounds like a friendly enough place. But in discussing what should be done about the traffic generated by a popular home Christmas display things have reportedly gotten nasty in Niceville. Resident Debbie Lewis, also known as the Christmas Lady, drew more than 5,000 people to her home last year to view her Christmas [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  The (Light) Show Must Go On

Right on schedule, the public debates over Christmas lights on private property is intensifying. Today’s story comes from Manchester Township in York County Pennsylvania. This report from the York Dispatch tells the sordid tale: Todd Witte’s winter wonderland in Manchester Township is not going silently into the night. Despite objections by some neighbors to Witte’s spectacular [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Todd Agnew and NewSong to Headline Christmas Tour

Todd Agnew will co-headline a Christmas tour with group NewSong this year, following his 2006 critically-acclaimed Christmas album Do You See What I See?. Agnew will also prepare for the Christmas season by creating a collection of performance tools for churches, using music from the Do You See What I See? project. The resource collection [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Wham! fan fined for Christmas revel in May

A fan of the 1980s pop band Wham! tormented neighbours by playing their hit song Last Christmas all night. Brian Turner repeatedly played the song at full volume from 1am onwards one night in May this year. Now he has been silenced after becoming the first noise nuisance to be prosecuted by Newcastle city council’s night watch [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Wynonna Touring with New Christmas Material

Country music singer Wynonna is all set for her fall tour that kicks off with an appearance in the 81st annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 22. The 43-year-old artist plans to take her first Christmas Album, “A Classic Christmas,” on the tour along with her other hits. “I have always loved the [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Los Gatos Goes PC

The City of Los Gatos, California just can’t fight it any more. A citizen of that fair city has written DefendChristmas.com to inform us that the annual Los Gatos Christmas Parade will now be called the Children’s Holiday Parade. We suspect that the emphasis on “children” is so that the rest of us possibly won’t [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  School Board Keeps Christmas But Suffers Wrath Anyway

NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y., Aug. 13 — The temperature in the room was over 90, and the crowd was angry. The topic at this regular August meeting of the school board: what else? Christmas. When most people complain about the Christmas season beginning earlier and earlier each year, they do not usually mean the [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  A Christmas Carol Goes…Sleazy?

According to MTV Movie Blogs we’re about to see yet another twist on Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. Production begins in early 2008 with Matthew McConaughey starring in a project to be called “The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”, a so-called romantic comedy where the backdrop of Christmas is used as McCanaughey gets his just desserts for his [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Tim Curry, Jim Belushi Featured in New Christmas Film

Another animated holiday film, a musical tentatively titled “Snowyville” based on Michael Attardi’s animated short Once Upon a Christmas Village will be produced with Tim Curry and Jim Belushi in lead roles. The story premise is not entirely clear on this project. “Santa Claus drops his magical watch under a Christmas tree, bringing to life a [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Vermont Tree Chosen for U.S. Capitol

A 50-foot balsam fir in Green Mountain National Forest has been chosen for holiday duty at the U.S. Capitol. Theodor Bechtol, the Capitol’s grounds superintendent, made the selection Monday from a preselected set of trees. “We’re looking for a tree that looks good 360 degrees around the tree. It has to be uniform in density and it [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Macys to Retire Santa Bear

After 23 years of bringing holiday joy to shoppers, Santa Bear is heading for retirement. Macy’s announced Wednesday that this Christmas will be the last one for the popular holiday collectible made famous by the former Dayton’s department stores, which later became Marshall Field’s before Macy’s took over the chain. “It’s been 23 years, and Santa Bear [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Santa Plans Special Announcement

Santa has something to announce. And he will do it on the Merry Forums next week. [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Say Merry Christmas by Finding Toys Made in the USA

Next to “Merry Christmas,” here’s the greeting toy shoppers are most likely to hear and see this holiday season: “Made in America.” After Mattel’s back-to-back recalls of Chinese-made toys — and amid growing, broader concerns about the safety of products from China — some small American toy makers and sellers are gearing up for a “Made [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Christmas Tree Growers Try to Take Back the Market

BANGOR, Maine - Maine tradition took center stage Friday afternoon at the Bangor Civic Center as two competitors raced to be named the fastest wreath maker at the National Christmas Tree Association Convention and Trade Show. More than 50 Christmas tree growers, retailers and vendors from around the United States and Canada witnessed Maria Kingsbury [...] [Link]

Christmas Newswire:  Trans-Siberian Orchestra Announces Holiday Tour Dates

One of the biggest arena attractions in rock music, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), will once again take to the road this holiday season for what will be its largest-ever tour, more than 90 cities coast-to-coast over a ten-week period beginning