Dec 31st, 2010 at 4:00PM:
In most of the western world, Christmas and Hanukkah have come and gone, but in Russia, presents are being wrapped in anticipation of tonight, New Year's Eve. In the days of the Soviet Union, religious celebrations were frowned upon, so Russians shifted their winter celebrating to December 31 and combining the traditions of gift-exchanging and New Year's revelry into one night. In the Russian ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
christmas posts
Winter holiday celebrations in Russia
Dec 31st, 2010 at 4:00PM:
In most of the western world, Christmas and Hanukkah have come and gone, but in Russia, presents are being wrapped in anticipation of tonight, New Year's Eve. In the days of the Soviet Union, religious celebrations were frowned upon, so Russians shifted their winter celebrating to December 31 and combining the traditions of gift-exchanging and New Year's revelry into one night. In the Russian ...Photo of the Day (12.25.2010)
Dec 25th, 2010 at 5:00PM:
Merry Christmas from the team here at Gadling! If you're celebrating it, we hope you're full of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.
If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, this photo is for you. Trees with gingerbread-house icing against a sunny winter sky: it's a great day for a cross-country ski, or even a sleigh ride! Afterward, warm up with a cup of spiced wine or cider, or a hot ...Christmas pictures from around the world
Dec 25th, 2010 at 1:30PM:
Our friend and colleague over at Thebrooklynnomad has been busy preparing for the holidays and just put together a few photos in honor of the holiday around the planet. Among his photos are Christmas shots from Paris, Lisbon, New York City, Beijing and Prague.
You can see both part 1 and part 2 of the series over at his site. Merry Christmas from Gadling! ...¡Feliz Navidad! More Christmas traditions from Spain
Dec 25th, 2010 at 10:30AM: Merry Christmas from Madrid! Last year I covered some of the big Spanish Christmas traditions. This year I'd like to talk on a more personal level about how I and my in-laws celebrate. I'm married to a Spaniard. A Castilian to be precise, as regional identity is important here. Living in Madrid we have a very Castilian Christmas. My five-year-old son is pretty much Castilian too, although he's got ...Christmas with Jesse James
Dec 25th, 2010 at 10:00AM: Christmas can be a stressful time. In fact, statistics show that you're more likely to have a heart attack on Christmas than any other day of the year. Hanging out with family too much can be hazardous to your health.
Some families, of course, are more hazardous than others. Most people don't have the emotional baggage that Jesse James, Jr., did. He was the son of the famous outlaw but didn't ...Galley Gossip: A flight attendant Christmas story
Dec 25th, 2010 at 9:30AM:
I graduated from flight attendant training on the 8th of December in 1995. Two weeks later, on Christmas Eve, my roommate and I were called out to work a trip - together. The crew scheduling God's must have been smiling down on us that day because it's not often a flight attendant gets to work with their roommate who also happens to be their best friend on reserve. Although we were scheduled to ...Ethiopian Jesus
Dec 25th, 2010 at 9:00AM:
It's Christmas, when the Christian world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The Muslim world celebrates too because in Islam Jesus is considered a prophet.
Christianity has spread all over the world. One of the best things about travel is the different world views it exposes you to, and one of these insights is that religious artists have created Jesus in their own image. Europe has a ...Photo of the Day (12.24.10)
Dec 24th, 2010 at 6:00PM:
For Santa, Christmas Eve must be a royal pain in the ass. First of all, he obviously has to work at an unreasonable, unfathomable pace. He is also forced to grapple with potentially uncooperative reindeer and salty elves--not to mention children who just won't go to bed. One imagines that by the time Santa hits Apia he's ready to jet back to the tundra and hibernate for a good long month.
...Five ways holiday travelers annoy business travelers
Dec 24th, 2010 at 3:00PM: On December 23, 1999, I was trying to get from Madison, Wisconsin to Boston Massachusetts. On paper, it didn't look hard. I had to catch a short fight from Madison to Chicago and another flight from Chicago to Boston. Unsurprisingly, it was snowing in Madison. It was also snowing in Chicago. Flights were canceled quickly and routinely, and crowds backed up in the gate areas. I was starting to ...Track Santa's progress tonight courtesy of Google and NORAD
Dec 24th, 2010 at 9:30AM: Once again this year, Google and NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) have teamed up to help eager girls and boys the world over track Santa's progress throughout the day. What is new this year is that you'll also be able to follow jolly St. Nick using Google Maps and Google Earth, as well as your mobile phone.
As you read this, Santa has already set off on his appointed rounds and ...Christmas travel begins -- are you wearing your travel pants?
Dec 24th, 2010 at 8:00AM: If you're one of the millions of Americans traveling this week for this Christmas holiday, you're probably already dreading the journey. Metropolitan streets across the country are jam-packed each evening, filled with worker bees fleeing the concrete jungles and filtering back across country roads to their home bases. Security checkpoints are stuffed to the gills, confusion reigns at the ticket ...Photo of the day (12.23.10)
Dec 23rd, 2010 at 5:00PM:
Just one shopping day left until Christmas, maybe two if you want to push it. Even if you aren't gift shopping, festive holiday decorations and frustrated holiday shoppers are everywhere. Flickr user jrodmanjr snapped this shot at San Francisco's Union Square in the reflection of a tree ornament. It's a beautiful composition and cleverly captures the festive street scene and shoppers ...Heathrow CEO kisses bonus goodbye
Dec 23rd, 2010 at 3:00PM: The backups and mayhem at Heathrow, the largest airport in Britain, have come with a very personal price tag. With thousands of flights cancelled and crowds of disgruntled passengers forming, it only makes sense that there would be some consequences. So, while passengers look for ways to get to their ultimate destinations this holiday season, there will be a little less under the tree in one ...Ten clear signs you're in the wrong city for Christmas
Dec 23rd, 2010 at 10:30AM: Christmastime is a special time for Christians, and also for non-Christians who don't mind the excuse to decorate, eat, and exchange presents. One of the main chagrins of perpetual travelers is that they often find themselves in the wrong city for Christmas. Being away from family is one thing, but sometimes, December 25 can roll by without feeling like a "real Christmas" at all. I feel weird even ...A Single Square of Christmas
Dec 23rd, 2010 at 10:00AM:
"Here," she gestured. "Try this," and I opened my mouth. The chocolate landed on my tongue and began to melt. It was unlike anything I'd ever tasted. It reminded me of the carob chips foisted upon me during my mother's hippy stage. It was also a bit like the Hershey's Special Dark miniatures I always traded for my sister's Mr. Goodbars at Halloween. But this chocolate was definitely a ...Christmas list: five things I want from the airlines
Dec 22nd, 2010 at 1:00PM: 'Tis the season, right? Regardless of beliefs, we're all secretly wishing for something, even if we're not hoping for a big fat guy to slide down a slim chimney to deliver it. And, I don't think I'm unusual in having my own list of wishes. I'm not so naïve as to think the airline industry will turn my Christmas list into its New Year's resolutions, but I can always dare to dream!
So, here ...Christmas in Hawaii: 5 steps to surviving the holidays alone on an island
Dec 22nd, 2010 at 12:00PM:
As a New Englander, it's hard to imagine Christmas without snow and bitter cold. Almost. There's something to be said for a "white Christmas", but there's also something to be said for Mai Tai's on the beach in Hawaii. There's nothing like pine trees draped in snow; then again, there's something great about a Christmas tree standing between two palm trees and tiki torches.
When I first told ...Galley Gossip: Snow globes, gifts, packing - just a few tips for travelers this Christmas
Dec 22nd, 2010 at 9:00AM: 1. LEAVE THE SNOW GLOBE AT HOME: This time last year I asked a TSA agent in Dallas about the craziest thing he'd ever seen. I won't lie, the answer shocked me, which is why I won't repeat it here. Then he then went on to complain about the number of snow globes he'd collected. For the last few years snow globes have been on the list of banned carry-on items due to the fact that they contain an ...Four amazing edible Christmas displays at Walt Disney World
Dec 21st, 2010 at 12:00PM: At holiday time, the pastry kitchens in and around Walt Disney World must kick into overdrive, churning out all the holiday desserts served in the restaurants and bakeries at the resort.
But beyond the cookies and cakes, Walt Disney World's ovens are filled with some important construction materials - hundreds and hundreds of house and roof tiles, all made out of gingerbread.
Here's a look ...TSA your holiday ... or, "What Santa Claus looks like under the scanner"
Dec 20th, 2010 at 3:00PM: Ever wonder what Santa Claus is really hiding under that big red suit, or what he "sees" in Mrs. Claus? Thanks to new website TSA Your Holiday, now you can. Mr. & Mrs. Claus, Frosty, Scrooge, and even Ruldolph take to the scanners (no opt-outs here!) for their big reveals.
Says the site:
In a scoop of WikiLeak-ian proportions, Curley & Pynn has secured highly confidential images of ...
