Holidays

A fairly short essay about a unique New Years tradition in Germany [http://www.slate.com/id/2133551/].

From the New York Post: > Consumers spent an average of $763 each on holiday shopping this season . . . I think my wife and I spent less than $763 together, and that's with seven kids to buy for. Of course, Max (2) got a bunch of gaudy junk (that

> A nativity scene that includes naked women and transvestites standing near the baby Jesus has caused outrage in Italy. > The scene was created by the Scuotto siblings from Naples, who are famous for carving traditional nativity scenes. Link [http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1657012.html]. Don&

Pontifications has a great assortment of passages [http://catholica.pontifications.net/] for the Christmas season (which hasn't ended, contrary to celebrate-for-four-weeks-then-grow-sullen-on-the-26th American tradition). Thanks, Open Book [http://amywelborn.typepad.com/openbook/2005/12/food_for_though.html].

In case you were thinking you enjoy the holiday season: > Health experts notice a bizarre phenomenon December 25 of every year. It's the beginning of a two week spike in the death rate nationwide. > Depression is just part of this puzzle. The reason the number of

I've posted these before, but they're good enough to repeat: Max Beerbohm once said, “I may be old-fashioned, but I am right.” They're good words to recall at this time of the year. After all, we tend to mark the holidays with things old