News tagged with christmas
New Centre for Consumer Science report on Christmas gifts
The stereotypical Christmas gift shopper is a stressed-to-the-max individual with a filled-to-the-rim shopping cart in a busy shopping mall. The shopping hysteria during the weeks before Christmas is frequently debated in ...
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Feb 06, 2012 |
not rated yet |
0
Molecular celebrations for your taste buds
Not another turkey, caviar or Yule Log! What if the traditional end-of-year feast was left up to scientists? The menu might surprise a few...
Dec 26, 2011 |
not rated yet |
1
Domestic robots: Harmony on the homefront?
Are robots welcome in our homes? A qualitative study done at EPFL has revealed some interesting possibilities. Only one out of three households thinks automatic vacuum cleaners are worth the investment. The ...
Dec 21, 2011 |
2.5 / 5 (2) |
2
Frankincense production 'doomed' warn ecologists
used in incense and perfumes across the world and a key part of the Christmas story – are declining so dramatically that production of the fragrant resin could be halved over the next 15 years, according to a new study ...
Dec 21, 2011 |
not rated yet |
0
US online holiday shopping climbs 15 pct to $30.9B
U.S. shoppers spent 15 percent more in online holiday buying compared to last year, after what may have been the busiest week of the season, said research firm comScore on Sunday.
Dec 19, 2011 |
not rated yet |
0
A new home for Santa Claus?
(PhysOrg.com) -- After the many years of commuting on Christmas Eve, jolly old St. Nicholas is reconsidering his home at the North Pole. Given his job description, extreme isolation has lost its appeal. In ...
Dec 16, 2011 |
not rated yet |
3
Is Father Christmas Breaking The 'Santa Laws'?
(PhysOrg.com) -- As if Santa Claus didn't have enough to do this time of year, a University of Derby Law expert says he can also add a sledge-load of official and legal paperwork.
Other Sciences / Economics & Business
Dec 15, 2011 |
3.7 / 5 (3) |
0
Google+ rolling out facial recognition feature
Google is rolling out a feature that lets members of its online social network automatically find themselves in photos posted by friends.
Dec 09, 2011 |
4.2 / 5 (5) |
4
Australian court rules Samsung can sell Galaxy
(AP) -- Samsung Electronics Co. is free to sell its Galaxy tablet computers in Australia after the country's highest court Friday dismissed rival Apple's appeal in its global patent battle.
Dec 09, 2011 |
not rated yet |
1
Researcher unpacks the perils of a supersized Christmas dinner
Are you really going to eat a whole oversized roast turkey? Are 38 cans of soft drink more than plenty? Should you buy six packets of Christmas pudding just to get an extra one free? These are the sort of ...
Dec 08, 2011 |
not rated yet |
0
Australian court extends ban on Galaxy tab sales
(AP) -- Apple Inc. won a small victory on Friday in its global patent battle with rival Samsung, after Australia's highest court temporarily extended a ban on sales of Samsung's Galaxy tablet computers in ...
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Dec 02, 2011 |
not rated yet |
2
Want to track Santa? There's an app for that
(AP) -- Want to keep track of Santa this Christmas? There's an app for that.
Dec 01, 2011 |
not rated yet |
1
Australian court clears sale of Samsung Galaxy tab
(AP) -- Samsung Electronics Co. is closer to selling its new Galaxy tablet computer in Australia after a court on Wednesday overturned a ruling that sided with Apple's allegations Samsung had copied its iPad ...
Nov 30, 2011 |
4 / 5 (1) |
0
Indian Ocean cocktail party leaves trail of party hats behind
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have unexpectedly found traces of the supercontinent Gondwana in the Indian Ocean - in the process solving a mystery behind a large group of ocean 'mountains' known as seamounts, ...
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Nov 29, 2011 |
4.2 / 5 (5) |
0
|
US closes 150 websites in counterfeit crackdown
US authorities said Monday they have shut down 150 websites offering counterfeit goods like sports jerseys and luxury handbags in an operation tied to the pre-Christmas shopping surge.
Nov 28, 2011 |
3.3 / 5 (3) |
26
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is a holiday generally observed on December 25 (with alternative days of January 6, 7 and 19) to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity. The exact birthday of Jesus is not known, and historians place his year of birth some time between 7 BC and 2 BC. Narratives of his birth are included in two of the Canonical gospels in the New Testament of the Bible.
The date of Christmas, chosen by the Roman Catholic Church in the 4th century, may have initially been selected to correspond with either the day exactly nine months after Christians believe Jesus to have been conceived, the date of the Roman winter solstice, or one of various ancient winter festivals. Christmas is central to the Christmas and holiday season, and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days.
Although nominally a Christian holiday, Christmas is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians worldwide, and many of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, an exchange of Christmas cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, several figures, known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus, among other names, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season.
Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.
For more information about Christmas, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
