Christmas

How did the first Christmas card come into existence?

One of the many Christmas traditions that has been losing its charm over the years is Christmas cards. Here is the history of Christmas cards and some other traditions that have been lost over time

In Christmas Eve message, Pope Francis calls for hope & courage to right the wrongs

In his Christmas Eve message, Pope Francis urged the world to think of ongoing wars and conflicts and find the courage to deliver hope to those affected by adversities

Why does Santa Claus wear red? The history behind his suit

When you think of Christmas and Santa Claus, one image pops into mind: A portly man dressed in a red and white velvet suit with black boots. But why is Santa always in red? Did it all start as a marketing strategy?

Santa to have a smooth ride as mystery drones 'won't interfere' with his work, says US Air Force

NORAD's Santa tracker dates to 1955, when a Colorado newspaper advertisement printed a phone number to connect children with Santa -- but mistakenly directed them to the hotline for the joint military nerve center

American Airlines resumes flights after unknown technical glitch halted ops

The airline, however, has not announced how long it will take to fix the issue and has been telling passengers on X to deal with ticketing issues and transfers

From its Cold War beginnings to global mirth: How does Norad track Santa?

For nearly seven decades, Norad's Santa Tracker has brought holiday cheer to millions, transforming a Cold War-era mistake into a beloved Christmas tradition. It all started in 1955 when a misprinted phone number connected a curious child to a military base, prompting Colonel Harry Shoup to embrace the spirit of the season

King Charles breaks royal tradition, records annual Christmas speech from chapel in London

The king’s decision to film the holiday speech at this location marks the first change of venue since 2006, after which the speech was consistently recorded on the royal estate

Slim and Trim: Now even Christmas trees are getting skinnier. Here’s why

With increasing costs and shrinking living spaces, skinny Christmas trees are emerging as a sleek, space-saving alternative and a budget-friendly replacement for traditional full-bodied evergreens. They are particularly favoured in apartments and urban homes where space is at a premium

Protests in Syria after Christmas tree was set on fire; HTS promises repair, says culprits arrested

After masked gunmen set a Christmas tree on fire in central Syria, thousands of people, hundreds of them in capital Damascus, took to streets in protest, prompting the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led administration to detain two men and assure the repair of the tree

Vantage | Decoding the art of gift-giving

To overcome the challenges of gift-giving, empathy and attention to detail are crucial