Christmas

Want to avoid looking like Santa this festive season? Here are some ways to avoid a holiday blowout

It's no wonder the festive season is a peak time for weight gain many of us spend the entire year ahead trying to reverse.

The Christmas Story

Long ago, about 2000 years, when King Herod ruled Judea (now part of Israel), God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman who lived in the northern town of Nazareth. The girl's name was Mary and she was engaged to marry Joseph.

The angel Gabriel said to Mary: 'Peace be with you! God has blessed you and is pleased with you.' Mary was very surprised by this and wondered what the angel meant.

Origination of the Christmas Candy Canes

A story says that a choirmaster, in 1670, was worried about the children sitting quietly all through the long Christmas nativity service. So he gave them something to eat to keep them quiet! As he wanted to remind them of Christmas, he made them into a 'J' shape like a shepherds crook, to remind them of the shepherds that visited the baby Jesus at the first christmas. However, the earliest records of 'candy canes' comes from over 200 years later, so the story, although rather nice, probably isn't true!

The 10 worst Christmas songs of all time

We all have our favourite Christmas songs, from Mariah Carey to the one where the lady is on a drip.

But Christmas also inflicts on the listening public an annual barrage of aural abominations that could make Frosty the Snowman take a sauna. They're appalling, but Christmas wouldn't be the same without them.

Here are the definitive Ten Worst Christmas Songs of All Time.

Aussie Jingle Bells

9 ways to escape Christmas

Christmas can be a nightmare.

Logic dictates that putting these two negatives together should make a positive.

And so it proves.

Plan wisely, packing your bags while everyone else is stuffing their stockings, and you can steer clear of the orgy of soulless materialism that some say Christmas has become.

Just don't expect to get any presents.

Or be surprised when your traveling companion introduces himself as "Mr. Scrooge."

1. Go to Zealand

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'Tis the season to feel stressed

There are five more sleeps until Christmas Day, and for many people there's still a lot of preparation to get done.

Experts say often Christmas stress is self-created as people try to make the day perfect, or set unrealistic standards for themselves.

Federation of Family Budgeting Services chief executive Raewyn Fox said stress mounted in the week before Christmas as people bought last-minute items that were often more expensive than planned.

Vaiola Hospital Visitor’s Board achieves 2016 target

The Board has collected just over TOP$ 59,000.00 to date, says Lupe Ha’amoa ‘Ilaiu of the Board’s financial committee.

Radio Tonga reports the fund will be allocated to urgent needs such as equipment and facilities required by health authorities for the treatment of patients.

Meanwhile the Board presented Christmas presents to the current ward patients at Vaiola Hospital in Nuku’alofa.

It is the initiative of the Patron of the Board – Her Majesty Queen Nanasipau’u to mark the Christmas season.

If Santa could give you something this Christmas...

Loop PNG lifestyle asked random people what they would want for this Christmas.

The responses, if not very specific, varied:

There are those who are focused on technology and know exactly what they want:

DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quardcopter Drone With 2.7 HD Video Camera, DSLR camera, 5D cannon, i-Phone 6, Apple Mac, Canon D3500 and S7 (for my husband).

What is Carols by Candlelight?

Away in a Manger, Do you hear what I hear, Carol of the Bells, Angels we have heard on high, you know them all.

Just like the idea of Santa bringing presents to children, this tradition has fit comfortably into many societies despite its foreign origin.

To know a little bit more on this, Carols by Candlelight is an annual Christmas tradition that originated in south-eastern Australia in the 19th century and was popularised in Melbourne in 1938.

Who could refuse the feeling of togetherness on such holidays like Christmas?

Venezuela's 'Grinch' seizes 5 million toys before Christmas

Critics say the consumer protection agency, which targeted the toy warehouse this week, has become "the Grinch that stole Christmas" because many families won't be able to buy the confiscated toys for the holiday.

Agency head William Contreras disputed that, saying executives at toy distributor Kreisel-Venezuela, the largest of its kind in the country, "don't care about our children's right to have a merry Christmas."

He told reporters, "They say we're stealing the toys from this company, but the company committed fraud against our country."