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By the end of the 1960s, the production team of Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass had a well-established niche in the annual holiday TV schedule.
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DEAR ABBY: While attending a friend’s family barbecue, “Willa,” a young mother of four, drank too much and became ill. Drugs may have been involved. Understandably, the three older children became very concerned about their mom’s condition. Willa’s partner, “Ian,” was furious. My husband spent an hour de-escalating Ian’s issues, while I attended to Willa and assured the children their mom would be feeling better after she rested.
Read moreWORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION - Bethlehem lies 10 kilometres south of the city of Jerusalem, in the fertile limestone hill country of the Holy Land. Since at least the 2nd century AD people have believed that the place where the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, now stands is where Jesus was born. One particular cave, over which the first Church was built, is traditionally believed to be the Birthplace itself. In locating the Nativity, the place both marks the beginnings of Christianity and is one of the holiest spots in Christendom. The original basilica church of 339 AD (St Helena), parts of which survive below ground, was arranged so that its octagonal eastern end surrounded, and provided a view of, the cave. This church is overlaid by the present Church of the Nativity, essentially of the mid-6th century AD (Justinian), though with later alterations. It is the oldest Christian church in daily use[I1] . Since early medieval times the Church has been increasingly incorporated into a complex of other ecclesiastical buildings, mainly monastic. As a result, today it is embedded in an extraordinary architectural ensemble, overseen by members of the Greek Orthodox Church, the Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Church, under the provisions of the Status Quo of the Holy Places established by the Treaty of Berlin (1878).
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AMBIUS - The mysterious history behind the kissing plant and how the plant became associated with Christmas traditions and the Holidays.
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DAILY YONDER - North Pole, Alaska, population 2,100, fully embraces its role as the home of Santa Claus.
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ALMANAC - The poinsettia was made widely known because of a man called Joel Roberts Poinsett (that’s why we call them Poinsettia!). He was the first Ambassador from the USA to Mexico in 1825. Poinsett had some greenhouses on his plantations in South Carolina, and while visiting the Taxco area in 1828, he became very interested in the plants. He immediately sent some of the plants back to South Carolina, where he began growing the plants and sending them to friends and botanical gardens.
Read moreCULINARY ARTS - From snow-covered European villages to sunny Australian beaches, Christmas foods reflect the traditions, climates, and cultures of the places they come from. Some are served as centerpieces, others as festive desserts; each dish brings a little more warmth to the holiday table.
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