christmas
The 25 must-know Christmas facts
THINK you know all there is to know about the festive season? From sexy Santas to stocking stuffers, we bring you the 25 fun facts of Christmas.
Tiny baby heads home for Christmas
DOCTORS weren't sure Connor Sorensen would survive. But today, he is going home to spend Christmas with his family.
Jesus's race? Not black and white
FOR two thousand years, he has been worshipped and adored. And yet nobody really knows the face of Jesus.
'Blue Christmas' for unhappy holidays
THE are no joyous carols, no festive decorations. "Blue Christmas" is for the unemployed, the grief-stricken and those too sad to celebrate.
Two popes meet in Christmas greeting
POPE Francis has visited his predecessor Benedict XVI for a Christmas greeting, as the pontiff prepares to celebrate his first Christmas as pope.
Pollie tweets Festivus rant of grievances
ONE US politician, and obvious Seinfeld fan, has taken to Twitter to air his grievances for Festivus.
Santa Claus brand to go global
FINNISH authorities want to turn Santa Claus into a money-spinner, cashing in on the brand around the world, all year long.
Meet Pancho Claus the Tex-Mex Santa
HE usually has black hair and a black beard, sometimes just a moustache. Meet Pancho Claus, the Tex-Mex Santa from the South Pole.
Santa's flight plan revealed
IT'S a green light for the man in the red suit. Airservices has revealed Santa's route for visiting Australian homes on Christmas Eve.
Which Christmas lights are the best?
HELP us decide which Christmas lights display is the best in the land by voting in our national Shining Lights interactive. May the best lights win!
'Twas the fright before Christmas
HE'S supposed to spread Christmas cheer, but for many the big hairy man in red is a recurring annual nightmare. SEND US YOUR PICS
Girl granted dying wish to hear carollers
THOUSANDS of Christmas carollers gathered to sing outside the home of a terminally ill girl, whose dying wish was for a holiday sing-along.
Swedish Christmas goat engulfed in flames
A 13-METRE high, 3.6-tonne straw goat in Sweden symbolising Christmas spirit has been burnt down for the 27th time.
How to beat the Christmas blues
WHATEVER the cause for your festive unhappiness, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Christmas rituals bond families
IT IS the traditions families adopt around this time of the year that children get so much out of, according to research and the experts.
Why 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' is terrible
IT'S the one Christmas carol everyone knows. It's the one children sing at school every year. But "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is actually a terrible song.
Ho ho NO: An ode to the creepiest Santas ever
IT'S tough being Santa. You'd think it was all cookies and reindeers; instead it's screaming babies, crazy parents and goddamn beard-itch. But they're partly to blame.
My Secret Santa was Bill Gates
ONE Reddit user got a shock when she found out the "Bill" that was assigned to her via the website's Secret Santa was actually Bill Gates.
Surviving Christmas as a singleton
THE only thing worse than being single and having people try to set you up? It happening at Christmas. Here's how to make it through the frustrations of the festive season.
The Christmas party characters you need to avoid
THERE'S the Flirt, the Blabbermouth and the Houdini. We've found the 10 Christmas party characters and noted the ones you don't want to be around.
The 12 guests of Christmas
YOU might think you know who's coming to dinner, but do you really? Meet the 12 guests of Christmas who could very well ruin your yuletide cheer.
Pets as presents 'not a bad idea'
ANIMAL activists have long warned about giving pets as presents but now a US animal welfare group says fears of them being returned are unfounded.
'Love drone' lifting Christmas spirits
DRONES aren't usually associated with romance but two artists are encouraging couples to show their love for each other with some high flying antics.
12 weird Christmas gift ideas from eBay
FORGET regular Christmas shopping. That's for chumps. Do all your not-quite-last-minute shopping on eBay! We've got 12 unbelievably quirky ideas to get you started.
Dad's creepy Christmas prank is epic
A FESTIVE father has posted footage showing how you get your kids excited about Christmas. That, or how to freak them out completely.
50 great Christmas recipes
FROM turkey to trifle, from prawns to pavlova: here are the 50 recipes you'll want on hand to creative a festive feast this Christmas.
Here's a gift for the mother-in-law
IF you're obliged to buy a gift for someone you don't like this Christmas, here's an idea. Poo in a box. But not just anyone's poo.
Mafia nabbed in Christmas flowers racket
FOUR suspected mafia members who were forcing shopkeepers to buy Christmas flowers to raise money for jailed mobsters have been arrested.
Still on Santa's lap after 30 years
PHOTO SPECIAL: Most of us stop seeing Santa as teens, but Martin and Mike Gray have sat on his lap every year together for the last 30 years.
This is what happens when 600 Santas get drunk
SIX Santas meet on a street corner and punch each other. One Santa vomits on himself, while another one urinates on a restaurant's steps. Welcome to SantaCon 2013.
Workout 'cuts festive food damage'
RESEARCH shows just a few days of eating too much and exercising too little can cause long-term effects on the body. Here's how to counter them.
Loneliest butler advertises for Christmas friends
WHEN an 85-year-old former butler to Britain's wealthiest families couldn't face another Christmas alone, he took action. You won't believe the surprising and heartwarming response he got.
Six thousand Santas take to the streets
AROUND 6000 people dressed as Santa Claus and his elves have run a "mini-marathon" through the streets of Madrid to promote festive cheer.
Police slammed for festive rape poem
A POLICE force has been criticised after a bizarre attempt to reimagine a popular Christmas poem to be about sex attacks was branded "disgusting" and "insensitive".
How to stay perky in the party season
WANT to eat, drink and be merry without all that festive fun taking its toll on your body? These five tips will help you avoid the Christmas burnout.
What Australia's top chefs eat at Christmas
THEY'RE the people we look to for food inspiration all year round, so what are some of Australia's top chefs doing for Christmas?
Oh no! SantaCon is coming to town
Cities worldwide are readying themselves for a boozy dose of the Christmas spirit this weekend as the annual SantaCon celebrations come to town.
How long to work off Xmas dinner
IT takes more than an afternoon snooze to recover from the kilojoule-packed Christmas traditional meal. Just how much exercise is required?
The surprising reason you buy terrible presents
JOY to the shopping world. NOW we know why you're hopeless at buying Christmas presents. The really good news is, they've found an excellent cure.
FASHION PHOTOS
50 years of Pirelli calendars
Mastermind of the artfully risque the iconic Pirelli calendar celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2013
BACKSTAGE PASS to the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Check out everyone from Candice Swanepoel to Adriana Lima as they storm the run...
Melbourne Cup Day fashions
WHO wore what and who looked hot? We have all you need to know about the fashion side of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
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The Grinch guide to surviving a family Christmas
PUT your Grinchiness away this Christmas. Even if you hate the obligatory family gathering, it's possible to make it through with a smile on your face, writes Angela Mollard.