Santa Claus Now Officially Cleared For Entry Into The United States

Santa Claus was officially cleared for entry into the United States as federal agriculture officials waived stringent livestock checks on his nine reindeer.

The US Department of Agriculture announced in a light-hearted statement that a “Mr. S.Claus” of the North Pole was free to enter the United States with his reindeer from December 24 to December 25.

“During this season of giving, USDA wants to do everything in its power to help Santa,” said John R. Clifford, USDA’s Chief Veterinary Officer.

“We agreed to waive the normal application fees and entry inspection/overtime costs, provided he winks his eye and wishes port personnel a Merry Christmas at the time of crossing.”

Authorities also waived the normal health checks for Santa’s reindeer — provided they met certain alternative conditions.

“As a condition of entry, the reindeer must be certified by Santa Claus as never having been fed anything other than hay, sugar plums and gingerbread,” the statement said.

“The reindeer must also be individually identified with microchips or official eartag identification, and must respond to the names ‘Dasher’, ‘Dancer’, ‘Prancer’, ‘Vixen’, ‘Comet’, ‘Cupid’, ‘Donner,’ ‘Blitzen’ and ‘Rudolph’ when interacting with port personnel.

No more than one reindeer in the group may be visibly affected by ‘Rednose Syndrome’, and upon entry, port personnel will visually inspect the reindeer to ensure they are healthy and fit for continued travel.”

The reindeer would also be required to be “pulling a wooden sleigh that has jingling bells attached and is filled with brightly-wrapped gifts.”

“Port personnel will clean and disinfect the runners and underside of the sleigh at the time of entry,” the statement said.

The USDA’s festive statement was in keeping with agencies who acknowledge the existence of Santa Claus, albeit with tongue firmly in cheek.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which polices the skies above Canada and the United States, regularly tracks the progress of Santa Claus and his reindeer in realtime on its NORAD Santa Tracker (www.noradsanta.org)

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North Pole News: Fun Arctic Facts

We're in the midst of holidays filled with hope, magic and mythic joy, and as we spend time with family and friends, children pretend to sleep while waiting for the sound of hooves tapping on the roof and rustling around the tree in the living room. Someone has come from the North Pole just for them.

The North Pole carries such a sense of wonder for us. Even as adults we keep up the mystery of Santa's Village and flying reindeer in the back of our minds to hold on to a bit of that youth. But Santa's not the only real thing happening up there. Quite a bit happens at the North Pole year round that many of us never consider.

That's For Christmas Dinner? [Infographic]

Aside from the gifts and decorations, one thing that every nation shares during Christmas is a large meal with friends and family members. While the meals are somewhat similar because they feature meat and vegetables, you might be surprised by the main courses and side dishes commonly found in other nations. 

Here are a few traditional Christmas meals in different nations.

Top Five Movies I Watched Over The Holidays

With Christmas a distant memory and the remnants of candied yam just about shifted from the baking dish, I want to tell you about some of the all-important movies that I watched over the holidays.


The five crackers below are all a little off-center but represent the essence of fun, humor and excitement that can often be found severely lacking come the big day itself.


So, sit back with a glass of something warming and peruse the following fare that I can guarantee will have you laughing, crying and smiling wider than the Tim Burton balloons at the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Despite Facebook Making Us All "Social" On The Street We're More Misanthropic Than Ever!

Social media, that is platforms which let you keep in touch with friends you never see, people you don’t know and add likes or +1s to articles which briefly held your interest makes us think that we’re all becoming so much more in tune with the rest of society and the world on the whole. Facebook has umpteen gazillion accounts, Egyptian Facebook is looking forward to her first Christmas and the first Christmas in Egypt since the Arab Spring. And yet, when we’re out on the streets, we’re less caring and lovely than ever.

Family Guy Christmas Holiday Escapes

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, sort of, and what better way to spend the holidays than with your family?

Chestnuts roasting, Gran snoring and sleigh bells ringing, ah, what bliss.

Years of childhood magic (presents) have helped to create an almost Pavlovian response to the sounds of Christmas and from Bing Crosby to Shaking Stevens, it doesn’t take much to get us in the festive mood.

However, are we really looking forward to spending two or three days cooped up together as a family? Are there times when we wish that we could leave the tinselled world behind and jet off abroad? I’m sure we’ve all secretly longed to go on a winter break but the thought of missing out on a traditional Christmas, warts and all, is a pretty hard habit to break.

One family that laughs in the face of forced festive frolics is the Griffins from Family Guy. It wouldn’t take much persuading for them, individually of course, to go on a huge variety of activity holidays, leaving Santa and Rudolph in their wake.

It’s with this in mind that I’ve compiled a few suggestions to help the Griffins have a very happy Christmas as they escape to locations as far away from each other as possible.

Peter 

I thought that the patriarch of the show would really enjoy a trip to the Catholic heartland of Italy and what better way to travel than by bike? Cycling holidays in Italy are a splendid way to see the country and as Peter begins to navigate scenic mountain roads and welcoming pizzerias he’d no doubt revel in the chance to wear all that Lycra. Of course, it might be a tad chilly around this time of year but if anyone could benefit from shedding a few pounds while freezing their butt off then it’s the head of the Griffin household.

Lois

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Lois, who could be more deserving of a week or two in paradise? As with any former (gambling, shoplifting, bulimia) addict, time to relax and take stock is an essential tool for getting back onto the straight and narrow. Thailand offers a hugely diverse range of locations and activities that are just perfect for Ms Pewterschmidt to enjoy and I think she’d really love the opportunity to meditate during a Thai massage on the palm-fringed beaches of the south. From Phuket to Phi Phi, Koh Samui to Krabi, this is your time Lois so relax, unwind and enjoy.

Chris

I feel that the ‘Elephant Child’ would really benefit from a couple of weeks on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo. Not only would he be able to laze on the beach, jungle trek and swim with dolphins, he’d be able to face up to one of his childhood fears, evil monkeys. As soon as Chris steps foot into the Sepilok orangutan sanctuary he’d see that not all monkeys are bad and perhaps that little guy in the wardrobe back home is just as scared as he is.

Brian & Stewie

Where better to send these two culture loving thespians than good old London? After a trip around the boutiques and bars of Soho, a night on the town would surely catapult them into Christmas heaven. This is a splendid opportunity for the boys to really let their hair down and from the bright lights of Oxford Street to the musicals of the West End, there’s nowhere better for Brian & Stewie to paint the town red.

Meg

Ah bless Meg at this time of year as she’s as likely to get what she wants as Rudolph is of sorting out his nasal issues. So, maybe a break away from the family will do her the power of good. All she needs to do to blossom from a winter weed into a gorgeous flower is a bit of self-belief and the confidence to lose that hat! India is calling Meg and from the mountains and national parks of Rājasthān to the beaches and yoga retreats of Goa, throw off your shackles young pigeon and soar like an eagle.

Just as Christmas presents a romantic vision of what we’d dearly like it to be, the Griffins provide a frightening image of what we’re glad our families are not.

Whatever you get up to this holiday season bear one thing in mind: however annoying, frustrating or downright irritating your family is at Christmas, it could be a lot worse!

About Today's Contributor: 

Chris is a big fan of Family Guy and Christmas so he’ll be looking out for a DVD box set under the tree

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Unique Gifts for Christmas

We're all so used to the usual Christmas presents like DVDs, gift vouchers, books and electronic gadgets. Sometimes it's really tricky to find a nice Christmas gift that's actually Christmassy to go with the season itself!

Holiday Shopping for 80s Music Lovers

With the holidays fast approaching you might be wondering what to give to that special 80s Music Lover in your life. While this list is not definitive, it is a collection of some of the best collections of music from a decade where music took a decidely different turn. In the aftermath of the Punk and Feminist revoltions of the 70s, in the face of the Cold War, and new music technology (keyboards, drum machines, sequencers, etc.) finally becoming accessible and affordable, music in the 80s became fragmented into many genres and subgenres, music styles and tastes that defined the decade. A decade of decadence? Debatable, but not likely, with cars, salaries, houses all becoming collasol in the mid and latter 90s.

In this list of collections you will find ones that are more obscure and less popular from companies that tend to focus on remixes, alternate versions or the just plain unusual alongside of major record label releases that will satify anyone who is intrigued, indebted or simply "stuck" in the 80s. To your right you will find a collection of links that will bring you to reviews and track listings of these compilations. Below, you will find a brief run-down of the musical collections and what to expect from the style of the compilation. I hope this guide helps you find the perfect present for the ones you love (or even yourself).

UK: Arthur Christmas - The Movie, The Trailer and Arthur's Big Wrap

The Storyline

Arthur Christmas reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child's question: 'So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?' The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the center of the film is a story about a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero, Arthur, with an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawns.

5 Classic Christmas Movies from the 80's

 Everybody loves Christmas, and everybody loves Christmas movies. Through out the years Christmas movies have been a staple of the holiday season. They span decades, and everyone has their favorite. Maybe the best part about them is that you can shelve a Christmas movie until next year, and seeing it again for the 100th time seems fresh. Christmas movies are something to look forward to and mark the season. With so many movies from so many eras to pick from, we’re going to look at some classics from the ‘80s. Because the 80s are cool, and Christmas movies from the 80s are especially cool.

Exclusive Interview With Santa Claus

Santa Claus 

Over the past two months I have been writing a Christmas story.

It is about Santa Claus and the remarkable sequence of events that befell a young girl living on the edge of the rainforest in Palawan, a tropical island where I live. 

Of course, for such an apparently far fetched story, it was important to check out the facts.

That was easy to do here in Palawan, but how could I interview somebody quite so famous as Santa Claus, who lived far away in a land where I would freeze to death as soon as I got off the airplane?

Well, it turned out to be more easy than I thought, and we met, believe it or not, close to a big firework display in Southern England on November 5th 2005.

How I got there and how he got there, I am not allowed to say. In fact, I cannot say, simply because I do not know for sure. I can only speculate. My passport shows I was here; my wife tells me I was here; I tell myself I was here. But I was there, and this is what I can report from the notes I took at the interview.

(There was much more, but I am sworn to secrecy, and Santa Claus has such amazing powers, I would not go against his wishes.)

These are the 3 questions, and answers, I am allowed to reveal.

Q1: There is much speculation amongst historians about your origins. Can you tell us, to put this straight once and for all?

(Roars of laughter from Santa) “The last people you should ask are historians. They can only look backwards. What a dumb life they lead; they can never find the truth like that. Life is multi dimensional; time is multi dimensional. What do historians and scientists know about all that? The truth is like a sun with all it’s planets rotating round. If you just look backwards, you miss the whole spectrum, and you miss the sun itself.

“What are my origins? My good man, you’re just a simple soul, like everyone else on the planet, so I know you mean ‘when and where do I come from’. I do have a birthday; in fact, I have many birthdays, and they are all true. But for your narrow little world, I was born in 701 AD."

“But,” I said, “all the historians…….” his glare told me to be quiet about historians. That seemed like a good idea, given that they got it all totally wrong.

Santa was a tolerant and gentle man despite his massive powers.

“And, young man” ( I had not been called that for a long time) he said. “You will not believe where I was born. It was not the North Pole, though I go there often. It was not Lapland, where I do now live. It was Central Africa."

I was dumbfounded; he just laughed at me. I moved on quickly.

Q2: I have to ask, Santa, how do you get around the whole world like that, every Christmas, delivering gifts to so many millions of children? In less than 2 days. It’s just not..

Before I could finish, he had put his hand firmly on my arm to stop me.

“Of course it’s possible. You think it’s not possible because your “scientists” say so, not because of the truth. Only the truth matters. And it is possible, because I do it every year.

You say “not possible” because of the way you all look at things; narrow and blinkered. Even my blinkered reindeer know more than your silly scientists; so forget it’s not possible. I do it, and young man”, (I was really beginning to like this guy), he went on, “I just love every moment of it.”

“But……?” I was about to ask, but he stopped me again with a firm hand.

“Ok,” he said gently. “Let me just tell you about something. In the 8th century I was exploring brainwaves; your scientists don’t have an inkling yet about the brain, how it works, the brainwaves and what they mean and how you can use them. I was able to discover great things, things all the scientists have been too narrow minded in the past to seek out, understand and utilize.”

I was in his spell, listening intently to every word. He was about to reveal….

“Have you heard of Quantum Chimney Descent Theory? No, of course not. By 820 AD I had it all worked out; a year later I had discovered Time Corridors. You know time corridors? No, of course not, but I tell you young man, that was what did it, that was what enabled me to deliver gifts at Christmas all over the world.

“I then developed the Time Corridor Interweaving Theory. For the next 30 years I started to put them both into practice, and then bring them together. That my dear friend is how I get around the whole world like that and deliver gifts: by exploiting the Quantum Chimney Descent Theory in unison with Time Corridor Interweaving.

“Do you understand now?” he asked.

Well, who was I to argue, I might sound like a historian or scientist? So, that was it, I had the answers to the greatest Santa Claus question of all. I did not have a clue what he was talking about, but I am sure he anticipated that.

We went on to the final question as the firework display reached its climax.

Q3: What happens to all the mince pies and glasses of sherry that millions of children leave out for you?

Santa roared with laughter again, “oh, all the things people leave out for me; they are so sweet those children. “But you know, their parents should tell them the truth; they should not deceive. It is their parents who drink the sherry and other alcoholic drinks. It’s just their excuse. I don’t drink the stuff, never did.

“But the mince pies, yes I do love a good mince pie. The children are so considerate leaving them for me, and I eat as many as I can in Australia. But over a million? I have to tell you, those mince pies get spread around all sorts of places. The creatures of the oceans and the forests are very much experts on mince pies now. But the year before last.....”

Santa saw my expression change.

“Aaah, we can’t say what happened that year, can we? It’s in your story. We mustn't spoil your story."

A moment later I awoke in my bed many thousands of miles away near the Sulu Sea. My wife was next to me; and funnily enough, I was next to her. When I went to my computer room a while later, I found my notebook. And what you have read above is what was written in it.

I really did like Santa Claus; “young man” indeed.

Santa Claus

About Today's Contributor:
This Christmas Santa Claus article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Gifts For Xmas website.

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Some 'Easy Does It' Recipes For Christmas

Image via Wikipedia

"Because Christmas is not just about presents, you know..."

Okay, so you're almost done with the presents
buying and cards writing and sending activities,
and the decorations do look good... well done!

But, what about the food?
Will you have enough time to do that as well?

Christmas Trivia Questions Time: "Who Are You Mr. Claus?"

Sinterklaas AKA Santa Claus

Just about everyone in the world knows that jolly toy-bearing Christmas figure from the North Pole, but how much do we really know about him?

Here are a few quick trivia questions about our beloved Santa brought to you by Lewis Payton.

Q: Where does the name Santa Claus come from?
A: The name Santa Claus was derived from Sinterklaas, the Dutch term for the ancient Christian figure of Saint Nicholas who was famous for his generosity to the poor (more about him later).

The Dutch immigrants to America imported their gift-giving saint to New Amsterdam where he merged with his British counterpart, Father Christmas, to become America's own Santa Claus.

Q: Everyone knows that Santa lives in the North Pole, but where is the real St. Nicholas from? 

A: St. Nicholas who many consider to be the inspiration for modern Santa Claus was born in Patara around 275AD. 

Patara is located in present day Turkey, on the Southern Mediterranean coast in what is today an international tourist resort area where visitors spend hours basking in the warm Mediterranean sun. 

Certainly not a place you would want to be wearing fur coats in.

Q: If you really wanted to find St. Nicholas today, where would you go looking?
A: You may enjoy a trip to the North Pole, but if you really want to honor St. Nicholas, you would do better by heading towards Italy, where the remains of St. Nicholas are stored in the basilica of St. Nicola in the city of Bari. 

They have been there since the 11 century when they were, uh… borrowed… from their previous resting place in Myra in present day Turkey. 

Q: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and his companions take Santa on his rounds completely airborne. How is it that reindeer can fly?
A: Many people believe that the tale of flying reindeers (as well as other parts of the Santa story), originates from Lapland in modern day Finland. Some say that in Lapland reindeer had a habit of seeking out the hallucinogenic amanita mushrooms which they ate and then would prance around while under their influence. 

As these mushrooms are quite toxic, it was regular practice for local shamans to drink the urine of tripping reindeer for a "safe high" and then "fly" together with them. 

This could also explain the general cheerful disposition (with the "ho ho ho" and all), and the flushed red cheeks of today's Santa. 

Q: Where did Santa get his unique outfit?
A: While it's no secret that the marketing people of Coca Cola have a lot to do with the modern image of Santa, some say the roots go way back. 

The same North European Shamans that liked to consume those red and white mushrooms with their reindeers used to wear quite a similar outfit when they went out to collect their pickings – red and white fur trimmed coats with long black boots. 

As implied above, it's quite certain that St. Nicholas was no inspiration for this outfit, as he lived in sunny south Turkey.

Q: Who was the first to create Santa's modern image?
A: Coca Cola still uses the iconic images of Santa which were hugely successful in the 30s, and created for it by the gifted artist Haddon Sundblom, an American of Swedish origin (does Northern Europe ring any bells here?). 

However the modern image of Santa was only finally standardized in his works, but had actually been developing for years before. Coca Cola wasn't even the first beverage company to make commercial use of every child's jolly toy bearing hero – a company called White Rock beverages used him to sell ginger ale and mineral water as early as 1915. 

However earlier versions wore a wide variety of colors. 

Coca Cola's Santa is the one the finally set the record straight, and since then Santa has been wearing nothing but Red and White.

About Today's Contributor:
Lewis Payton writes trivia questions for 247trivia.com