Howard Stern

I try to live by the laws, but it seems like I'm being set up." Full Story (http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=77069). Theories include the following:. I'm a pretty honest guy. No explanation of why it is celebrated on December 25 is universally accepted. I'm very, very clear on that. Many different dates have been suggested for the celebration of Christmas. FMQB.com (http://www.fmqb.com) quoted Stern as saying about his current employer, "They're holding me to the contract and I'm afraid to break the contract, because I don't want to ever do anything illegal or wrong. Related article: Chronology of Jesus' birth and death.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner Jr.'s recommendation. The cliché recreation for them is "movies and Chinese food"; movie theaters remaining open to bring in holiday dollars and Chinese restaurants being less likely to be closed. On April 6, 2005, Stern pleaded on-air for Infinity Broadcasting to let him out of his contract, citing the reason of possible prosecution as per U.S. Non-Christians in predominantly Christian nations may be left bereft of entertainment around Christmas. Like I'm going to pay 'em,", which he publicly stated on his show. Because of holiday celebrations involving alcohol, drunk driving-related fatalities may also increase. Stern's response was, "Keep sending me bills. Suicide and murder rates may spike during the holiday season, but the peak months for suicide are May and June.

In one incident, Farid Suleman of Citadel broadcasting has gone so far as to have billed Stern $200,000 for the plugs he's given Sirius on his show. Because of the focus on celebration, friends, and family, people who are without these, or who have recently suffered losses, are more likely to suffer from depression during Christmas. This increases the demands for counseling services during the period. His impending move to Sirius has resulted in some radio stations censoring him every time he mentions the words "Sirius" or "satellite radio". Christmas movies generally open no later than late November, as their themes are not so popular once the season is over. Stern even held a rally in New York where he gave out coupons for free or discounted Sirius equipment. Next to summer, this is the second-most lucrative season for the industry. This move has been met with much controversy, as Stern has been talking about his move to Sirius on his show, even telling listeners how to purchase Sirius equipment and subscriptions. In North America, studios release many high-budget movies in the holiday season, both to capture holiday crowds and to position themselves for Oscars.

In addition, the deal would also enable Stern to program two additional Sirius channels, one of which would be available at an extra charge to subscribers. Frustrations over these issues and others can lead to a rise in Christmastime social problems. On October 6, 2004, Stern announced on his show that he has signed a five year, $500 million deal with the satellite radio service Sirius. The deal, which takes effect on January 1, 2006, would enable Stern to broadcast his show without, as of present, the content restrictions imposed by the FCC. They accuse the Christmas season of being dominated by money and greed, at the expense of the holiday's more important values. Stern said "Bush being born again is the source of Bush forcing his morals on this country, he's ruining America." Stern also said that "Bush needs to stop talking to Jesus.". Many fundamentalist Christians, as well as anti-consumerists, decry the "commercialization" of Christmas. Incidentally, President Bush's religious beliefs were one of the reasons Stern became so opposed to him. The economic impact continues after the holiday, with Christmas sales and New Year's sales, when stores sell off excess inventories.

At one point Stern actually said that "Mel Gibson makes Hitler look like Gandhi". Christmas Day is the only day in the year that some shops and businesses are closed. He called the film a "kook festival for a robotic freak audience" and even linked his radio suspension to the film, claiming that it was causing a "religious frenzy" and that anyone who goes to see the movie is "stupid and ignorant". In the United States, the Christmas shopping season now begins on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Throughout the Spring of 2004, Stern was a very vocal and staunch critic of Mel Gibson and his religious epic, The Passion of the Christ. Sales increase in almost all retail areas and shops introduce new products, as people purchase gifts, decorations, and supplies. Here, as is often typical with Stern, his return was greeted with controversy as the Miami Dolphins threatened to revoke their broadcast deal with the station in question if the station did not fire him. Christmas is typically the largest annual stimulus for the economies of celebrating nations.

In late August, he returned to a fifth market, Miami, on an independent station. Among other classical Christmas pieces are the Nutcracker Suite, adapted from Tchaikovsky's ballet score, and Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248). Television networks add Christmas themes, run traditional holiday movies, and produce a variety of Christmas specials. However, on July 19, Stern returned to four of the six markets Clear Channel booted him off of, and added five new ones to the roster — this time on Infinity-owned stations. Radio stations broadcast Christmas carols and Christmas songs, including classical music such as the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah. On April 8, 2004, Clear Channel Communications announced it would "permanently terminate" its relationship with the shock jock [2] (http://clearchannel.com/Corporate/PressReleases/2004/20040408_Stern.pdf) after being fined $500,000 by the FCC. Radio and television also cultivate Christmas themes. Stern has consistently claimed the move is an attempt by Jay Leno to steal ideas from Howard's show. The story behind the Christmas carol "Silent Night" and the story of "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" are among the most well-known of these.

On February 27 of 2004, long-time Stern show regular John Melendez left the show to become the on-air announcer for The Tonight Show. A few true stories have become enduring Christmas tales. She won and kept her promise, although one of her successors, Democrat Jim McGreevey, later claimed impropriety by Whitman and revoked the "honor.". On Christmas Eve, a guardian angel finds him in despair and prevents him from committing suicide, by magically showing him how much he meant to the world around him. In an on-air stunt, Stern promised then-gubernatorial candidate Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey that he would endorse her candidacy if she promised to name a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike after him if she were elected. Its hero, George Bailey, is a businessman who sacrificed his dreams to help his community. This is only the latest in a long string of political endorsements Stern has made, having earlier supported former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, among others. A notable example is the film It's a Wonderful Life, the theme of which mirrors A Christmas Carol.

presidential campaign, and urged his listeners to vote for him. Since the 1980s, their many video editions are sold and re-sold every year during the holiday season. troops into Iraq, he turned against him, as he did Bill Clinton, because neither, as he has put it, got "the FCC off my back." He endorsed John Kerry in the 2004 U.S. Many Christmas stories have been popularized as movies and TV specials. It should be noted that Stern was one of the few celebrities who publicly supported Bush sending U.S. Unlike the principals of anglophone Christmas lore, she meets a tragic end. Bush, [1] (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040408-1342-fcc-howardstern.html). She dares not go home because her father is drunk.

Because Clear Channel and some of its executives have donated over $200,000 (http://www.opensecrets.org/softmoney/softcomp2.asp?txtName=Clear+Channel+Communications&txtUltOrg=y&txtSort=name&txtCycle=2002) to the Republican Party, Stern claims the company was trying to penalize him for his harsh criticisms of President George W. The destitute little slum girl walks barefoot through snow-covered streets on Christmas Eve, trying in vain to sell her matches, and peeking in at the celebrations in the homes of the more fortunate. This is considered to be part of a wide-ranging backlash against obscenity triggered by the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy. C. Andersen's "The Little Match Girl". Clear Channel president John Hogan said, "Clear Channel drew a line in the sand today with regard to protecting our listeners from indecent content, and Howard Stern's show blew right through it...it was vulgar, offensive and insulting, not just to women and African-Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency." The move came only a day after Clear Channel fired Bubba the Love Sponge for similar reasons. Some Scandinavian Christmas stories are less cheery than Dickens', notably H. The show in question featured Rick Salomon, whose claims to fame include a publicly released home video showing him having sex with Paris Hilton. During this broadcast Stern held, would could be considered, a sexually-provocative and racially insensitive interview with Soloman, asking him graphic questions about anal sex and making light of a caller's use of the word "nigger". Although these Christmas icons have become widespread through television and movies, Christmas is still a time when national traditions are strong, and both Santa's appearance and the stories told vary from country to country.

On February 25, 2004, Clear Channel Communications "indefinitely suspended" him from six markets because of alleged indecency involving sexual and racist dialogue during his show. It was further developed in 1931 by Haddon Sundblom for the Coca-Cola Company. Stern, his supporters note, has not gone out of his way to offend the general public in this manner. In 1881, the Swedish magazine Ny Illustrerad Tidning published Viktor Rydberg's poem Tomten featuring the first painting by Jenny Nyström of this traditional Swedish mythical character (tomte, elf, goblin) which she turned into the white-bearded friendly figure associated with Christmas. In 2002 fellow Infinity Broadcasting Corporation jocks Opie and Anthony had their nationally syndicated WNEW-FM "extreme talk" show cancelled after they encouraged a couple to engage in sexual intercourse at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, then airing a running commentary of the act on their show. Nast's 19th-century cartoons gave Santa his familiar form (Harper's Weekly, 1863), while Moore's poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas (Sentinel, 1823, popularly known as The Night Before Christmas) supplied the rotund Santa and his sleigh landing on rooftops on Christmas Eve. (He informed listeners early in 2004 that the ABC television network was in talks with him to produce an interview special.) His popularity has given rise to a number of imitation "shock jocks" who attempt to outdo Stern in terms of offensiveness and rudeness, but these imitators have found themselves with more troubles to worry about than listener ratings. Thomas Nast and Clement Moore provided the English-speaking countries with their popular images of Santa Claus.

Despite the provocative content of Stern's show—or perhaps because of it—many listeners and critics consider Stern to be a talented on-air personality and formidable interviewer. Dickens is sometimes credited with shaping the modern Christmas of English-speaking countries (tree, plum pudding, carols, etc.) and the movement to close businesses on Christmas day. Stern was a producer for the TV series Son of the Beach. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is the tale of curmudgeonly miser Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge rejects compassion and philanthropy, and Christmas as a symbol of both, until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, who show him the consequences of his ways. In 2002, Stern's production company Howard Stern Productions acquired the rights to the 1982 movie Porky's and the 1979 movie Rock 'n' Roll High School. Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker ballet tells of a Christmas ornament come to life in a young Russian girl's dream. This reinforced his long-held belief that there is a bias against him in the mainstream media. Several have become part of the Christmas tradition in their countries of origin.

He had been on the air the whole time without any positive reaction. Many fictional Christmas stories capture the spirit of Christmas in a modern-day fairy tale, often with heart-touching stories of a Christmas miracle. As other comedy performers like David Letterman and Jon Stewart later returned to the air, many with emotionally-charged monologues, Stern was furious at the glowing response they received in the press. Main article: Christmas in the media. The show had a somewhat subdued tone, with many listeners calling in to share their own stories of survival or personal loss. see also: list of winter festivals and Christmas around the world. Stern and the rest of the cast/crew continued to broadcast over the subsequent days following the disaster. People gather outdoors to sing carols by candlelight on Christmas Eve or another evening shortly before Christmas.

Mr. Carols by Candlelight started in Melbourne in 1938 and spread around the world. Armstrong was the notable exception, as he left the city immediately and refused to return for several days. This clashes with the traditional winter iconography, and leads to such oddities as Santas arriving by surfboard to awaiting crowds on Australia's Bondi Beach. Crew member K.C. In Commonwealth countries in the southern hemisphere, Christmas occurs at the height of their summer season. His live reporting was the first news of the incident for many East Coast residents. Other states are catching up with Christmas celebrations in a bid to attract tourists.

Howard Stern was on the air in his New York City studio during the September 11, 2001 attacks and stayed on the air with his cast/crew while many other broadcasters fled the city. The festive season is celebrated with pomp and vigor in places like Bombay and Goa. After auditioning himself, it was eventually announced that comedian Artie Lange was the permanent replacement. Christmas is an official holiday in almost all states. Over the next several months, various comedians auditioned in the "Jackie Chair" for the job. Christmas is known as bada din (the big day) in Hindi, and revolves around Santa Claus and shopping. It was officially announced on March 5, 2001 that longtime show regular Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling had left the radio show after failed contract negotiations. In India, most educational institutions have a Christmas vacation, beginning shortly before Christmas and ending a few days after New Year's Day.

The number of commercials aired during his radio show has greatly increased from the 1980s to the present. The Christmas festival is largely for lovers, and eclipses the country's two Valentine's Days. Both stations cancelled Stern's show in 2000 after frequent listener complaints to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and the CRTC; for most of the time that the stations did air Stern's program, they were required to monitor the show for offensive content through the use of broadcast delays. Japan has largely adopted the western Santa Claus for its secular Christmas celebration, but their New Year's Day is more important. Also in 1997, Stern's show aired for the first time in Canada, appearing on CILQ in Toronto and CHOM in Montreal. The official holiday on that date is largely treated as if it were Christmas. Stern did not apologize for his words but instead argued that his comments were an attempt to figure out what was wrong with the two attackers. In Taiwan, December 25 is the date of the signing of the Constitution of the Republic of China in 1947.

His April 21, 1999 show drew angry criticism and official "censure" from the Colorado State Legislature for his comment regarding the motives of the two male students who murdered 12 classmates and one teacher in the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado:. In South Korea and in Timor-Leste, where there are large Christian populations, Christmas is an official holiday. On January 15, 1998 Lance Carvin, who had been stalking Stern, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for threatening to kill Stern and his family. The godparents also bless them for a prosperous and joyful life. Being a personality that most people either love or hate, he has had his share of stalkers and death threats. On Christmas Day children visit their godparents to seek aguinaldos (gifts). As of 2005, this project has not even begun pre-production. Family members dine together on traditional fare, which includes the queso de bola (ball of cheese) and hamon (Christmas ham).

He had also announced plans for a film provisionally titled The Adventures of Fartman based on a character created for his appearance at the MTV Video/Music Awards. Christmas Eve is the much-anticipated noche buena—the traditional Christmas feast after midnight mass. The movie did moderately well at box offices and in video release, garnering a total of over $60 million. These Misas de Aguinaldo (Gallo) (Gift Masses) are more popularly known in Filipino as Simbang Gabi. In 1997, Stern's autobiographical book, Private Parts, was adapted to film. Christmas Day is ushered in by the nine-day dawn masses that start on December 16, but unofficially the season starts as far back as September. He also made comments that were considered racist by many people, such as "Alvin and the Chipmunks have more soul", and "Spanish people have the worst taste in music...they have no depth." After pressure from his radio station, Stern gave an on-air apology a week later in Spanish. The Philippines celebrates the world's longest Christmas season and, like other countries influenced by hispanic culture, the nativity scene is highly visible and lamp posts are decorated with parol (christmas lanterns).

In March of 1995, one day before the funeral of slain Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, Stern played the sounds of gunshots in the background over some of her music. Christmas lights are a nearly universal, and with the summery weather, fireworks displays are also found, especially over the cities of Brazil. He subsequently withdrew his candidacy because he did not want to comply with the financial disclosure requirements for candidates. As in Mexico, village processions acting out the events surrounding the birth of Christ are also common. Family Christmas meals are important, their contents as varied as the number of South American countries. Although he legally qualified for the office and campaigned for a time after his nomination, many viewed the run for office as nothing more than a publicity stunt. In regions with large numbers of Native American descendants, such as Peru, the figures are often hand-carved in a centuries-old style. In 1994, Stern embarked on a political campaign for Governor of New York, formally announcing his candidacy under the Libertarian Party ticket. Nativity scenes are featured in South American Christmas, both in homes and in public places.

In 1992, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) fined Infinity Broadcasting $600,000 after Stern discussed masturbating to a picture of Aunt Jemima. Gift giving in Argentina occurs on January 6, or "Three Kings Day," when children leave shoes under their beds to be filled with snacks or small gifts by the Magi, who stop off on their way to Bethlehem. The stations are not allowed to stream the show over the internet. South American "Santas" dress more lightly in keeping with their warmer Christmas, and have adopted a number of means, from ladders to trampolines, to enter homes at night. (27 owned by Infinity Broadcasting), down from Stern's peak syndication of 62 stations. The latter two resemble Santa Claus. As of November 2004, the show, typically airing in the morning, is syndicated on 45 radio stations all across the U.S. Gift giving traditions include El Niño Jesus (Baby Jesus), who brings gifts to children in Colombia, Chile's Viejo Pasquero (Old Man Christmas), and Brazil's Papai Noel.

Fines have occasionally been issued against radio stations airing his show, generally for violating FCC requirements regarding content. Still, the parent conglomerate that hosts Stern's show, Infinity Broadcasting (a subsidiary of Viacom), seems to consider these fines a necessary price to pay in order to support Stern's continuing popularity. The secular customs and gift-giving in these countries are an admixture of traditions handed down from European and Native American forebears, plus the increasing influence of American culture. His show is frequently the subject of complaints by various listeners who find his deliveries offensive - something he deliberately encourages. Religious themes predominate in heavily-Catholic South America. Stern believes he represents the future of America, where, in keeping with a longstanding trend, public moral standards will continue to loosen. Over a nine day period, groups of townspeople go from door to door, symbolic of visitors to the baby Jesus, and are periodically called inside homes to participate in the breaking of a gift-filled piñata. Stern referred to himself as the "King Of All Media," a parody of Michael Jackson's claiming of the title "King of Pop." To his subjects this title is true, as they have been loyal consumers of The King's books, pay-per-view events and movies. The focus of secular Christmas in Mexico is the posada.

Wack Pack members are able to parlay their exposure on Stern's show into personal appearances at clubs and even the occasional movie. NORAD "tracks" Santa Claus' global transit each year, to wide attention by the mass media. Stern has also shown the ability to take society's misfits and turn them into celebrities through The Wack Pack. Christmas. Stern's lawyer alleged, "It's our view that the real reason they've [fired Stern] is they would like to get new DC-101 deejays 'GreaseMan' and 'Adam Smasher' on the air as soon as possible, and hope the audience forgets about Howard, and that's a perfectly rational business judgment.". The Christmas tree and skating rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City, and the White House Christmas decorations are hallmarks of the U.S. That June 29, Stern was fired from DC-101 radio after being suspended for criticizing his station management and two other radio stations. In the United States and Canada, the Santa Claus traditions are essentially the same, except in Quebec, where Père Noël may appear.

He was making light of the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 one day earlier, on January 13, 1982, which had killed 78 persons (both onboard the airplane and in vehicles stopped in traffic on the bridge). In the United Kingdom Christmas is sometimes referred to affectionately by the slang terms Crimble or Crimbo. in which Stern called Air Florida Airlines and asked what the fare was for a one-way ticket from Washington National Airport to the 14th Street Bridge (on the Potomac River less than 1 mile from the airport). The usual Christmas dinner meal is turkey, with christmas pudding or Christmas cakes, often decorated with white icing, as dessert. Another notable episode was on WWDC-FM (DC101 Radio) in Washington D.C. It stands in Trafalgar Square and is the most famous Christmas tree in Britain. He made deep buzzing noises into his microphone, and had her sit on a speaker with the volume turned up until she reached an on-the-air orgasm. Every year since 1947 the city of Oslo has presented the British a spruce tree as a token of appreciation for British support during the Second World War.

In one typical example of his radio show, he persuaded a female caller to have phone sex with him on the air. The festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge is a popular religious programme. Stern has been dating model Beth Ostrosky since early 2000. Christmas crackers form an integral part of Christmas celebrations, and the Christmas pantomime is popular with young families. The couple's divorce proceeding resulted in a settlement, and Alison remarried in 2001 to David Lobosco. Many current customs, including their Christmas tree, or yolka, were brought by Peter the Great, after his western travels in the late 18th century. In October of 1999, Stern announced that Alison was divorcing him, due to the fact that he is a workaholic. Russians kept some traditions alive by shifting them to New Year's Day, including the visit by gift-giving "Grandfather Frost" and his "Snowmaiden".

On June 4, 1978, Stern married his college sweetheart, Alison Berns, at Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brookline, Massachusetts; they have three daughters. It centers on the Christmas Eve "Holy Supper", which consists of twelve servings, one to honor each of Jesus' apostles. His Hebrew name is Tzvi; his paternal grandparents, Froim and Anna (Gallar) Stern, and maternal grandparents, Sol and Esther (Reich) Schiffman, were Jews from Austria-Hungary who emigrated to America at about the same time. Christmas celebration in Russia has been revived since 1992, after decades of government suppression. Although both his parents are Jewish, Stern claims on his show to be "a half-Jew". He is thought to descend more from Santa Claus than from Saint Nicholas. Stern's show was syndicated nationwide in the 1990s by Infinity Broadcasting. In Eastern Europe, Slavic countries have Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost"), who travels in a magical troika, a decorated sleigh drawn by three horses, and delivers gifts to children.

Stern and his crew were fired from NBC in 1985 in response to a particularly outrageous sketch — "Bestiality Dial-A-Date" — and returned to the FM band by joining local rival station WXRK, premiering on November 18, 1985 and returning permanently to morning drive in February 1986. Both dates are official holidays. Stern would appear on Letterman's show many times thereafter. In Belarus Christmas is celebrated twice, on December 25 and on January 7, because the country has significant populations of both Catholic and Orthodox faiths. Stern's guest appearance on Late Night with David Letterman on June 19, 1984, launched Stern into the national spotlight and gave his radio show unprecedented exposure. In 2001 a massive nativity scene was constructed and displayed in Bratislava's Plavecky Stvrtok, with plans to disassemble it for future displays in other cities. Also working at NBC was David Letterman, who became a fan of Stern's radio show. Christmas in Slovakia is largely a celebration of family, food, and religious observation.

He migrated to FM radio stations in Detroit, Michigan and Washington, D.C., and returned to New York in 1982 to work at NBC's flagship AM radio station WNBC-AM. The following day is often spent visiting friends or celebrated with a family dinner. He discovered a talent for Lenny Bruce-type comedy, and developed a wide-ranging confrontational style. It is a very popular custom to attend the midnight mass called Pasterka. After graduation, he worked as a disc jockey for an obscure station in Westchester County, New York playing rock music. No meat except fish is eaten on that day. Stern received his Bachelor's degree in 1976 from Boston University, where he had worked as a volunteer at the college radio station. There is straw under the table cloth which is meant to symbolise the place of birth of Christ.

His television shows include: "The Howard Stern Show" (1990-) and "The Howard Stern Radio Show" (1998-2001). It is inevitable that there are 12 dishes on the table and that there is a free place for an unexpected guest. He is both the highest-paid radio personality in the United States, and the most fined personality in radio broadcast history—facts, as his fans know, he takes pride in. There are many other traditions in connection with the Christmas Eve supper. Some of his commentaries are perceived by many to include bigoted remarks about various religious and ethnic groups. The feast begins with the appearance of the first star, and is followed by the exchange of gifts. The self-proclaimed "King of All Media" has been dubbed a shock jock for his highly controversial use of scatological and sexual humor. In Poland, Christmas Eve is a day first of fasting, then of feasting.

Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954 in Roosevelt, New York) is an American radio personality. Another tradition requires pouring molten lead into water and guessing a message from the shapes that appear when it hardens. Tiny Tim (deceased). Girls throw shoes over their shoulders; if the toe points to the door, the girl will get married. The Ramones (most members deceased). Apples are cut crosswise; if a star appears in the core, the next year will be successful, while a cross suggests a bad year. Ted the Janitor (deceased). Other Czech Christmas traditions involve predictions.

Sam Kinison (deceased). The gifts are displayed under the Christmas tree (usually spruce or pine), and people unpack them after the dinner. Richard Simmons (angry - refuses to appear). Old traditions include fasting on Christmas Eve until a ceremonial dinner is served, in order to be able to see a "golden pig". Hank, The Angry, Drunken Dwarf (died September 4, 2001). Gifts are brought by Ježíšek, or "little Jesus". Crackhead Bob (angry - refuses to appear). December 25 and 26 are also holidays.

KC Armstrong (left mid to late 2004). In the Czech Republic, Christmas is celebrated mainly on December 24, or Christmas Eve - Štědrý den, or "open-handed day", when the gifts are given in the evening. Stuttering John (left March 2004). In Greece, a ship is the traditional symbol of Christmas, though the tree has been imported. Jackie Martling (left March 2001). In recent years Babbo Natale, a Santa Claus-like figure, is becoming more common. Billy West. In some regions, presents are brought on Epiphany by La Befana, and in others by Baby Jesus on Christmas day or eve.

Yucko the Clown. Food, religious observances, nativity displays, and gift-giving are prominent. Wendy the Retard. The pagan feast of Saturnalia coincides with the Christian advent, and the holiday season spans from then through Epiphany. Vinny Favale. Modern traditions combine with holdovers from their Roman forebears in the celebrations of Natale, the Italian Christmas. Sal the Stockbroker. After a quiet December 25, another large celebration follows on Boxing Day, when children may go door to door to receive treats and money from neighbors. Joulupukki (or Christmas Goat) is the Finnish Santa Claus. He travels with a sleigh and reindeer to deliver gifts to good children.

Pamela Anderson. The Norwegian Christmas celebration begins with feasting on December 24, followed by a visit by Julenissen, who brings gifts to children who have behaved. Mike Walker. The most entrenched and nationally unifying Swedish and Danish Christmas custom is perhaps that of watching a Disney special at 3 PM on Christmas Eve. King of All Blacks. The Christmas feast focuses on baked ham, but there are wide regional variations as to what day it is best served. John the Stutterer. In recognition of the threat of holiday food poisoning, Swedish newspapers run seasonal laboratory tests of restaurant jullunches, warning of the danger of cold meats and mayonnaise left out at room temperature.

Joey Boots. Julefrokost in Danish) in the weeks before Christmas. Jimmy Kimmel. In Sweden and Denmark, businesses traditionally invite their employees to a Christmas smörgåsbord lunch (the julbord or jullunch. Jessica Hahn. Commercially, the Striezelmarkt becomes a Christmas gift production center, boasting the specialities of the Dresden region, from ceramics and prints to various delicacies which are shipped worldwide. Jeff The Drunk. Nicholas, or by the Christkind, a sprite-like child who may represent the baby Jesus.

High Pitch Eric. The gifts may be brought by the Weihnachtsmann, who resembles St. Gilbert Gottfried. The feast typically takes place at lunch on December 25, and usually involves poultry (typically roast goose). Gary The Retard. Following Saint Nicholas Day, which is mostly for children, Christmas gift-giving usually takes place on Christmas eve, with gifts put under the Christmas tree. Eric the Midget. In Germany, Christmas traditions vary by region.

Elliot Offen. Considering the ancestry of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas there is in competition with himself. Elephant Boy. Shopkeepers prefer to start the Christmas season right after Sinterklaasavond, while others argue that the foreign, commercial Christmas impinges on the traditional Sinterklaas celebrations. Daniel Carver. In recent years, the Dutch have started to celebrate Christmas Eve with Santa as well. Crazy Cabbie. In some parts of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the frightening Knecht Ruprecht also appears, to the chagrin of many children.

Chaunce Hayden. He wears a red bishop's dress with a red mitre, rides a white horse over the rooftops, and is assisted by many mischievous helpers called zwarte Pieten (black Peters). Captain Janks. In Germany and the Netherlands, the celebration of Saint Nicholas Day resembles the Christmas of the English-speaking world. Sinterklaas brings presents on Sinterklaasavond, the evening of December 5, to good children. Bong Hit Eric. Many secular aspects of Christmas are becoming common in developed Muslim nations. Beetlejuice the Dwarf. Christmas has some acceptance in the Islamic world, where Jesus is regarded as a prophet.

Dominic Barbara. Other faiths have emphasized their own winter holidays to serve as a Christmas surrogate, including Judaism's Hanukkah, which has evolved a similar tradition of gift-giving. Ralph Cirella. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services may include a midnight mass or a Mass of the Nativity, and feature Christmas carols and hymns. Adam Carolla. These observations may include Advent carols and Advent calendars, sometimes containing sweets and chocolate for children. Sal Calabro. The religious celebrations begin with Advent, the anticipation of Christ's birth, around the start of December.

Dr. Candy and treats are also part of the Christmas celebration in many countries. Tom Chiusano, WXRK Station General Manager. In some regions, particularly in Eastern Europe, these family feasts are preceded by a period of fasting. Scott Salem, Scott the Engineer. On Christmas Day or on Christmas Eve, a special meal of Christmas dishes is usually served, for which there are traditional menus in each country. Scott DePace, "E" show producer. Others are reminded by the holiday of man's fellowship with man, and do volunteer work, or hold fundraising drives for charities.

Sal the Stockbroker. Groups may go carolling, visiting neighborhood homes to sing Christmas songs. Ronnie Mund. Christmas pageants, common in Latin America, may include a retelling of the story of the birth of Christ. Robin Quivers. In many countries, businesses, schools, and communities have Christmas parties and dances during the several weeks before Christmas Day. Richard Christy. This practice has led to much adjudication, as opponents insist that it amounts to the government endorsing one particular religious faith.

Ralph Cirella. In the United States, decorations once commonly included religious themes. Gary Dell'Abate (aka Baba Booey). Municipalities often sponsor decorations as well, hanging Christmas banners from street lights or placing Christmas trees in the town square. Fred Norris (aka Eric Norris). Other popular holiday plants are holly, red amaryllis and Christmas cactus. Benjy Bronk. The traditional Christmas flower is the poinsettia.

Artie Lange. In North and South America and to a lesser extent Europe, it is traditional to decorate the outside of houses with lights, and sometimes with illuminated sleighs, snowmen, and other Christmas figures. The Howard Stern Radio Show (syndicated): 1998-2001. Decorating a Christmas tree with lights and ornaments, and the decoration of the interior of the home with garlands and evergreen foliage, particularly holly and mistletoe, are common traditions. E! Cable Show: 1994-Present. Many families enclose an annual family photograph, or a family newsletter telling activities of family members during the preceding year. WWOR Show: 69 Episodes - July 14, 1990 - Aug 1, 1992. Christmas cards are extremely popular in the United States and Europe, in part as a way to maintain relationships with distant relatives and friends, and with business acquaintances.

Until the recent past, gifts were given in the UK to non-family members on Boxing Day. In most of the world, Christmas gifts are given at night on Christmas Eve, or in the morning on Christmas Day. One of the many customs of gift timing is suggested by the song Twelve Days of Christmas, celebrating an old British tradition of gifts each day from Christmas to Epiphany. In other countries, including Spain, gifts are brought by the Magi at Epiphany on 6 January.

In such places, including the Netherlands, Christmas day remains more a religious holiday. In much of Germany, children put shoes out on window sills on the night of December 5, and find them filled with candy and small gifts the next morning. In many countries, Saint Nicholas Day remains the principal day for gift giving. Gift giving is not restricted to these special gift-bringers, as family members and friends also bestow gifts on each other.

In other countries, children place their empty shoes out for Santa to fill on the night before Christmas, or for Saint Nicholas on December 5. In the United States, children hang a Christmas stocking by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, because Santa is said to come down the chimney the night before Christmas to fill them. In many countries, children leave empty containers for Santa to fill with small gifts such as toys, candy, or fruit. Many shopping malls in North America and the United Kingdom have a holiday mall Santa Claus whom children can visit to ask for presents.

Claus. In some versions, elves in a toy workshop make the holiday toys, and in some he is married to Mrs. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. The French equivalent of Santa, Père Noël, evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image Haddon Sundblom painted for a worldwide Coca-Cola advertising campaign in the 1930s.

He spends the rest of the year making toys and keeping lists on the behavior of the children. In the Anglo-American tradition, this jovial fellow arrives on Christmas Eve on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, climbs down the chimney, leaves gifts for the children, and eats the food they leave for him. In the UK, whilst this name is widely known, "Father Christmas" is more common, and is also used in many West African countries. In North America, English colonists adopted aspects of this celebration into their Christmas holiday, and Sinterklaas became Santa Claus, or Saint Nick.

The Dutch modeled a gift-giving Saint Nicholas around his feast day of December 6. The concept of a mythical figure who brings gifts to children derives from Saint Nicholas, a good hearted bishop of 4th-century Asia Minor. Gift-giving is a near-universal part of Christmas celebrations. Since the customs of Christmas celebration largely evolved in Northern Europe, many are associated with the Northern Hemisphere winter, whose motifs are prominent in Christmas decorations and in the Santa Claus myth.

A few present day Christian churches, notably the Jehovah's Witnesses, some Puritan groups, and some ultra-conservative fundamentalist denominations, still view Christmas as a pagan holiday not sanctioned by the Bible, and do not celebrate it. Places where conservative Christian theocracies flourished, as in Cromwellian England and in the early New England colonies, were among those where celebrations were suppressed.³ After the Russian Revolution, Christmas celebrations were banned in the Soviet Union for the next seventy-five years. Rather than attempting to suppress such popular pagan feast days, Pope Gregory I allowed Christian missionaries to give them a Christian reinterpretation, while permitting most of the associated customs to continue with little or no modification.² The give and take between religious and governmental authorities and celebrators of Christmas continued through the years. The Christmas tree is believed to have first been used in Germany.

This celebration of the winter solstice was widespread and popular in northern Europe long before the arrival of Christianity, and the word for Christmas in the Scandinavian languages is still today the pagan jul (=yule). Most of the familiar traditional practices and symbols of Christmas, such as the Christmas tree, the Christmas ham, the Yule Log, holly, mistletoe, and the giving of presents, were adapted or appropriated by Christian missionaries from the earlier Ásatrú pagan midwinter holiday of Yule. An enormous number of customs, with either secular, religious, or national aspects, surround Christmas, and vary from country to country. Stephen's Day.

In many European and Commonwealth countries, December 26th is referred to as Boxing Day, while in Ireland and Romania it is known as St. In the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, and Poland, Christmas Day and the following day are called First and Second Christmas Day. Countries that celebrate Christmas on December 25th recognize the previous day as Christmas Eve, and vary on the naming of December 26th. In some instances, including Scotland's Hogmanay—which occurs at the New Year— it is celebrated more than Christmas.

This later holiday has its own parties. It extends beyond Christmas Day up to New Year's Day. In practice, the Christmas period has grown longer in some countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, and now begins many weeks before Christmas, allowing more time for shopping and get-togethers. Swedish children still celebrate a party, throwing out the Christmas tree (julgransplundring), on the 20th day of Christmas (January 13, Knut's day).

Medieval laws in Sweden declared a Christmas peace (julefrid) to be twenty days, during which fines for robbery and manslaughter were doubled. This period corresponds with the liturgical season of Christmas. These twelve days of Christmas, a period of feasting and merrymaking, end on Twelfth Night, the Feast of the Epiphany. In the United Kingdom, the Christmas season traditionally runs for twelve days following Christmas Day.

Dates for the more secular aspects of the Christmas celebration are similarly varied. Prior to the celebration of Christmas, December 25th in the Roman world was the Natalis Solis Invicti, the Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun. Some scholars suggest that December 25 is a date of convenience chosen for other reasons, related to the time of Emperor Constantine. The Armenian Church places much more emphasis on the Epiphany, the visitation by the Magi, than on Christmas.

This date results from their having accepted neither the reforms of the Gregorian calendar nor the Revised Julian calendar, with their ecclesiastic December 25 thus falling on the civil (Gregorian) date of January 7 from 1900 to 2099. The Coptic, Jerusalem, Russian, Serbian and Georgian orthodox churches celebrate Christmas on January 7. Christmas is now celebrated on December 25 in catholic, protestant, and most orthodox churches. Efforts to fix a date for the birth of Christ began some two centuries after his death, as the Catholic Church began to establish its traditions.

Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Christians. As one of the tenets of their faith, Christians accept the veracity of the story of Christmas, apparent difficulties reconciling the different versions of events notwithstanding. The major gaps in narrative details between Matthew and Luke, the absence of any reference to Christ's birth in the other gospels, and the fact that even the accounts of Matthew and Luke were written decades later, without confirmation by eyewitnesses, have led to much speculation about the accuracy of these reports. Astronomers and historians have sought with varying success to explain what combination of traceable celestial events might explain the appearance of a giant star that had never before been seen.¹.

They are supposed to have come from Arabia, where they could have gotten their gifts of "gold, frankincense, and myrrh". The Magi, who Matthew reports seeing a giant star as well, have been variously interpreted as "wise men" or as kings. Some Christmas carols refer to the shepherds observing a huge star directly over Bethlehem, and following it to the birthplace. Another aspect of Christ's birth which has passed from the gospels into popular lore is the announcement by angels to nearby shepherds of Jesus' birth .

When Jesus and his family returned to Israel, it was then that they settled in Nazareth, where they believed they might live more anonymously. Matthew then reports that the family next fled to Egypt to escape the murderous rampage of Herod, who had decided to have the children of Bethlehem killed in order to eliminate any local rivals to his power. Resolving to hinder the ruler, they returned home without notifying Herod of the success of their mission. While staying the night, each Wise Man had a dream that contained a divine warning that King Herod had murderous designs on the child.

They presented Jesus with treasures of "gold, frankincense, and myrrh". Further inquiry led them to Bethlehem of Judea and the home of Mary and Joseph. The wise men, or Magi, first arrived in Jerusalem and reported to the local King Herod that they had seen a star heralding the birth of a king. This leaves ambiguous at whose home they were staying and whether Mary and Joseph were residents of Nazareth or, as their access to a home in Bethlehem suggests, of Bethlehem.

Matthew's gospel begins by recounting the genealogy and virgin birth of Jesus, and then skips to the coming of the Wise Men from the East to the home where Christ was staying after his birth in Bethlehem of Judea. Christ's birth in Bethlehem of Judea, the home of the house of David from which Joseph was descended, fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. There Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger, which has been translated in various ways, most commonly a feeding trough or stall. Finding no room in inns in the town, they set up primitive lodgings in a stable.

Shortly thereafter, she and her husband Joseph left their Nazareth home to travel to Joseph's ancestral home, Bethlehem of Judea, to enroll in the census ordered by the Roman emperor, Augustus. According to Luke, Mary learned from an angel that she was with child, by virtue of impregnation without intercourse by the Holy Spirit. The gospels of Mark and John do not address the childhood of Jesus, and those of Matthew and Luke give somewhat differing accounts, Luke's being closest to the public impression of the Christmas story and the version most often read in Christmas services. The story of Christ's birth has been handed down for centuries, based primarily on the Christian gospels of Matthew and Luke.

It is often abbreviated Xmas, possibly because the letter X resembles the Greek letter Χ (Chi), which is the first letter of "Christ" as spelled in Greek (Χριστός [Christos]). "Christmas" is a contraction of "Christ's Mass", derived from the Old English Cristes mæsse. Local and regional Christmas traditions are still rich and varied, despite the widespread influence of American and British Christmas motifs through literature, television, and other media. It is largely characterized by exchanging gifts within families, and by gifts brought by Santa Claus or other mythical figures.

In predominantly Christian countries, Christmas has become the most economically significant holiday of the year, and it is also celebrated as a secular holiday in many countries with small Christian populations. The precise chronology of Jesus' birth and death as well as the historicity of Jesus are still debated. Efforts to assign a date for his birth began some centuries later. Early Christians celebrated more the subsequent Epiphany, when the baby Jesus was visited by the Magi.

Christ's birth, or nativity, was said by his followers to fulfill the prophecies of Judaism that a messiah would come, from the house of David, to redeem the world from sin. According to the Christian gospels, Jesus was born to Mary in Bethlehem, where she and her husband Joseph had travelled to register in the Roman census. Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. It was appropriated from the birthday of Mithras, a savior figure of a Greco-Roman mystery religion that was popular with the Roman Legions.

[See Duchesne (1902) and Talley (1986).]. Thus, rather than the date of Christmas being appropriated from pagans by Christians, the opposite is held to have occurred. They reasoned that Jesus died on an anniversary of the Incarnation (his conception), so the date of his birth would have been nine months after the date of Good Friday—either December 25 or January 6. To then calculate the date of Jesus' birth, they followed the ancient idea that Old Testament prophets died at an "integral age"—either an anniversary of their birth or of their conception.

Since the exact date of Jesus' death is not stated in the Gospels, early Christians sought to calculate it, and arrived at either March 25 or April 6. The date of Christmas is based on the date of Good Friday, the day Jesus died. Under the Old Julian calendar, the popular choice of 5 BC for the year of Jesus's birth would place the 25th of Kislev on the 25th of November. Kislev is generally accepted as corresponding with December.

It derives from the tradition that Jesus was born during the Jewish Festival of Lights (Hanukkah, the 25th of Kislev and the beginning of Tevet). It is an appropriation of the pagan Midwinter festivals, such as the Germanic Yule and the Roman festival of the birth of Unconquered Sun, celebrated on the day after the winter solstice, or the Roman festival of Saturnalia. It is an appropriation by early Christians of a day on which the birth of several pagan gods, Osiris, Jupiter, and Plutus, or the ancient deified leader Nimrod, was celebrated. At Antioch, probably in 386, St John Chrysostom urged the community to unite in celebrating Christ's birth on December 25, a part of the community having already kept it on that day for at least ten years.

In Jerusalem, Egeria the 4th-century pilgrim from Bordeaux, witnessed the feast of the Presentation, forty days after January 6, which must have been the date of the Nativity there. By the time of the Council of Nicaea, AD 325 the Alexandrian church had fixed a dies Nativitatis et Epiphaniae. The December feast reached Egypt in the 5th century. The earliest evidence of celebration is from Alexandria, about AD 200, when Clement of Alexandria says that certain Egyptian theologians "over curiously" assign not just the year but the actual day of Christ's birth.⁴,on 25 Pachon (May 20) in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus. The Catholic Encyclopedia article on "Christmas" (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm) offers a starting-point for Christmas, which does not appear among the earliest lists of Christian feasts, those of Irenaeus and Tertullian.