Monday, December 24, 2012
Find out where Santa and his reindeer are now.
Santa and his elves have been hard at work all year, and now he's with his reindeer to bring gifts to children around the globe. But if you're particularly eager to find out if he's heading down your street, you're in luck. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will be tracking Santa's location all day and night. The tradition started in 1955 after an advertisement for Sears Roebuck & Co. misprinted a telephone number for a special "Santa hotline." Instead of reaching Kris Kringle, the number put kids through to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Commander-in-Chief’s operations, according to a description on the NORAD Tracks Santa Facebook page, which has more than one million "likes." In addition to keeping tabs …
There is an 80 percent chance of snow on Christmas.
It will not be build-a-snowman and take-a-sleigh-ride-through-town weather, but snow is expected to fall in Attleboro and Seekonk on Christmas. The National Weather Service says there is an 80 percent chance of precipitation, and some of that wetness will include snow. Some of the snowfall could begin tonight on Christmas Eve, but most of it is expected to begin coming down on Christmas Day after 1 a.m. The NWS' website states an accumulation of less than one inch of snow is possible. More snow, along with rain and sleet, is expected to fall later in the day. Most of it should to come down before 1 p.m. Less than half an inch of accumulation is expected. The forecast calls for a daytime high of 38 degrees and a north wind moving up to 8 …
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Consumerism surrounds the holiday season: is greed inevitable, and how do you avoid it?
For those children who celebrate, Christmas' biggest connotation can be a pile of gifts under the tree. With this in mind, a panel of staff contributors at The Chicago Tribune tackled the question of whether it's inevitable to see greed in their kids around Christmastime. The parents weighed in on suggestions to remind kids of Christmas spirit. Among their suggestions? Help your kids round up some old toys to donate to charity before giving them new toys. Sign them up to participate in a community service project. The Tribune's advice got us thinking at Patch about how we were taught or are teaching our kids to be less greedy around the holidays. Some of our suggestions? Find a giving tree and let your child pick a name or two off of it, …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Does the lovable children's holiday classic send the wrong message? Tell us your thoughts.
In October, Patch asked readers how they felt about one parent's view that "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" condoned bullying. Specifically, blogger DadCamp wrote that the show sends the wrong message to children because of its "continuous teasing and bullying" It's not the first time a parent has spoken out against a classic children's program with such a claim. Last December, news spread that author and special ed professor George Giuliani said that "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was also a program laden with the theme of bullying, considering how much Rudolph was an outsider due to his glowing red nose. Giuliani, as such, wrote a book titled "No More Bullies at the North Pole," which re-tells the story of Rudolph. What do you …
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Enter Patch's "Deck the House" contest.
Monday, December 26, 2011
How long does it take you to take all of your Christmas decorations down?
- HOLIDAY GUIDE
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Twelve days of Christmas? Maybe for some, but for others the festivities are complete as soon as Dec. 25 has come and gone. So Attleboro, how long do you leave your Christmas decorations up?
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Columnist uses his senses to sniff out gifts.
My name is Mike. I'm a gift guesser. When I was a wee lad, I would wake up in the middle of the night, go downstairs and start shaking my gifts. I would sneak out of my bedroom when everyone was asleep and execute my game plan. I'd wake up in the middle of the night and raid the Christmas tree to see what was under it. I'd try to look under the wrapping to see if anything was sticking out. Rattling was usually good. That usually meant something to play with. No rattling usually meant a sweater or a shirt or pants. No fun there. My mom would say, "You want to look nice for Christmas Day." I'd say, "I'd much rather have a toy truck." The key was not to rip the wrapping paper or damage it in any way. That was a dead giveaway that my midnight…
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Who in your life is hard to shop for?
- HOLIDAY GUIDE
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Thursday, December 22, 2011
You've known these people for years, if not your entire life. Yet sometimes, you just don't know what they'd like. And if they do like whatever you're thinking of buying them, maybe they already have it. The clock is ticking and Chrismas is around the corner and you still don't know what to get. Who in your life is hard to buy for?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee is hosting a 'holiday tree' lighting next week, despite objections.
Holiday tree or Christmas tree? Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee is calling the 17-foot spruce tree that will be lit inside the Statehouse rotunda a "holiday tree," even though the General Assembly passed a resolution calling it a "Christmas tree" earlier this year. According to The Providence Journal, the governor is defending his use of the term, saying it honors Rhode Island's heritage as a refuge for religious tolerance three centuries ago. Some state lawmakers criticize his position, and an Associated Press story on the issue has been picked up across the country. News outlets such as The Washington Post, MSNBC and the Huffington Post have all run with the story. The governor is inviting all Rhode Islanders to join him and his wife …
Friday, December 24, 2010
We are tracking Santa's every move.
While all you girls and boys are patiently waiting for Santa to bring all of your Christmas wishes to your house this year, scientist are busy tracking Santa and his reindeers' every move. Special scientists from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is charged with keeping the United States and Canada safe from dangers originating from the sky or space. Tonight, however, the Colorado-based government agency adds one more important task to its daily list of duties and that is tracking exacting where in the world Santa is. The agency will again provide its Official Santa Tracker that marks Santa's every move as he makes his way throughout both hemispheres. NORAD's special scientists also have tools that enable families to …
Betty Smith
8:10 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
I do see your point. more ›