Holiday Briefing: A day for peace and joy

A special edition for a special day.

View in browser|nytimes.com December 25, 2024 By Natasha Frost and Gaya Gupta Good morning, and happy holidays. Today's newsletter celebrates cherished traditions on a special day. Jess Hannigan A day for reflection and joy As a sometimes turbulent year draws to a close, we hope you enjoy a few moments of peace and happiness today. This special edition of the Morning Briefing aims to bring some holiday spirit to your inbox. We'll celebrate the cheerful little heroes of Swedish folklore or the pleasure of Christmas ornaments over what normally makes the headlines. (Well, we might have a little news below.) A few weeks ago, we asked readers about the traditions they are most looking forward to this year, and many of you wrote in. We're featuring some of the contributions below. (We hope you enjoy yours, however niche they may be.) For billions of people, today is about Christmas: Santa Claus (is yours as handsome as this guy?), a feast, carol-singing or worship, the rewatching of festive classics. Take inspiration from a New York City bar and blast Mariah Carey's holiday hit. Perhaps you plan to light the menorah with loved ones for the first night of Hanukkah. (We have tips for making a DIY menorah.) If you relish latkes but are daunted by the prospect of dirty pans and umpteen potatoes, take this advice to heart: "The fun part is being at the table together. It doesn't matter where the food came from." If today is just another workday, take a few minutes to find calm. And if all you fancy is takeout and the pleasure of your own company, we toast to that, too. Whatever today means to you, may it bring you joy. We'll return to normal programming tomorrow. Great holiday reads: In Rochester, N.Y., it isn't Christmas until the city shoots lasers at 20,000 crows. An English city dressed up a statue as Santa Claus. Then it vanished. This year, when two holidays fall on the same day, interfaith families are celebrating "Chrismukkah." Here's how to track Santa as he crosses the globe. (And here's his approval rating.) This classic Kwanzaa cookbook invites improvisation. A Filipino writer celebrates his heritage through the colorful star-shaped lanterns of his homeland. IN BRIEF The Latest News Nicole Tung for The New York Times Syria: Hundreds of people protested in Christian neighborhoods of Damascus, the capital, after the burning of a Christmas tree. Russia: A court sentenced Eugene Spector, a U.S. citizen, to 15 years in prison for espionage. Gaza: Christians huddled in churches to celebrate their second Christmas since the war began. Space: NASA's Parker Solar Probe attempted the closest-ever approach to the sun, slipping well into a stellar region that has never been explored. Travel: American Airlines briefly grounded all its flights in the U.S. because of a "technical issue." Sports: A 26-year-old Olympic snowboarder, Sophie Hediger, died in an avalanche in Switzerland. Mozambique: At least 21 people were killed in violence and looting after the country's highest court confirmed the ruling party's presidential candidate as the winner in disputed elections. Netherlands: Five people were found guilty of public violence or incitement of public violence in relation to attacks targeting Israelis in Amsterdam last month. Middle East: Israel said it shot down a missile that Houthi militants in Yemen fired after Israel's defense minister threatened to "behead" the Houthi leadership. From The Archives 1924: A Catholic priest in Goshen, N.Y., asked his parishioners to give his holiday gift of a car to charity instead. 1974: The jurors at the Watergate cover-up trial were given Christmas Eve off duty to buy gifts for their families. 1996: Remembering a holiday scarcity of Tickle Me Elmo dolls — and a holiday miracle. 2004: Christmas and New Year's both fell on a Saturday, leaving workers feeling shortchanged. 2019: A lackluster Christmas tree in London's Trafalgar Square united a city in dismay. From Opinion The true miracle of Hanukkah has always been its adaptability, Mireille Silcoff writes. Jessica Grose suggests redefining what holiday magic is in the first place. Roger Rosenblatt explains why "A Christmas Carol" endures. It matters that Jesus came from a dysfunctional family, Peter Wehner writes. Every year, Peter Coy sends Christmas cards. Here's why. QUIZ TIME Chang W. Lee/The New York Times, Chris Pizzello/Associated Press, Gurinder Osan/Associated Press, Katie Yu/FX 1. Can you name the four people pictured above? 2. Which phrase — slang for something you might be staving off with this quiz — did Oxford University Press pick as its 2024 Word of the Year? 3. Where is the novel "Orbital," by Samantha Harvey, which won this year's Booker Prize, set? 4. Which country this year became NATO's 32nd member? 5. What is the capital of Jordan? 6. What is a group of flamingos called? 7. What color this summer took over the internet, and where did it come from? 8. In Greek mythology, who angered the goddess Athena with her spinning prowess? 9. Which movie this year won the Academy Award for Best Picture? 10. How long is the longest baguette, which was made this year in France? The answers to this quiz are at the end of this email. For more: Test how well you recognize some of the defining personalities of 2024 with our Faces Quiz. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. READERS WRITE IN How you spend the holidays We asked readers to share their most treasured holiday traditions, old and new. Thank you to everyone who wrote in. As kids, my mom would hide a pickle ornament on the tree after we went to sleep on Christmas Eve to decide who would get to open the first present the next morning. Now I'm 21 and my sister is 17, and I'm still looking forward to beating her at the Pickle Hunt. — Lauren Radicchi, Pawling, N.Y. The Santa present opening (our youngest child is 28 …) followed by Christmas swim in the Irish Sea (48°F, or 9°C) with the family, followed by a full Irish breakfast — Joan Heelan, Dublin Everyone in our extended family provides a list of 10 great things — large and small — from the past year for our Advent calendar. Through December, my husband and I get to read and celebrate these as we open each door. We had several significant deaths in our family this year, so it's been even more poignant to reflect on all the good moments amid all the tough ones. — Elizabeth Lancaster, Prince Edward County, Ontario Years ago, I read about keeping important champagne corks from the year and writing the event, names or initials of people there, the location and date, and holding on to them. Once the tree is dressed we pop another bottle of champagne and read out all these celebrations. Tears and laughter flow. This year, we are visiting my 92-year old Dad, who has little time left. Our corks (many include his initials) are at home in Phuket, but next year, we'll have some corks from this visit to add to our tree. — Karen Eidsvik, Phuket, Thailand Our family always gathers together to read our Christmas cards to one another and take a family photograph under a Christmas tree. — Rommel Esteban, Tokyo Each year, I watch "Home Alone 3" on Christmas Eve with irrational glee. It was the first of the series that my father taped for me as a child, and I was shocked that it is the least well known of the franchise. I follow that up with "It's A Wonderful Life" on Christmas Day. And at the crack of Boxing Day dawn, I sit down to catch the cricket from the Southern Hemisphere. It's my holy trinity. — Vijay Kannan, Bangalore, India Tell us about your New Year's resolutions: As we wrap up 2024, we're asking readers about their most successful resolutions — the ones that changed their lives for the better. To share your thoughts, fill out this form. RECOMMENDATIONS Craig Lee for The New York Times Drink: This Swedish mulled wine will fill your home with an extraordinary scent. Read: Browse our pick of holiday romance novels. Watch: "A Huey Freeman Christmas" continues what "A Charlie Brown Christmas" began. Listen: Revisit the best tracks of the year. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. Happy holidays, and we'll see you tomorrow. — Natasha and Gaya Reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com. The answers to the quiz are as follows: 1. From left to right: Rachael "Raygun" Gunn, Kendrick Lamar, Bashar al-Assad, Anna Sawai. 2. Brain rot. 3. In space. 4. Sweden. 5. Amman. 6. A flamboyance. 7. A bilious light green, from Charli XCX's album "Brat." 8. Arachne. 9. Oppenheimer. 10. 461 feet, or 140 meters. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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