Christmas and holiday season
hideThe Christmas season, the (Christmas) holidays or the holiday season is a notable 2 to 4 month period that surrounds the Christmas holiday as well as other varying holidays. It is sometimes synonymous with the winter season, and is usually said to take place between approximately October and January. It has been found to have a proportionate effect on health, compared to the rest of the year. Its reference and naming by schools and governments has been the subject of controversy. It incorporates a period of shopping which comprises a peak season for the retail sector (the "Christmas shopping season"), and a period of sales at the end of the season (the "January sales").
The exact definition, name, and celebratory method of the period varies from culture to culture: According to Yanovski et al., in the United States the season "is generally considered to begin with Thanksgiving and end after New Year's Day". According to Axelrad, the season in the United States encompasses at least Christmas and New Year's Day, and also includes Saint Nicholas Day. The U.S. Fire Administration defines the winter holiday season as the period from December 1 to January 7. According to Chen et al., in China the Christmas/winter holiday season "is generally considered to begin with the winter solstice and end after the Lantern Festival". Some stores and shopping malls advertise their Christmas merchandise beginning after Halloween or even in late October, alongside Halloween items. In the UK Christmas food appears on supermarket shelves as early as September.
The precise definition of feasts and festival days that are encompassed by the Christmas/winter holiday season has become controversial over recent decades. Traditionally, the only holidays included in the "season" were Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day (in some countries), New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Three Kings Day. In recent times, this definition has begun to expand to include Yule, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Due to the phenomenon of Christmas creep and the informal inclusion of American Thanksgiving, the "winter" holiday season has begun to extend into late autumn. (See also list of winter festivals.)
For more information about Christmas and holiday season, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with holiday season
Consumers overpredict the use of holiday gifts
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
8 hours ago |
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Before you add that fancy "it" gadget to your holiday wish list, you should know you're not going to use it as much as you think you will. For a better estimate of the use you'll get out of your new toy, ask a stranger.
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Are holiday and weekend eating patterns affecting obesity rates?
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
4 hours ago |
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The holidays can be challenging for even the most diligent dieters. But are weekends just as detrimental? Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., found that weekend eating patterns ...
Apple on track to launch tablet device next year, analysts say
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
1hour ago |
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Apple Inc. is on track to launch a much-anticipated, tablet-sized computing device early next year, according to brokerage reports Wednesday.
What's the best hangover cure? Truth be told, there isn't one
11 hours ago |
2.5 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- With the holiday party season at hand, UNC's Dr. James C. Garbutt offers these tips about how to enjoy a few drinks responsibly -- while sparing yourself and those around you from the potentially ...
American adults receiving flu vaccine at about the same rate as in 2008, study finds
Medicine & Health / Medications
8 hours ago |
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American adults are not being vaccinated against the seasonal flu any more often than they were last year, despite increased public discussion of the importance of influenza vaccines resulting from the worldwide outbreak ...
A special kind of flight training
Dec 08, 2009 |
4 / 5 (2) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new generation of flight simulators will attempt to make air traffic safer.
Study highlights implications of influenza pandemics on blood supplies
14 hours ago |
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A German research team has examined data on supply and demand for blood transfusions against a computer simulation of an influenza pandemic, and discovered that a severe pandemic scenario could quickly lead to a deficit of ...
Texas Tech Using Remote Sensing Technology to Improve Peanut Crops
Dec 08, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers are using remote sensing to estimate biophysical characteristics including ground cover and yield.
Review: Barnes & Noble reader is dual-screen mess
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
4 hours ago |
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(AP) -- The e-book reading device is the gadget gift of the season. Both Sony and Barnes & Noble have sold out of their new models, and new buyers will have to wait until January for delivery. So why are ...
Precision breeding creates super potato
Dec 08, 2009 |
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The skin is light brown, the meat luscious and yellow: from the outside alone, this new potato looks like any other. But on the inside, it is different. Its cells produce pure amylopectin, a starch used in ...
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