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
Smoking and Drinking Linked to Bowel Cancer: Know Your Risks
Dec 17, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Besides delectable dishes that help us pack on the pounds during the holiday season, many people also let loose with a bottle of wine or a pack of cigarettes. Richard Rood, MD, says moderation ...
Shoppers with smart phones IQ squeezing retailers
Dec 17, 2009 |
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(AP) -- The rise of smart phones, with their go-anywhere Web access, is changing the shopping game this holiday season.
The Medical Minute: New toy safety standards bring parents confidence
Dec 16, 2009 |
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The holiday season is here and for many kids that means one thing: toys. About half of all toy purchases in the United States occur between the Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Hollywood hopes an ensemble cast boosts Blu-ray
Dec 13, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Although prices for some Blu-ray players dropped below $100 this holiday season, customers are hesitating to jump into the next-generation video format. Even people who already own Blu-ray players ...
Nine gaming predictions for 2010
Dec 11, 2009 |
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The end of the year offers a chance to look back on all that's come and gone in the past 12 months. It also offers a chance to use that knowledge of the past to bet on the outcome of the next 12 months for fun and profit.
Apple on track to launch tablet device next year, analysts say
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Dec 09, 2009 |
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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.
Consumers overpredict the use of holiday gifts
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Dec 09, 2009 |
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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.
Group corrects statement about safety of hot toys
Dec 08, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A consumer group that reported several of the holiday season's must-have toys are unsafe wants to make a correction.
Shop before you sign a data contract for a netbook
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Dec 04, 2009 |
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Netbooks with built-in 3G wireless Internet access are all the rage this holiday season. But before you sign on the dotted line at your local AT&T or Verizon Wireless store and commit yourself to a two-year contract, consider ...
Gift Guide: Touch and Windows 7 in fresh PC lineup
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Dec 03, 2009 |
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(AP) -- This holiday season is a great time to buy a PC. There's a nice new version of Windows out, and computer manufacturers are adding interesting new technologies. Here's a guide to what's fresh in PCs, ...
Doctors Warn Against Holiday Heart Attack Spike
Dec 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Some studies indicate that death rates from heart attacks and stroke as well as non-heart-related causes spike during the holiday season.
Holiday Web shopping looks brighter than last year
Nov 26, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Online retailers hope the convenience of the Web, plus discounts and deals, spur still-nervous shoppers to spend more online this holiday season - even as traditional retailers brace for mediocre sales.
Suggestions for tech-happy holidays
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Nov 25, 2009 |
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The holiday season is as much a time for tech as for toys. Electronic gadgets are at the top of many wish lists and account for an ever-growing share of holiday shopping budgets. Fortunately for shoppers, tech gifts don't ...
Google's Chrome OS to be ready for 2010 holidays (Update)
Nov 19, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Consumers will have to wait until next year's holiday shopping season to find out if Google Inc.'s new operating system can deliver on its promise to make low-cost computers run faster.
Just in the time for holiday shoppers: Personal finance professor offers advice on breaking credit addiction
Nov 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- An October survey of 3,800 consumers by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling found that more than two thirds (68 percent) planned to pay in cash for their holiday purchases this year, ...
