Category: Holidays
Every December many children (and a few adults) are hopeful that they will get a visit from Santa. They are each hoping that they made it on the good list and not on the naughty one. Some do not believe that he exists at all.
Well, for those who do believe and hope that they will see him when he comes calling, there is a way to find out where the guy in the bright red suit is. North American Aerospace Defense Command is ready and waiting to help track Santa. Operation NORAD Tracks Santa will begin at 2am MST on December 24, Christmas Eve.
NORAD, and its predecessor CONAD, have been doing this for 50 years. They track Santa using the radar called the North Warning System. It has 47 installations along the North American border. The moment that Santa has been detected taking off from the north pole, the satellite network will now be used to track Santa’s flight. It works using infared sensors which can detect Rudolph’s red nose easily by its infared signature.
There are also Santa cams deployed this year. These high speed digital cameras are scattered around the world. Note that they are only used once a year – on Christmas Eve.
Lastly, there are NORAD (Canadaian and American) fighter pilots assigned to intercept Santa and welcome him at various points. They will fly will fly with Santa and his reindeers part way, taking turns.
Children can call or email to ask about Santa’s location. There will be over 800 volunteers taking turns to answer the lines and respond to the emails. They can also visit the website for updates.
Around christmas time everyone seems to transform into the kids they are at heart. Suddenly no hiding place is safe since they have all become expert detectives. They always seem to find where you hid the presents.
If you are looking for a way to help keep things a surprise, try what Nashville is doing. They have Santa Closets.
No, the closets do not contain the big guy in the red suit. A Santa Closet is the term used for the self storage units that have become a favorite hiding place for many adults. Some people rent Santa Closets to store items like a new TV, iPod, recliner or boat that you hope they won’t see til Christmas day. The gifts can be any size. The important thing is that they are away from the curious fingers of the christmas detective squad.
With Santa Closets, the stash will be safe ’til you decide to put them under the tree. Just make sure to keep its location secret.
Every christmas time, many places come to life with lights. There are however a few that really stand out with their christmas display, doing more than just brighten up trees. These homeowners and shopkeepers turn their christmas displays into works of art that attracts visitors from far and wide to marvel anew at the christmas stories.
Maybe the best known display is that of the family of Dan Brown in Greenville, Texas. This year’s display is made with over 500,000 lights and has expanded since his son moved into the house across the street. They don’t charge anything for people to enjoy the display, people can simply drive down the street and marvel at the beauty of this display of snowmen, trains, a giant carousel and more. They do welcome donations that people give. Any amounts they receive are used on the electricity bill. Any excess amount is used to improve and add on to the display for next year.
Of course there are lots of other families who have also become landmarks for their own areas during the holiday season. The Little family in Morgan County, Utah have put up a beautiful christmas light display since 1956. They began with carving out Mary and Joseph. Over the years they added the sheep, shepherds, the wise men, the city of Bethlehem, reindeers, candy canes and more. The Little Hill as it is called is a crowd drawer every year.
It can be difficult to find gifts for one’s loved ones these days. With the increasing emphasis on technology and gadgets, gifts are often just too expensive. The sentiment still holds true though: as long as it comes from the heart.
Speaking of which, if you’re looking for a way to your game loving boy’s heart, keep abreast of what games are coming out this December. Today, the newest addition to the Metal Gear Series hits the stands. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is perhaps the most awaited PSP game of the year. It provides a link between the popular Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and the original game, Metal Gear.
Another game released today is Star Trek: Legacy. For those who’ve always wanted to know how James T. Kirk would fare against the relentless Borg, this is the game to have. The game spans all the generations of the Star Trek TV Series, from Enterprise, to the Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. Definitely a game that any Trekkie or Trekker would be looking forward to. Available for PC and XBOX 360.
The city that never sleeps threw its annual Halloween Parade on the 31st, where New York’s wackiest, weirdest and downright freakiest came out in full force.
The 33rd Greenwich Village Annual Halloween Parade‘s humble beginnings date back to 1973, when the event was started for the neighborhood children. Today, it is the biggest in the city, with thousands of participants dressed to the nines, complete with marchers, giant puppets and ornate floats.
Unlike most parades these days, the New York event is a virtual free-for-all, where the guideline for admission is simple – all you need is a costume and you’re in. Show up at the starting line in costume and join in the fun along with around 50,000 participants and a massive audience of 2 million.
The parade starts at 7 pm. at the HERE Arts Center on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Spring Street and continues up the Avenue of the Americas to 22nd Street.
Every year the theme changes, and this year it was “The Village Hearth” which was reminiscent of the ancient times’ rituals where bonfires and the change of seasons were celebrated.
The parade, which as presided over by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS decked out in full-on performance regalia, joined the teeming crowd where costumes of every variety were seen – from old standards like witches to elliot ant ET as seen in the pic above. Whatever their costume, a grand time was had by all, as young and old alike strutted to the music played by the Princeton University Band.
