Other winter holidays celebrated around the world besides Christmas and New Year's

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are far from the only major holidays celebrated around the world once the weather gets colder and the year comes to a close. Several other days on the calendar serve as important festive celebrations for different cultures inside and outside America that are deserving of increased awareness.

It’s important to understand different winter holidays besides Christmas because of the growing multicultural population in the United States and the rise in celebration rates of many culturally specific holidays. Consider that, by 2050, the majority of the US will be multicultural, and each major racial and ethnic group – Hispanic, Black, Asian – is growing in size.

Learn more about the different holidays on the calendar you may not be aware of or know much about by reading my latest piece for The Post and Courier, available here.

The great debate: Should you choose a real or artificial Christmas tree?

There’s nothing quite like having a genuine Christmas tree in your home during the holiday season. The fresh scent, vibrant needles and branches and authentic appearance of a bona fide fir, spruce, pine or other species creates a comforting and festive ambience in any residence.

Then again, most artificial trees today look just like the genuine article but spare you from the mess, hassle, and risks associated with a real tree.

So which type is right for you? That depends on your budget, tastes, available space and other factors, say the experts. And it’s a decision that is best made well ahead of time.

To help you make the right choice, read my newest article for CTW Features, available here.

Cineversary podcast rings in A Christmas Story's 40th birthday

In Cineversary podcast episode #65, host Erik Martin talks Chinese turkey with leg lamp expert Andrew Scahill, a film studies professor at the University of Colorado Denver known for his holiday movies course, as they commemorate the 40th anniversary of A Christmas Story, directed by Bob Clark. Andrew and Erik cover this film from soap to fudge, exploring why this film remains timeless and deserves celebration four decades later, how it became a pop culture phenomenon, and much more.

Andrew Scahill

To listen to this episode, click here or click the "play" button on the embedded streaming player below. Or, you can stream, download, or subscribe to Cineversary wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts, PodBean, RadioPublic, and Overcast.

Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com.