Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:46:01 GMT

In my family, as soon as we've watched my dad fill the dishwasher with gravy-smattered Thanksgiving plates, the truly meaningful Christmas season begins. The Black Friday ads are spread out on the table and the TV volume, having been muted during the meal, is cranked up so we can hear the bells (both jingle and silver) play on the commercials' background tracks.

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:50:13 GMT

Don't be surprised if you walk into The Royal Poinciana Chapel's Christmas Boutique and see animals.

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:57:37 GMT

A green Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa may blossom this year, as thoughtful consumers strive to protect the environment and retailers push eco-products. A national telephone survey sponsored by the catalog Plow & Hearth found that half of the 1,000 people surveyed planned to purchase an environmentally friendly gift this holiday season. And among those going green, two-thirds said they would ...