to move up and down
How much is your true love paying for all those gifts in The Twelve Days of Christmas?
This year the cost has been calculated at US$107,459.72 for the 376 gifts received in the song, with geese contributing the largest percentage increase
Saskatoon could face human rights complaint after refusing to yank ‘Merry Christmas’ message from buses
The city of Saskatoon is facing the possibility of a human rights complaint after it refused to yank the “Merry Christmas” message from the top of its buses despite allegations of discrimination.
On Monday Ashu Solo vowed to take the matter to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, claiming the Christmas greetings violate his right to be free from religion.
He said the salutation also favours Christianity over other religions, which is particularly problematic for Saskatoon’s immigrant community, many of whom rely on bus service.
“Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make them feel like they need to convert to Christianity to be first-class citizens,” he wrote in a complaint.
“Therefore, the Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses are a forcible attempt at Christian indoctrination.” (Gord Waldner/Postmedia News)
‘Zwarte Piet is Racism’: Criticism of Dutch fictional Christmas figure ‘Black Pete’ grows
Visitors to the Netherlands in winter are often surprised to see the Dutch version of St. Nicholas’s helpers have their faces painted black, wear Afro wigs and have thick red lips — in short, a racist caricature of a black person.
Most Dutch are devoted to the holiday tradition of Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) and insist he’s a harmless fictional figure who doesn’t represent any race. But a growing number are questioning whether he should be given a makeover or banished, seeing him as a blight on the country’s image as a bulwark of tolerance.
“There is more opposition to Zwarte Piet than you might think,” says Jessica Silversmith, director of the regional Anti-Discrimination Bureau for Amsterdam. (DIRK WAEM/AFP/Getty Images; Margriet Faber / The Associated Press)
Why the DMX version of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is as fresh as Two Chainz: natpo.st/SKlyMO
Not sure which console to get that special gamer on your Christmas shopping list? Have no fear, your friends at Post Arcade have got you covered. We break down the pros and cons of each console in the first dispatch from our Post Arcade Holiday Game Guide.
http://natpo.st/VgFwNY
The Month Ahead: December
Not ready to say goodbye to 2012? Too bad! Celebrate the last days of the year the world was supposed to end (and might still, but probably won’t) with our list of suggested cultural entertainments: natpo.st/SvKGa1
Quiz the Season: Test your knowledge of Christmas TV specials
A good number of what we generally consider Christmas “traditions” are a bit dodgy. Do people really roast chestnuts? And has anyone seriously demanded figgy pudding? But everyone watches Christmas TV specials. Which means you should be able to ace the Post’s annual quiz. TAKE IT HERE: natpo.st/QLtIHK
How Santa copes with his growing workload: Graphic
The Santa-believing population has exploded in the last 100 years and Santa’s had to modernize. The National Post’s graphics team takes a look
Odd Christmas photo of the day
A Tasmanian devil warms himself in a Santa hat due to the unseasonably cold temperatures at the Australian Reptile Park near Sydney, Dec. 22, 2011. (Photo: Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images)
Odd Christmas photo of the day
Clay caganers representing Prince William (L) and his wife Catherine are displayed at the Santa Llucia Christmas market in central Barcelona, December 21, 2011. Catalans hide caganers, or defecators, in Christmas Nativity scenes to let friends hunt for them during Christmas celebrations. The caganers, which symbolize defecation and fertilization of the earth, are believed to bring prosperity and luck for the coming year. (Photo: Albert Gea/Reuters)
Odd Christmas photo of the day
Leo Park, age six, poses as a man dressed as Santa Claus is lifted by crane onto the world’s first Santa-friendly chimney in Somerford Keynes, England, Dec. 19, 2011.
The development of the chimney, which is undergoing practical tests, was inspired by Leo after he told his mother that the chimney in the house they were having built was too small to accommodate Santa Claus. (Photo: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters)
Odd Christmas photo of the day
Santa Claus is taste-tested by a crocodile during feeding time at a crocodile farm in Manila, Philippines, Dec. 16, 2011. (Romeo Ranoco/Reuters)
