PHOTO COLLECTION: The iconic and unconventional sides of Christmas in New York

NEW YORK (AP) — The challenge of photographing Christmastime in New York is that there is so much of it. The big tree in Rockefeller Center. Ice skating in Central Park. The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. All those lavish, holiday-themed department store window displays. ...

Santa Claus joins sharks for a holiday swim at a Rio de Janeiro aquarium

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Santa Claus has arrived in Rio de Janeiro — under water. Starting on Saturday, he’ll be spotted at AquaRio Marine Aquarium swimming with sharks during their daily fish feeding sessions as part of the city’s Christmas festivities. ...

PHOTO COLLECTION: Germany Christmas Market

As Christmas nears, Ecuador's homes get a break from power cuts but companies still face rationing

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — As Christmas approaches and people decorate their homes with lights, Ecuadoreans are getting some relief from the severe power cuts that have hounded the country this year with President Daniel Noboa saying there will be no power rationing for residential areas - for the...

It's eggnog season. The boozy beverage dates back to medieval England but remains a holiday hit

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — At Scoma’s Restaurant in San Francisco, this holiday season 's batch of eggnog began 11 months ago. The process typically starts in late January, just after the previous year's celebrations are over. Nearly a thousand egg yolks, gallons upon gallons of heavy...

After shooting, Wisconsin school and church lean into Christmas message for comfort

For Christians around the world, Christmas is the joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus. To affirm their beliefs — that God is present and hasn’t abandoned them — the faith community at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, is embracing its holiday traditions just days...

Deal spares federal workers before Christmas but there's concern about possible job cuts under Trump

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Johnny Zuagar said he tried to hide his worries about a potential government shutdown from his three boys as he weighed how much to spend on Christmas presents. “I’ve got to keep a poker face,” Zuagar, a statistician at the U.S. Census Bureau, said when...

13 people including children die in stampedes in Nigeria at Christmas charity events

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 13 people, including four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing items distributed at annual Christmas events, the police said Saturday. The two accidents came days after...

In a calendar rarity, Hanukkah starts this year on Christmas Day

Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Festival of Lights, begins this year on Christmas Day, which has only happened four times since 1900. For some rabbis, the intersection of the two religious holidays provides an auspicious occasion for interfaith engagement. “This can...

Pope has a cold and will skip outdoor Sunday prayer ahead of a busy week

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is suffering from a cold and will deliver his Sunday blessing from indoors, the Vatican said, announcing the precautions ahead of a busy Christmas period and launch of the Holy Year that will sorely test Francis' stamina and health. The Vatican cited the...