December 23rd is the 358th day of the year. There are 8 days remaining until the end of the year

Today is Festivus, National Pfeffernusse Day (German Spice Cookie)  and National Christmas Movie Marathon Day

ON THIS DAY WITH NICOLET
— On this date in 1823, A Visit From St. Nicholas, also known as The Night Before Christmas, was published.

— On this date in 1888, Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear

— On this date in 1957, The song ‘Tequila’ by the Champs was recorded.

— On this date in 1978, Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” first hits the charts

THINGS U NEED 2 NO
Weekend Box Office:
1) Sonic The Hedgehog 3- $62 million
2) Mufasa- $35 million domestically

If mothers got paid for preparing for Christmas they would earn close to $30,000 for their work. The paper figured out women perform 11 jobs and are hopelessly under-compensated.
Those jobs include:
– 46 hours cooking at $50 an hour.
– 96 hours choosing gifts at $30 an hour.
– 12 hours making costumes for nativity plays at $25 an hour
– 62 hours organizing events at $60 an hour
– 32 hours as a party hostess at $75 an hour

Christmas Decorations Dirtier Than A Toilet Seat:  Christmas decorations harbor five times as many germs as the average toilet seat. Researchers, from Initial Washroom Hygiene, analyzed 25 decorations in five homes. 68% of holiday decorations have a high level of bacteria and contamination. The dirtiest holiday items are Christmas tree boxes (845 units of bacteria), Christmas trees (780 units of bacteria), ornaments (610 units of bacteria) and Christmas wreaths (430 units of bacteria). The average toilet seat has 220 units of bacteria. Experts advise cleaning decorations with an antibacterial cloth to avoid spreading illness. 

What’s your first thought when you hear someone say they DON’T want a gift?  Relief . . . or annoyance at the future awkwardness they’re creating? People were asked what it means when someone says they don’t want a gift, and 44% say the person truly doesn’t want a gift, but won’t be upset if you give them one.  Another 19% say they may secretly want a gift, but won’t be upset if you don’t give them one. Now for the drama.  9% say the person doesn’t want a gift, and WILL be upset if you get them something.  And 8% say the person secretly DOES want a gift, and will be upset if you DON’T get them one. 

The site WalletHub ranked the best cities to spend Christmas in, and Atlanta took the top spot. They base it on things like how many holiday-themed events there are . . . how easy it is to shop . . . and how much people love the holidays, based on Google searches. The 10 best cities for Christmas in 2024 are:  Atlanta . . . Pittsburgh . . . Seattle . . . Las Vegas . . . Orlando . . . San Francisco . . . St. Louis . . . Miami . . . Chicago . . . and New York. Vegas made the Top Five.  But of the 100 cities they looked at, NORTH Las Vegas ranked last.

Researchers at the University of Essex are studying mistletoe’s adhesive properties for medical use. Mistletoe’s sticky qualities date back to ancient Rome. The scientists hope to manufacture environmentally-friendly adhesives from mistletoe. These would be an alternative to surgical glue.