Christmas traditions big and small — from fist fights to secret codes

Plus, strategies for minimizing family conflict this holiday.

View this email online by Suzanne Nuyen December 24, 2023 Good morning. The Up First newsletter team will take a break tomorrow. We hope you have a very merry Christmas! Best of NPR Christmas can look vastly different depending on where in the world you're celebrating. In Santo Tomás, Peru, residents celebrate the festival of Takanakuy with a series of organized fist fights to settle disputes, followed by a big feast. In Japan, Christmas dinner is traditionally a bucket of KFC fried chicken. Marina French/Sunday River The U.S. isn't without it's quirky Christmas traditions, either. Hundreds of Santas converge on the slopes of one of Maine's largest ski resorts each year to raise money for the River Fund, a non-profit that supports youth education. Festivus, the made-up holiday from Seinfeld, is lovingly celebrated at the Ginger Man bar in Irving, Texas — complete with feats of strength and an airing of grievances.  Some traditions are shared just among close family. For Morning Edition this week, NPR's Rachel Martin spoke to several families about the unique ways they celebrate: 🎄For Yurbil Kevra and his mom. Anita, picking out a Christmas tree every year is a race against the clock to see if they can select, cut, bag and transport their tree home faster than they did last year. Their best time is 14 minutes and 34 seconds, door-to-door. 🎁 Samantha Helm's mom started using her own code to label presents to prevent her children from peeking. Now, every year, Samantha and her siblings must decipher increasingly difficult codes before they can open their gifts.  💌 Matt Solomon, who is Jewish, wanted to come up with a new tradition for the holidays with his Catholic wife. Every year, they open holiday boxes with letters from their past selves.  This weekend, my family and I will don matching T-shirts for our annual traditional Christmas morning photoshoot. We spend months deciding on the theme and coordinating our outfits each year. I hope your holiday is filled with joy and warm traditions too. Newsletter continues after sponsor message The Week That Was Catie Dull/NPR In 1,000 words or less, could you tell me which laws Congress passed this year? NPR's Eric McDaniel can. The GOP-led Congress sent 27 bills to President Biden's desk this year. It's a dramatic decline in productivity from previous years, even when compared to years with a divided government. For many student journalists, what's happening on their campuses as a response to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and the ensuing war in Gaza is the biggest story they've ever covered. At Tulane University, students Hannah Levitan and Lindsay Ruhl aren't shying away from the challenge.  Elyse Greenblatt booked a Telehealth appointment in 2022 after returning from a trip to Rwanda with persistent congestion. After a straightforward appointment, she was hit with a big bill. Attempting to resolve it has been a major headache for Greenblatt. Podcast Picks kajakiki / Getty Images Pop Culture Happy Hour: Get recommendations and commentary on the buzziest movies, TV, music, books, videogames and more — five days a week. 🎧 What's the best Christmas gift you ever received? This episode, Pop Culture Happy Hour is talking about the gift you still think about from time to time. Life Kit: Get advice from experts for a little help to be a better human.  🎧 Organized fist fights like the ones in Peru's Takanakuy festival are one way to resolve conflict. If you'd rather minimize family fights this holiday, try these 12 strategies.  Civics 101, by New Hampshire Public Radio: What's the difference between the House and the Senate? What does the 2nd Amendment actually say? Listen to Civics 101 to learn how our democracy works. 🎧 Could Santa be charged with trespassing, breaking and entering, burglary and a bevy of other crimes? Law professor Colin Miller has some answers. Looking for a last minute gift for the podcast lover in your life? Give them access to NPR+ benefits for 6 or 12 months with a simple one-time payment that supports your local station. NPR+ is a growing collection of over 20 podcasts that are the same NPR shows you know and love (which will always be free to enjoy), but with added perks like bonus episodes, sponsor-free listening, archive access, and even early releases. You can even customize your gift with a personal message and schedule delivery for a specific day. So how about it? Will you give a gift that makes an impact? Just proceed through the link below and select the "gifts" option in the top navigation bar. Get NPR+ This newsletter was edited by Carol Ritchie. Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Up First emails. 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