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It's that time of year for us to realize how far societies tend to veer from the true essence of things. We live in a desperately superficial culture that is too often satisfied with veneers. If it's shiny, new and untouched by real life, it strangely gives us the false assurance that it will last forever. Anyone can package up junk, put a nice shimmery bow on it and pass it off as the got-to-have-it-or-you'll-die item of the season. Even when what's inside is genuine and something we truly need, too many are content with the outer misleading packaging. We've...

Every year around the world, hundreds of millions of children wait anxiously for Santa Claus to arrive and bring presents and good cheer. But what if Santa never came? What if this year the reindeer all fall ill, perhaps due to Crazy Reindeer disease (the analog to Mad Cow) and Santa is forced to cancel Christmas? The result would be devastating. Fortunately, for any children reading, official word from the North Pole is that Santa’s sleigh has some new upgrades this year that allow it to run on good old fashioned jet fuel if the reindeer fail. And with the...

Sanity — and Santa — have been restored at a Brooklyn public elementary school where St. Nick was banned, the Pledge of Allegiance was dropped and Thanksgiving was replaced with a “harvest festival.” The good news arrived at PS 169 in Sunset Park on Monday morning, a day after The Post exposed the bizarre PC extremism of Principal Eujin Jaela Kim.

Who's naughty? Who's nice? 1.This elf who's clearly had too much to drink.2.This elf who won't hesitate to murder some Barbie dolls.3.This elf who watched Silence of the Lambs one too many times.4.This elf who quit gift-making to become a ladies' man.5.This elf who's feeling a bit devious. 6.This elf who didn't think twice before he put his you know what in a box.7.This narcissistic elf.8.This elf who wants to make angels.9.This elf who has taken the game of tag too far.10.This elf who has an addiction problem.11.This elf who's enjoying his white privilege.12.This elf who likes a good office...

SIERRA VISTA — The excited chatter of hundreds of children turned to gasps and cheers of delight outside Ace Hardware Saturday as Santa Claus descended from the sky to greet them during the annual Santa Fly-In, hosted by the Sierra Vista Chamber of Commerce. Instead of a magical red sleigh, however, on this morning Santa and Mrs. Claus made their entrance riding inside a bright yellow Airbus AS350-B3, piloted by local Air Evac crew members. With a wave of his white-gloved hand, St. Nick was greeted with cheers and applause as he stepped out of the helicopter. A line quickly...

The Night They Gunned Down Santa Claus by Chet Lynn There's strange things done 'neath the Vietnamese sun but the thing that locked my jaws was the night 'neath the moon, the third platoon gunned down Santa Claus. It started off right just another night, you had to spend in the dirt, security was out, .360 about with fifty percent alert. We had 81s and naval guns our tanks were track to track, an ontos or so an arty FO with barrages back to back. I froze where I stood 'cause out of the wood eight horses came charging along,...

In 2012 a poll found a plurality of people thought Santa would be a Democrat.Let's go down the ways this poll was right, and the (more) ways it was wrong. You can link to this and tell people that one "study" showed Santa is almost twice as conservative as he is liberal. ;-)

The firehouse near us has a sign out promoting "Lunch With Santa". What are the serving, ho-ho-hoagies?

SouthPark mall made a mistake when it chose to replace its traditional Christmas tree with a faux glacier, the company’s president said Sunday, and the controversial display will be removed sometime Monday. “It was a mistake, and we had to correct,” Simon Mall President David Contis said Sunday. “If we lose money, so be it.” Indianapolis-based Simon Malls owns SouthPark as well as Charlotte Premium Outlets and Concord Mills. SouthPark Mall shoppers did not take kindly to the mall replacing its traditional Christmas tree with the controversial glacier as part of its Santa display, so the shopping center announced this...

A Long Island mall swapped Santa’s sleigh for something resembling a spaceship and nixed the Christmas tree because it didn’t want to “offend” anyone, irate shoppers told The Post. The Roosevelt Field Mall ditched its traditional holiday village and put Ol’ Saint Nick inside a winter-themed “glacier” instead. But some say the white and blue display looks more like something out of “Star Trek” than “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” “Santa comes along with a decorated tree; he doesn’t come with a spaceship,” Maria Lovdahl fumed.

What a grouch!

What did you get for Christmas? I asked Santa for a Harley Davidson motorcycle. I've got a perfect place for it in the garage. I can't ride it. I'm a menace to society when I'm on a motorcycle. Not because I carry a switchblade. I just crash all the time. I was looking at a motorcycle once, and it fell on me. Engine wasn't even running. Just fell on me. I really rode in my younger days. I rode into cars. I rode into trees. Once, I even rode into a hill. You'd think that you could see a hill...

Official NORAD Santa Tracker

**SNIP** Paul Begala, Democratic media consultant Santa is definitely a Democrat. Rather than cater to the wealthiest one percent he rewards people who work hard and play by the rules. And while he's not a participant in the first lady's anti-obesity campaign he's very concerned about climate change. After all, Rudolph can fly but he can't swim. **SNIP** Billy Moore, Democratic lobbyist My sister Kiki suggests he is a Democrat: "He cares about all the children, rich or poor. He cares about the elf's as workers and he believes there is good in the world to be celebrated not just...

Whether you agree with his politics or not, and despite being vilified by the left for the better part of eight years, there’s no doubting that George W. Bush is a class act. The former president, dressed as Santa, visited the Dallas’ Children’s Medical Center recently to spread a little Christmas cheer with the young patients. And just as he does in his many activities with wounded veterans, Bush did so sans media.

In a few hours, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is going to publish -- and blast out to all its supporters -- a rare document never before seen and intercepted on its way to the North Pole: The Christmas letter Hillary Clinton "wrote" to Santa Claus this year. Townhall, we’re pleased to announce, got our hands on it first. For those interested, the entire (satirical) missive is below, which among other things not-so-subtly touches on Hillary Clinton’s greatly diminished heir apparent status, her breathtakingly absurd demands and requests on the speaking circuit, and her refusal to state her positions clearly...

Traditional Santa photos may become a thing of the past with child protection activists calling for Santa's lap to be off limits to kids for shopping centre Christmas pictures. Bravehearts founder Hetty Johnston has supported the concerns of some worried parents who say that the era of sitting on Santa’s lap has got to come to a close with some kids feeling pressured and forced to participate in the Christmas custom. "The directive would be for children to stand beside, unless parents or children request to sit on his knee," she told the Courier Mail.

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Dec. 1, 2014 – The North American Aerospace Defense Command’s NORAD Tracks Santa website, http://www.noradsanta.org/ , launched today featuring a mobile version, a holiday countdown, new games and daily activities and more. The website is available in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese. Official NORAD Tracks Santa apps are also available in the Windows, Apple and Google Play stores, so parents and children can countdown the days until Santa’s launch on their smart phones and tablets. Tracking opportunities are also offered on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+. Santa followers just...

Police summoned to Wisconsin home where youngsters called 911 for Santa.MAYVILLE, Wis. (AP) — Two young brothers from southeastern Wisconsin are likely hoping they haven't landed on Santa's naughty list after police showed up at their doorstep. The boys, ages 3 and 6, thought the best way to get in touch with the North Pole was by phone. And for youngsters of that age, their Christmas lists could be considered an emergency.

This year we’re bringing a snowy Canadian Christmas to a community in the Dominican Republic. It’s a holiday miracle! Heartwarming Christmas advert sees airline deliver dream presents to town in the Dominican Republic Airline debuts ‘Spirit of Giving’ advert, bringing gifts to the Caribbean WestJet employees tricked residents into sharing their holiday gift lists Volunteers then threw a community party, bringing presents and snow