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"Last Paper Standing: A Century of Competition Between the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News" by Ken J. Ward explores the rivalry between the two newspapers and the decline of multiple newspaper cities. The book highlights the intense competition between the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News, which lasted for over a century. It also delves into the personalities involved and the innovative ways the newspapers differentiated themselves to benefit readers. The author suggests that both newspapers could have coexisted, preserving the high standard of journalism, but ultimately only one newspaper survived. The book emphasizes the importance of preserving good newspapers and the loss that occurs when they fold. [Extracted from the article]

The article announces the call for papers for the special issue of the journal about the culture of the American Christmas.

In the article, the author offers information on the articles/papers for the theme issue about American Christmas like religious rituals of the American Christmas, Christmas costumes, and the holiday season.

Secondary analysis is employed to address new research questions by analysing previously collected data. This paper reports on the secondary analysis of qualitative data where the original research investigated the preschool education reform in Serbia from the perspective of Hungarian ethnic minority kindergarten pedagogues. The choice to apply a secondary analysis fulfilled the aims of (i) investigating traces of socialism in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) provision in Vojvodina, a northern region of Serbia; and (ii) exploring the complexity of Christmas celebrations in nurseries. In order to address the aims, a secondary analysis of 12 semi-structured transcripts was carried out. This analysis revealed important additional findings for the original study. In light of the education reforms in Serbia we found that, first, there are strong connections between the 'socialist past' ECEC practices and what these practices may look like in the future; and, second, the traditional celebration of religious holidays outside of church organizations, such as Christmas, may change in the nurseries. This paper also offers insight regarding the importance of secondary analysis which provides an opportunity to making use of existing resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper, rooted in the field of cathedral studies, proposes a framework that analyses the qualitative results from a survey administered in Liverpool Cathedral at two Christmas Eve carol services on the afternoon of 24 December in 2019. The argument is introduced by a review of both quantitative and qualitative literature in the field of cathedral studies, as well the former and current mission priorities of Liverpool Cathedral. Attention is also paid to the liturgical celebration in which survey participants took part. The qualitative results from the Christmas Eve questionnaire are organised into six main themes: cathedral as place, cathedral liturgy, choir and music, general positive affirmation, cathedral local engagement, and cathedral welcome. Conclusions are drawn concerning the significance of the data to the field of cathedral studies, as well as praxis, and trajectories for further research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Christmas markets in Germany and Austria exhibit historic, mercantile, social and experiential dimensions, entrenching them both as a form of heritage and as visitable sites of society and culture, yet research into tourist perception of sensory and multisensory experiential components of these markets has been highly limited thus far. This paper examines the extent of sensory components experienced in Dresden Strietzelmarkt, Nuremberg Christkindlmarkt (Germany) and Vienna Rathausplatz Christkindlmarkt (Austria), as reported in TripAdvisor reviews. Visitor experience ratings across all three Christmas markets were strongly positive, with internal visitors being more discerning in terms of actual experience. All five sensory components of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch were identified, with sight and taste being most commonly noted. The majority of reviews referred to two or three sensory experiences, and a positive correlation emerged between more complex sensory experience and higher visitor rating. Numerous comments connected experienced sensory characteristics with a sense of a Christmas atmosphere or mood, and perceptions on authenticity were entwined with past perception and expectation. In recognising such multisensory components having ascribed values, we argue they deserve to be correctly identified, documented and managed as forms of intangible heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lighting up darkness is a material practice shared across many cultures. Lighting up winter darkness is a particular concern in urban areas in order to make urban spaces feel safer and more welcoming. Temporary lights, often characterised as 'Christmas' or 'Winter' lights, are installed over the darkest period of the year (December in the northern hemisphere) in town and city centres to attract shoppers and tourists. This paper examines the lights displays installed over the Christmas/ New Year period in two British towns. In each case the lights are installed by volunteers, who also arrange a 'switch on' community celebration. The research argues that the architecture of the lights signifies and reinforces the identities of the communities involved. In particular, the paper examines: the importance of infrastructure for the ongoing creation of community; the creative potential of these temporary structures for community identity; and the essential materiality of community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swedish preschool education is, by law, non-confessional. Yet, it is also an educational context within which most children aged 1–5 encounter traditions that carry Christian connotations. This paper explores how two Swedish preschools maintain a balance between keeping education non-confessional and paying attention to the traditions that are associated with the preparation for and celebration of Christmas – Advent. The data consist of ten videotaped observations from two preschools. The data was thematised with the help of Ninian Smart's dimensions of religious and secular worldviews. This way, we could show that the different traditions the two preschools were engaged in during the four weeks before Christmas contributed to a banal reproduction of a holiday season with roots in Lutheran Christianity. At the same time, the preschools contributed to a (re)production of traditions that evoke a national imaginery. Our results show that Advent in Swedish preschools is characterised as a non-confessional task for the institution. Thus, the principle of non-confessionality lives side by side with a banal national religion. Thereby, the Swedish preschool plays an integral part in the banal reproduction of a Swedishness that includes Lutheran Christianity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the economic and cultural significance of Christmas in many nations, there has been relatively little geographical research on how it shapes people's socialities, spatialities, and subjectivities. In this paper, practice theory was used to reflect on the materials, meanings, and competencies associated with older people who host the celebration at home, and thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 20 individuals aged 65+ explored participants' experiences of doing so. Findings reveal that homes' material forms affect older people's ability to host, while the 'stuff' of Christmas such as decorations, special foods, or gifts shape those homes as festive and welcoming places. Food sourcing and preparation were critical competencies for female participants, and shifting capacities to be a host influenced participants' sense of autonomy and identity. Regardless of the extent to which participants celebrated Christmas, the meanings of hosting centred on social connection, contribution, and shoring up family. Choosing not to host or being unable to contribute in expected ways at Christmas could signify failure, exclusion, or incapability as an older person, parent, or citizen. Examining these issues in the case study, based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, reveals the existence and effects of the social expectations, norms, and obligations that typify Christmas. More broadly, the study highlights the need for geographers to attend to the ways in which celebrations shape and are shaped by diverse practices, places, and peoples and are assembled, reproduced, and resisted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to the advantages of asynchronous circuits, compatibility with synchronous EDA tools is another strength point of synchronous elastic circuits. Synchronous elastic circuits face some challenges, such as process variations that can compromise its performance and functionality, and the multitude of available implementations based on elastic elements' combinations, meaning that choosing the best combination could not be simple. In this paper, a novel method is introduced to model and verify synchronous elastic circuits in the presence of variations. The model is based on xMAS, which is a new formal modeling paradigm to synthesize, test, and verify circuits and networks. In this method, various elastic elements are modeled and available in the form of a library in xMAS, so the designer can build complicated elastic circuits by combining different elastic elements. Additionally, by translating a high-level xMAS model into a SAN statistical model and using its capabilities, elements' internal delays will be embedded, which makes the high-level modeling and elastic circuits' high-resolution time analysis available. Based on the obtained results, elastic circuits are highly capable of tolerating variations. However, this phenomenon could lead to a maximum of 2.35% error in synchronization control units and data in these circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rich array of original Christmas folklore, mythology, and stories exists in Yiddish. In this paper, I present a framework for understanding the Yiddish literary response to Christmas in the context of a dark midwinter folklore that has evolved across cultures since antiquity. Among Christians, this midwinter folklore gave rise to the fundamental Christmas literary motif of the balance of cold and darkness with warmth and light, with the latter two often signifying comfort and goodwill. I argue that the fundamental Christmas literary motif employed in Yiddish is consistent with that of Christians, but key elements are distorted to reflect a distinctly Jewish perspective: Yiddish folklore inverts the figure of Jesus from being the Christian emblem of light into an emblem of midwinter darkness, and modern Yiddish literature adapts the motif of balancing darkness with light as a metaphor for balancing Old World and New World values. Whereas light characteristically prevails in the traditional Christmas story, the Yiddish Christmas story corrupts this optimism to express Jewish sentiments about Christianity and the non-Jewish world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a 2017 article for the comedy website Cracked, Christopher Daed argues that "Die Hard and Home Alone are the EXACT same movie." Daed was not the first to make this connection: a cursory search reveals frequent comparison on social media. Very little scholarship, however, has seriously engaged with this pairing. In this paper, I examine how both Die Hard (1988) and Home Alone (1990) use narratives of redemptive violence to define idealized American masculinity. Both films portray families ruptured by influences both foreign (the imposition of foreign culture) and domestic (maternal neglect) that are restored by their protagonists' defense of Christmas, family, and by extent, old-fashioned American values. I situate both Die Hard and Home Alone within the canon of American Christmas films, arguing that their enduring, linked popularity is indicative of a rejection of the perceived weakness and femininity associated with many other Christmas narratives. I focus in particular on the films' oft-overlooked treatment of religion: Christmas, after all, is a religious holiday, and its relationship to American identity cannot be separated from the ubiquity of Christianity in American life. I argue that both Kevin McCallister's church attendance and his violent defense of his home align him with John McClane as all-American defenders of Christmas and the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Singapore no longer governs Christmas Island, either on behalf of its British colonial administrators or for itself, some Singaporeans continue to regard it as a lost territory and have false impressions that it once belonged and should again belong to Singapore. By examining this complexity related to Christmas Island and its possible implications for Singapore's national psyche, this paper surveys the newspapers of Singapore and oral history records of Singaporean ministers and officials for accounts of Christmas Island. It suggests that Singaporean newspapers' portrayal of Christmas Island as a neglected Australian overseas territory contributed to some Singaporeans' perception that Christmas Island might actually be better off with Singapore; others even had a misconception of Christmas Island as a lost territory. Such opinions have never really dissipated because the government has never publicly clarified the transfer of Christmas Island and rejected claims about its "sale" to Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper models a new approach to theorizing topics via music informatics. Our case study for topic is winter as it appears in video game music. Like opera or oratorio, video game music leaves little ambiguity as to what the music ought to signify. Video games commonly have an icy or snowy area, complete with cold-weather creatures and landscapes as well as new game mechanics and music for the player to encounter. Our dataset has over 160 examples of such music, representing games on all mainstream platforms (Nintendo, PlayStation, computer, etc.) and spanning the years 1987-2020. Each example is tagged with its musical features. We define five core characteristics of the winter topic: heavy reverb, arpeggiated textures, metallic percussion instruments, plucked string instruments, and omission of membranophones. We also situate winter as a topic related to Christmas, '80s music, and the waltz. Finally, we explore Nintendo's idiosyncratic approach to winter music. Our study finds that instrumentation--particularly percussion--and audio technology are key considerations in establishing the winter topic in video game music. More broadly, we demonstrate the potential of computational musicology to augment and complement traditional approaches to topic theory, whether in relation to video game music or any other repertoire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we focus on the eruption of Mount Etna on Christmas 2018, which emitted great amounts of S O 2 from 24th to 30th December into the free troposphere. Simulations based on two different estimations of S O 2 emission fluxes are conducted with the chemistry-transport model MOCAGE in order to study the impact of these estimations on the volcanic plume modeling. The two flux emissions used are retrieved (1) from the ground-based network FLAME, located on the flank of the volcano, and (2) from the spaceborne instrument SEVIRI onboard the geostationary satellite MSG. Multiple spaceborne observations, in the infrared and ultraviolet bands, are used to evaluate the model results. Overall, the model results match well with the plume location over the period of the eruption showing the good transport of the volcanic plume by the model, which is linked to the use of a realistic estimation of the altitude of injection of the emissions. However, there are some discrepancies in the plume concentrations of S O 2 between the two simulations, which are due to the differences between the two emission flux estimations used that are large on some of the days. These differences are linked to uncertainties in the retrieval methods and observations used to derive S O 2 volcanic fluxes. We find that the uncertainties in the satellite-retrieved column of S O 2 used for the evaluation of the simulations, linked to the instrument sensitivity and/or the retrieval algorithm, are sometimes nearly as large as the differences between the two simulations. This shows a limitation of the use of satellite retrievals of S O 2 concentrations to quantitatively validate modeled volcanic plumes. In the paper, we also discuss approaches to improve the simulation of S O 2 concentrations in volcanic plumes through model improvements and also via more advanced methods to more effectively use satellite-derived products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies Kinnell's love for animals and birds. He is against the violent act of hunting. Kinnell is mainly concerned with the world and its living beings. To realize the sufferings of animals, Kinnell demonstrates animals' pain by transforming humans into animals. The poem "The Bear," "The Porcupine," and "To Christ Our Lord" describes the violent act of human by hunting these innocent creatures. Thus, in his poems, Kinnell conveys the message of love for animals and birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at the use of /r/-sandhi in the speech of Queen Elizabeth II. Potential contexts of /r/-sandhi were identified and analysed for the presence or absence of rhoticity and glottalisation in a corpus of Christmas speeches over a period of seven decades. The results show that the Queen avoids intrusive /r/ altogether but that she uses linking /r/ in most potential cases, that glottalisation is common when /r/-sandhi is not used, and that linking /r/ and glottalisation can also co-occur. A comparison with a longitudinal corpus of speakers also shows that the Queen resembles group-level trends in the case of linking /r/ but differs in the case of intrusive /r/. The results also indicate that a number of phonetic and usage-based variables influence linking /r/ usage, including previously unreported factors such as vowel quality collocation frequency. The findings are discussed in the context of usage-based theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On Christmas Day, 2020, the detonation of an explosive device in Nashville, Tennessee resulted in many thousands of homes and businesses losing access to telecommunications services. While pre-established business continuity and disaster recovery plans helped many businesses and organisations recover from the impact and outages, many still suffered extended downtimes due to the lack of redundancies in place. Indeed, for organisations without a backup telecommunication provider, the effect of the bombing was dramatic, with hospitals, urgent care facilities, restaurants and other businesses all suffering major disruption. This paper examines how the various organisations responded and recovered from the incident, and considers whether legislation is required to ensure that telecommunications providers have sufficient redundancies in place to avoid such extended outages from happening again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present paper, set within the developing science of cathedral studies, was to analyse the qualitative comments added by 113 of the 567 participants who submitted responses to a quantitative survey while attending the Holly Bough Service in Liverpool Cathedral on the afternoon of the Fourth Sunday of Advent 2019. These qualitative comments added depth and texture to the quantitative responses to illuminate five core aspects of the participants' experience: the aesthetic and spiritual qualities of the Cathedral; the aesthetic and spiritual qualities of the Holly Bough Service; the aesthetic and spiritual qualities of the Cathedral's musical tradition; the wider sense of connection with the Cathedral; and the impact of the ministry of the Cathedral clergy. The qualitative comments also drew attention to matters for further reflection by the Cathedral. Conclusions are drawn regarding the general effectiveness of Cathedrals within an increasingly secular environment, and the specific effectiveness of Liverpool Cathedral's mission strategy of 'Encounter'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper seeks to explore the functions of Christmas mythemes for children's consumption culture development. In addition, the purpose of this study is to provide an insight on the development of Central European Children into customers and how mythemes are associated with the wishing behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: Levi-Strauss' (1955) structural analysis was used to uncover the mythemes of the Christmas story for Austrian children. These mythemes then informed a thematic analysis of 283 Austrian children's Christmas letters. Campbell's (1970) functions of myths were used to reflect on the findings. Findings: The Christmas mythemes uncovered were found to encourage materialism by linking self-enhancement (good acquirement) with self-transcendent (good behaviour) values. The role of myths to relieve the tension between the incongruent values of collective/other-oriented and materialistic values is expanded upon. Such sanctification of selfish good acquisition is aided by the mythemes related especially to the Christkind and baby Jesus. Instead, marketers should use Christmas mythemes which emphasise family and collective/other-centred values. Originality/value: By first uncovering the "mythemes" related to Christmas, the authors contribute to the academic understanding of Christmas, going beyond origin or single myth understandings and acknowledging the multifaceted components of Christmas. The second contribution is in exploring mytheme's representation in children's Christmas letters and reflecting on their functions. This differs from previous literature because it looks at one of the main cultural vehicles for Christmas socialisation and its intersection with the mythemes that feed children's consumption culture formation. Through the authors' presentation of a conceptual framework that links mytheme functions with proximal processes using a socioecological viewpoint, the authors demonstrate the guidance of mythemes in children's development. The third contribution is a reflection on the potential ethical implications for children's formation of their consumer culture based on the functions of the mythemes. Furthermore, the authors add to the existing body of research by investigating a Central European context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When talking about anticipated events, speakers can conceptualize them either as destinations towards which they are moving or as entities moving towards them, which correspond to the Ego- and the Time-moving metaphors, respectively (cf. 'We are approaching Christmas' and 'Christmas is approaching'). Research in psycholinguistics has shown affective valence, i.e. whether the conceptualized event is perceived as positive or negative, to be one of the factors that modulate metaphor choice; positive anticipation is preferentially associated with Ego-moving expressions, whereas negative anticipation is predominantly associated with Time-moving metaphors. This paper sets out to test if the time-affect association surfaces in naturally-occurring language use when both metaphorical patterns are available. By focusing on the temporal usage of the verb approach, we provide linguistic evidence in favor of such an affective bias in time representations. In addition, the language data point to a semantic preference for a particular type of event (i.e., personal vs social) under each metaphorical pattern. We interpret this finding as preliminary evidence for a possible semantic bias in time representations to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on the use of illustrations of the Moon in images of Santa Claus, on Christmas gift-wrapping paper and in children's books, in two countries which have been important in shaping the image of Santa Claus and his predecessor Sinterklaas: the USA and the Netherlands. The appearance of the Moon in Halloween illustrations is also considered. The lack of either knowledge concerning the physical origin of the Moon's phases, or interest in understanding them, is found to be widespread in the Netherlands, but is also clearly present in the USA, and is quite possibly global. Certainly incomplete, but surely representative, lists that compile occurrences of both scientifically correct and scientifically incorrect gift- wrapping paper and children's books are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the food traditions of Imbolg or St. Brigid's Day (1st February), one of the quarter days of the Irish calendar year, which heralds the awakening of spring. Imbolg is comparable to Christmas eve, in that celebratory potato dishes such as colcannon or 'poundies' and boxty are consumed. Throughout the Schools' Collection (6,000 copybooks filled with folklore collected by over 50,000 children), a rich food history where customs, superstitions, divinations and a mixing of the pagan and Christian traditions is evident. Four main themes: 'Dishes', 'Brigid's Crosses', 'Biddy Boys and Brídeogs' and 'Brigid, miracles and religion' were identified, which share an affinity with the extant folklore literature. However, certain nuances are also highlighted in the Schools' Folklore Collection (SFC) revealing a rich and oftentimes neglected food culture. This paper aims to address the current lacuna within the Folklore literature concerning foodways, whilst also highlighting opportunities for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interdisciplinary nature of food studies lends itself to the study of food through many avenues, most notably in this research, through folklore and the oral history transcripts of the Schools' Collection made by the Irish Folklore Commission in 1937–1938. Folklore can give us an insight into sometimes overlooked features of society and how people's lives can be studied and highlighted through their relationship with food. The Christmas period was an extremely important time in Irish tradition, and food was a main aspect of that celebration. This paper, therefore, at first delves into the literature surrounding Christmas, folklore, and food; diet and social class; gender, and food in rural Ireland, before comparing it with the oral history transcripts of the National Folklore Collection's online archive, to unearth a better understanding of the relationship and the role of food in the Christmas festival in Ireland's recent past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper aims at revealing some of the foods that have been invested with symbolical value in the context of certain customs that are practiced in Bukovina: the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, Easter and Christmas. Sfințişorii (little saints), Paska (Easter bread), Pomana porcului (pig's alms) and the ritual feast of the communities of Hutsuls and Ukrainians during Christmas Eve confirm that in ritualistic moments several foods receive a sacred value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the presentation by Laura Bibiana Ospina-Rozo, a biologist from Colombia, who shared her journey into studying Christmas beetles and their iridescent colors at the University of Melbourne. She discussed the mysteries surrounding these beetles' daily lives, their behavior, and the importance of understanding their habitat and food sources, and discovered new alignments of miniature structures in beetle shells that produce unique colors.

Place branding and marketing has become essential for the promotion of tourist destinations. Yet despite the significance of environmental attributes for place branding there is surprisingly little research on the impacts of climate change on place brand values. The paper examines these issues with respect to the development of Santa-related place myths in high-latitude place branding strategies and highlights the way in which the Santa place myth is built on the social construction of Santa's winter home replete with snow, pine trees and reindeer. The imagined country of Christmas is, therefore, regarded as extremely susceptible to climate change and while some locations seek to guarantee snow security to tourists others may be more marginal. The paper, therefore, concludes that from a tourism marketing and planning standpoint, it is essential that the immaterial dimensions of destination promotion, such as place branding, require as much attention with respect to the effects of climate change as do the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary analysis is employed to address new research questions by analysing previously collected data. This paper reports on the secondary analysis of qualitative data where the original research investigated the preschool education reform in Serbia from the perspective of Hungarian ethnic minority kindergarten pedagogues. The choice to apply a secondary analysis fulfilled the aims of (i) investigating traces of socialism in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) provision in Vojvodina, a northern region of Serbia; and (ii) exploring the complexity of Christmas celebrations in nurseries. In order to address the aims, a secondary analysis of 12 semi-structured transcripts was carried out. This analysis revealed important additional findings for the original study. In light of the education reforms in Serbia we found that, first, there are strong connections between the ‘socialist past’ ECEC practices and what these practices may look like in the future; and, second, the traditional celebration of religious holidays outside of church organizations, such as Christmas, may change in the nurseries. This paper also offers insight regarding the importance of secondary analysis which provides an opportunity to making use of existing resources.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the application of taxation legislation to a mythical character. Design/methodology/approach - The paper takes the form of humorous fiction. Findings - The paper suggests that different understanding of concepts can produce unexpected results. Research limitations/implications - Taxation legislation is difficult to apply to mythical characters. Originality/value - The paper is a humorous story designed for Christmas reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giving guns as Christmas presents has been one of the ways in which boys and young men have traditionally been recruited into American gun culture. This paper explores how advertising in Boys' Life magazine, among other data sources, has represented this special Christmas giving in terms of suitable types and brands of guns, appropriate shooting activities, family gifting tableaux and rituals, fantasy consumption, and masculinity theory. Over the period studied, from the turn of the twentieth century until the early twenty-first, this socialization through gift-giving has been remarkably consistent and provides insight into the durability of American gun culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper considers the pressing issues that led to the intensification of negotiations for an agreement on future UK-EU relations starting with 1 January 2021. According to a scenario based on the lack of agreement, the UK's relations with the EU would have been regulated by public international law, including World Trade Organization rules. The post-Brexit transition will end on 1 January 2021, when the separation of the United Kingdom from the European bloc is finalized. The surprises did not take long to appear, with European and British leaders succeeding in concluding the long-awaited Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Christmas Eve, along with two other agreements, the Cooperation Agreement on the Safe and Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, and the Agreement on Security Procedures for Exchanging and Protecting Classified Information. The documents, contained in the draft Agreements reached between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Union, to which a series of joint statements have been enclosed, in order to be applicable, must be approved by the British parliamentarians and the European Parliament. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Psychological type theory differentiates between two contrasting psychological functions relevant for evaluating experience, styled thinking and feeling. The present study encouraged visitors to the pre-Christmas son et lumiere at Liverpool Cathedral, The light before Christmas: The angels are coming, to evaluate their experience through these two lenses. Drawing on data from 978 participants, analysis of qualitative responses to the feeling prompt, 'What most touched your heart?' identified nine themes, including valuing being moved by visual images of the nativity, and valuing the opportunity to light a candle. Analysis of qualitative responses to the thinking prompt, 'What big issues were raised in your mind?' identified eight themes, including reflecting on the importance and meaning of Christmas, and reflecting on the world. These two prompts generated quite different responses, suggesting a complementary and richer evaluation of the total experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have drawn attention to the variety of events, installations, and activities within Anglican cathedrals that hold the capacity to attract wider publics into these iconic buildings where common ground and sacred space collide. In order to assess the engagement of participants at a pre-Christmas installation in Liverpool Cathedral, this project designed seven measures of engagement (styled as Christmas engagement, Cathedral engagement, Spiritual/religious engagement, Personal engagement, Imaginative engagement, Positive engagement, and Negative engagement). Data provided by 562 participants explored the effect of personal, educational, psychological, and religious factors on predicting levels of engagement across these seven measures. Two core findings were that the Luxmuralis installation, The light before Christmas: The angels are coming exerted its greatest impact on younger people and on those who did not attend church services. In this way, not only was the Cathedral extending its reach, but delivering an experience that enticed them to want to return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every Christmas season children's hospitals in the United States are flooded with gift donations. Businesses, service organizations, and the public deliver carloads of new toys, puzzles, games, books, electronics, sports equipment, art supplies, cosmetics, blankets, and clothing for sick children. The practice is so common and widespread that donors rarely ask whether they may donate, what types of donations are welcome, and when and where they should deliver their donations. Based on ethnographic observations of holiday gifting at University Children's Hospital, a nationally ranked pediatric hospital on the West Coast, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the implicit cultural beliefs that guide holiday gifting practices. Eschewing the popular rhetoric of American hyper-consumption and hedonism, I use a Durkheimian framework to argue that holiday gifting in children's hospital is a sacred ritual. The data presented describe the wide-ranging variety of donors—from Boy Scouts to nightclub strippers—who journey to the hospital bearing gifts. Drawing on sacred conceptualizations of childhood and gifting in American culture, I argue that children's hospitals are more than medico-scientific institutions. They represent sacred unifying spaces and the heart of their local communities where individuals and organizations come to privately and publicly reaffirm their moral commitments to society through holiday gifting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]