Christmas

Bulgaria's capital Sofia will have a living Christmas tree for the first time and will light it up on Thursday, the local administration says.

Unlike previous years, the tree is not located in front of the Sofia Municipality building, near the Sofia Court House.

After scoring a publicity coup by sending shoes to soon-to-be US First Lady Melania Trump, the Banja Luka-based company Bema will provide free footwear for war crimes defendants held in the UN tribunal's detention unit in the Netherlands.

The Anglican Church in Athens is hosting its annual Christmas bazaar at the Aegli venue at Zappeion, central Athens, on Sunday, December 4. Doors open from 11 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Visitors will be able to purchase gifts at affordable prices, as well as Christmas crackers and decorations, jewelry, homemade cakes and preserves, books, toys and much more. Entrance is free.

The Christmas supplement to low pensions will be paid together with the money for December.

Elderly people whose pension is up to BGN 300 (all supplements included) will receive BGN 40 each - about 1,200,000 people. The rest of the pensioners (about 1 million people) will not receive a Christmas supplement, reported BNR.

A small group of protesters hurled eggs and ice at a bus carrying Serb pilgrims who came to visit a church in Gjakova/Djakovica in western Kosovo to celebrate Orthodox Christmas.

With the traditional greeting: “Peace of God - Christ is born," Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Patriarch Irinej has congratulated the upcoming Christmas holiday.

Serbia's majority Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7.

Storms hit the U.S.' south and western parts over the Christmas holiday weekend, unleashing floods and tornadoes that killed at least 43 people, while at least 10 people were killed in mudslides due to floods in the South American countries of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.  

Those Christmas pics are hard to resist posting… especially bearing in mind that everybody seems to be doing this. There are reasons however as to why you should not be advertising your Christmas moments on Facebook and other social media.

1. Leaving home for Christmas

We have seen yet another Christmas. And some senseless reactions have, again, come from our Muslim world.

Brunei
Brunei has banned public celebrations of Christmas, violating Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Somalia
There will be no Christmas or New Year celebrations in Somalia for fear that activities could evoke Islamist attacks, according to the Muslim-majority country’s government.