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Good morning. We hope you have a great Christmas today (or Hanukkah/Kwanzaa in a few days) and enjoy your time off. I know I said I'd see you after the holidays but I couldn't resist sending you guys just a little something. Sit back and enjoy the mini Holiday Edition!

Festive

This town might just get you in the holiday spirit

If you didn’t see Santa Claus last night you still have time. While you might think I’m talking about the legendary figure that pops down your chimney, I’m actually talking about Santa Claus… the town.

Holiday herald

Stana Claus is a real-life town, not located in the North Pole, but in Indiana—because nothing screams Christmas like Indiana—that celebrates the holiday all year round. It has no hospital and isn’t close to any major airport, but the people sure do love Christmas:

• The jolly city is a bastion of the holiday, where everything is themed around the winter holiday, even the post office (as you can see above).

  • They have a museum dedicated to the gift giver himself and a Holiday World, which is supposedly the world’s oldest theme park.

  • It is complete with roller coasters, a water park, real live reindeer, and probably the biggest Santa statue you’ve ever seen.

• Residents dedicate a large portion of the holiday season to answering letters from children who send a letter to volunteers Santa.

• Some of its street signs are holiday-themed, like Sleigh Bell, Rouhdolph Blvd, Santa Ln, and Holiday Blvd.

How did Santa Claus get its name? Back in the 1800s, the town was once named Santa Fee. Unfortunately, it was too close (and similar in name) to Santa Fe, Indiana, which led to a big veto from the post office. So, residents decided to change the name.

However, there are two leading theories on how it really happened:

• On the naming sheet, someone put "Santa Clause," which served as the springboard for its current name.

• The building's doors flew open on Christmas Eve while the residents were debating the name change. A young girl stood in the doorway and exclaimed, "Santa Claus!" and that was that.

The first three weeks of December, the town is dedicated to the Santa Claus Christmas Celebration, which includes light displays, hot chocolate, various Christmas festivities, and an opportunity to meet the big jolly fella himself.

Not to mention: Santa Claus is also known for its wonderful golf course, which was recognized by the PGA tour itself, and its yearly holiday postmark.

The more you know… holiday edition

Everyone loves some good trivia, so why not shed some of your immeasurable knowledge on family and friends?

Here are some holiday facts you might have not known:

• Over 5 million retail workers in the US helped keep shelves stocked and gifts wrapped last year.

• Harry Truman was the first US President to celebrate Hanukkah at the White House when he accepted a Menorah as a gift from the Prime Minister of Israel in 1951.

• In 2023, the United States produced 218 million turkeys for the holidays, according to the US Department of Agriculture, Minnesota at the top of production (38.5 million).

• The world’s largest menorah is 36 feet tall, and it stands on 5th Ave and 59th Street at Grand Army Plaza near Central Park in Manhattan.

• While many might think so, Kwanzaa isn’t a religious holiday like Hanukka and Christmas, so anyone can celebrate.

Christmas specific facts:

• Origin: The old English expression Cristes Maesse, which translates to "Christ's mass," is where the name "Christmas" comes from.

  • In contrast, the 16th century saw the invention of the abbreviation "Xmas," which is frequently seen as modern shorthand for its name.

• Region differences: Since they follow the Julian calendar, Orthodox Christians actually celebrate the holiday on January 7th in nations such as Romania, Ukraine, and Russia.

  • In Japan, many have adopted the unusual tradition of celebrating the holiday with KFC meals.

  • In Austria, Krampus, a horned figure, disciplines disobedient kids.

  • Children in Italy look forward to presents from the benevolent witch La Befana, who flies on a broom.

• Stats: In 2022, Americans cut more than 14.5 million trees, according to the Census of Agriculture.

• The US imported $2.82 billion worth of Christmas decorations last year, with 88% of them coming from China.

• Apparently: These are the 25 best towns to celebrate Christmas in the US.

Hopefully, you can use at least one of these to out-brain your family or friends and impress them with your deep knowledge of the winter holidays.

However, if they ask, don’t forget to tell them you knew it because of NextGen News (you can even refer them and get a free gift at the bottom of the newsletter). Plus, I WILL KNOW IF YOU DON’T.

P.S. As everyone celebrates this week, I wish all of you a safe, enjoyable break with good moments spent with those who you value most. Merry Christmas, and a happy Hanukkah and Kwanza later in the week. I look forward to seeing you all on the 31st!

Now, for some snippets.

Fast Facts

Polar Passage: There is a real-life Polar Express in London that attempts to bring parts of the movie off of the screen and into the real world. It's a 12-mile round trip and costs about $76 per person.

Google Goons: Residents in Bend, Oregon are laughing at eye-popping vandalism occurring across the city. Googly eyes have been put on at least eight sculptures across the city, but officials have said it's taken around $1,500 to remove them without damaging the art.

Fashion Forward: According to the WSJ, $3500 “scoats”, or coats with an embedded scarf, are wildly popular among young women.

More Marrow: Bone marrow from recently deceased people is being collected by a biotech startup, since donors are hard to find. The marrow is frozen and then made available to transplant recipients.

Friend or Faux: A study in the journal Scientific Reports found that casual readers can't reliably tell the difference between classic poems by famous authors like William Shakespeare and poems made by ChatGPT-3.5 that are based on those classics. Skeptical? Take the test for yourself.