How Do You Balance Greed and Gifts?

Consumerism surrounds the holiday season: is greed inevitable, and how do you avoid it?

For those children who celebrate, Christmas' biggest connotation can be a pile of gifts under the tree.  With this in mind, a panel of staff contributors at The Chicago Tribune tackled the question of whether it's inevitable to see greed in their kids around Christmastime. The parents weighed in on suggestions to remind kids of Christmas spirit. Among their suggestions? Help your kids round up some old toys to donate to charity before giving them new toys. Sign them up to participate in a community service project. The Tribune's advice got us thinking at Patch about how we were taught or are teaching our kids to be less greedy around the holidays. Some of our suggestions? Find a giving tree and let your child pick a name or two off of it, …

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TELL US: Does 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' Condone Bullying?

Does the lovable children's holiday classic send the wrong message? Tell us your thoughts.

In October, Patch asked readers how they felt about one parent's view that "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" condoned bullying. Specifically, blogger DadCamp wrote that the show sends the wrong message to children because of its "continuous teasing and bullying" It's not the first time a parent has spoken out against a classic children's program with such a claim. Last December, news spread that author and special ed professor George Giuliani said that "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was also a program laden with the theme of bullying, considering how much Rudolph was an outsider due to his glowing red nose. Giuliani, as such, wrote a book titled "No More Bullies at the North Pole," which re-tells the story of Rudolph. What do you …

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Betty Smith

8:10 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012

I do see your point.   more ›

Christmas is a Guessing Game

Columnist uses his senses to sniff out gifts.

My name is Mike. I'm a gift guesser. When I was a wee lad, I would wake up in the middle of the night, go downstairs and start shaking my gifts. I would sneak out of my bedroom when everyone was asleep and execute my game plan. I'd wake up in the middle of the night and raid the Christmas tree to see what was under it. I'd try to look under the wrapping to see if anything was sticking out. Rattling was usually good. That usually meant something to play with. No rattling usually meant a sweater or a shirt or pants. No fun there. My mom would say, "You want to look nice for Christmas Day." I'd say, "I'd much rather have a toy truck." The key was not to rip the wrapping paper or damage it in any way. That was a dead giveaway that my midnight …

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My Norwood

The Twelve Days of Norwood Christmas

On the first day of Christmas, my Norwood gave to me...

As the clock ticks on and Christmas nears, while Santa and his elves are busy preparing for the big night and children eagerly await his arrival, I decided to put my own spin on a Christmas classic.  This little ditty is dedicated to a few of the things I am grateful for this season, and some, well... I could have done without. But oh well, Merry Christmas to all and to all... I'm sorry for getting the song stuck in your head. On the first day of Christmas, my Norwood gave to me, a Common full of luminaries. On the second day of Christmas, my Norwood gave to me, two Perks gift cards, and a Common full of luminaries. On the third day of Christmas, my Norwood gave to me, three custom shirts from Day Street, two Perk’s gift cards and a Common…

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Shannon Macdonald

12:03 pm on Thursday, December 15, 2011

This is AWESOME!   more ›

Track Santa With NORAD

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) launched its "Santa Tracker" this morning.

This Christmas Eve, don't just wait for the jolly old elf to show up in Norwood, track him. The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, began its annual "Santa Tracker" this morning as Santa began his journey along the east coast of Russia, Japan and Australia. At this rate Patch calculates Santa will be in Norwood sometime around midnight tonight, local time. This is the 55th consecutive year NORAD has provided this service, which is available in seven languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Chinese. On the website today you can find videos, captured by NORAD "Santa Cams," from cities along Santa's journey. Santa trackers began answering phones and replying to email at 4:00 a.m. EST and …

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My Norwood

The Magic of the Season

How one man embodied the spirit of Christmas for the town year after year.

The magic of Christmas is all around us. Tomorrow night, children will go to bed with that feeling of such innocent, uncontainable excitement. I wish I could bottle up that feeling and take it out every once in awhile. There is nothing like the feeling those few minutes before falling into dreamland on Christmas Eve. The most magical night of the year is less then twenty four hours away, and Santa Claus is coming to Norwood. When I was a child I would get so excited on Christmas Eve, yet I was always so afraid that because of my excitement I wouldn't fall asleep and Santa wouldn't come. But he always did. In fact, for about twenty years, Santa made sure to stop in Norwood three times during the Christmas season; once at the St. Catherine's…

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today, Dec. 20

Like the fact that Santa Claus is, in fact, coming to town.

1. Yesterday's predicted snowstorm may have blown out to sea, but the National Weather Service is now saying that snow is likely for Tuesday night into Wednesday this week. Keep watching Patch for updates - we may yet see a white Christmas. 2. For the fifth year in a row NPA-TV has invited Santa Claus back to the studio to take phone calls from Norwood children. Tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. parents can call the NPA-TV studio phone line at 781-352-2605 to have their children talk with Santa. 3. Norwood Patch wants to know the best places in town to grab last minute gifts. If there's a shop you count on every year for great present ideas, let us know! Email kelly.glista@patch.com. 4. Norwood hockey had a strong weekend, with both the …

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Patch Facts

Five Things You Need to Know Today, Dec. 16

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

1. Now that we are a couple games into the winter season Patch is implementing a Mustangs scoreboard! Watch your favorite team's progress here throughout the season! 2. Perks will be hosting pop and indie singer/songwriter Will Gattis tonight at 8:30 p.m. Gattis self-desribes his music as "the hypothetical result of Ben Folds sitting next to Freddie Mercury in a philosophy class taught by Paul McCartney." 3. Starting tomorrow, Norwood High Drama will be putting on "A Christmas Carol" at the Savage Center. Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for students and seniors. 4. Check out Patch's photo album from yesterday's brief snowfall. If you have pictures you'd like to share on our homepage, send them to kelly.glista@gmail.com to be added …

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Norwood Historic Site Offers Holiday Tours

The Norwood Historical Society takes us on a tour of the F. Holland Day House.

Sunday afternoon the Norwood Historical Society held an open house at the F. Holland Day House, showcasing the house's holiday decor - created by the society to mimic historic decorations - as well as giving tours of the house itself. Built in 1859, the house was the home of Fred Holland Day a noted photographer, publisher, historian and philanthropist. His family was prominent in the tanning industry in the 19th century in Norwood - at that time still known as South Dedham. Day lived in the Norwood house until his death in 1933. Day had the house renovated during the early 1890's. The house has eight fireplaces, uniquely designed rooms, second and third floor balconies overlooking a central Great Hall and oak and mahogany paneling and …

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