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Christmas

This Trendy Treat Is Rolling Into Spotlight As Sweet Complement To Christmas Cookies This Trendy Treat Is Rolling Into Spotlight As Sweet Complement To Christmas Cookies
This Trendy Treat Is Rolling Into Spotlight As Sweet Complement To Christmas Cookies Move over gingerbread and sugar cookies — sesame balls are quietly making their way onto holiday dessert tables this year.  Traditionally found in Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Asian cuisines, these golden, chewy orbs are earning a buzzworthy reputation as a standout complement to classic Christmas sweets. Known as Jian Dui in Chinese cuisine and Bánh Cam in Vietnamese culture, sesame balls are made from glutinous rice flour, stuffed with sweet fillings like red bean or lotus paste, and fried to perfection.  The result? A crispy exterior coated in toasted sesame seeds, with a sa…
How The Grinch Lit Up A Trumbull Neighborhood To Create 'Santa's Runway' How The Grinch Lit Up A Trumbull Neighborhood To Create 'Santa's Runway'
How The Grinch Lit Up A Trumbull Neighborhood To Create 'Santa's Runway' What started as a neighborly idea to spread Christmas cheer during a national low point has become a dazzling community tradition that draws fans from across Connecticut. It's called "Santa's Runway" and consists of about two miles of lights and decorations across some 90 homes beginning along Sterling Road in Trumbull. The project started in 2021 as the brainchild of Zoli Szabow (pronounced Zay-bo), a lifelong Fairfield County resident and firefighter. "It was the height of the pandemic. Everyone was trapped in their houses, and we just wanted to give the community something to ride around…
Santa’s Holiday Drop Becomes 'Claus' For Concern When St. Nick Needed Rescue In Norwalk Santa’s Holiday Drop Becomes 'Claus' For Concern When St. Nick Needed Rescue In Norwalk
Santa’s Holiday Drop Becomes 'Claus' For Concern When St. Nick Needed Rescue In Norwalk It was a ho-ho-hold-on-tight moment for Santa Claus when he got stuck some 60 feet on the side of a building in Fairfield County during a Christmas celebration event, leading to a high-flying rescue. This is why Santa sticks with the reindeer. The Norwalk Holiday Extravaganza turned into an unexpected spectacle Saturday evening, Dec. 7, when a performer dressed as Santa Claus found himself stranded on the side of a building at 50 Washington Street, the Norwalk Fire Department said.  The incident happened around 6:30 p.m. as Santa rappelled down the 13-story building. According to…
Big Change Set For Christmas TV Classic 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' This Week Big Change Set For Christmas TV Classic 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' This Week
Big Change Set For Christmas TV Classic 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer' This Week The iconic Christmas TV classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" will return to its originating network for the first time in a half-century after its debut 60 years ago. On Dec. 6, 1964, the Rankin-Bass Animated Entertainment hour-long claymation special debuted on NBC. But after a 10-year run, CBS acquired rights. Now, NBC has reacquired the rights, and will broadcast the nostalgic show exactly 60 years after its initial airing -- at 8 p.m. Eastern time this Friday, Dec. 6. The show is narrated by Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman. The storyline begins when Donner, the lead reindeer fo…
Crews Working 'Around-The-Clock Shifts' To Restore Power To Thousands In CT: New Update Crews Working 'Around-The-Clock Shifts' To Restore Power To Thousands In CT: New Update
Crews Working 'Around-The-Clock Shifts' To Restore Power To Thousands In CT: New Update Crews are hard at work restoring power to thousands of people in Connecticut that face outages just before Christmas.  Earlier Report - Rapid Freeze To Follow New Round Of Rain, Gusty Winds As Cold Front Arrives The outages were caused by a storm that brought heavy wind gusts and rainfall throughout the state beginning on Thursday night, Dec. 22, knocking over trees, branches, and power lines.  As of around 3 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23, Eversource reported around 62,200 customers without power, according to their outage map.  United Illuminating reported around 500 custom…
Eye Of The Storm: System With Damaging Winds Causing Power Outages, Flooding, School Closures Eye Of The Storm: System With Damaging Winds Causing Power Outages, Flooding, School Closures
Eye Of The Storm: System With Damaging Winds Causing Power Outages, Flooding, School Closures A massive pre-Christmas storm packed with damaging wind gusts and heavy downpours is causing localized flash flooding, power outages, and some school closures in the region. The system, which arrived Thursday afternoon, Dec. 22, will wind down by Friday evening, Dec. 23. A total of between 2 to 3 inches or more of rainfall is possible. For a look at the precipitation types from the system, with rain in green and a mix of rain and snow in pink, click on the first image above from AccuWeather.com. "Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects," the National Weather Service said in a…
Eye On The Storm: These Areas Are Expected To See Accumulating Snow, Poor Travel Conditions Eye On The Storm: These Areas Are Expected To See Accumulating Snow, Poor Travel Conditions
Eye On The Storm: These Areas Are Expected To See Accumulating Snow, Poor Travel Conditions A storm system packed with a wide swath of snow, rain, and strong winds is expected to cause poor travel conditions and bring accumulating snowfall to some spots in the days leading up to Christmas. The system is due to arrive on Thursday, Dec.  22, the National Weather Service said. Areas expected to see accumulating snowfall Thursday and Friday, Dec. 23 are shown in blue in the first image above. Blizzard conditions are possible in areas shown in royal blue. The second image above shows a look at areas (marked in red) where poor travel conditions are expected on Friday. Curren…
Snow Joke! Rounds Of Storms Will Bring Wintry Weather, Hazardous Travel Conditions At Times Snow Joke! Rounds Of Storms Will Bring Wintry Weather, Hazardous Travel Conditions At Times
Snow Joke! Rounds Of Storms Will Bring Wintry Weather, Hazardous Travel Conditions At Times Separate quick-moving systems will bring multiple wintry weather events across the region through Christmas. The first system has the potential for a light coating of snowfall, less than an inch, Thursday night, Dec. 23 into Friday morning, Dec. 24 for most of the region, with the potential for more snowfall farther north in New York and New England, according to the National Weather Service.  Another quick-moving low-pressure system will bring a light wintry mix of mainly sleet and freezing rain Christmas Eve night into early Saturday morning on Christmas Day, Dec.…
COVID-19: Info Released On First US Omicron Death; Biden To Announce 500M Free At-Home Tests COVID-19: Info Released On First US Omicron Death; Biden To Announce 500M Free At-Home Tests
Covid-19: Info Released On First US Omicron Death; Biden To Announce 500M Free At-Home Tests Less than three weeks after the first case of the highly transmissible Omicron COVID-19 variant was identified in the United States, the first death in the nation connected to the strain has been confirmed in the Houston, Texas area. The patient was a man in his 50s who was not vaccinated and had an underlying health condition, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, according to KHOU-11, a CBS-affiliated television station in Houston. Houston Methodist said on Monday, Dec. 20 that 82 percent of its new cases are omicron after just three weeks of testing for it, KHOU reported. Omicron …
COVID-19: Guidelines For Holiday Gatherings Released By CDC COVID-19: Guidelines For Holiday Gatherings Released By CDC
Covid-19: Guidelines For Holiday Gatherings Released By CDC With Thanksgiving just days away, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has released safety guidelines for holiday gatherings. "There are several ways to enjoy holiday traditions and protect your health," the CDC said. "Because many generations tend to gather to celebrate holidays, the best way to minimize COVID-19 risk and keep your family and friends safer is to get vaccinated if you’re eligible." Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical advisor to the president, said Sunday, Nov. 21 on CNN that "Obviou…
COVID-19: US Sees Surge Of Cases Among Children; Here's Latest Data COVID-19: US Sees Surge Of Cases Among Children; Here's Latest Data
Covid-19: US Sees Surge Of Cases Among Children; Here's Latest Data With children back in the classroom and activities moving indoors as the calendar turns to the holiday season, the US has seen a spike in new COVID-19 cases among children that are causing concerns. According to a new report, in the past week, more than 122,000 COVID-19 cases were reported among minors, marking a 22 percent increase from approximately two weeks ago. The numbers represent the 14th straight week that child COVID-19 cases topped 100,000, despite the vaccine becoming more readily available for those between the ages of 5 and 12, though the number has dropped since peaking at 25…
USPS Releases Info On Holiday Prices, Deadlines, Unveils Santa Claus Stamps USPS Releases Info On Holiday Prices, Deadlines, Unveils Santa Claus Stamps
USPS Releases Info On Holiday Prices, Deadlines, Unveils Santa Claus Stamps The United States Postal Service is gearing up for the holidays, unveiling its brand-new holiday stamps and announcing shipping deadlines to deliver mail by Christmas. The USPS shared in an announcement on Thursday, Oct. 7, that the postal service is releasing a number of holiday and winter-themed stamps, including the brand new Santa Claus stamps. “The A Visit From St. Nick stamps bring joy to the kid in all of us,” said Scott Bombaugh, the Postal Service’s vice president and chief technology officer. “Holiday cards and letters mailed with these stamps will delight people of all ages. The…
70-Plus Connecticut Restaurants, Caterers Prepare Holiday Dinners To-Go, Dine-In 70-Plus Connecticut Restaurants, Caterers Prepare Holiday Dinners To-Go, Dine-In
70-Plus Connecticut Restaurants, Caterers Prepare Holiday Dinners To-Go, Dine-In Due to a surge in COVID-19 infections, many people are expected to follow guidelines from health officials and stay home for the holidays. But who’s going to do the cooking? There are more than 70 Connecticut restaurants and caterers providing dinners to-go or dine-in for Christmas and New Year’s, according to CT Bites' annual list of area eateries and chefs preparing holiday meals. In Hartford, there are more than 15 restaurants, cafes, and caterers cooking Christmas dinner. They include The Beamhouse, Cotton Hollow Kitchen, Five Corners Bistro, Frida, Nataz, Spicy Green Bean, Union Kit…
COVID-19: US Tops 15M Cases, But Here's How Many Times Higher Actual Number Likely Is, CDC Says COVID-19: US Tops 15M Cases, But Here's How Many Times Higher Actual Number Likely Is, CDC Says
Covid-19: US Tops 15M Cases, But Here's How Many Times Higher Actual Number Likely Is, CDC Says The United States continues to set records as new COVID-19 are mounting over the fall, though the numbers reported may not truly represent the actual number of infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As the country tops 15.5 million COVID-19 cases, the most in the world, the CDC is estimating that the actual number could be between two and seven times between that, based on surveys and models. Between Feb. 27 and Sept. 30, there were nearly 7 million laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infections, but when adjusted for potential false-negative test results, incomp…
COVID-19: CT Ranks No. 1 Nationally In Cases Per Capita, According To New Data COVID-19: CT Ranks No. 1 Nationally In Cases Per Capita, According To New Data
Covid-19: CT Ranks No. 1 Nationally In Cases Per Capita, According To New Data Connecticut has become the country’s hottest spot for COVID-19, according to data recently released by researchers. The Nutmeg State has the highest per capita COVID-19 case count with infection rates, hospitalizations, and fatalities climbing nationwide as the virus surges during its “second wave” over the winter. According to the COVID Tracking Project, Connecticut currently has the highest per capita case count at 2,280 per one million people based on the latest data as more than half the country sees an uptick in the numbers. After “flattening the curve” over the summer, Connecticut h…
COVID-19: Here's Percentage Of CT Residents Planning To Get Takeout Food On Thanksgiving COVID-19: Here's Percentage Of CT Residents Planning To Get Takeout Food On Thanksgiving
Covid-19: Here's Percentage Of CT Residents Planning To Get Takeout Food On Thanksgiving Of 3,000 surveyed, 43 percent of Connecticut residents said they will forego their traditional home-cooked feast for a smaller, more manageable takeout meal or meal kit amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study conducted by MySubscriptionAddiction.  Although 70 percent of those surveyed said their culinary skills had improved this year thanks to quarantine, 31 percent of those surveyed also said that they may consider a meal kit or take out for their Christmas celebration as well.  One in 10, however, said that they were "likely to experiment" with their meals this year, ut…
Start Of Winter Will Be Followed By Big Change In Weather Pattern Start Of Winter Will Be Followed By Big Change In Weather Pattern
Start Of Winter Will Be Followed By Big Change In Weather Pattern It may be unusual timing, but relief from a stretch of frigid days is finally on the horizon as just winter officially arrives. Go figure. Saturday, Dec. 21 is the Winter Solstice. It's the astronomical first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere as well as the shortest day of the year. It will be followed -- finally -- by milder temperatures. Here's the five-day forecast. (Spoiler alert: Those hoping for a White Christmas will be disappointed.) Saturday, Dec. 21: Mostly cloudy, with a high temperature near the freezing mark with a wind-chill factor between 25 and 30 degrees.&nbs…