Carl Pettit

Christmas traditions around the world can be quite different from what we’re used to at home.

Christmas is the time of giving and families, but it also has a darker side.

Globes and angels and stars are fine, but for the folks who like to be a little more imaginative with their Christmas-tree decorations—whether from boredom or budget—we’ve come up with a list of five unusual ways to help get the creative wheels in your noggin spinning:

“Come on! It’s lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.” Those famous words, from the song ‘Sleigh Bells Ringing,’ signal the arrival of lots of snow in the colder regions of the planet—and tons of winter fun. What better way to enjoy the crisp air, and the cold outdoors, than by taking a “cool” sleigh ride?

Christmas is a time for brotherly love, family, friends, good food and presents. It’s also a time, apparently, for setting some pretty astonishing—and often downright wacky—holiday records.

The microwave oven is a wonderful time saver. When you want to defrost a chicken, warm up a bowl of soup, pop some popcorn or cook an instant burrito, you can’t beat microwave technology.

The open road offers up a lot of possibilities. You’ve got adventure, new and strange destinations, gorgeous scenery, and the opportunity to escape the humdrums of your normal life, plus all of the interesting characters you’ll meet along the way. All you have to do is decide on a route, get into the car and drive.

When you’re out in the bright sun, and you want to have some fun without squinting for hours on end, you need a pair of sunglasses to shield your eyes.

If vertigo isn’t an issue for you, and you have no problem keeping your lunch down while hurtling through space, then you just might be a roller coaster fan.

Maybe you thought your thumbs were fast, and you could pop out text messages at remarkable speeds. Well, perhaps you should think again. A 16-year-old New Yorker was just awarded the top prize for the second year in a row at the LG US National Texting Competition.

People are always trying to eat healthier or lose weight. The media sends out a constant onslaught of new information about what you should and shouldn’t eat.

With the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games coming up soon, we thought we’d take a glimpse at some of the American superstars who have claimed Olympic glory in the past.