It may seem incredible, as Christmas is still a day plus some away, but next week is the end of the year. And what better way to spend New Year’s Day (while you’re undoubtedly packing away Christmas ornaments and dismantling the tree) than watching the 120th Tournament of Roses Parade?

Al Roker, the weatherman and feature reporter for NBC’s “Today,” and Nancy O’Dell, co-anchor of the daily entertainment news magazine show “Access Hollywood,” are reuniting for the eighth year to co-host NBC’s live, high-definition coverage of the “120th Tournament of Roses Parade” from Pasadena, California, on January 1 from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET.

This will be Roker’s twelfth year hosting the popular annual event, and the tenth consecutive year for O’Dell.  NBC has been broadcasting the New Year’s Day parade for 82 years, beginning on radio in 1927 and then televising the event beginning in 1954.

With a 2009 theme of “Hats Off to Entertainment,” the parade will feature Emmy and Oscar-winning actress Cloris Leachman as this year’s Grand Marshal.  Leachman has been entertaining audiences for 60 years, most recently as a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.” She is perhaps best known for her role as Phyllis on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” and more recently, for her Emmy Award-winning role on “Malcolm in the Middle.” 

The most popular New Year’s Day celebration in the world, the parade will feature 46 lavish floral floats, 21 spectacular marching bands from as far away as England and Mexico, and 18 high-stepping equestrian teams. This year’s Rose Queen and her court will also appear, along with special guests on spectacular floats.

Float highlights this year include a 49-foot tall robot, a skateboarding bulldog, divers diving into a pool perched on top of a float, and beloved “Sesame Street” characters Big Bird, Elmo and Oscar as well as original “Sesame Street” cast member Bob McGrath, plus a float surrounded by 75 disco dancers and Alaska’s inaugural Rose Parade float celebrating the state’s 50-year anniversary.

The Pasadena police department estimates that at least 1 million spectators will line the five-and-a-half mile parade route.  Tens of millions of people worldwide watch the telecast every year.

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There’s a tradition of sorts every Christmas Eve/Day, in which TBS airs the classic comedy A Christmas Story starting at 8/7c on Christmas Eve and then back to back for 24 hours straight.

The film, which is celebrating 25 years since its release in 1983, stars Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin and Ian Petrella as the Parker family, and is an adaptation of the Jean Shepherd story about a little boy’s efforts to receive a Red Ryder air rifle for Christmas.

Who can forget classic lines like, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” and “You used up all the glue on purpose!” and “He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny!”

So sit back, relax and catch the flick. Whether it’s your first time seeing A Christmas Story, or your fiftieth, laughs and good times are virtually guaranteed.

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I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. – Charles Dickens.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men! – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring-not even a mouse:
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. – Clement C. Moore

At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year. – Thomas Tusser

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This is the last time President Bush and the First Lady will be celebrating the holiday season in the White House, and HGTV will be there to show how they are celebrating the holiday season before exiting the premises so the new tenants can move in.

“White House Christmas 2008,” HGTV’s new TV special, premiers on December 17 at 9 pm ET/PT, giving viewers one final “backstage pass” to the festivities of how the First Family celebrates the holiday season.

Hosted by Sabrina Soto (HGTV’s “Get It Sold” ), this HGTV special spotlights the creation of this year’s decorations, including the yards and yards of garland, hundreds of wreaths and nearly two dozen trees that will be decorated and put on display for the thousands of visitors expected to pass through the White House this holiday season.

Show highlights include:

· First Lady Laura Bush will explain the selection of this year’s patriotic holiday theme: “A Red, White &Blue Christmas”;
· Executive Pastry Chef will talk about his towering gingerbread house creation — a mouthwatering replica of the White House’s North Portico–made with more than 350 pounds of white chocolate and 125 pounds of gingerbread (officials estimate the house to weigh about 500 pounds total!);
· The Blue Room Christmas Tree will be on display, adorned with 369 hand-decorated ornaments from artists around the country; and
· Interviews with Chief Florist, along with various electricians, plumbers, and volunteers along the way who make it all happen.

For more information, click here.

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Comedy.com recently launched their inaugural “Roast Santa” competition.  Users can submit their funniest joke poking fun at Jolly Old St. Nick until Dec. 19 for the chance to win a $250 prize. 

Whether submissions are naughty or nice, the most creative joke will be selected as the winner by Comedy.com.  Submissions can be made on Comedy.com’s special holiday site, www.roastsanta.com. 

Jokes should be submitted as a comment on Santa’s video posted exclusively at Comedy.com’s special holiday site here. The funniest joke wins $250 and will be selected by the Comedy.com team of experts. The winner will be announced December 22. 

Comedy.com features a mix of original productions and programming gathered from around the web and presents a constantly updated snapshot of what’s funny and what’s being talked about online at any given moment.  Comedy.com is based in Santa Monica, Calif., and was founded in 2008 by Dean Valentine, the former president and chief executive officer of United Paramount Network (UPN), and former president of Walt Disney Television.  For more information, click here.

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Henry Winkler plays crafty Uncle Ralph, a former NYPD cop. When Ralph visits his stressed-out niece for Christmas, he unexpectedly brings along a stranded fellow traveler, whose eccentric behavior and contagious enthusiasm causes Ralph’s niece to wonder if there isn’t more to be had from life. “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, premieres Saturday, December 13 (9/8c).

Then, tune in again on December 20 when Dixie Carter, the former “Designing Women” star, co-stars in “Our First Christmas,” a Hallmark Channel holiday movie that premieres on Saturday, Dec. 20 (9/8c). 

And on December 27, tune in for “A Kiss At Midnight”.

When an online dating service becomes popular, a personal matchmaker (Faith Ford) finds her business at stake, and signs up on the website in order to prove that her old-fashioned touch is best.  Surprisingly, the site finds her the perfect mate, who just happens to be the company’s CEO (Cameron Daddo).  “A Kiss at Midnight,” a Hallmark Channel Original Movie, premieres Saturday, December 27 (9pm/8c).

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Woodstock, VT, photo courtesy of HGTV.

In case you missed the one-hour special, “Top 10 Christmas Towns”, which premiered on HGTV December 7, never fear. Not only will the show be reairing all month (check your local listing for air times in your area), but also you can find clips right here.

Also, learn how to create down home holiday craft projects and recipes, including corn shuck angels, cowboy Christmas decorations, wassail and German spiced wine.

Below is a list of the towns, along with highlights.

Check out a slideshow with breathtaking photos here.

1.) NEW ORLEANS, LA – French Quarter Christmas
This city mixes spirit and spirituality during this time of year, shaped by the bayou, blues and Creole Christmas tradition. Traditions include fancy cornucopias filled with candy and flowers, like those used in olden days by gentlemen to woo women. Snow machines give youngsters a fun winter wonderland. Finally, some 2,000 locals gather to see candles in front of the St. Louis cathedral in Jackson Square to pray for those lost during Hurricane Katrina and other hardships over the years.

2.) KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE – Christmas by the Sea
Residents incorporate seashells into most of their decorations, especially wreaths. They eat lobster for Christmas dinner, rather than turkey – also Santa comes in a lobster boat every year and Christmas trees are made entirely of lobster traps.

3.) MOUNTAIN VIEW, ARKANSAS – Ozarks Christmas
The locals pay tribute to their centuries-long musical heritage by caroling in the caves, in a huge amphitheater located in Blanchard Spring Caverns, where the sound is incredible! Also they make corn shuck angels (made out of corn husks and string) that hold various musical instruments like fiddle banjos and dulcimers, and a guy whittles spools into ornaments.

4.) NORTH POLE, ALASKA – Alaskan Christmas
Just outside of Anchorage, this town celebrates with a stunning ice-carving competition, when artists have 29 hours to create their work using drills, chisels, hot water and heat. With sculptures ranging from a Santa on a rooftop to snowmen to a girl playing a harp while standing on a chair, this event consistently wows the crowds.

5.) ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA – Scottish Christmas
Residents celebrate the town’s rich Scottish heritage, with an annual Christmas parade complete with bagpipes, dogs and a sea of kilts and tartans. The celebration culminates with the elaborate Holiday Boat Parade and a dazzling light show along the Potomac.

6.) MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN – Vintage Christmas
Just a frozen 20 minute ferry ride from the northern tip of Michigan, this town of only 500 people celebrate Christmas like they did a century ago — people travel only on horse and buggy, since cars have been banned for 100 years. Among the town’s traditions, Santa visits every child to hear their Christmas wish, they have an annual island Christmas bazaar where they sell unique crafts and their decorations are full of lots of green, red and lilacs, which is a special local color.

7.) DURANGO, COLORADO – Old West Christmas
Families use found items from the Old West for ornaments and trimmings, including cowboy boots as stockings, chaps as table runners or bridle bits as garland to wrap around stairwells or railings. They also have a Polar Express which has been around since the late 1880s, where kids show up in PJ’s, and they hop on a locomotive train which rides 30 minutes out of town to the “North Pole,” where Santa is waiting and gives them a little bell.

8.) WOODSTOCK, VERMONT- Medieval-style Christmas
Traditions stem from pagan days, including “wassail weekend” (where they drink apple cider-based drink, with fruits and spices, and alcohol) and a huge Yule Log fire on the village green. The entire town is decked with traditional wreaths and pine garlands throughout.

9.) SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS- Southwestern Christmas
Residents pull out all the stops to make this Christmas memorable, from piñatas and mariachis to riverboats and twinkling trees. Instead of turkey, they make tamales. Some of the traditional Mexican decorations include figurines made from cornhusks wearing colorful dresses. Finally, they stage an annual spirtual and spirited procession, “La Gran Posada,” a moving reenactment of the first Christmas eve.

10.) LEAVENWORTH, WASHINGTON – Bavarian Village
This former mining and logging town was transformed into an over-the-top Bavarian village 40 years ago, complete with Old World traditions for kids and grown-ups and redesigned architecture. There, they sip traditional Gluvine-spiced wine drinks and kids lead a lantern parade every weekend. During the holidays, this 2,200-person town swells to 50,000. The town even has a gingerbread factory that specializes in high-end holiday houses that they ship all over the world.

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I really don’t understand what gets into people that they act all crazy. Yes, I understand that we’re in a recession and it’s stressful, but that’s really no excuse to act like this:

Griswald or grinch?
A 51-year-old woman in Manchester, Md., allegedly stole her neighbors’ (plural) Christmas decorations of their lawns and PUT THEM UP ON HER HOUSE. 

Christmas tree–or weapon?
A 37-year-old guy in Florida who lives with his parents was charged with attacking his father with a three-foot Christmas tree AND its metal stand. Because the tree was attached, I suppose. 

Candy cane, or cuffs?
In my hometown, Sacramento, Ca., a 49-year-old man got drunk and crashed a party waving a knife and trying to cut people. Someone subdued him with a two-foot plastic candy cane lawn ornament until police arrived. No comment on where the candy cane was placed…

I think there are at least a few people getting lumps of coal in their stockings this year!

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Tune in to NBC tonight, December 3, from 8-9 p.m. ET/PT for a dazzling display of musical talent and the lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree during the 11th annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” telecast.

Hosted by Al Roker (“Today”), the star-studded annual tree lighting extravaganza features Beyoncé, Tony Bennett, Neil Boyd, Jonas Brothers, Harry Connick Jr., David Cook, Rosie O’Donnell and The Broadway Kids, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, and Solange Knowles performing current hits and holiday classics from Rockefeller Center in New York City.

NBC’s New York flagship station WNBC, and the NBC Hartford station WVIT, will both broadcast an additional live hour of the special locally from 7-8 p.m. prior to the start of the network broadcast.

The tradition of the Rockefeller Christmas tree dates back to the Great Depression in 1933, when the first tree was decked with 700 lights and placed in front of the then eight-month-old RCA Building, now the GE Building. The Christmas tree gathering was enhanced in 1936 with the opening of the Rockefeller Plaza outdoor ice-skating pond. NBC-TV televised the first tree lighting in 1951 on “The Kate Smith Show” and as part of the nationwide “Howdy Doody” television show from 1953-55.

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That show, “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”, has been my favorite since I was old enough to read. (Dr. Seuss: brilliant–possibly high on drugs all the time, but brilliant!)

The 1966 original (which is the only Grinch which I will acknowledge) is on tonight on ABC (check your local listings for time).

“How The Grinch Stole Christmas” is 26 minutes of magical fun, filled with Whos and the most adorable cartoon dog I’ve ever seen (see above).

While I’m normally a fan of the book vs. the movie (or show), in this case, I think it’s a close tie. Both are festive, fun and deliver a sweet, gentle message.

But there’s something about seeing the story come to life that always makes me smile.

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