Christmas in Kolkata: Badaa Din

Christmas in Kolkata: Christians may be a minority in India, but Christmas is a national holiday.

And citizens of all religions celebrate the festival, which Indians call the Badaa Din, or the Big Day.

Anchor Aaron Schachter speaks with journalist Sandip Roy about Christmas celebration in his home town, Kolkata.

Roy is the culture editor for First Post and associate editor with New America Media

(Source: theworld.org)

Merry Christmas from The World!

Merry Christmas from The World!

Photo of the Day: A participant introduces himself to the crowd to appeal his case during the mass blind date on Christmas Eve at a park in Seoul. More than 3,000 young South Korean men and women converged on a park, highlighting the woes of the lovelorn in a rapidly aging nation. The singles braves sub-zero weather for the flash-mob blind date that was organized on social media. (Photo: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)

Photo of the Day: A participant introduces himself to the crowd to appeal his case during the mass blind date on Christmas Eve at a park in Seoul. More than 3,000 young South Korean men and women converged on a park, highlighting the woes of the lovelorn in a rapidly aging nation. The singles braves sub-zero weather for the flash-mob blind date that was organized on social media. (Photo: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)

"I created a Facebook dating site to help me get over my own break-up a few months ago. But then I posted that we should have one giant dating event for Christmas and it just took off from there."

Yu Tae-hyung, who came up with the idea for a mass blind-date on Christmas Eve in Seoul.

(Source: theworld.org)

The Reindeer Peoples of the World

Jonathan Mazower, advocacy director for Survival International talks about the important role that reindeer play in many Arctic cultures.

Some indigenous tribes including the Innu of Labrador and Québec are struggling to maintain caribou herds in the face of development and climate change.

(Source: theworld.org)

Photo of the Day: Guatemalan firefighter Hector Chacon, dressed as Santa Claus, stands before rappelling down from the Belize bridge to give toys to children living in the area under the bridge in Guatemala City.
Santa Claus-clad firefighters have been giving toys to the children living in the neighborhoods under the Belize bridge, a very poor area of the city, for 15 years. (Photo: REUTERS/Jorge Dan Lopez)

Photo of the Day: Guatemalan firefighter Hector Chacon, dressed as Santa Claus, stands before rappelling down from the Belize bridge to give toys to children living in the area under the bridge in Guatemala City.

Santa Claus-clad firefighters have been giving toys to the children living in the neighborhoods under the Belize bridge, a very poor area of the city, for 15 years. (Photo: REUTERS/Jorge Dan Lopez)

Photo of the Day: Window cleaners dressed as Santa Claus work during an event promoting Christmas at a hotel in the business district of Tokyo. (Photo: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

Photo of the Day: Window cleaners dressed as Santa Claus work during an event promoting Christmas at a hotel in the business district of Tokyo. (Photo: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

Christmas Tree Sellers from Québec

Each Christmas, dozens of Québécois make the trip south to New York City to sell Christmas trees.

They operate around the clock, sleeping in shifts, and work for cash under the table.

The World’s Alex Gallafent met a young couple from Montréal who are selling trees to fund their continuing travels around the world.

(Source: theworld.org)

Airlines that give out presents instead of grief …Gerry Hadden’s has this report