CHRISTMAS WRAP-UP

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- DECEMBER 21, 2024

With Christmas around the corner, it's a good time to wrap up things with some final items related to the holiday. Having more Christmas knowledge puts a bow on the entire package.  

The first order of business for Michiganders is to pump up the holiday spirit. In a Christmas Spirit Index, Michigan was ranked thirty-fifth. “The index analyzes a year’s worth of search data for popular festive keywords, including terms like Christmas carols, holiday recipes, and Christmas light displays.” 

Michigan needs to “ho-ho-ho” a bit more. The top five most festive states were: Utah, Massachusetts, Virginia, Illinois, and Washington. The least festive states were: Mississippi, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and (bottom finisher) Alaska. 

(https://www.mentalfloss.com/states-with-the-most-and-least-christmas-spirit)

One search category for the index was Christmas carols. To help clear up any confusion, WordSmarts.com has crated a Guide to Puzzling Christmas Carol Terms. “From bobtails to wassail, familiar holiday songs are filled with words that have largely vanished from modern English.” 

An example is figgy pudding. “The most memorable use of figgy pudding is in the carol 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas.' Perhaps surprisingly, figgy pudding doesn’t even have to contain figs. In the recipe’s original form, figs referred to any kind of dried fruit, and figgy pudding was a savory dish, made with beef, mutton, raisins, prunes, wine, and spices.” More at: https://wordsmarts.com/christmas-carol-words/.

By the way, if you don't know the meaning of some obscure words in carols, you're not alone. “The English language is so vast that the average native speaker only knows about six percent  of all English words, which equates to roughly 35,000 of the 600,000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary. Most of us get by just fine on a daily basis which suggests the other ninety-four percent  of words are fairly obscure or redundant.” (https://interestingfacts.com/fact/average-english-speaker-only-knows-six-percent-of-words/)

One place you probably won't hear much caroling on Christmas is in the hoosegow. Reader's Digest can help you stay on the right side of the law. They say there are thirteen bizarre Christmas laws still on the books. 

One applies to Michigan. “In Michigan, if you like having a freshly cut Christmas tree, be prepared to retain the receipt. That’s because it’s illegal there for anyone to transport a Christmas tree without having proof of the sale of the same.”

There is a state where you need to plan ahead if you want to spike the eggnog. “In Arkansas, the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on Christmas Day. That’s not to say one can’t drink alcohol in the privacy of one’s own home on Christmas, but if you want to do so, you’ll have to make sure you’re stocked before Christmas arrives.”  Eleven more laws at: https://www.rd.com/list/bizarre-christmas-laws/. 

If you want to dunk something in your eggnog, there's nothing better than a Christmas cookie. MentalFloss.com has compiled a list of the favorite Christmas cookie in every state. 

Michigan's top choice is the M&M cookie. “Italian Christmas cookies dominate much of the country. The basic treat is distinguished by its almond extract glaze and round, rainbow sprinkles. Gingerbread cookies follow the Italian confection with five states. Many flavors on this list are classics, such as sugar and snickerdoodle. Others, like kitchen sink and Christmas crack cookies, may be less familiar to you depending on your holiday traditions.” See the list at: https://www.mentalfloss.com/most-popular-christmas-cookie-each-state.

If you make your cookies at home, apparently there is a new product that SouthernLiving.com suggests you may want to try – McCormick Finishing Sugars.

An article explains the allure. “McCormick's Finishing Sugars add texture, sweetness, and a balancing salty finish to so many desserts. They come in six flavors: candy cane, English toffee, salted caramel, hot cocoa, gingerbread spice, and white frosting.” See photos and recipes at: https://www.southernliving.com/mccormick-finishing-sugars-8758919. 

When it comes to cookies, the plain sugar cookie is the second most favorite Christmas dessert. “It's the season for indulging in festive foods, from appetizers to side dishes. Of course, a feast isn’t complete without something sweet to cap it off. Coffeeness mapped out the most popular holiday desserts in each state. Pumpkin pie is the number one holiday dessert in twenty states (including Michigan).” See a map at: https://www.mentalfloss.com/most-popular-holiday-desserts-each-state-map.

Finally, don't forget the special Neff Zone holidays page at: https://www.neffzone.com/holidays/. A popular feature on the page is the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker. This is where you can follow Santa's route all over the world. 

There's a bit of a hi-tech twist this year. NORAD has Santa Tracker apps for your phone. Go to: https://www.noradsanta.org/en/. This is where you can see the tracker, a countdown timer, and the apps. Happy Christmas to all! 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.  

Click on the graphic to track Santa.