So You Don't Celebrate Christmas Today, What's Your Plan Instead

Whether for religious reasons or because of work, not everyone is celebrating the holiday today.

For those who don't celebrate Christmas today (or any day) Dec. 25 can still be a nice day. Almost everyone has the day off, so maybe you take advantage of that to spend the day with family and friends. Downtowns, parks and streets are usually empty, so perhaps you hit a favorite ethnic restaurant that's open or go for a quiet run or long walk.  For those working, the day often means visits from family bearing the gift of a home-cooked meal and the promise of a Christmas celebration on another day. What's your non-Christmas Christmas Day tradition?

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What's Your Favorite Christmas Ornament?

We're looking for photos of the most unique, quirky, or memorable trinkets that you hang on your tree for the holidays.

How to Make Prime Rib Like a Pro

This isn't a quick recipe for prime rib, but it's definitely a good one.

Finding the ultimate prime rib recipe is among the most popular Christmas recipes for 2012. Last year, the delicious red dish trended on Google for two weeks as a popular search term.  For those looking for an authentic recipe, we turned to none other than Martha Stewart for her take on what we think is the best prime rib recipe yet. I personally made this dish myself (couldn't wait) and have dotted some of my own tips below. And yes, it was yummy. To get started, gather the following ingredients: Now, the directions: 1. Place oven rack on lower level. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub roast all over with salt and pepper. Transfer to heavy 13-by-16-inch metal roasting pan. Arrange fat-side up. Place short ribs in pan. 2. Cook 20 minutes. …

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Holiday Recipes: Cookies, Candy and More

Patch editors from across Chicagoland share some of their favorite Christmas recipes.

Patch.com editors from across the Chicago area dug into their cookbooks and came back with some of their favorite holiday recipes to share with readers. We hope you enjoy. Happy Holidays! Share your favorite holiday recipes with Patch! Send your recipe as well as any photos to Editor Amie Schaenzer at amie.schaenzer@patch.com and we will include your recipe in this article.

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Interfaith Couples Find a Balance During the Holidays

Christmas trees and Hanukah menorahs sit side by side in many homes.

During Hanukah, Glencoe residents Renata and Greg Bregstone light a menorah and give their children a small gift for each of the Jewish holiday's eight days. But at the same time, their children, ages 3 and 5, are also counting down to Christmas with an Advent Calendar. Decorations for both holidays are displayed in the window and a Hanukah banner that their children decorated hangs above the fireplace beside a Christmas tree. Renata is Catholic and Greg is Jewish and both wanted to raise their children with the holidays they grew up with, but have come to value the different perspective celebrating both traditions provides. “I want them to be open-minded and understanding of others,” Renata said. The challenge of getting that balance …

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Where to Cut Your Own Christmas Tree

Patch put together a map of cut-your-own Christmas tree farms for the northern Chicago suburbs.

Are you one of the 21 percent of United States homes that have a real Christmas tree? That's the number of people that opt for the real deal, according to the University of Illinois Extension's Christmas Tree fact page, compared to 48 percent who chose to have an artificial tree. (The rest don't have a tree.) If so, then perhaps you're also part of the 21 percent of those with real trees who like to cut them down yourself at a tree farm. Patch has assembled this map of cut-your-own Christmas tree farms in the vicinity of the northern Chicago suburbs. Click on the pins for more information about the farm or move the map around and zoom in on an area near you. Happy chopping!

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Yuji and Kai

Celebrating Hanukkah, and Christmas, Too!

Anticipating a week of special moments.

We are one of THOSE types of families. Yes, we celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah.  Well, kinda, sorta.  We have a Christmas tree and a menorah. And our Christmas tree has a dreidel ornament. But please don’t ask me too many questions about the Maccabees.  My knowledge only goes so far. My wife and I grew up celebrating Christmas, so the Jewish holidays are still rather new to us. The details of why we now celebrate them are for another time. Suffice to say that we now have dear family members who are Jewish. Because of our joint celebrations, this is a huge week for our son.  The past two years, there was no overlap between Hanukkah and Christmas.  Last year, for example, Hanukkah began in early December. So there was a clear …

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Betsy and Sal

Wrap It Up

Finding a gift is only half the battle.

Did you know that 33 percent of all Americans have, at any given time during the year, at least one wrapped, yet-to-be opened Christmas present stashed in a basement or a closet or an attic?  I know this is true for two reasons. First, because my sister-in-law Collette told me, and she’s smart. Second, because right now, as I sit upstairs typing, there lurks in my basement not one but two pristinely wrapped gifts from two years ago, languishing in the deepest recesses of the furnace crawl space, simultaneously gathering dust and emitting low-levels of guilt. To the young, or the newly married, or the men, it may seem odd to harbor a backlog of gifts. But among my cohort of been-there, done-that, given-and-received-and-returned all of it, …

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Black Friday Midnight Hours a First for Retailers

Abercrombie & Fitch, Ann Taylor, Best Buy and others follow in the footsteps of bigger chains on the busiest shopping day of the year.

If the big-box boys can do it, so can the little guys. As “midnight madness” spreads among the area’s largest retailers on Black Friday, copycat actions have begun amongst smaller stores eager to play off the unprecedented early start to sales on the busiest shopping days of the year. The earliest bird of all is Wal-Mart—with the two Niles stores flinging open their doors for holiday bargain-hunters at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Meanwhile other major retailers will follow two hours later: three Best Buy stores — two in Skokie and one in Niles — along with a pair of Target stores in Niles, the Kohl’s store in Golf Mill in Niles and Macy’s in Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie. Kohl’s, in fact, will be open 24 hours — 12 a.m. to 12 a.m. — on …

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George Slefo

10:52 am on Monday, November 21, 2011

I plan on going on Friday whenever I wake up. There are plenty of deals that don't get gobbled up right away. It's going to be so chaotic!   more ›

Patch's Guide to Highland Park Gift Giving

A few local suggestions for holiday presents that are sure to please.

As your holiday cash is floating around, it's only fitting that some of it makes its way back into the communities we know and love. Sure, you can shop online or find deals at the big chain stores, but this Christmas, consider shopping locally. The person you're buying for will appreciate it, and so will the local merchant. It's like giving two gifts at once. Here are our ideas for some of Highland Park's interesting local gifts this year. The Soap Box Shop As long as we're supporting local businesses, let's go all out and get really granola about it. Products at The Soap Box Shop are not only crafted locally by women in an eco-friendly and fair trade ethos, but there are some on offer here that directly support local non-profits. Great …

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