Feature Channels: Winter Holidays

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The holidays are a busy time for engagements, and Trina Hamilton, a University at Buffalo expert in corporate responsibility, says socially minded consumers have a lot to think about when it comes to finding the right rock.

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Given recent extreme weather events – the summer’s brutal heat and subsequent drought, followed by Superstorm Sandy’s disastrous path – newly green-conscious consumers may be wondering how to lessen their carbon footprint this holiday season. Plant biologist Clint Springer, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, says that buying a real Christmas tree may not solve the world’s climate ills, but it is a step in the right direction.

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Smaller plates, bowls and spoons are the keys for eating less this holiday season. So is taking into account the color of your food when choosing a plate. Those are the findings of Koert van Ittersum, associate professor of marketing in Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business.

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To most children, listening to Santa read a story and taking a photo with him is all part of the holiday merriment each year. However, for some toddlers and young kids, this outing can turn into a frightful experience with ol’ Saint Nick and stress parents out. Dr. Martin Antony, a leading expert on anxiety and a psychology professor at Ryerson University, gives parents and their children tips how to make a visit with Santa fun for everyone.

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Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture scientist, Dr. Raj Lada, driven by a commitment to rural sustainability, is providing support and research to innovate the Christmas tree industry in Eastern Canada. Lada has established the first, national (international) Christmas tree Research Centre (CRC) in Truro/Bible Hill.

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For those who have lost a loved one, the empty chair at the table or one less present under the tree can be a painful reminder of the one who is missing. Tips on surviving the holidays.

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Black Out Wednesday. Wild Turkey Wednesday. Wine Down Wednesday. The pre-Thanksgiving drinkfest is a call for potential injury, says Thomas Esposito, MD, chief, trauma, Loyola University Health System.

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Tips on booking holiday travel, packing and avoiding airport stress.

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With the excitement of the holidays, parents and relatives eagerly purchase the hottest toys and latest items for their children. But it’s during the hustle and bustle of the season that many fail to buy age appropriate gifts for their children, and they tend to disregard warnings on these toys and gifts to ensure they are safe. Doctors at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics give the following tips on toy safety this holiday season.

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Turkey for Breakfast: What percentage of Americans want to eat these leftovers for breakfast the next morning?

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Cybercriminals and ordinary hackers are preparing, like bears at a trout stream, to steal our data, money, and identities. Here are some tips from a computer security expert at the University of Virginia.

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As holiday crunch time fills your schedule, don’t give up your exercise. The burst of energy can help burn off adrenaline and calm you down. Physical activity stimulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which has been linked to post-exercise mood improvement.

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Serafino Alfe fried himself in a turkey fryer injury last year and is warning people to "Bake the bird." Many safety tips are shared by Dr. Thomas Esposito, trauma surgeon at Loyola University Health System.

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Justine Vanden Heuvel is a an assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University and a former cranberry specialist at the UMass Cranberry Station in East Wareham, Mass. She comments on the challenges and triumphs of the 2012 cranberry season.

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Jessica Rennells, a climatologist with the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University, offers a look at your chances for enjoying – or driving through – a wet or white Thanksgiving holiday.

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Smithsonian Snapshot celebrates the Thanksgiving season with this 1905 Thanksgiving menu by George Elbert Burr from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In the early 20th century, Burr worked as an illustrator for several magazines including Harper's, Cosmopolitan and Frank Leslie's Weekly Newspaper, the same newspaper in which Winslow Homer provided illustrations. In 1905, Burr created this menu for a Thanksgiving dinner that included mashed potatoes, English plum pudding, Charlotte Russe dessert and of course, the turkey, illustrated here in a simple pen, ink and watercolor drawing.

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As parents and relatives hit the stores this holiday season to acquire the hottest gadgets, gizmos and toys, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is offering tips on buying age-appropriate items and avoiding hidden dangers. Sarah Haverstick, Safe Children program manager at Children’s Hospital, suggests that people consider a child’s age and skill level when selecting toys.

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Whether it’s the Apple iPhone 5 or the Samsung Galaxy x3, many people hope to ring in the holidays with the latest smart phone. Negotiations expert Charles Lankau has tips on how not to bust the budget.

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Randy Worobo, a food safety expert and a professor of Food Science in Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, offers some tips for preparing, enjoying and preserving your Thanksgiving staples.

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Most people are looking forward to the food, family gatherings and gift giving that comes along with the holiday season. Dr. William Hansen, a psychologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, reminds parents that this is also the time of year when they should pause to say thanks and also reinforce this idea in their children.

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With visions of sugar plums dancing through the air, before you know it, old St. Nick will soon be here. As the holiday season swings into high gear, Ryerson University will be rolling out its annual expert tip sheets on topics from surviving office parties to how parents help their kids overcome their fears of Santa.

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Analyzing Alabama and national fatal crash data during Thanksgiving week, University of Alabama researchers found common factors in fatal crashes throughout the year are exaggerated by the activity of Thanksgiving week.

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Mancuso joins SPOT Skin Cancer® campaign to encourage people to prevent and detect skin cancer.

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Dana-Farber expert offers tips to fight cancer with your fork this season

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A figurative mine field of savory dishes and desserts await many this holiday season, from pumpkin pies topped with whipped cream, green bean and mushroom casseroles, pork tamales, cranberries and cornbread dressing to fruit salads and oven-roasted turkey. Harris Health System experts warn that while most will indulge in these tasty foods and some will gain weight, people with diabetes will need a plan to stay healthy during the holidays.

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Adults can avoid holiday weight gain by stocking up on the cancer-fighting foods listed in the new Holiday Food Grocery List, created by experts at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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A strike planned by Wal-Mart workers on one of America’s busiest shopping days has significance on many levels, according to Cornell University ILR School labor experts Ken Margolies, an associate in The Worker Institute in New York City; and Kate Bronfenbrenner, ILR’s director of Labor Education Research in Ithaca.

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Families across the nation will be enjoying foods on Thanksgiving that pack a strong nutritional wallop.

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Joseph Skelton, M.D., pediatrician and director of Brenner FIT at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, offers these tips on how to enjoy the holidays and not gorge ourselves too much.

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There’s nothing wrong with a cookie or a glass of eggnog at the holidays, says Debra Haire-Joshu, PhD, director of the Center for Obesity Prevention and Policy Research and the Center for Diabetes Translation Research at Washington University in St. Louis and associate dean for research at the Brown School. The key, Haire-Joshu says, is balance.

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The upcoming holiday season brings with it the annual gaze upon religious displays – and the legal issues that come with them. “The Supreme Court’s approach to public religious displays under the Establishment Clause has been less than clear,” says John Inazu, JD, expert on religion and the constitution and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis.“Some commentators have described it as the ‘three plastic animals rule’ –a Christian nativity scene on public property passes muster if it is accompanied by a sufficient combination of Rudolph, Frosty, and their friends.” Inazu says that future litigation will likely press against this line-drawing, but even apparent victories for religious liberty may come at a significant cost.

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With temperatures dropping and cold weather settling in, people will turn to gas furnaces, space heaters and fireplaces for warmth. Not so fast, caution pulmonologists from Harris Health System, who recommend that everyone get those devices checked for carbon monoxide leaks. Known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide is the gas byproduct of the incomplete combustion of fuel used in cars, gasoline engines, stoves, lanterns, burning charcoal or wood, gas ranges, fireplaces and heaters.

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Preparing a Thanksgiving turkey can prove tricky for even the most experienced cooks. How big of a bird to select, how to thaw it in time and how to avoid undercooking, overcooking or -- even worse -- food poisoning, are among the challenges faced by holiday chefs.

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Professor Sheri Bridges, faculty director of Wake Forest University's Center for Retail Innovation, says to attract consumers early this holiday season, retailers must be aggressive, offer incentives, and make both brick and mortar and online shopping easier.

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Allergists from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) offer tips to avoid allergy and asthma triggers this joyful season.

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Winter is a special time for celebration. It should also be a time for added caution if you or someone in your family is an older adult. It is the season for falls, slips on icy streets and other dangers that can be especially harmful for older adults.

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Spring and summer are not the only seasons that bring misery to those with allergies. The winter months can be brutal for people sensitive to mold spores and dust mites.

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While we may be accustomed to battling frigid temperatures and the inevitable snow storms that arrive every winter, many of us are unaware of the dangers these pose to our hearts.

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Crowded shopping centers, visits from long-lost relatives, and the pressure of preparing holiday meals can all summon one universal reaction: stress. The holidays may be the season of love and celebration, but sometimes festivities can become overwhelming.

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All winter flakes are not made of snow. Cold weather, with its low relative humidity, wreaks havoc on our skin, making it dry and flaky. Skin dries out if it's deprived of moisture and this dryness often aggravates itchiness, resulting in a condition commonly referred to as "winter itch."