BETHLEHEM, West Bank ― A 45-foot-high artificial Christmas tree towers over Manger Square, and downtown Bethlehem is festooned with sparkling decorations. There’s even a picture of a saxophone-playing Santa Claus.But Nabil Giacaman, co-owner of a souvenir shop called Christmas House, isn’t feeling the holiday spirit.The third-generation wood carver, who sells handmade likenesses of baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary, sees as many as 200 tour buses arrive every day from Israel to visit the Church of

LONDON ― Never mind the sprints, relays and marathons coming to London this summer. Look at the competition now among the flower vendors of Columbia Road.“Who’s got a fiver?” hollers one grizzled man with a fistful of roses.“Four for 2 quid!” bellows another.“Five pounds a bunch!” howls yet another.These guys sound better than the extras in “My Fair Lady,” and they’re here every Sunday morning at Columbia and Ravenscroft streets, supplying blooms, succulents and a soundtrack to accompany London’

NEW YORK (AP) ― Elaborate gingerbread houses, boat parades, train shows and dazzling light shows that illuminate entire neighborhoods are all part of the holiday fun this year for the Christmas and New Year’s season. Here’s a selection of beautiful things to see and interesting things to do around America now through early January.In Manhattan, the Rockefeller Center tree stays lit until Jan. 7. This year it’s a 22.5-meter-tall Norway spruce illuminated by 30,000 lights. You can go skating at th

The Angry Birds are set fly from the virtual into the real world next year as the cartoonish birds from the popular smartphone game get their own theme parks, a playground company said Thursday."The idea is to to create a different concept for gaming by integrating the virtual and physical worlds ..