Holiday episodes tend to be a bit generic. How many times can you rework A Christmas Carol or The Gift of the Magi into a sitcom plot? Here are a smattering of episodes worth mentioning either because they’re rare, different or just because we like them. 1. A Very Special Bewitched Bewitched had many traditional Christmas episodes during its eight season run, but 1970's "Sisters at Heart" was controversial enough to require a special introduction by Elizabeth Montgomery at the behest of the show's... READ ON

One of the facts that we hear repeated with some frequency is that trumpeter Louis Armstrong got his first Christmas tree at age 40, and he loved it so much that he took it on tour with him for a month. While it's a great bit of trivia, I was curious enough to double-check it. Turns out, the story's even better the way his wife tells it: "We finally went to bed. And Louis was still laying up in the bed watching the tree, his eyes just like a baby's eyes would watch something... So finally I said, "Well,... READ ON

We always hear about the nightmares of Black Friday, but people rarely talk about the kindness of strangers during the holiday season. When one secret Santa decided to cover three strangers' layaway receipts at a K-Mart in Michigan, however, news outlets began to take notice. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, asked the worker at the layaway counter to pick out three tabs out of the store's 800 so she could pay them off. Her only requirement was that the tabs contain at least some children's... READ ON

I live near some big homes in Los Angeles owned by some pretty big names in the entertainment industry. They love to go all out during the Holidays decorating their homes, starting with Halloween and then, of course, during Christmas time. Some even hire actors to play parts on their front lawns! No joke. All this is to say that I can relate to families who get into the holiday spirit as seen in the photos below. Only a couple are from around my neck of the woods. See if you recognize any from your... READ ON