CHRISTMAS

As holiday shoppers hit the markets, new study has revealed that Americans are more likely to say that as a result of the economic downturn, they will spend less money on holiday gifts this year.

The world's largest Christmas present was the Statue of Liberty. The French gave it to the US in 1886. It is 46.5 meters high and weighs 225 tons.

Despite having strong sales on Black Friday, most consumers are still being cautious about holiday spending, with the majority of them saying they plan to spend about the same as last year, according to a report by NPD Group.

From the Jamaican beach in Caribbean to the Christians’ Holy Lands, there are many exotic places available for a cheap vacation this holiday season. Here’s a list of 8 most cheap destinations for your Christmas getaways.

As the holiday shopping season is underway, Best Buy Mobile, the mobile specialty retail unit of Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE:BBY), will be offering a minimum of four free smartphones every day through December.

Dior Creative Director John Galliano returns this year to design the Christmas tree in London's iconic Claridge's hotel.

Recession-sapped diners will splash a little more cash eating out this holiday season, and restaurant chains will cash in by offering special festive flavors to keep consumers coming back for more.

Stocks fell, but finished significantly above intra-day lows, as the market recovered somewhat from early losses triggered by renewed fears that the euro zone debt crisis could spread beyond Ireland to Portugal and Spain.

Despite the big build-up, retail sales on Black Friday were rather tepid. According to data from ShopperTrak, sales edged up a mere 0.3 percent from the same day last year.

If your mum is tech savvy what would be the best gift for her in this Christmas?

FBI sleuths detained a 19-year-old allegedly plotting to detonate a vehicle bomb at an annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon. The arrest was announced late on Friday evening by the Justice Department who stated that Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia and a student at Oregon State University, was arrested after he attempted to detonate what he believed to be an explosives-laden van.

Traveling gets more complicated with new rules to keep up with and comply everyday. Added to this are the new security measures by the U.S. Federal Government and high baggage costs by carriers.

The holiday season means some of the busiest days for companies such as Fedex and UPS.

Beginning well before midnight on Thursday, in malls throughout the nation, the lifeblood of the American economy – the consumers – will start queuing up outside the locked entrances of various retail stores, forming longer and longer lines, clutching ads and lists and coupons, sipping coffee and hot chocolate, rubbing their hands and stomping their feet for warmth, exciting each other with anticipatory chatter, and waiting, waiting for the clock to strike the appointed hour, the clerk to open ...

The raging row over pat-downs and new body scanning rules at airports in the U.S. continued unabated on the Thanksgiving eve with holiday travelers threatening a pre-Thanksgiving no-fly-day boycott even as President Obama instructed the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) to make airport security measures less intrusive.

As “Black Friday” approaches next week, U. S. retailers are expecting a strong holiday season – at least, compared to the dismal performance of the past two years.

Here’s a list of retailers luring Black Friday shoppers with tempting deals

Walmart will host first nationwide food drive at all its stores, seek the help of facebook fans in selecting communities to receive $1.5 million in grants, donate 65 refrigerator food trucks to Feeding America network of food banks and help the Salvation Army to provide meals with a $1 million donation.

Enticing early holiday shoppers this season is Bolingo Bags' holiday collection of luxury handbags made from ostrich, crocodile and Napa leathers.

Gifting for Christmas just got easier with the new exclusive offering from Harrods. The UK-based store has launched its Christmas Hampers 2010.

French luxury brand Louis Vuitton has come up with a unique way of ensuring that their stores are well stacked to handle the Christmas shopping frenzy.