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A full moon hangs above the Lake Michigan horizon beside the Ludington, Mich., north pier light, before setting early Tuesday morning, Jan., 9, 2001. (AP Photo/Ludington Daily News, Andy Klevorn)
MILUD101(Photo: AP)
Christmas full moon to rise for first time this century
Don't forget to look up in the sky early Friday morning. No, not for Santa, who'll be long gone — for the full moon, which peaks at 6:11 a.m. ET, according to NASA. The last time<span style="color: Red;">*</span>there was a full moon Christmas Day was 1977, and it won't happen again until 2034.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>December's full moon is called the "cold moon" because, appropriately enough, "it is the month when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark," according to the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Farmer's Almanac.
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Go west, my friend
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Your odds are good in Fairbanks, Alaska, which has seen snow on the ground every Christmas since weather record keeping began.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Because of the warming effects of the strong El Niño climate pattern, many places that often have a good chance of seeing snow Christmas Day<span style="color: Red;">*</span>will miss out this year.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Some cities in the central and eastern USA<span style="color: Red;">*</span>could see<span style="color: Red;">*</span>record high temperatures<span style="color: Red;">*</span>on Christmas Day. Despite Bing Crosby's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>White Christmas<span style="color: Red;">*</span>wishes (and ours), only 25% to 30%<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of the 48 contiguous states<span style="color: Red;">*</span>is typically snow-covered by Christmas, according to AccuWeather. Check the average chances for your city<span style="color: Red;">*</span>here.
America's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>new Christmas pastime: Shopping
Blame the Internet. Christmas Day is typically the slowest retail sales day of the holiday season, but its popularity is growing. <span style="color: Red;">*</span>Why? Because of Web shoppers,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>especially those on their phones. If you're among those doing some shopping Friday, you won't be alone. This year, Christmas is expected to ring in $600 million in online sales, up from $550 million last year, according to Adobe Marketing Cloud.
Just as Black Friday sales have infiltrated Thanksgiving, retailers are starting to push heavy discounts and clearance items on Christmas Day, targeting a surge in online and mobile shoppers.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Getty Images)
NBA games will be a Christmas Day treat
Christmas morning is for opening presents. For sports fans, Christmas afternoon and evening are all about the NBA. There will be five consecutive games.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>First up, at noon ET: The Miami Heat host the New Orleans Pelicans. The day will<span style="color: Red;">*</span>end with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers, which tips<span style="color: Red;">*</span>off at 10:30 p.m. ET. <span style="color: Red;">*</span>Friday's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>showcase game is a matchup of last year’s NBA Finals participants, the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the two biggest stars in the game, Stephen Curry and LeBron James. The showdown at 5 p.m. ET is a must-watch.
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USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick breaks down the NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day between Stephen Curry and the Warriors and LeBron James on the Cavaliers. USA TODAY Sports
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