christmas

Back to the mall for After Christmas sales

Steve Carmody — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 21:25:46 +0000

For Michigan retailers, Christmas is over and now it’s time to focus on After Christmas sales.

Analysts say the unusually long holiday shopping season, stretching from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, generated sales numbers only modestly better than last year.

Tom Scott is with the Michigan Retailers Association. He says gift cards were a popular present this year. Scott says many Michiganders will redeem their gift cards during the next few weeks and probably spend a little more as well.

Holiday depression is a problem for many in Michigan

Steve Carmody — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 05:27:00 +0000

The holidays bring with them added stress and depression.

Lisa Laughman is an emotional wellness consultant at Michigan State University.

She says there are many reasons why people may feel stressed or depressed this time of year. This could be the first Christmas without a loved one. Financial challenges may be making a 'traditional' family Christmas difficult. Some people say the recent school massacre in Connecticut is also making this feel less like Christmas.

The LONG holiday shopping season coming to an end in Michigan

Steve Carmody — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 20:46:00 +0000

Michigan retailers are checking their holiday shopping receipts.

The longer than normal holiday shopping season wraps up amid predictions that sales have not been quite as good as expected.

"We’ve noticed it’s been a little more spread out than usual," Peggy Hayes is the marketing director for the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, the largest shopping mall in Michigan, "Often times, people wait until the last minute…but we’re found it’s been spread out…over the holiday season this year.”

Santa's helpers sometimes dress like firefighters in Michigan

Steve Carmody — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 19:54:00 +0000

Most Michigan children believe Santa Claus brings them presents for Christmas.

But children in Charlotte KNOW local firefighters are handling the delivery. Starting about five o'clock, fire engines will start rolling down local streets, delivering presents.

The Christmas Kiddies program has been providing needy children with presents in Eaton County for more than a hundred years. This year, more than 400 children will be receiving Christmas presents.

Holiday shopping moves into the home stretch

Steve Carmody — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:19:15 +0000

The holiday shopping season is expected to wrap up in a big way this weekend in Michigan.

This has been a longer than normal holiday shopping season with five full weekends separating Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

Tom Scott is with the Michigan Retailers Association. He says stores have seen their business rise and fall during the past month. Scott says the unevenness of the holiday shopping season can be blamed in part on its length.

Stateside: Historic Christmas feasts, festivities

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:29:39 +0000

Holiday feasts have increased in both complexity and decadence since their 19th century beginnings.

Bill Loomis of the Detroit News spoke with Cyndy about some historic festive spreads.

Stateside: Gifts For 20 recognizes those lost in Sandy Hook tragedy

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:27:00 +0000

11-year-old Noah Hudson-Peralta wants to remember the young boys and girls who lost their lives in the Sandy Hook tragedy.

He came up with the idea of Gifts For 20 in honor of the twenty children who passed away.

On Saturday, December 22nd, "Sandy Hook Day", Noah encourages everyone to give presents to disadvantaged children by donating to the Toys for Tots drive in their local area.

Listen to our interview with Noah and his father Ryan Hudson-Peralta above.

Tradition of the “Christmas ship” lives on, 100 years after sinking

Lindsey Smith — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 22:06:14 +0000

The U.S. Coast Guard has loaded 1,300 Christmas trees aboard the ice cutter Mackinaw for delivery to needy families in Chicago.

Captain Dave Truitt of the Christmas Ship committee in Chicago says selling cheap evergreen trees from the northern Michigan woods to families in Chicago was a tradition a century ago.

“People would come down and get telegraphs of what ships were coming. They would look to the horizon and one of them would have a Christmas tree tied to the top. And people would yell and scream and the church bell it would start ringing and it was the beginning of Christmas for the entire community,” Truitt said.

Captain Herman Schuenemann’s ship, the Rouse Simmons, became known as the Christmas tree ship.

“One of the reasons (Captain Schuenemann) was so popular besides being a very good guy, he was a good businessman. He had an amazingly simple sign on his large schooner,” Truitt said, “It said ‘Christmas trees cheap’.”

75-cents was cheap. On land trees sold for a dollar a piece.

This year’s trip marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the original Christmas tree ship. It was last seen above water November 23rd, 1912 before a big snow storm. There are still many evergreens in the ship’s hull at the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Check out the wreckage footage below (narration begins around a minute into the video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrnqheC_QQk&feature=player_embedded#!

Michigan's Christmas tree comes down in Jackson (PHOTOS)

Steve Carmody — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:18:45 +0000

In Jackson, hundreds of people braved near freezing temperatures this morning to watch a 75 foot tall tree be chopped down.

Tomorrow, the tree will take its place on the state capitol lawn to serve as this year’s official state Christmas tree.

A crowd of school children and curious neighbors watched as professional timbermen chainsawed through the thick trunk of the Concolor Fir, before gingerly guiding the huge tree between two homes with the help of a large crane.

Michigan Christmas tree, pumpkin crops doing well

The Associated Press — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 16:30:01 +0000

HOLLY, Mich. (AP) - Despite a few hiccups due to some wild weather, Michigan's holiday crops are looking good.

The Detroit Free Press reported yesterday that the state's Christmas tree growers say that while some trees were victims of the weather, it's unlikely to affect consumers.

Pumpkin growers say they're doing well after the drought and heat of the summer.

Many unhappy returns: Michigan businesses prepared for another Christmas tradition

Steve Carmody — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:01:01 +0000

The presents have all been opened and many will be heading back to the store.

Returning or exchanging gifts is part of the American holiday shopping season tradition.

But Patrick Bennett with the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Michigan warns if you plan to return a present you should know the store’s rules for returning or exchanging merchandise.

“It’s important that consumers retain the original packaging if they plan on returning items. Or if they receive something that they know in fact they are going to return it, don’t even open it. Take it back in its original condition," says Bennett.

Bennett also advises people returning presents to see if the business charges a restocking fee. He says restocking fees are common for businesses that sell electronics.

Bennett says many retailers have tightened their rules on accepting returned merchandise in recent years to crack down on fraud.

Michigan's holiday shopping season Part 2

Steve Carmody — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:01:00 +0000

The next phase of the holiday shopping season will start Monday with 'After Christmas' sales.

Tom Scott is with the Michigan Retailers Association. He says most retailers will offer some extra incentives to get customers into their stores, especially ones who got ‘gift cards’ as presents.

From the ashes, a Michigan charity rebounds for Christmas

Steve Carmody — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:01:01 +0000

One week ago, a fire destroyed the Saint Vincent de Paul store and warehouse in Lansing.

The community is helping the charity to rebuild.

Saint Vincent de Paul provides help to those in need with clothing and other donated goods, heating assistance and even Christmas presents for children. But last Sunday’s fire threatened all of that.

A Christmas letter

Wade Rouse — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:01:49 +0000

Sending out a formal Christmas letter is a holiday tradition for many people.

Author Wade Rouse, after receiving one too many Christmas letters, decided to pen his own.

Wade Rouse lives in Michigan and is the author of "It's All Relative: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays and 50 Boxes of Wine.”

Twas the day before the day before Christmas (and Michigan retailers are happy)

Steve Carmody — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:44:51 +0000

This is turning into a very merry holiday shopping season for Michigan retailers.

The hard numbers are still coming in, but it appears early optimism for a strong Christmas shopping season is panning out.