By Raquel Hewitt

Here are some movies to get you in the Holiday mood!

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

“Elf” and “The Santa Clause”

Pittsburgh weather: there is nothing quite like it. Whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit it is unique. Some of the Clarion staff decided to shed their opinions on Pittsburgh weather. Check them out below:

Pittsburgh weather is awesome because (in my humble opinion) a nice cloudy day can beat a bright sunny one any day. Think about it when you roll out of bed in the morning and have to have a light-speed start your day would you rather be blinded by sunlight, or ease into your day with the help of your ever so precious sense of sight. Snow will be a wonderful touch come the January and February months with the old farmers almanac predicting heavy levels of snow and frigid climate. So you may want to get ready to bundle up now cause it is going to be quite a winter this year despite the warm start.

-Jacob Dickey

December is here and there is still no snow on the ground… This is why I hate Pittsburgh weather. I want to have a white Christmas here in good old Pittsburgh but no Mother Nature decides to be mean and wont give anyone their wish. When it is winter and I hear Christmas music and the radio I want there to be 10 inches of snow not 40 degrees and raining -.-. This is one of the only things I regret about living in Pittsburgh the winter sucks I mean why cant Mother Nature make up her mind either snow really bad or make it spring and we can have a long spring. That’s all I ask Mother Nature just make up your mind!

-Mike Ravas

By Raquel Hewitt

The colors red and green have always been associated with Christmas. Everywhere you go during this holiday season you see these two colors the most out of any others. But for many people, it is not always known why we use red and green. Well for those you who wonder why, here is your answer. Green is a common color that represents life. It also signifies the eternal life that is offered by Jesus. The color red signifies the blood of Jesus, who sacrificed himself so that we may have eternal life. You can find these colors anywhere you go, like on ornaments, clothing, and even plants. Holly would be an example of this. It has green leaves with red berries, which ties in the colors to represent life and blood. These two colors have been associated with Christmas since the 1300s, and they will most likely stay that way for years to come.

By Rachael Cummings

Well we all may begin to wonder what’s up with the weather for this winter. We may be wondering, where’s the snow, where’s the ice? Is it supposed to a mild winter or not? In previous years our weather during this time of the year has been very unpredictable and inconsistent, what’s going on with the weather this year? What’s up?!

Well turns out for this year in Pittsburgh, winter will be colder and drier than normal, with above-normal snowfall. The coldest periods will be from late December through early January and in early and mid-February. The snowiest periods will occur in mid- to late November, mid- to late December, and early to mid-January.

If we think about it, so far this has been true. At the end, or late November we did see some snow and actually got notable amount. It also has been fairly dry and cold so far this year. As mid-December arrives, and late December is to come, we will see if these predictions are to hold true. I hope to see at least a little bit of snow on at least Christmas Day, so we can all technically say we had a “White Christmas.” I hope we get snow this winter, guess we will have to just wait and see!

During the Holidays we tend to forget what Christmas is all about. Christmas is a time of giving and a time to remember those in need. The Clarion Staff has found some great charities and organizations supporting the holiday. Check them out!

Eco Christmas by Rachel Cummings

Christmas time is a great time to enjoy beautiful colors and enjoy friends and family. We often get caught up in the rush of the holiday and almost never take the time to make a eco-friendly difference during the holiday. Why not add eco-friendly ways to your family traditions, decorations, and entertainment? Eco-friendly and natural decorations can bring your home a natural holiday touch, while preserving the festive nature of the Christmas season. Go green while enjoying the holiday!

Here are some tips!: http://www.gardengirltv.com/eco-friendly-christmas.html

Variety, the Children’s Charity of Pittsburgh by Elizabeth Fernandez

The Variety charity aims at helping and enriching the lives of children who have mental and physical disabilities. Their vision is to insure that every child with a disability is provided with enabling equipment, assistive technology devices, the opportunity to personally develop and to participate in social, educational, artistic, and recreational activities enjoyed by other children. They serve all children with no discrimination in the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmorland. The charity actively sponsors events for the children and their families and provide social activities. The city of Pittsburgh is the birthplace of the Variety charities that was founded in 1927. Today, there are 52 Variety charities around the world. You can donate at http://varietypittsburgh.org/Donation.asp.

Ten Thousand Villages by Ivy Nowakowski

Ten Thousand Villages is a store that is a great place to shop at this holiday season. It is the coolest fundraising project I know of. What they do is they sell goods from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Then, they donate money to the thousands of villages from those countries that need money. It is amazing that you get to buy something from a different culture and donate money to them at the same time. Some things they sell include jewelry, pots, vases, plates, furniture, some food, and pictures. Shop to raise money at Ten Thousand Villages on Forbes Avenue.

Cards that Give by Alexandra George

Do you send Christmas cards to family, friends, neighbors, and other people that make your holiday season brighter?

Well, what if those cards made not only the people who receive them happier but meet the needs of others that are less fortunate.

That is what Cards That Give.org is for. According to their website, Americans spend over $2 billion in Christmas cards each year. Cards That Give.org is a directory that links to numerous greeting card vendors that support charitable organizations.

So, the next time you or a family member goes to buy a Christmas card, think of the humane societies, food banks, and ill children that could benefit from your purchase through Cards That Give.org.

For more information check out: http://www.cardsthatgive.org/.

Fair Trade Organization by Sam Huddleston

During the Christmas season, you may be looking for the perfect gift for someone…. The gift that will really make an impression on them. But what you might not know is that the gift you got for someone could’ve been made by a poor worker from India who makes pennies a day. The Fair Trade organization is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making sure that all products out on the market were made by people receiving normal wages and living in hospitable conditions. You can even visit their website and search for gifts for people from companies that the Fair Trade Organization has approved. Visit them at http://www.wtfo.com.

Heifer International by Nick Duerr

The mission of the Heifer International Foundation is to help communities to end hunger and poverty. They give livestock and animal training to families so that they can improve health and create a sustainable income. Families agree to give one of the animals’ offspring to another family who needs it, thus creating a gift that keeps giving. Dan West founded heifer International in 1944, and the organization since has changed the lives of over 65 million people. For more information visit: www.heifer.org.

TreeHugger Holiday Gift Guide by Raquel Hewitt

During the Christmas season, you always want to find the perfect gift for friends, family, or others. But finding that perfect gift isn’t as easy as it seems. Luckily for you, TreeHugger has a Holiday Gift Guide to help you with your Christmas Shopping. TreeHugger has multiple lists of eco-friendly gifts for you to look through. Whether you are giving a gift to is a lover of design, fashion, food, technology, or anything else you can think of, TreeHugger has many green ideas for you to choose from. For example, if you or a friend is a fan of the Hunger Games, looking in the Pop Culture Fan category will take you to a Hunger Games hand-painted tote bag., made from 100% organic cotton. And for those people who are looking to buy a new iPhone case, if you look under Green Geek you will find a case that is biodegradable and that is composed of two parts, which gives your iPhone protection against breaking when dropped. Whatever you are looking for this holiday season, TreeHugger’s Holiday Gift Guide will help you find great, green gifts to give out. To learn more go to: www.treehugger.com/giftguide/.

Ronald McDonald House Charities by Emily Efthimiades

The Ronald McDonald House Charities is an organization that started in 1974 by McDonalds, a Philadelphia children’s hospital, and the NFL, which once started as a local home for families with children who are staying in the hospital, has now became a nation-wide charity that offers housing and other things to families with children that are ill and will be in the hospital for long period of times. The charity offers housing, food, other essentials, and now for the holiday season are helping by providing Christmas gifts and other holiday items at little to no cost at all. Visit www.rmhc.org for more information.

Tips to Make Christmas Eco-Friendly by Megan Krance

Did you know that household waste increases by more than 25% during Thanksgiving to New Years? With the decorations outside and the Christmas tree lights inside you’re using a lot of energy just by trying to get into the Christmas spirit. And the gifts! Oh the gifts and presents we buy! First, it costs money to buy the gifts, and then you are using so much wrapping paper and tissue paper. Then the cards cost money too. You waste so much money for cards. That is wasting trees. But don’t fret! There are great ways to save energy and trees! Save decorations from the years before and reuse them. You could start a tradition. I know what you are thinking, “What if the ornaments wear out?” I have another tip. Don’t trash them. Look online and see for ways that you can restore them. Now lets talk about the lighting. Try LED lights. They are great energy savers. The even last longer too. Everyone loves gifts. But don’t waste you money. All everyone really wants is something from the heart. Give your thought some time. For cards, be creative. Reuse last year’s card by tearing off the cover and attaching to a blank one and ‘Voila!’ you just reused a Christmas card.

Tips for an Eco-Friendly Christmas by Daniel Pollack

This Christmas, probably no one will be worried about their carbon footprint or being eco-friendly. During Christmas a ton of electricity and paper is wasted during Christmas time. Here are some helpful tips, to reduce your carbon footprint, while keeping Christmas fun:

1.) Turn off your lights: During Christmas everyone loves to put up Christmas lights outside and light there Christmas tree inside. It is a fun tradition. When you go to bed though, turn your lights off! It will save electricity.

2.) Don’t send Christmas cards: Every year millions of people send Christmas cards to friends and family. Fact is, it wastes a ton of paper. Sending Christmas cards electronically is fun and much more eco friendly. If you do receive one, recycle it when you are done.

3.) Recycle Wrapping Paper: Although hard to do when presents are being ripped open, recycling wrapping paper is a great way to have an eco-friendly Christmas.

4.) Buy a real tree: Instead of buying an artificial tree, buy a real one. They are much better for the environment than fake trees.

5.) Recycle Unwanted Gifts: We’ve all been there, we unwrap a gift, and we don’t like it. Instead of keeping it and never using it, give it to a friend or a charity.

Operation Christmas Child by Conner Penn

Operation Christmas Child is an organization that is dedicated to getting toys to all of the less fortunate children in America and the world. They ask that people get a shoebox and fill it with toys, nonperishable food items, clothes, etc. The shoeboxes will go to the super storm sandy victims, the poorer part of America and parts of Africa. You can check out their website at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/.

Stuff A Bus! by Mike Ravas

96.1 Kiss is known for their popularity around Pittsburgh for being the radio station for pop music. Anyone who follows them would know that around Christmas time they do a very charitable act called Stuff-A-Bus. Last year they stuffed 28 buses, which was a record for them, and they want to keep on improving this year. They are on pace to beat last year because as of right now they have stuffed 9 buses which may not seem like much but on Friday it takes off in numbers on and they say they are on pace for 31 buses! All the buses they stuff go to Toys for Tots, which gives kids with less-fortunate lives a good Christmas. For more information go to: http://www.961kiss.com/pages/stuffabus12/index.html