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A diver in a Santa Claus outfit swims in a fish tank at the Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka, Japan, on November 27, 2020. / Kyodo News via Getty
A diver in a Santa Claus outfit swims in a fish tank at the Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka, Japan, on November 27, 2020. / Kyodo News via Getty
Between travel restrictions, social distancing rules, and limits on family gatherings, Christmas will be a different and more subdued affair this year. So here’s a selection of the fun, quirky, and surprising news of the week from around the world to bring some seasonal cheer. Merry Christmas!
Calling all future spies
GCHQ Christmas 2020 Card and Challenge. / GCHQ © Crown Copyright 2016
GCHQ Christmas 2020 Card and Challenge. / GCHQ © Crown Copyright 2016
Can you solve this puzzle? The UK’s intelligence, security and cyber agency GCHQ released a Christmas card this year that is sure to keep you busy through the Christmas season.
The card, sent to all GCHQ employees, was also posted online as a challenge to puzzles around the world. The task is to complete a series of letter sequences and collect the answers on a Christmas ornament to reveal a hidden message.
“Problem solving is at the heart of what we do. Taking on this holiday cookie gives the puzzles an insight into the skills you need to be a GCHQ analyst,” the agency said in its challenge.
You can try it yourself here and see if you are up to being the next super spy!
Watch out for falling iguanas!
A ‘falling iguana’ alert tweeted by the Miami-South Florida National Weather Service on December 21, 2020. / @ NWSMiami
A ‘falling iguana’ alert tweeted by the Miami-South Florida National Weather Service on December 21, 2020. / @ NWSMiami
The snow that falls on Christmas Day is a lovely sight. However, Floridians can find something heavier when temperatures drop.
“Brrr! Much cooler temperatures are expected for Christmas. It is possible that the low temperatures in the 30/40 and the fall of the iguanas.” the Miami National Weather Service tweeted Monday, with a weather warning and accompanying iguana.
Giant lizards like to sleep in trees and it seems that in colder temperatures (30 or 40 degrees Fahrenheit is equivalent to about 0 to 4 degrees Celsius) they stiffen and fall over.
Don’t worry, once they’re out in some sun again, they’ll be like rain, experts say. But in the meantime, humans must stay away from them, as they can bite and scratch.
Santa in a mess
A photo of Santa and his sleigh tangled in power lines, posted by CHP – North Sacramento on Facebook, December 20, 2020. / @ CHPNorthsac
A photo of Santa and his sleigh tangled in power lines, posted by CHP – North Sacramento on Facebook, December 20, 2020. / @ CHPNorthsac
Santa Claus had to be rescued after he became entangled in power lines in California on Sunday, in what can only be assumed was a test for December 24.
The Sacramento fire department was called in to release Santa and his sled after they crashed into power lines while using a motorized parachute to distribute candy canes to children, media said.
The North Sacramento division of the California Highway Patrol posted photos of the operation on Facebook, confirming that Santa had “got into a hot wire situation,” but added “Don’t worry! He was not injured.”
Sacramento Fire Department He also tweeted to reassure him: “We are happy to report that #Santa is not injured and will be ready for #Christmas next week, but maybe with a new sled!”
In a galaxy far, far away …
An astronaut figure and another that looks like Darth Vader are among the nativity scene displayed at the Vatican on December 15, 2020. / Reuters
A figure of an astronaut and another that looks like Darth Vader are among the nativity scene displayed at the Vatican on December 15, 2020. / Reuters
The annual nativity scene set up in St. Peter’s Square this year is truly out of this world.
Every year, the Vatican uses a different nativity scene, usually donated by towns and artists. But this creation has raised some eyebrows. The problem: Darth Vader appears to have joined Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in the manger scene.
A statue in a black helmet and armor, which looks like the Star Wars villain, stands next to another that looks like an astronaut.
Despite the modern interpretation, the nativity scene was created between 1965 and 1975, before the first “Star Wars” movie was released, by an art school in Castelli, a city known for its ceramics, and was has exhibited before in Italy.
Reactions to this year’s exhibition have been varied, from cute and original to weird and haunting.
It has also sparked a series of memes online, with social media users posting images of DIY nativity scenes made from toys and soda cans labeled “even better than Vatican Nativity 2020,” and others showing the figure of the astronaut planting a Vatican flag. In mars.
Santa is free to travel!
Steve Anderson, a Qantas pilot who often flies as Santa Claus at Christmas, makes his way to his plane at Brisbane Airport on December 16, 2020 in Brisbane, Australia. / Getty
Steve Anderson, a Qantas pilot who often flies as Santa Claus on Christmas, is heading to his plane at Brisbane Airport on December 16, 2020 in Brisbane, Australia. / Getty
If we’re honest, there’s only one thing everyone wants to know this Christmas: will Santa be able to travel and deliver all of his gifts amid COVID-19 restrictions? And the answer is a resounding yes!
At a press conference last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the happy news that “Santa Claus is immune to this virus.”
“I understand the concern for Santa because he is of legal age,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical leader on COVID-19, told reporters. “We had a short chat with him and he is very well and Mrs. Claus is very well and they are very busy at the moment,” he added, assuring: “Santa Claus will be able to travel all over the world to deliver gifts.”
Several world leaders, including New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern, and even local mayors, have come out to say that Santa will be exempt from quarantine rules and will be able to use his airspace to deliver his many gifts.
The US Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that it “granted Santa Claus and his reindeer sleigh special operational authority to engage in interstate air cargo delivery services directly to the rooftops of the United States on Christmas Eve.”
“Let’s face it, 2020 was a difficult year and we could all use a little special Christmas cheer that only Santa can offer,” the FAA said in a statement.
But even the great Santa must comply with COVID-19 safety regulations. The French city of Riotord published a municipal decree earlier this month allowing him to land in the city at Christmas. However, he will only be allowed six elves and “the masks will be mandatory when they go down the chimneys,” he said.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney Meanwhile, he noted that children don’t need to stay up on Christmas Eve to wait for Santa, as he will have to maintain social distancing.
Read more:
ICYMI: Wacky News of the Week from Around the World – December 18, 2020
ICYMI: quirky news of the week from around the world – December 11, 2020
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