New York (dpa) - Glitzy and glamorous Christmas cards are losing favour
this festive season as the global recession bites ever deeper.

Dire economic straits and rising unemployment have soured the mood
and some people are shying away from cards adorned by a jolly, round
Santa complete with a gift-laden sleigh. Instead, images of people
baking cookies, strolling in a winter wonderland and decorating
Christmas trees are in vogue this year.

Up to 85 per cent of Americans send each other Christmas cards

Paris  - The Paris f

Hamburg  - Every other Thursday, a Hamburg movie house puts away its screen in the hope of bringing people together to listen to a story read aloud.

Berlin (dpa) - Television, whether it broadcasts a football match from 1954 or the first lunar landing, used to be more of a group experience which a club in Berlin club hopes to recreate.

Amsterdam  - "Nothing is holy, except the love between two people" - that's the motto adopted by gay and lesbian groups to celebrate Amsterdam's first Pink Christmas this year.

Munich  - Winter sports enthusiasts should take along their own ski glasses when buying a ski helmet because not every helmet can be worn with every pair of glasses, said a German ski safely foundation and the German ski association.

The glasses should be flush with the helmet across the face. They should not press on the bone of the nose and neither the helmet nor the glasses should impair the skier's vision.

Whether a skier wears a half-skull or full skull helmet is a matter of taste, experts say. Half-skull helmets differ in many ways, including their soft ear pads, which can be removed on warm days. Children and skiers who race should wear the half-skull model, according to the foundation and the association.