Wrong film though. I’m glad he finally won the thing, but if he was gonna win something, it should have been for “Goodfellas”. Instead, he lost that to Kevin Costner and some shit movie he created. Or Taxi Driver. That movie wasn’t even nominated.

Now, let me also say this. Uh, I didn’t watch the Oscars. I really couldn’t care less about the Oscars. But I can say one thing.

Reese Witherspoon is fucking hot. That is all you need to know about the Oscars.

Congrats Again to Mr. Scorsese!

Instructions
STEP 1: Take the children to see Santa Claus, who can often be found outside shopping areas giving treats to children.

STEP 2: Expect neighborhood children to sing “kalanda” (Christmas carols) on Christmas Eve and offer their good wishes to you. Have dried figs, walnuts, almonds and - most important - coins on hand to offer the youngsters who come to your house.

STEP 3: Prepare a holiday feast for Christmas Eve. Serve traditional foods and wine with baklava for dessert.

STEP 4: Bake loaves of “Christopsomo” (Christ bread), a sweet bread formed into shapes of your choice. You can also decorate the loaves with symbols that reflect your family’s trade. Serve the bread with dried figs.

STEP 5: Display a wooden bowl with a piece of dangling wire holding a sprig of fresh basil wrapped around a wooden cross; this is the Greek symbol for Christmas. Keep fresh water in the bowl to keep the basil alive.

STEP 6: Immerse the basil and cross in holy water once a day and sprinkle drops in every room of your house to keep the sprites, or “killantzarin,” away. These sprites are known to slide down the chimney between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6) and play mischievous pranks on your family.

STEP 7: Remind your children to hang their socks over the fireplace, where small gifts will appear.

STEP 8: Serve vasilopita, or Christmas cake, on December 31. Bake a florin (gold coin) into the cake. Whoever finds the coin in his or her piece of cake will have good luck in the coming year.

STEP 9: Exchange gifts on January 1, which is St. Basil’s Day. Also perform a renewal ceremony on this day by replacing all the water in your jugs with St. Basil holy water.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that St. Nicholas is considered the patron saint of sailors in Greece; he is said to save them from shipwrecks.
• Instead of giving large numbers of gifts to family and friends, many people in Greece give small presents to hospitals and orphanages.
• Greece is a country made up of many ethnic and religious groups, so Christmas traditions are diverse and cannot be generalized. The steps above represent a sampling of local traditions that may or may not be appropriate for your personal celebration of Christmas.

Nothing could be more perfect than a light dusting of snow falling on Christmas Eve to bring on the holiday spirit. Even if you’re not going to have a white Christmas, there are many things you can do to set the holiday mood.

Create a Holiday Environment
Enhance a cozy atmosphere with Christmas music and light some candles to welcome your guests. If you have a scrooge in your family, bribe him with some good food and shower him with love. He’ll be sure to lighten up. Whatever your traditions are, embrace them. They are part of your heritage!

Worship
Church services are are often attended, particularly Midnight Mass. A meaningful sermon this quiet time of the night brings the true meaning of Christmas — and why we are celebrating it. Seize this opportunity to take comfort in Jesus and the special gift he has given to all mankind.

Prepare Christmas Eve Dinner
Many Christmas Eve meals in America traditionally are ham or fowl. Because of the big meal planned for the holiday, some families like to keep the meal light and serve soup and crackers. By and large, most have the good ole sausage and cheese on hand for tasty snacks and appetizers.

Deck the Halls
With the commercialization of Christmas, this tradition is probably not near as popular these days because most families have trimmed their tree and put up decorations long before the holiday. For those running behind schedule or want to keep the tradition, this is a perfect time to add the finishing touches.

Deliver Christmas Gifts
Many people use this day to deliver gifts to friends and leave presents for service providers such as mail carriers and newspaper delivery personnel. With all of the activities planned for the holidays, some families choose Christmas Eve night to exchange their gifts. A visit from Santa will please the children and hopefully wear them out so they sleep well — with, of course, visions of sugarplums…

Donate Time to Charities
Many people find that going down to the local homeless shelter or soup kitchen and helping out brings a warm feeling like no other. There is a satisfaction to giving to the needy and it reminds us to be thankful for the life we have and not to take it for granted.

Holiday Travel
For those who plan on traveling for the holidays, this is often the day they begin their trip. Airports and highways are crowded with people trying to get to their destination so they can spend Christmas with their family or friends. If you’re one of those, check out our travel tips page to make your trip easier.

Traditions for Children
Besides a visit from Santa, stockings are hung by the fireplace to collect all of the goodies. It is customary to read children some Christmas stories to complete their evening. The classic “The Night Before Christmas” is by far, the most popular short story of all. Reading stories in front of the fireplace with some hot chocolate will get the kids settled down and ready for bed.

Make New Traditions
Old family customs are nostalgic but sometimes not practical in this day and age. Try mixing some old traditions with new ones. If you want to be out and about on Christmas Eve, going out to see a holiday movie or play will serve that purpose and add some holiday cheer. Check in with the personnel at a local nursing home to get an idea of what residents will not have family in town. Pay them a visit and give them a small, useful gift, all in the spirit of Christmas.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — One of Santa’s helpers roamed the streets, thrift stores and coin-operated laundries of the state’s capital, making small talk before peeling $100 bills from his pocket and giving them to needy strangers.

“He just said Merry Christmas and gave me $100,” said Yvonne Dail, 50. “I don’t know what to say except that I needed it. I just got divorced, had my gas turned off and I’ve been feeling pretty low.”

Shannen Messer, 27, had $15 in his wallet Wednesday when Secret Santa gave him and his sister $300 as they shopped at a Volunteers of America thrift store.

“I’m stunned,” said Messer, who is helping his sister raise seven children. “He just saved me a whole lot of stress. Christmas is rough. We can sure use the money.”

When the day was done, the Secret Santa had handed out $4,500.

“I have a feel for who might benefit from it most,” said the Secret Santa, a 61-year-old executive from Kansas City, Mo., who wished to remain anonymous.

The network of Secret Santas was started by another Kansas City businessman, Larry Stewart, who began giving out cash anonymously in 1979. Stewart recently revealed his identity along with the news that he is battling cancer, but the identities of the other Secret Santas he’s recruited over the years remains a secret.