Al’s Christmas Tea: The Best and Worst States for Celebrating Christmas
Plus an update on the arrest of Luigi Mangione, heartthrob of the Left.
Welcome back in for Al’s Christmas Tea, our chance to stop and sample some of the flavors of the season.
However, before we get to some holiday treats, we need to clear out an update on the killer of United Healthcare’s CEO.
Luigi Mangione Charged with Murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson
High school valedictorian-turned-accused vigilante Luigi Mangione was charged with first-degree murder as well as other crimes late Monday night in connection with the recent execution of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Booking photo of alleged k*ller pic.twitter.com/wpjQPInnot
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 10, 2024
According to The Associated Press, Mangione states in a three-page manifesto that he was working alone. “I do apologize for any strife or traumas, but it had to be done,” he writes. “Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.”
For the record, Thompson was a husband and father of two children. Not a “these.”
That’s the kind of thing that happens when group identity trumps individual humanity. It makes it easier for an otherwise law-abiding citizen to pump a living, breathing stranger full of lead.
Mangione’s family released a statement as well. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news.”
Mangione’s life trajectory does seem strange.
Sketchy. pic.twitter.com/01dVuZM8nd
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 10, 2024
But not as strange and twisted as the Mangione merchandise that is already popping up on Etsy. TMZ has the rundown. You can get everything from “Free Luigi” Christmas ornaments to mugs with his mug on them reading, “Mama, I’m in Love with a Criminal.” Wired also details the internet’s obsession with Mangione and that he’s being considered a hero in some circles.
The report concludes: “Like any other main character, Mangione’s entire life will be analyzed, but what gets said about him may seem small compared to what the response to his actions says about everyone else.”
What it is saying isn’t pretty.
Newsflash to family and friends: I won’t be buying you any Mangione swag for Christmas.
83% of Americans Plan to Celebrate Christmas This Year
According to Statista, 83% of Americans plan to celebrate Christmas this year. That number is consistent with recent years, but down from 2019, when Gallup reported 93% were celebrating the holiday.
While the Christmas spirit is the same, we won’t be traveling for the holidays as much as in years past. According to the New York Post, Americans will attend an average of three Christmas events this year, down from five last year. And we’re happy about it. Only 36% wish they were attending more gatherings, as opposed to 62% who are happy with their holiday schedule.
Best and Worst States to Celebrate Christmas
Which states are the best places to celebrate Christmas, and which are the worst? Depends on who you ask and the criteria you use. A study of Google search data by Inner Body gives West Virginia the nod as most festive Christmas state for the third year in a row, followed by Utah, Kansas, Iowa, and Indiana.
One sign of West Virginia’s Christmas spirit: Residents there do Google searches on “wrapping paper” more than anyone else in the country.
Another interesting tidbit from the Google data: Folks in Maine and Vermont lead the nation in conducting searches for Advent calendars.
Vermont topped the list of Best States to Celebrate Christmas put out by 24/7 Games, thanks to its “numerous Christmas tree farms, holiday events, and a vibrant shopping scene, all while keeping costs like hotels and drinks affordable.”
According to the Springfield State Journal-Register, 24/7 Games ranked states “based on traditions and activities, affordability, community presence, generosity, and shopping options, with some of the categories weighing more heavily than others in the total score.”
Its top five are:
- Vermont: 51.43
- South Dakota: 49.49
- Wyoming: 48.93
- North Dakota: 46.77
- Delaware: 46.00
Where do the scrooges live? Again, InnerBody and 24/7 Games differ. InnerBody puts New York as the most bah-humbug state, followed by Nevada, Hawaii, Alaska, and Florida.
Odd that New York would rank so low, given how iconic Christmas is in New York City: Rockefeller Center. Miracle on 34th Street. Chestnuts. Fifth Avenue storefronts. Elf.
Florida and California ranked last in the 24/7 Games report. Why? “High costs, low traditions, weak observance, and a hot climate that lacks festive winter charm.”
Perhaps that’s why people try so hard to make Die Hard — the iconic film set in Los Angeles — out to be a Christmas movie.
Tying First and Worst Together
Let’s accept the idea that Vermont is the best for Christmas and California is the worst. The two states are actually tied together in a bow by a holiday classic.
It’s 1942. Irving Berlin is writing songs for the movie Holiday Inn starring Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. One of the tunes he pens is a little ditty called “White Christmas.” Crosby’s recording of the song will go on to become the bestselling Christmas song of all time, kicked off by its enormous popularity among soldiers in World War II.
What does that have to do with California? How does the song start? “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas”? Nope. The original intro is:
The sun is shining, the grass is green
The orange and palm trees sway.
There’s never been such a day
In Beverly Hills, L.A.
But it’s December the twenty-fourth
And I’m longing to be up North.
That’s California. How does Vermont fit in?
The song “White Christmas” was so popular that Paramount decided to make a movie around it, a sequel to Holiday Inn. A movie that would be set at an inn in (you guessed it!) Vermont. When Fred Astaire bowed out of the project, Danny Kaye jumped in — and the rest is movie and holiday history.
Let’s head into the evening with Bing, along with Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen from the 1954 holiday classic White Christmas.
On the Stream Menu…
Tucker Carlson asks a question so important that we had to repost the clip: “Is the U.S. Already in a Shooting War With Russia? Tucker Carlson Talks to the Russian Foreign Minister.”
Meanwhile, Jules Gomes tells us why “Trump Must End Big Pharma’s Cash Flow to the FDA to Make America Healthy Again.”
Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.