Holiday Story Archives - Page 3 of 3 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Governor, First Lady Prepare for Capitol Holiday Celebration

West Virginia’s annual Joyful Night celebration and tree lighting ceremony is set at the State Capitol Complex.

The event begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday on the North Plaza.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says the program will include a salute to West Virginia military members and first responders and a special thank you to the state’s teachers.

The governor and first lady are encouraging those attending to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign. Donation bins will be located in the Capitol Rotunda.

It's Christmas in East London but the babies keep coming

Watch Call the Midwife Holiday Special Sunday, Dec. 29 at 7:30 p.m. on WV PBSIn 1958 East End London, the holidays are not just about the opening of…

Watch Call the Midwife Holiday Special Sunday, Dec. 29 at 7:30 p.m. on WV PBS

In 1958 East End London, the holidays are not just about the opening of presents, but also about the closing of deep wounds. Although the weather is unseasonably mild for this time of year, the lives of the midwives are anything but calm. Jenny’s relationship with Alec continues to blossom and Shelagh’s (formerly Sister Bernadette) quiet wedding to Dr. Turner is underway. When a thousand-pound explosive is discovered, the district is evacuated and the Nonnatus House team is quick to take charge to ensure that the community is safe and warm. Always one to keep spirits high, Chummy decides to forge ahead with the Cubs Christmas party. However, just when the community’s holiday spirit is renewed, Poplar faces an outbreak of polio, with the repercussions of the illness affecting the nurses and nuns more than they could have ever imagined.

Based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth, Call the Midwife is a moving and intimate story of midwifery in London’s East End in the 1950s. Season 3 takes viewers back to East London, now in 1959 and the eve of the Swinging Sixties. The winds of change are sweeping through the country and the residents of Nonnatus House face some momentous changes of their own.

Call the Midwife stars Jessica Raine as Jenny Lee, along with Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne, Pam Ferris as Sister Evangelina, Miranda Hart as Chummy, Judy Parfitt as Sister Monica Joan, Helen George as Trixie Franklin, Bryony Hannah as Cynthia Miller, Laura Main as Shelagh and Cliff Parisi as Fred. Vanessa Redgrave provides the voice of the mature Jenny.

The third season of Call the Midwife returns in March.

Create's gift specialists show you unique holiday shops & crafts

The Gift of Giving

Sunday, Dec. 1 Noon to 6 p.m. on WV PBS.2

The old adage states, “it’s better to give, than to receive”. With the holiday season approaching quickly, take notes from our gift specialists Katie Brown, Joseph Rosendo, Donna Dewberry and Nancy Zieman. They’ll take you to the finest holiday markets and you’ll learn how to add that extra special detail to a homemade gift. Show someone how much you care with the gifts of love that you give.

Noon – Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope “Christmas In Switzerland” — Visit Lausanne, Montreux and Basel to explore some of Switzerland’s best Christmas Markets.

12:30 p.m — Smart Travels – Europe with Rudy Maxa “Alpine Christmas” — Encounter bright markets, toasty ski lodges, glittering trees and festive music in Switzerland.

1:00 p.m.– Katie Brown Workshop “Gift Giving” — Tortellini and Turkey Meatball Soup, Strawberry Pesto and making your own buttons are showcased.

1:30 p.m. — Burt Wolf: Taste of Freedom “Hanukkah” — Uncover the holiday’s history, learn why certain treats are served and the secret of the dreidel.

2:00 p.m. – Donna Dewberry Show “Great Little Gifts” — Donna shares great ideas including easy borders on frames, small boxes and wearable art projects.

2:30 p.m. — European Christmas Markets — Visit charming markets in festively decorated cities and towns in Germany, France and Switzerland.

3:00 p.m. — Katie Brown Workshop “Gifts Galore” — Designer breadsticks, irresistible pretzels, dressed-up store-bought gifts and a gift box topiary.

3:30 p.m. — Burt Wolf: Travels & Traditions “Christmas In Vienna, Austria” — Get a real understanding of one of the world’s most popular holidays, while touring famous markets.

4:00 p.m. — Katie Brown Workshop “Gifts” — Presents include Granola, matzo ball soup, tomato sauce and croutons and a custom gift-wrap tags.

4:30 p.m. — Travelscope “Germany’s Holiday Markets” — Joseph celebrates the season by exploring Northern Germany’s Christmas markets.

5:00 p.m. — Sewing with Nancy “Fast and Fleecy Accessories, Part 1” — Scarves, wraps and capes can easily be sewn or serged with a little sewing know how from Nancy.

5:30 p.m. — Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller: Chanukah Special — The bestselling cookbook author celebrates Jewish cuisine and shares her favorite Chanukah recipes.

Spend your Sundays with themed marathons from WV PBS.2

Create^® TV’s Sundays on WV PBS.2 present a full day of how-to programs focusing on a specific theme. Explore a country, from history to food. Prepare for a holiday, from traditions to recipes. Every Sunday from Noon to 6 p.m. on WV PBS.2.

New and favorite episodes spread cheer with fun and educational holiday programs

Families can kick off the holiday season on West Virginia PBS with the return of the blockbuster hit The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! on…

Families can kick off the holiday season on West Virginia PBS with the return of the blockbuster hit The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 3 p.m.

The entertainment continues with additional programming from favorite series across the schedule featuring the variety of holidays that families celebrate at this time of year, including an Elmo Christmas special from Sesame Street, new episodes from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and encore presentations from favorites such as Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas, and Arthur’s Perfect Christmas throughout December.

WV PBS will also feature holiday- and winter-themed games from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! and other series starting in early December on pbskids.org.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! — This adventure finds the Cat in the Hat, Nick and Sally on a journey around the world to help a lost reindeer find his way home to Freezeyourknees Snowland in time for Christmas. On the way, the Thinga-ma-jigger breaks down, and they depend on a variety of animals – from African bush elephants to bottlenose dolphins to red crabs – and their remarkable abilities to help them make an amazing journey home.

When to watch The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! on WV PBS:

Nov. 27 at 8:30 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Nov. 28 at 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Nov. 29 at 2:00 p.m.
Nov. 30 at 7:00 a.m.
Dec. 1 at 7:30 a.m.
Dec. 13 at 8:00 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Dec. 24 at 3:30 p.m.

Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas – Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat are having a wonderful time getting ready for Christmas. There’s only one dilemma – neither of them can figure out what to give the other for a present! In the end, both gift-giving predicaments are simply and beautifully resolved, revealing the true spirit of the holiday season.

Watch Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas on WV PBS on these days:

Dec. 9 at 8:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m.
Dec. 14 at 7:00 a.m.
Dec. 25 at 8:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m.

Caillou’s Christmas – Caillou goes out caroling for the very first time with Mommy, Daddy, Rosie, Grandpa and Grandma. He finds out caroling is lots of fun – you get to stay up late and surprise your friends with carols, and you even get treats! At Playschool, Caillou and his classmates learn about the many ways of celebrating the holiday season. The children bring various seasonal objects for show and tell – Caillou brings his Christmas stocking to show. And finally it’s Christmas Eve and Caillou is planning to stay up all night to see Santa, but when the time comes he finds this to be a lot harder than he thought it would be. Just as he’s dozing off he faintly hears Santa calling out “Merry Christmas!” And in the morning his stocking is full of treats!

Watch Caillou’s Christmas on Dec. 23 and 25 at 1:30 p.m. on WV PBS

Arthur’s Perfect Christmas – Everyone’s favorite aardvark gives kids a new spin on seasonal traditions in his first one-hour primetime special, showing children many ways to celebrate “the holidays.” Plans are underway in Elwood City for the best holidays ever as Arthur, D.W., their family and friends make preparations for perfect gifts, perfect parties and perfect family traditions for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and even “Baxter Day” (Buster and his mom’s special celebration). The only problem is, just like real life, perfection is hard to attain and things start to fall apart.

Arthur’s Perfect Christmas can be seen on WV PBS on these days:

Dec. 10 at 7:00 a.m. & 4:30 p.m.
Dec. 25 at 7:00 a.m.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood — Two new episodes: “A Snowy Day” and “Snowflake Day”

“A Snowy Day” — It’s snowing in the Neighborhood! Miss Elaina is coming over to Daniel’s house to play in the snow. When it’s time to go outside, Mom Tiger helps Daniel change out of his pajamas into clothes that will keep him warm and he learns how important it is to choose the proper clothes.

Watch “A Snowy Day” on WV PBS on Dec. 2 & 10 at 11 a.m. and Dec. 24 at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

“Snowflake Day” – Daniel has a special role in the Snowflake Day show.

Watch this episode on Nov. 27 & 28, and Dec. 11 at 11 a.m.; Dec. 25 at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Elmo’s Christmas Countdown – There’s a miracle on Sesame Street in this special holiday tale. Elmo, Abby Cadabby and their new friend Stiller the Elf (voice of Ben Stiller) are going to count down to Christmas with the Christmas Counter-Downer. But all the counting boxes have gone missing and Christmas may never come again! Can Elmo, Abby and Stiller the Elf save Christmas? With the help of very special guests Sheryl Crow, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Ty Pennington, Steve Schirripa, Tony Sirico and Kevin James (as Santa Claus), Elmo and friends learn to believe in Christmas miracles.

Watch Elmo’s Christmas Countdown on WV PBS Nov. 27, Dec. 11 and Dec. 25 at 11 a.m.

How to Prepare Your Holiday Packages With USPS

The United States Postal Service is preparing for the busiest shipping season. The delivery service says online shopping is continuing to increase deliveries.

This year, USPS expects volume to increase by 12 percent.USPS is projecting 14.7 billion cards will be delivered from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve.

The Postal Service is suggesting these mail-by dates and tips to help customers mail and ship conveniently for the holidays:

For Dec. 25 Arrival

Dec. 2: International First-Class Mail®
Dec. 2: Priority Mail International®
Dec. 10: Priority Mail Express International™
Dec. 14: Standard Post
Dec. 16: Global Express Guaranteed®
Dec. 20: First-Class Mail®
Dec. 21: Priority Mail®
Dec. 23: Priority Mail Express™

The United States Postal Service is offering a military care kit for families preparing care packages for service members overseas.
The kit is free and contains items like boxes, mail tape, address labels, appropriate forms and directions. To order, call 1-800-610-8734.

Military Mailing Deadlines for Dec. 25

Dec. 10: APO/FPO First-Class Mail® Letters and Cards
Dec. 10: APO/FPO Priority Mail®
Dec. 17: APO/FPO Priority Mail Express™ Military Service

Hanukkah begins next week on Nov. 27 and ends Dec. 5 this year. Postal officials are recommending those celebrating and hoping to use the USPS to send items as soon as possible.

The destination, date mailed and service purchased (International First-Class; Priority Mail International; Priority Mail Express International, etc.), will determine when it arrives. Customers should ask at their Post Office for this information.

Complete shipping details can be found on the USPS website.