CHRISTMAS

Barnes & Noble Inc said late Wednesday that all customers who preordered its Nook electronic reader, which was expected to miss Christmas delivery to customers

Technology shares rose on Wednesday after solid earnings from Micron Technology and Red Hat, but an unexpected drop in new home sales kept a lid on the broader market's gains.

She sings in a low croak and surfs wearing high heels, inside a dishwasher. Meet La Dinde de Noel, the digital turkey starring in the Bon Marche's Christmas windows.

Technology shares rose on Wednesday after solid earnings from Micron Technology and Red Hat, but an unexpected drop in new home sales kept a lid on the broader market's gains.

Technology shares rose on Wednesday after solid earnings from Micron Technology and Red Hat, but an unexpected drop in new home sales kept a lid on the broader market's gains.

If you're tired of the same old food, weather, and, ahem, people this holiday season, now may be the time for you to experience Christmas traditions from around the world. Here are five of the most unique celebrations from across the globe in plenty of time for you to make flight reservations:

The snowstorm that walloped the East Coast over the weekend hit retailers hard, forcing store closures and keeping shoppers at home by the fire. But those heavy storm clouds had a silver lining for shippers like United Parcel Service, the world's largest package delivery company, whose business peaks annually with the global gift-giving frenzy that culminates around Christmastime.

In the nights before Christmas, some U.S. retailers are opening their doors round the clock to wring out every last possible holiday sale.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc will continue its holiday discounts and deals into the week after Christmas, the world's largest retailer said on Wednesday, as it introduces new deals and extends some old ones.

Britain's universities are being given an uncomfortable reminder of the depth of the recession as the government slashes their budgets and urges them to focus on degrees that will directly benefit the economy.

This Christmas, shoppers in Europe are discovering new uses for mobile phones as technology barriers that have prevented mass-market take-up are overcome, spurred on by Apple's iPhone.

Many U.S. consumers stayed away from malls and headed online to take care of their holiday shopping last weekend as a major snowstorm hit the East Coast, data released on Tuesday showed.

U.S. consumers headed online to take care of last-minute holiday shopping, with shoppers on the East Coast spurred by a snowstorm that kept many home from stores, analytics firm comScore Inc said on Tuesday.

The US health care bill is expected to pass in a final Senate vote at 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve after the 60-40 Senate vote to end the debate early Monday morning.

Google has released their newest Google Doodle just in time for Christmas. The search engine giant has replaced its otherwise simple and famous Google logo, with a Happy Holidays logo with a simple tropical theme and a Christmas light adorned palm tree.

A majority of U.S. shoppers say they are shopping the same amount or less online this holiday season, despite web promotions and a weekend storm that struck the East Coast, according to a survey released on Monday.

Santa came early for Wall Street this year by giving the S&P 500 a 22 percent gain for 2009, and with just eight trading days left in the year, stock investors are not expecting to find much more under the tree.

U.S. retailers' final weekend sales push before Christmas was under threat as a severe winter snowstorm struck the East Coast, forcing store closures and keeping shoppers at home on Super Saturday.

Retailers are counting on time-crunched shoppers to swarm stores on Super Saturday, but a heavy winter storm threatened to strand them at home on the final weekend before Christmas.

Bargain-hunting shoppers are poised to flood U.S. stores on Super Saturday, but severe winter weather is threatening the East Coast and could limit turnout on what was shaping up to be the most important weekend for holiday sales.

Bargain-hunting shoppers are expected to flood stores on Super Saturday weekend -- the last before Christmas -- and deliver retailers the highest weekend sales so far this holiday season.