Holiday | Celebrities, News & Entertainment

Buzz Update: Brittany Murphy Funeral, Disney Christmas Parade, After-Christmas Shopping Deals

Brittany Murphy was laid to rest on Thursday in a small, private ceremony before family and friends. The service included The Kaddish, a traditional Jewish mourning prayer and the hymn “Amazing Grace”.

Murphy died of apparent cardiac arrest in her L.A. home early Sunday. The official cause of death will not be known for weeks pending toxicology results by the L.A. coroner.

The Jonas Brothers spread the Christmas cheer as they prepared to rock out during the 2009 Disney Parks Christmas Parade in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Celeb gossip guru Just Jared reports:

The youngest of the musical trio, Nick, tweeted about his love for the holiday season, saying, “Eating some Christmas Eve dinner with family and friends. I love how Christmas draws people together.”

Need a place to spend your Christmas money? There are plenty of great deals after-Christmas and online! Yahoo and Forbes have a huge list of deals for shoppers who want to spend their Christmas money.

Daily Buzz: Walmart Open Christmas Day? Stores Open Christmas Day, The Pope Knocked Down [Video]

Merry Christmas! Despite the rumors whirling around online, Wal-Mart is not open on Christmas Day.

However, the world’s largest retailer will discount electronics and toys from Saturday through New Year’s Day, offering deals such as a netbook computer for $228.

Best Buy will offer post-holiday deals starting online on Christmas Day and available in stores on Saturday. Best Buy deals include a netbook for for $197!

Are any stores open on Christmas Day? If you are a last minute shopper, you’ll have to go to Starbucks, IHOP or go to a movie theater to get a last-minute present!

Pope Benedict XVI’s Christmas Eve Mass yesterday was marred by woman who jumped the barriers and knocked down the Pope on his way to the altar! The 82-year-old Pope was unhurt and the Holy Father delivered his traditional Christmas Day blessing Friday morning at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

Crazy Christmas Lights!

Merry Christmas! If you’ve got the Christmas Spirit, you’ll love a peek at Mike Babick’s Christmas display in suburban Kansas City. Babick has been decorating his home for over 40 years.

Every window of the Babick house is filled with animated Christmas characters, the exterior is skillfully lighted, the garage is Santa’s toy shopIf you step up to the front door and look into the house, you will find Christmas ornaments hanging from the ceiling and even more moving figures filling the walls of the living room.

From Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day, the display continues from dusk until around 11PM each evening. By the end of the Christmas season, there is no grass left in the front yard, there are so many visitors. Below is a picture of the front of the Mike Babick’s Christmas display, which is known locally as “The Falmouth Christmas House”, named for the street Babick lives on.

09falmouthchristmas1 300x130 Crazy Christmas Lights!

If you’d like to know more about this festive holiday display, watch the video below or check out this website.

Daily Buzz: Happy Festivus!, Balloon Boy’s Parents Get Jail Time

festivus 300x225 Daily Buzz: Happy Festivus!, Balloon Boys Parents Get Jail Time Though many of us may know Festivus as the holiday popularized on Seinfeld, today is the official day to celebrate “Airing of Grievances” for those of us frustrated by all the commercialism surrounding Christmas and Hannukah. Want more info? Check out the clip below:

Balloon Boy’s parents — Richard and Mayumi Heene — were sentenced to jail time today for the hoax they pulled back in October. Richard Heene received 90 days which will be divided between jail and work release for the stunt that captured the nation’s attention. His wife received 20 days.

Fun Holiday Movies: Scrooged, Elf, A Christmas Story

elf 216x300 Fun Holiday Movies: Scrooged, Elf, A Christmas Story If you like holiday movies with a little bit of dysfunctional humor, you’ll like my list of Funny Holiday Movies. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for It’s a Wonderful Life every holiday season! But my family loves to laugh during the holidays, so we like to watch a few funny holiday flicks.

We just watched Scrooged last night as we decorated our Christmas tree! Scrooged is a favorite holiday movies in my family. The movie is from 1988 but Bill Murray is hilarious in this modern spin on Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol.

Elf with Will Ferrell and Bob Newhart is one of my personal favorites. How can you not laugh watching Will Ferrell as an elf?

httvp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvtmsqyOkhc

My family also loves A Christmas Story. It’s a classic but funny holiday movie!

Adam Sandler’s ‘Hanukkah Song’ Brings Fun and Understanding to Holiday Season!

Adam Sandler’s The Hanukkah Song is a hilarious roll call of Jewish actors and actresses that has become a holiday favorite. Sandler’s song has even bumped out Dreidel Dreidel as the favorite Hanukkah song this year, according to USA Today.

I love this fun song because it addresses some real life worries of Jewish kids during the Christmas season. Children can feel like they are the only ones on the block without a Christmas tree—-but Adam Sandler tells the kids they have plenty of company!

When you feel like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree
Here’s a list of people who are Jewish just like you and me
David Lee Roth lights the menorah
So do James Caan, Kirk Douglas, and the late Dinah Shore-ah

Guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli
Bowser from Sha Na Na and Arthur Fonzerelli
Paul Newman’s half Jewish, Goldie Hawn’s half too
Put them together, what a fine lookin’ Jew

The song is a great reminder to those of us who are celebrating Christmas to be mindful of other faiths and important traditions of other religions besides our own. At the end of the day, the holidays are supposed to be about Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men, right?

Take a minute to watch this video clip of Adam Sandler singing The Hanukkah Song and have a Happy Hanukkah!

[fitGLOSS] You Better Not Cough! Santa Wants the H1N1 Vaccine

Groups that represent the nation’s Santas want the bearded, jolly men to be given priority for the swine flu vaccine.

[buzzGLOSS] Can’t Afford a Designer Bag? Rent One at BagBorroworSteal.com!

Do you long for a designer handbag but you can’t afford the designer price tag? Feed your inner fashionista without breaking the bank by renting a designer handbag from BagBorroworSteal.com!