Wolf.17

Thank you ❤️

Date Holiday Day Week number Days to go December 25, 2018 Christmas Day 2018 Tuesday 52 1 December 25, 2019 Christmas Day 2019 Wednesday 52 366 December 25, 2020 Christmas Day 2020 Friday 52 732 December 25, 2021 Christmas Day 2021 Saturday 51 1097 December 25, 2022 Christmas Day 2022 Sunday 52 1462 December 25, 2023 Christmas Day 2023 Monday 52 1827 December 25, 2024 Christmas Day 2024 Wednesday 52 2193 December 25, 2025 Christmas Day 2025 Thursday 52 2558 December 25, 2026 Christmas Day 2026 Friday 52 2923 December 25, 2027 Christmas Day 2027 Saturday 51 3288 December 25, 2028 Christmas Day 2028 Monday 52 3654 Significance of Christmas Day 2018 Christmas Day 2018 (also known as Christmas) is a religious and cultural holiday, celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas Day 2018 is celebrated annually by Christians on December 25 in the United States and throughout the world. History of Christmas Day In the early years of Christianity, Easter was the main holiday; the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Many argue that, historically, evidence suggests that Christmas day was indeed celebrated back in 354 AD as a Christian liturgical feast of the birth of Jesus. Many po[CENSORED]r customs associated with Christmas developed independently of the commemoration of Jesus' birth, with certain elements having origins in pre-Christian festivals that were celebrated around the winter solstice by pagan po[CENSORED]tions who were later converted to Christianity. The prevailing atmosphere of Christmas has also continually evolved since the holiday's origin, ranging from a raucous, drunken, carnival-like state in the Middle Ages, to a tamer family-oriented and children-centred theme in the 19th-century. The celebration of Christmas was banned on more than one occasion within certain Protestant groups, such as the Puritans, due to concerns that it was too pagan or unbiblical. Additionally, from 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was outlawed in Boston, and law-breakers were fined five shillings. It should also be noted that Jehovah's Witnesses rejected and still continue to reject Christmas celebration. While the exact month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, by the early-to-mid 4th century, the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date later adopted in the East. Today, most Christians celebrate Christmas on the date of December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, which is also the calendar in near-universal use in the secular world. The date of Christmas may (as many believe) to have initially been chosen to correspond with the day exactly nine months after the day on which early Christians believed that Jesus Christ was conceived. In the United States Christmas was declared a federal holiday on June 26, 1870. Traditions of Christmas Day Although Christmas Day 2018 has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well. Po[CENSORED]r modern traditions of Christmas Day 2018 include gift giving, completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath, Christmas music, an exchange of Christmas cards, church services, a special meal, and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions. Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas Day 2018 involve heightened economic activity, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. When is Christmas Day 2018 Christmas Day 2018 takes place on December 25 annually. The day on which the holiday falls on changes but the date remains the same; consult the above table for exact dates. Merry Christmas To All ❤️❤️❤️

Merry Christmas

The video, which the German firm has called 'Not another Christmas video' shows an A45 in a bold multi-coloured disguise livery lapping a test track in Germany, and shows the car performing a series of powerslides. While few official details of the range-topping A-Class have been revealed, Autocar has previously learned that it is set to have the highest specific output for a production engine in the world, eclipsing even the McLaren Senna's 789bhp V8. AMG boss Tobias Moers told Autocar earlier this year that the A45 will get "well over 400bhp" from its new engine, which is expected to be an extensively re-engineered version of the current car's 2.0-litre unit. That means it will have more than 200bhp per litre, ranking the car at least 12bhp-per-litre higher than the current A45 and beating the current specific output champion, the 197bhp-per-litre Senna. The model, dubbed by AMG insiders as 'The Predator' as a nod to its extreme performance, is expected to serve a rival to Audi Sport's RS3 in the pairing's ongoing super-hatch fight, while also ensuring the A45 offers stronger straight-line performance than the forthcoming BMW M2 CSL. Despite rumours to the contrary, the model will be pure petrol and will not require a hybrid set-up to produce its headline-grabbing numbers. "It's going to be the next step in every perspective, including driving dynamics," said Moers. The A45's big power advantage will be illustrated with only small aesthetic differences. It will have a quad oval-exit exhaust system, whereas the A35 will get a dual-exit system. Also featured on the A45 is AMG' Panamericana front grille, giving the 2019 car a design nod to the recently revealed GT 4-door Coupé. The A45 will have its own unique chassis developments with optional adjustable damping offering an extreme mode for high-speed circuit running. The current A45 is renowned for its stiff adjustable set-up, but the recently sighted test cars for the next-gen model look to be sitting lower, suggesting AMG could be targeting even more body composure for track-day driving in its future model. The new A-Class is 10mm longer than today’s car and adopts a new floorpan and body structure that are claimed to provide significant increases in rigidity. This provides it with improved refinement. The new A45 will also get a significantly wider front track and receive its own unique wheel carriers in a bid to reduce unsprung mass. It will roll on standard 18in wheels, but 19in rims will be an option. The 376bhp original A45 is capable of 0-62mph in 4.2sec, but AMG is planning to ramp up straight-line performance further still. The basis for the changes to the M133 unit comes from Mercedes’ new M260 four-cylinder engine. This is derived from the older M270 motor used by today’s A-Class but has a new crankcase and cylinder head. Initially, the reworked M133 will feature a traditional exhaust gas-driven twin-scroll turbocharger. However, AMG is also developing a more advanced variant of its new engine that uses a 48V electrical system and runs both an electric-driven turbocharger and electric motor in a hybrid set-up that promises an even greater ramp-up in performance. AMG is also looking to endow its new hatchback model with an extra 20lb ft — a move that, insiders have told Autocar, will provide it with at least 369lb ft and allow its 0-62mph sprint to crack the 4.0sec mark. The changes to the A45’s driveline extend to its gearbox and multi-plate-clutch four-wheel-drive system. Both have been extensively redesigned to handle the higher torque loadings of the new model. In line with developments further down the new A-Class line-up, AMG’s new flagship hatchback model is set to adopt a new nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, together with a faster-reacting four-wheel-drive system that offers greater variability in the drive split between the front and rear wheels, plus a torque vectoring function for added on-the-limit handling delicacy. The new A-Class, which is codenamed W177, will have the most comprehensive AMG range thanks to the introduction of the Golf R and Ford Focus RS-rivalling A35, which was revealed at Paris motor show. That car faces BMW's next 1 Series hot hatch, which is set to adopt all-wheel drive and be called the M130iX. “We’ve identified a market for a milder AMG model positioned below the A45 4Matic,” AMG boss Tobias Moers told Autocar. “The strategy is going to be similar to that seen further up the line-up, where our various 43 models support the 63 models.” The new A45 builds on the developments of the new fourth-generation A-Class. The model is the first of up to eight new compact cars, which include replacements for today’s B-Class, CLA and CLA Shooting Brake, as well as the GLA. There will also be an A-Class Saloon (and its own 400bhp A45 variant), a GLB and a possible new seven-seat version of the GLB.

The past fortnight has been particularly tumultuous for Donald Trump and his presidency. Looking increasingly isolated, the commander in chief cancelled a family holiday in Florida to spend Christmas in the White House from where he has been tweeting furiously. The president has posted more than 20 messages on the social media network since Sunday, trying to defend his sudden decision to withdraw all US troops from Syria against the advice of his military, after unilaterally declaring Islamic State had been defeated in the country. He has also been pushing his border wall with Mexico after a row with Democrats over funding for the flagship project triggered the closure of a quarter of the government from one minute past midnight on Saturday. Trump is showing no sign of backing down in a move that could leave some 400,000 federal employees working without pay into the New Year. Nearly another 400,000 have been forced to take unpaid leave until the dispute is resolved. Jitters over the government shutdown helped to push stocks on Wall Street down over the past week, with the Dow suffering its biggest drop since 2008, during the financial crisis. Political standoffs are only set to worsen next year when Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in January, after winning more seats in the mid-term election last month. It means Trump will find it even harder to push through his agenda. One lever of power Trump is still able to wield without the checks and balances of Congress is the military. This was seen in Trump's sudden decision in the past week to pull all 2,200 US troops out of Syria - catching his own administration as well as allies by surprise. The move is widely thought to have been made following a telephone conversation with President Erdogan of Turkey who has been angered at the sight of US troops operating alongside Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Turkey regards Kurdish militias as enemy forces. Observers think a deal was struck between Trump and the Turkish strongman that involved the US military exiting Syria, leaving the Kurds exposed to an anticipated military offensive by Turkey, wary about growing Kurdish influence in the region. The problem is that Kurdish fighters dominate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which pushed IS back from territory held in northern Syria with support from US special forces. Former defence secretary James Mattis wanted the US military to remain on the ground. Leaving early would be seen as a betrayal, could trigger the resurgence of IS and would make it harder for the US military to work with local partners in the future. It also means the Kurds are left with little choice than to strike some kind of deal with the Iran and Russia-backed Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad - opponents of the United States and the West - to avoid annihilation by Turkey. Trump's move was so unpo[CENSORED]r that it prompted Mattis, the most respected defence and security official in the administration, to quit with a devastating resignation letter. The insubordination was too much for the president, who tweeted on Sunday that Mattis's deputy, Patrick Shanahan, would take on the top role in an acting capacity from the beginning of January. This means Mattis is leaving two months early as he had said he would stay on until the end of February so a full-time replacement could be found. Also out of the door in dismay over the Syria decision is Brett McGurk, the man in charge of co-ordinating international efforts in the fight against IS.

Europe’s largest sanctuary will keep 1,400 animals over festive season so that none end up as unwanted gifts ax and Moritz are possibly two of the happiest occupants of Berlin’s animal sanctuary. The green-cheeked parakeets were reunited after weeks of separation, having flown away from their previous owner. They lean into each other as they chew on vegetables hanging from the ceiling, chirpily sharing a cage with several budgerigars and bourke’s parrots. A few blocks away in the dog kennels, Fridolin, a two-year-old dusky pale brown weimaraner, stands on his hind legs and presses his nose against the window of his cubicle. He has been at the sanctuary since mid-October after being picked up on the street. They are just a handful of around 1,400 animals being looked after at Tierheim Berlin, Europe’s largest sanctuary, as they await new homes. But they won’t be moving on before Christmas, after shelters across the country imposed a temporary ban on adoptions. “We just don’t want to see animals being placed under the Christmas tree and then soon after returning to us because the creature turned out not to be such a good idea after all,” says Beate Kaminski of Tierheim Berlin. Scores of animals typically end up back at the shelter in the days and weeks after Christmas as their new owners discover the flaws in their new pets or their incompatibility with busy Berlin lifestyles. Most common are turtles and tortoises, lizards and snakes. The shelters hope their campaign, Animals Don’t Belong Under the Christmas Tree – the German equivalent of the slogan “A pet is for life, not just for Christmas” – will at the very least make people think. In the reptile house, Kay Kieselbach, a keeper who has worked at the shelter for seven years, says he is exasperated by attitudes towards the animals in his care, which include Australian bearded dragons, once en vogue. He says they get discarded for reasons ranging from changes in trends for scale colours to the high electricity costs of heat lamps. A booming online trade in reptiles has only made the problem worse. “We’re keen to raise awareness that animals are just not suitable as presents, often brought on a whim by people who can’t think of what else to buy,” he says. “Never surprise anyone with a pet.” A rhesus monkey, one of the few leftover inhabitants from an East German research laboratory, is playing outside despite the cold. He’s not a likely candidate for adoption, Kaminski admits. Nor are the hundreds of pigeons that have dropped, exhausted, out of races between southern and eastern Europe and are kept on site, nor the pigs and geese, pit bulls and rottweilers. But no less care is shown towards them, she says. “Of course people are looking for the cute ones. Little dogs and kittens – ideally the ones who are going to be the least work. That’s why we put frosted glass on the windows where the kittens live, otherwise visitors would spend the whole day drooling over them.” The shelter takes in between 10,000 and 12,000 animals a year, and its estimated €8m running costs are financed mainly through donations. Set over 16 hectares in Falkenberg, in north-east Berlin, it boasts 173 carers, eight vets and an army of between 500 and 800 volunteers who help with everything from cleaning to taking dogs for walks. Underfloor heating, colour-coordinated suites in the senior cats’ residency – a separate block where noise is kept to a minimum – and an underwater treadmill for dogs with joint problems are among the facilities on offer. There is a separate hut for treating injured aquatic birds such as swans, and even wounded city pigeons have their own tin shack. “We never kill unwanted animals,” says Kaminski, watching a French bulldog who arrived two days ago and has a slipped disc, painfully dragging his legs behind him as he is taken for a walk in the forecourt. She explains that an ethics commission decides if and when an animal should be put down. In this case the dog will probably be operated on, followed by rehab on the underwater treadmill to build up his muscles. Everywhere there are Christmas decorations, including tinsel and stockings in the cat house and a crib by the rabbits’ hutches, as if to try to make up for the fact that these animals do not have homes to go to. The ban will be lifted on 27 December. Jutta Meier, 71, a retired lecturer in German and ethics, found her dream pet just before the ban came into force, paying €200 for a small black and brown crossbreed called Kira “The staff gave me a two-hour interview to check my suitability and will visit my home to check that Kira is happy,” she says. “They couldn’t be more thorough.” She has been given a 10kg bag of dog food and can return for free vet inspections any time. In the aviary, Lisa Galey, cleaning up after her birds, says: “It’s no good surprising a loved one with an animal only to discover after Christmas that it doesn’t fit into your hectic daily schedule.” Her colleague Paula Heindel, agrees. “People need to realise ahead of getting one that animals need cleaning up after them and they don’t always want to cuddle.” The pair feed walnuts to the inseparable parakeets and a two grey parrots, Roger and Willi, who met at the home and appear to have found love together. Roger is even in the process of teaching Willi his former owner’s telephone number and his favourite phrase, “Keine angst” (fear not).

Last year’s festive foliage was delivered from a hillside in Argyll to the Autocar office in Twickenham atop Aston Martin’s athletic bruiser of a GT, the DB11 V12, which devoured its task as does a local council woodchipper on the 13th day of Christmas. Choosing a different route would be easy, and a different tree was a given because 2017’s might well have become pages of Autocar magazine. But what could trump the Aston? This time, off-road skills would be helpful so we could source our tree from a wilder spot, and 2018 had delivered some fascinating new high-riding, all-paw contenders: Urus, Cullinan, new G63 and I-Pace, to name a few. Ultimately, the choice was simple, and it didn’t hail from Sant’Agata, Goodwood, Affalterbach or Whitley, but from Kosai, Shizuoka Prefecture, which has produced a budget car to draw more affection than any of those pricey and aspirational machines. Yes, our hero’s name is Jimny. The fourth generation of Suzuki’s min pin of a 4x4 has united motoring journos in lustfulness more than would the prospect of a complimentary branded fleece. It’s a genuine performer on the rough stuff and brings enough visual charm and value for money for most to overlook its inevitable on-road compromises. But how would it fare over more than 500 miles of mud, rock and Tarmac – and with its own length in Christmas tree strapped to its roof? The fourth generation of Suzuki’s min pin of a 4x4 has united motoring journos in lustfulness more than would the prospect of a complimentary branded fleece. It’s a genuine performer on the rough stuff and brings enough visual charm and value for money for most to overlook its inevitable on-road compromises. But how would it fare over more than 500 miles of mud, rock and Tarmac – and with its own length in Christmas tree strapped to its roof? So far, the 1.5-litre petrol four’s 100bhp and 95lb ft have been channelled rearwards, but shifting the overtly mechanical transfer lever from ‘2H’ to ‘4H’ engages drive to the front axle, then the ‘All Grip Pro’ system’s electronics lock the front air hubs to get those otherwise free-spinning wheels milling too. We slide about a bit on sodden patches of loam, but the 50:50 front-rear torque split and LSD-mimicking brake trickery make light work of it. There’s almost more of a challenge in keeping the Jimny’s tiny 1405mm track abreast of the trail’s raised centre. Ascending into the hills, we pass a herd of deer blending subtly into the autumn-washed drumlins of the wide, glaciated valley. Our Jimny’s shocking Kinetic Yellow paintwork couldn’t stand out more, yet it feels entirely at home here, happy to be driven in wellies and to get mucky inside and out. We fringe a pair of windswept lochans, engaging low range with a standstill shuffle of the transfer lever, thereby doubling the gearing to tackle a quick-fire progression of pebbles, sand and water. Frozen pools smother the trail, and we send shards of ice into the verge like smashed glass. The potholes are relentless now and the Jimny pitches about at all angles, its live axles and diminutive 2250mm wheelbase conspiring to amplify every rut and rock. Hill descent control (limited to 3mph in low range) then ushers us down a steep slope, the brakes gnawing at each corner to keep progress steady. Then it’s through an exposed riverbed of big, slippery rocks. I wait for the underbody thud as we tackle the boulders, but it never comes. The Jimny’s 210mm of ground clearance is enough and its tight turning circle and slow steering allow an accurate course to be plotted, while that short wheelbase brings a greater breakover angle than on Brown’s Defender. Likewise, while the 110’s tail is in danger of striking masonry climbing the far bank, the Suzuki’s minute rear overhang clips past with ease. It gets thrown around like a rag doll as we scale the exit point, but a big dose of revs lets the brakes work their torque-routing magic and we grapple up and out first time. What a little trooper. The Jimny’s off-road skills confirmed, we loop around to Laggan Wolftrax, a mountain-biker’s paradise managed by Forestry Commission Scotland, to source our special payload. Last year’s Norway spruce shed its needles within moments of landing in Twickenham – whether from homesickness or a 759-mile rooftop battering, we’re unsure – so this time we’ve chosen something less traditional but more robust in the form of a sturdy Lawson cypress.

Happy Birthday ❤️

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