Bill O’Reilly’s No Spin News and Analysis - The O'Reilly Update, December 25, 2024

Episode Date: December 25, 2024

The Christmas best of The O'Reilly Update! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill O'Reilly here. You are listening to the best of the O'Reilly Update. Here's what's happening today in America. Now, I encourage people to write down their own personal Christmas memories in a journal. It's a fun thing to do. Just think back. Let your mind drift. And whatever pops in your mind, write it down. And you can pass it down to your kids, grandkids, whatever. Now, here, are two of my most vivid Christmas memories. I'm seven years old. House is quiet. I'm in Levitown, New York. I have the only bedroom on the second floor. I get up. It had to be five in the morning. All right? And I creep down the stairs, but I stop about midway because I didn't want to wake my parents and my sister up. I look at the tree, which was in a tiny living room, this is a very

small house, and under the tree is Fort Apache set up with all the soldiers and Native American warriors spread out around Fort Apache. I was thrilled, and I believed in Santa Claus at that time. I was just thrilled. Now, I had to wait about three hours. before I could play with the toy. But I remember sitting there on that stairs. I was seven, all right? And I look and down, I was so happy. Great Christmas memory.

Here's another one. I'm 20 years old. I'm studying abroad in London. All my friends who came over with me from America go home for Christmas. I don't go home. For some reason, I wanted to explore Europe. So I get on a train and I go to Vienna.

I figured that's a good Christmas. place, Vienna, Austria, because of the Vienna Boys' Choir and St. Stephen's Cathedral. I say, I'll go to Midnight Mass. That'll be a life experience. Okay. I get a little pension in Vienna. I put on some nice clothes. I walk over to the cathedral and it won't let me in. I said to the guy, spoke a little English. It's Christmas Eve. I'm Catholic. I want to go to church. I want to go to midnight mess. You need a ticket. So I wandered around Vienna. It was freezing. Midnight on Christmas. And I thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice to be home in a nice, warm house? But it was a tremendous experience, I have to

say. So those are my two most vivid Christmas memories. Again, write yours down back after this. Let's face it, the U.S. economy is under stress. debt rising, trade war, shaking the markets. And meanwhile, China is dumping the dollar and stockpiling gold. That's why I protected my savings with physical gold and silver through the only dealer I trust, American Hartford Gold. And you can do this. Get precious metals delivered to your door or place in a tax advantage, gold IRA. They'll even help you roll over your existing IRA or 401k, tax and penalty-free. With billions and precious metals delivered thousands of five-star reviews and an A-plus from the Better Business Bureau, you can trust

American Hartford Gold as I do. Please call 866-326-55-7576 or text bill to 99-89-89-again. and that's 866-326-5-7576 or text bill to 998899. Time now for the O'Reilly Update message of the day. Happy birthday Jesus. President Ulysses S. Grant was a Christmas kind of guy, a practicing Methodist. He made December 25th a federal holiday in 1870. Ever since then, the birthday of Jesus, the Nazarene,

has been an official day of rest in America. And just last week, President Trump signed an executive order making Christmas Eve a federal holiday as well. Joy to the world, at least in the USA. Now, you may remember some years back there were attacks on Christmas by secular progressives that went something like this, quote, we don't believe in Jesus and don't want to see him and his parents displayed on public property, and we may sue.

if that happens. In addition, we don't even want to hear the words Merry Christmas and don't be saying them in places of business like stores where people buy Christmas presents. We'll have none of that. Incredibly, some bosses actually ordered employees not to say Merry Christmas. It would be happy holidays or else. Enter me, your humble correspondent, who found that bit of fascism, very offensive. Also a blatant violation of the First Amendment. If I want to say Merry Christmas while handing out burgers at the drive-through window, I'll damn well say it. Sorry for the wording, Jesus. Once I brought the controversy to the attention of the nation on television and named some of the cowardly businesses that Happy Holidays mandate evaporated pretty

quick. But not before. Some far-left media people attacked me personally. Of course, in the true spirit, I fought back. Wait a minute. That might be the reason my stocking contained a measure of coal, and that could have contributed to climate change. You know how that goes. Anyway, over the years, there has definitely been a sea change back to a traditional Christmas landscape. Yes, there are still ideological hooligans who despise the baby Jesus, but most of them are now hiding in San Francisco. So what about this Jesus guy? Why do most of us have his birthday off?

Well, he was a fascinating fellow, and you know that, if you read my history book, killing Jesus. Born into a family that lived communally in the small town of Nazareth, Jesus was trained as a stone cutter by his father. However, his parents knew early on that their boy's intellectual aptitude was off the chart. His eloquence was on display in the local temple, as he was not shy about challenging the Jewish clergy. Eventually, the Nazarene became a cult figure who could attract thousands of people to hear him speak. This meant he was a threat to the establishment, and in short measure, Jesus was brutally executed by Roman authorities. After his death, Jesus became the most

famous human being in history. Today, billions of people believe he's God. In America, according to a Gallup survey, 93% of us celebrate Christmas, even though 65% claim to be Christian, astound from 78% in 2007 as the secularists make inroads. But the Christmas thing is hanging tough. Perhaps it is because it honors a man who taught that your neighbor is as important as yourself and you must love them both equally. Merry Christmas. In a moment, something you might not know. Hey, it's Sean Spicer from the Sean Spicer Show podcast, reminding you to tune into my show every day to get your daily dose inside the world of politics. President Trump and his are shaking up Washington like never before, and we're here to cover it from all size,

especially on the topics the mainstream media won't. So if you're a political junkie on a late lunch or getting ready for the drive home, new episodes of the Sean Spicer Show podcast drop at 2 p.m. East Coast every day. Make sure you tune in. You can find us at Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Now the O'Reilly Update brings me something you might not know, Yule Tide Information. Christmas is celebrated on every continent on earth, even Antarctica.

The annual celebration boasts some pretty iconic characters and traditions, Santa Claus, Eggnog, Rudolph, the reindeer. But here's something you might not know. Outside of Europe and North America, many different cultures celebrate the birth of Jesus in unique ways. In Caracas, Venezuela, for example, some of the faithful flock to Christmas Catholic Mass on roller skates. The tradition is so well established that officials shut down major roads

between 8 a.m. and noon to accommodate the holy rollers, so to speak. When you think of Christmas food, roast turkey, or baked ham typically come to mind. Not the case in South Africa, where a traditional feast includes fried caterpillars. pine tree emperor moth, better known as Christmas caterpillars by the locals, are eaten by the dozen. The bugs are picked for their festive red and green hues. Sounds delicious. In New Zealand, they ditch the traditional evergreen tree for something a bit more indigenous. Across the islands, Kiwis decorate their churches and homes with branches from the Pahutu Kawat tree, the plant typically appears on traditional Christmas cards. Say that five times. In China, home to 54 million Christians,

they use traditional secular ways to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Many hang decorative lanterns on windowsills. Some even exchange secret Christian messages using cards designed to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Of course, the government in China, not big fans of Christmas. While Santa may start his global flight from the North Pole, the South Pole is also home to some interesting celebrations. Across that continent, scientists from a dozen different countries marked the holiday with traditional meal, songs, and international gift exchanges. And here's something you might not know. Antarctica is the only place on Earth to witness Christmas with 24 hours of daylight. Also a pretty good chance of enjoying a

white Christmas, even though it's now summer down there. All in all, the O'Reilly Update wants everybody to have a nice Christmas, even if you don't celebrate, back after this. Hey, I'm Caitlin Becker, the host of the New York Postcast, and I've got exactly what you need to start your weekdays. Every morning, I'll bring you the stories that matter, plus the news people actually talk about. The juicy details in the worlds of politics, business, pop culture, and everything in between. It's what you want from the New York Post wrapped up in one snappy show. Ask your smart speaker to play the NY Postcast podcast. Listen and subscribe on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening to the O'Reilly update.

I am Bill O'Reilly, no spin, just facts, and always looking out for you. Thank you.