Good morning, Atlanta! Welcome to the Christmas Eve edition of A.M. ATL - or should I say, the Chrismukkah Eve edition. It’s Lindsay Deutsch filling in for Tyler Estep. Friends, I am feeling the mega-holiday cheer.
The weather for today and tomorrow: Sunny and nearly 60 degrees, so you have no excuse to be a Grinch. (And, you can track Santa here.)
Of note: A.M. ATL will take a two-day holiday break this week and will be back in your inboxes on Friday. Wishing you all a lovely, restful week full of good news.
Shall we?
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A HOLIDAY FOR THE AGES
Credit: Courtesy of Holly Firfer Arnold
Credit: Courtesy of Holly Firfer Arnold
Dec. 25 is not just Christmas this year. It’s also the first night of Hanukkah! For those of us who’ve grown up celebrating both, or who have an unhealthy attachment to the 2000s dramady “The O.C.,” the confluence of both holidays means double the cheer and celebration.
The AJC’s Danielle Charbonneau caught up with several mixed-religion Atlanta couples about how they’re marking the holidays, and the significance of sharing cultures and religions.
Lyric Resmondo Garten from Marietta recalls to Charbonneau when she noticed her and her husband’s extended families getting into each other’s Christmas and Hanukkah traditions: watching her Christian uncle sing a song in Hebrew at a Jewish temple, then later watching her Jewish husband sing Christmas carols as her mom played the piano.
“I think of those two things — my uncle singing in a language he doesn’t even understand … and of my husband singing the Christmas carols with my family … it helped me realize, you know what? It’s all part of tradition, and I love that.”
Want to get in on the fun?
- Daily Chew, a café located off Cheshire Bridge Road in northeast Atlanta, held its first ever Chrismukkah bar this year. The café will host a Chrismukkah celebration on Wednesday. (Tickets are $25 for entry and food.)
- Families that want to be social for Chrismukkah may also want to check out the Family Fun Day on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta in Zaban Park.
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
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WHAT TO KNOW TODAY
» Holiday travel forecast: Beware of Thursday and Friday. It’s the year-end holiday travel period at the world’s busiest airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson International expects to see 3.7 million people from Dec. 20 through Jan. 5. Here’s what to know before you go.
» The father of an Atlanta federal prison guard who was killed 30 years ago said life in prison without parole is not an adequate punishment for the man who bludgeoned his son to death. That man, Anthony George Battle, is one of 37 federal inmates whose death sentences were commuted Monday by President Joe Biden.
» The AJC’s Ashley Ahn took the test to become a Gwinnett 911 operator. Here’s what it takes – and it’s a lot more than just answering calls.
» Yelp’s latest trend report indicates a renewed interest in real-world connections in 2025, highlighting a rise in in-person experiences like adult summer camps and bookstore bars.
» Best End Brewing in the Lee + White mixed-use development will close permanently on Jan. 1, according to an announcement on the brewery’s Instagram. This is the third Atlanta brewery in the past four weeks to announce a closure. (The others are Torched Hop Brewing in Midtown and Steady Hand Beer Co. in west Midtown. It rounds out two difficult years for Georgia breweries.)
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AN ODE TO GEORGIA
There’s a lot to love about Georgia. As we reflect on what we’re thankful for, AJC staff and contributors share all the reasons they’re grateful:
“For a music lover, moving to Georgia is a little like arriving at the Pearly Gates. If there were a Mount Rushmore of American music, I’d have a hard time arguing that anyone deserves to be emblazoned in granite more than Little Richard, James Brown, Otis Redding and Ray Charles. We have those four Georgians to thank for the rock ‘n’ roll, modern country and rap genres that to this day ring out across this city and this state. I’m grateful for one of America’s truly special music scenes.” – Andrew Morse, AJC president and publisher
“Though I’m new to Georgia, I already hate the traffic. That’s why I’m especially grateful for the growing bicycling infrastructure in and around the city. Atlanta has been scorned for its lack of bicycle infrastructure, but it now has more than 100 miles of bike lanes.” – Jamie Riley, AJC opinion editor
“For Georgians, there is a lot to be grateful for this holiday season. We live in an amazing state with a bright future on many fronts, including college football. For the first time in many (too many) years, both the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech football programs are headed in the right direction. Georgia fans are well versed in the euphoric sensation of success. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech is just starting to reacquaint itself with that feeling.” – Geoff Duncan, former Georgia lieutenant governor and a contributor to AJC opinion
Why do you love Georgia? Email me at lindsay.deutsch@ajc.com and I will share out some responses in Friday’s edition.
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Credit: Getty Images for Strength Of A W
Credit: Getty Images for Strength Of A W
It’s easy to hibernate during the winter, but don’t let the short days and cold temperatures stop you from checking out these 10 winter entertainment events, from the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to the Beethoven Project to 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Mary J. Blige.
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NATION AND WORLD
» The House Ethics Committee has accused Matt Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl, while the Florida Republican was a member of Congress.
» Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger that would form the world’s third-largest automaker by sales.
» President Bill Clinton was admitted Monday to Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington after developing a fever. The 78-year-old was hospitalized in the “afternoon for testing and observation.”
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SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
» Carson Beck’s 2024 season has come to an end, as Georgia football officially announced that the quarterback had successful surgery to repair an elbow injury and would miss the remainder of the 2024 season. Beck started all 13 games for Georgia this season, throwing for 28 touchdowns, 3,485 yards and 12 interceptions. In his time as Georgia’s starter, Beck is 24-3.
» Former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was officially welcomed as Norfolk State University’s head football coach Monday with a jersey bearing his name and the number seven, which Vick debuted in Atlanta and wore throughout his playing career here.
» Marietta’s fifth annual Lemon Street Classic basketball tournament will be held on Friday, Saturday, and Monday and will include host Marietta High School, as well as teams from throughout Georgia and other states.
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MORE TO KNOW
» Inside the ‘big deal’ battle for Georgia’s multibillion-dollar Medicaid contract
» Thirteen states including Georgia are early hot spots with high or very high levels of flu activity
» A million taxpayers will soon receive up to $1,400 from the IRS. Who are they and why now?
» All I want for Christmas is an organic, free-range Georgia chicken? A look behind the trend for more traceable meat sources
» Christopher “Crash” Clark is leaving 11Alive after 11 years as a traffic reporter at the NBC affiliate in Atlanta. His final day on air is Friday
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ON THIS DATE
Dec. 24, 1924
A pretty grim front page, overall. But while Atlanta’s kiddos prepared for Santa’s arrival, grown-up residents got a gift of their own: city officials and the utility companies agreed to drop their beef and pave Ponce de Leon Avenue.
They probably could’ve made the lanes a little wider though, hmm?
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at lindsay.deutsch@ajc.com.
See you Friday!
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