Torontoist is one of fourteen cities in the worldwide Gothamist network. Each Sunday, the editors of every site—from LAist to Londonist—choose their most interesting article, a list which is compiled into the network-wide feature Elsewhere In The Ist-A-Verse. SFist saw Christmas Day turn tragic after a Siberian tiger escaped from her pen at the San Francisco Zoo, killing a visitor and mauling two others.Phillyist counted down the top ten items on Philadelphia's New Year's wish......

Really not much on in terms of Christmas films this week. The Bloor is showing National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (which is about as far away from a Christmas classic as we can imagine without being a film about aliens from another galaxy that have never heard of Christmas) and White Christmas. We’re still happy to recommend Enchanted (we just saw it, and it was absolutely lovely), but for those of you who want to......

That headline is only slightly misleading in order to alert you to Kensington's annual Festival of Lights, celebrating the winter Solstice tomorrow night. But we can assure you that there will be giant puppets and there will be fire, if not necessarily at the same time. Starting at 6:00 p.m, revelers will gather at the corner of Augusta and College and begin a procession down Augusta, east onto Baldwin, down Kensington Avenue, west on......

Gate House goes coed. After a series of puerile, childish, vaguely misogynistic stunts, the infamous all-male U of T residence has been come down upon by that stuffy old dean. Of note is Gate House's claim to be an inspiration for the movie Animal House, just like every other "look at us we're so wild" frat house on every college campus ever, despite the fact that Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis went to McMaster.......

A longtime staple of the holiday season is a special visit from jolly old St. Nick to the nearest shopping mall or department store. Kids relish the opportunity to tell Santa that they want the latest hot toy, peace on Earth or an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model air rifle, while retailers hope these gift lists translate into sales. If the establishment has hired their Santa carefully, kids will not need to......

If you like crowds, candy, and Christmas, but hate––absolutely hate––having time off of work, celebrating holidays at the proper time of year, and snow, this weekend's Santa Claus Parade is your month-too-early Mecca. Now in its hundred and third year, the parade will begin on Sunday, November 18, at 12:30 p.m., traveling from Bloor and Christie, east along Bloor to Avenue, south on Avenue, around Queen's Park, and further south along University to Queen.......

Happy Holidays from the Ist-A-Verse! Austinist is in good holiday spirits, and so is their interview, Andy Roddick. They know what CDs they want in their stockings, but more than that, they know that the greatest gift you can give them is making fun of a famous Austinite on national television. Torontoist isn't really feeling the Christmas spirit, though: unfortunately, there's still no snow in Toronto. Maybe if somebody were to put a big Christmas......

When the holiday season rolled around, Eugene Lee, an OCAD film student, decided that he wanted to do something special for his favourite teacher. A simple Christmas card just wouldn't do -- not for this ambitious student. Instead, he let his paint do the talking. Setting up shop behind Herbie's Herbs, the brightly-coloured shop at 556 Queen West, he painted an amazing Santa Claus mural and filmed it for her as a present. The teacher,......

As the countdown to Christmas kicks into high gear (only seven more days to go!), it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. Between shopping for presents, visiting with friends and family, and waging a pathetic battle over pine trees, many of us forget to consider those in need. While donations and contributions are needed year-round, many charities and non-profit organizations rely on generosity shown during the holiday season......

Shopping and the Santa Claus Parade are all fine and good, but baking over a hearth and drinking apple cider might just be a better way to celebrate the holidays. Most of the City’s museums are open year-round, but they really shine during the holiday season. Giant Edwardian Christmas tree, anyone? Historical cooking and paper chains? Yes please! There are storytelling evenings, baking and centerpiece workshops, children’s Christmas adventures and Scottish New Year’s Eve celebrations.......

Overheard in a midtown tea shop where two women are sitting with with their respective children, a boy and a girl. Both of the kids are about four years old. The little boy is talking excitedly to his mother about Santa Claus. Adorable Little Girl (removing lollipop from mouth, and a propos of nothing in particular): Fire will kill you! Pause in little boy/mother discussion. ALG (louder, with enthusiasm): If you go in fire, you’ll......

For poets Stephen Cain (American Standard/Canada Dry), Jay MillAr, and Sharon Harris, Christmas is coming early this year. The Mercury Press is holding a holiday-themed book launch to celebrate two new books: Harris’s first collection of poems, AVATAR; and Cain and MillAr’s Double Helix, a series of 52 “micro-fictions.” The event promises “literary-friendly goodies,” free bookmark-making kits, cookies and an appearance by Santa Claus himself. The party takes place December 6, at 7 p.m., at......

Downtown hosted the annual Santa Claus Parade on Sunday, kicking off another season of gratuitous shopping. In related news, the Nintendo Wii was released and quickly sold out. B.C. slaughtered Montreal 25-14 to win the Grey Cup, and then promptly broke it. Pssht. Way to go, Lions. Today in War: Kissinger says a victory in Iraq is "not possible ", but Bush has no plans on bringing the troops home just yet, and Tony......

There are bleachers set up along Queen's Park, we've had huge amounts of rainfall over the past few days, it's mid-November, and nobody's even slightly interested in Christmas yet - and you know what that means: it's time for the annual Santa Claus Parade! The parade runs tomorrow, beginning at 12:30 PM, travels from Bloor & Christie, east along Bloor to University, south to Queen, over to Yonge, then finishes at Front & Church (drivers,......

At the Santa Claus Parade a clown fishes in his pocket for an empty can of silly string. Clown (to a girl watching the parade from next to a garbage can): Can you throw this out for me please? Parade-watcher: Sure. (She does). Clown (as he blasts the girl with silly string from a fresh can): Thanks!......

Guess who's coming to town? Well, yes, Santa Claus. But following St. Nick by a month and a half is Bat Boy of Bat Boy: The Musical. Flying in from runs in New York, London and L.A. (and boy are its wings tired, ha, ha), the cult ironic musical -- billed as "a cross between My Fair Lady and Edward Scissorhands" -- is arriving at the Bathurst Street Theatre in early February. Ripped from the......