Axios PM

By Mike Allen · Dec 25, 2023

🎄 Merry Christmas! From the entire Axios family: Wishing peace and health to you and yours this holiday season. Today's PM — edited by Noah Bressner — is 496 words, a 2-min. read. Thanks to Sheryl Miller for the copy edit.

1 big thing: Christmas = texting's busiest day

Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

Ice your thumbs — and don't forget to reach out to your friends, family and neighbors today, Axios Communicators author Eleanor Hawkins writes. Americans send and receive more text messages on Christmas than any other day of the year, according to wireless carrier data. Why it matters: There are more ways than ever to stay connected. But most Americans opt for good, old-fashioned text messages to spread holiday cheer. Another possibility: bragging about gifts. 🧮 By the numbers: AT&T's busiest day last year was Christmas. Group messages and photo or video messages were especially popular. It's also the busiest day for T-Mobile, whose network saw 3 billion messages. New Year's Day is the second busiest, according to both wireless providers. Share this story.

2. 🥢 Tasty holiday tradition

Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

The holiday tradition of eating Chinese food on Christmas is going strong, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes. Why it matters: A lack of restaurants open on Christmas has fueled the practice over the years, particularly among Jewish families. Two stats to snack on: Yelp searches for Chinese restaurants were 99% higher on Christmas than any other day in December last year. Google search interest for "Chinese food" has peaked on Christmas every year since the data became available (in 2004). Keep reading.

3. 🕯️ Christmas around the world

Photo: Vatican Media via Getty Images VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis delivers his "Urbi et Orbi" — to the city and the world — blessing from Saint Peter's Basilica. Photo: Steven Saphore/AAP Image via Reuters SYDNEY — A Christmas sand snowman at Bondi Beach, Down Under. Photo: Vincent Carchietta/USA Today Sports via Reuters NEW YORK — A close-up of Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard's festive sneakers before a Christmas Day game against the New York Knicks.

4. 🎅 Finding the Santa spirit

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Axios Indianapolis co-author James Briggs — once an anti-Santa zealot — wrote about how his son changed his mind: My anti-Santa stance melted like Frosty in my driveway. "I don't think Santa can get down our chimney. There's a cap on it," my troubled son told me, looking up at the roof. Why it matters: Sigh. My son is 4. Prime Santa age. Like many guilt-addled millennial parents, I exaggerate the effects of every decision. I don't want to lie to my kid about Santa, and my wife is neutral. But my son already has confronted devastating feelings on a more challenging topic: He lost his grandpa two years ago — and two cats this year. Just a few weeks after the worst of his feelings passed, Santa became the big topic at school. He thinks Santa is going to need a sleigh as big as our "whole house." This is … joy. This is good. This is sweet and healthy. My son is safe from losing Santa to his dad, the Grinch. Keep reading ... Get Axios Local.