Christmas

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**FILE** French President Nicolas Sarkozy (center) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) stop at a roast sausage fast food stand as they visit the Christmas market in Freiburg, Germany, on Dec. 10, 2010. (Associated Press)

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry is poised to sign a bill into law that amends the state education code to allow schools to acknowledge Christmas without fear of a lawsuit. (Associated Press)

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Pope Francis lies down in prayer during the Passion of Christ Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Friday, March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

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Denard Span and his mother, Wanda Wilson, in a picture the Nationals outfielder posted to his Twitter account around Christmas.

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Department stores saw a gain of 1.0 percent on sales in January, likely helped by consumers redeeming gift cards they received at Christmas. Restaurants and car dealers, however, saw declines. (Associated Press)

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An elephant holds a Christmas tree on Jan. 4, 2013, at the Berlin Zoo at the launch of the annual feeding of Christmas trees. (Associated Press)

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Members of the Rutter family of Sandy Hook, Conn., embrace early on Christmas morning, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, as they visit memorials to shooting victims near the Sandy Hook firehouse in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

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Christmas shoppers walk past a store at a mall in Salem, N.H., on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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The usual bustle of after-Christmas crowds did not appear Wednesday at stores across the nation. With the “fiscal cliff” on the horizon, this holiday season is shaping up to be the weakest since the economic uncertainty of 2008. (Associated Press)

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Holiday ornaments, but not last-minute shoppers, filled malls as Christmas approached. Consumer sentiment plunged this month after hitting four-year highs in November, dampening sales for retailers despite deep discounts and other incentives. (Associated Press)