♪ good morning, america, on this friday, december 25th. and this morning, joy around the world. from the north pole, to your own house. for kids, big and small, presents abound. today, we gather with christmas songs, christmas heart, and christmas cheer. and our young friends who will get a surprise, encore visit, from the man in red. we're happy you're sharing your morning with us, on "good morning america," america's best christmas ever. i love christmas. good morning, america. i'm robin roberts, here with sam champion. we wish you all the merriest of christmases. >> we have special people here that are important to us. we have a very special guests. we looked at it, robin. with all the different time zones, santa had 31 hours to deliver the gifts last night. he had to visit 800 homes every second. he's exhausted. he's still going to make time to be here. >> exclusively here on "good morning america"? >> here. christmas is so much more than santa claus and presents. it's also about faith. it's been a rough year. a rough year for a lot of people. we gathered our dream team of spiritual leaders and thinkers, for a discussion on how to keep the faith in the tough times. and,of course, we have to have music. we have the talented yo-yo ma, all the way to the brooklyn tabernacle choir. and by now, you've opened gifts that you probably have no idea how to operate. becky worley is here, with some advice for all of the gadgets under your tree. the two newest members, george stephanopoulos and juju chang, they have tiny ones at home. >> we said this year -- >> next year, juju. right here, baby. >> right here. let's get the first check of the morning's news and weather. >> thanks and good morning. i'm jeremy hubbard. we begin with the christmas blast battering the middle of the country. a record-setting winter storm is blamed for at least 18 deaths this week. and by the end of the day, some areas will have up to two feet of snow on the ground. not a very merry christmas for travelers. eric horng is in chicago. good morning to you, eric. >> reporter: good morning, jeremy. the storm has had a little bit of everything in its arsenal. heavy snow, high winds. and here in chicago, heavy rain. for holiday travelers, the timing could not have been worse. the massive storm tightened its wintry grip. usually mild oklahoma, declared a state of emergency, and activated the national guard, after whiteout conditions closed the oklahoma city airport and stranded drivers on treacherous roads. >> the streets are covered with a mix of freezing rain and ice. i can tell you, the wind is whipping up to 25, to as high as 35, and about 55 miles per hour. >> reporter: in addition to snow and ice, the storm unleashed tornados in texas and louisiana. >> that is a colossal storm. >> reporter: the severe weather temporarily knocked out power at houston's airport, leaving travelers' holiday plans up in the air. >> this may mean a delay in our trip. it might mean not even a trip at all. we don't know yet. >> reporter: at chicago's o'hare, a day of calmer weather, helped stranded passengers reach their holiday destinations. >> at some point, you reach a breaking point. and you just want to see your family. >> reporter: a thought shared by many. a good news about today, christmas day, is usually a quiet one on the roads and at airports. and for last-minute holiday traveler, that should help them get to where they need to be. jeremy? >> abc's eric horng in chicago. now, a look at the national weather. more heavy snow on nine states, kansas to minnesota. a wet mix in the great lakes, the ohio valley. 40s in the northeast. a mild 77 in orlando. dry and 65 in los angeles. 42 in seattle. that's the national weather. pope benedict is doing fine this morning, after a scare during his christmas eve mass. a woman jumped a barrier at st. peters basilica and dragged the pope to the ground. but he was not hurt. the suspect is a 25-year-old italian-swiss national, described by the vatican as unstable. and finally, a 9-year-old boy is spending christmas reunited with his father. david goldman took custody of his son yesterday in brazil after a five-year battle. here's abc's stephanie sy. >> reporter: dave and sean goldman arrived in orlando on a charter jet. and were quickly whisked away, seeking some privacy, after months of media glare. and in the final hours in rio de janeiro, this show. instead of taking the discreet pathway that was offered in the custody exchange, sean goldman's brazilian relatives paraded the 9-year-old boy through a throng of reporters and onlookers. >> it almost made me sick seeing that. instead of that, they dressed him in a brazilian soccer shirt. and dragged him through the streets with a media circus. with the two lawyers, holding him and hugging him. >> reporter: despite the chaos, family members said father and son were able to reconnect. >> they were reunited. they hugged. and the bond was still there. and they were talking about sports and everything. so, it was great to hear. >> reporter: back home in new jersey, his grandfather waits, with open arms. >> i'm going to hug him. and kiss him. and tell him how glad i am to see him. >> reporter: for "good morning america," stephanie sy, abc news, new york. >> a custody case that's dragged on for five years and may now have finally have some resolution. that's the news at 7:06. now, back to times square, for more "good morning america." and now, it is a "gma" tradition on christmas day, to talk about the role of faith in all of our lives. we gathered a group of spiritual leaders from different traditions to talk about the importance of belief, in good times and belief in bad times, too. i'm joined by father edward beck. you know him as the author of "soul provider." novelist, francine rivers. and pastor max lucado whose book, "fearless," is in stores now. and pastor miles mcpherson, of rock church in san diego. "do something, make your life count" also in stores right now. this is something so important, i think, especially on this day. and it is a very difficult time, when you look at us at war. is this the eighth christmas we're waking up and we're at war? and the economy at such. how do you talk to people? what do you say to people when they're facing these kinds of times? >> certainly, right now, i remind them that we're celebrating the prince of peace. the message of jesus is such a radical one for a time of war because it's so counterwar. jesus was the nonviolent resister. the love your enemies. the turn your cheek. i think we have forgotten the radical nature of that message. when the angels proclaim the birth, it's glory to god in the highest and peace to his people on earth. >> i think of those who have loved ones that are in afghanistan, that are in iraq. and they are celebrating christmas. and their loved one is so far away, francine. >> we need to support our troops. send letters and packages. and their families, too. >> there's no greater love than a man can have for another man, than to lay his life down for him. that's what jesus did for us. and that's what the military are doing. jesus' birth so we could die. and they're out there putting their lives on the line for us. >> we see that people, yes, they want to have a job. but they don't, unfortunately. and they're finding a way to stay involved. and to give, father. >> well, it brings out of yourself. you can serve in a soup line. you can give an hour of your time. it brings you out of yourself. we're not meant here for us. we're meant to be called to service. >> the great thing about service, is you can serve out of your pain. there was a woman in church who had cancer. and during the chemo, she realized how hard it is to go through chemo. now, she administers to people in hospitals going through cancer. >> there's more intimacy now in churches. people want to break down and have smaller one-on-one time, almost. what does that say to you? >> the desire for community is really strong. people are wanting to connect. to have somebody with whom they can be honest. a place they can go and truly share their concerns and know they are known. and that somebody knows them. i think we're headed in that direction. >> you have more of a chance to talk to one another. and pray for each other. and get to know each other on an intimate basis. >> what are people in your congregation asking you? what are they talking to you about? >> they're frightened. they're talking layoffs at work. and slowdowns in the economy. upswings in global warming. you know, people are nervous. they're just kind of nervous. and i think what they need to be reminded of is that god uses difficult times to make better people. he'll take the challenges of our lives to strengthen us and to help us. >> this, too, shall pass. the good and bad. >> we have a homeless family here. a child born because there's no place for him to be born but in a stable. i think it gives some hope because we have a god that knows our human condition. has become a part of this human condition. >> let's give a gift this morning. what is it you want to say to someone? max? >> my message for this christmas is, don't give up. don't give up. make this the year that you hang on. and when you feel like you're just about to throw in the towel. go, no. i'm going to go one more round. one more time. i'm not going to give up. >> i like that. >> christmas is not about a present. it's about a person. and i would challenge everybody to be that person to someone. be a gift to someone. >> really go into scripture. there are answers there. and if you apply what christ is teaching us, it changes your life. >> we celebrate a god today who was born in a manger. and i think we forget what that is. but it's a feeding trough. >> yeah. >> like, this baby is sustenance for us. it's bread for the world. this is nourishment to be found here. it's not just that it was poor. but there's a symbolism here. when you're hungry, you can go here. you're going to be fed at this manger. i love that image. >> thank you all so much. we have excerpts of all of our guest books, on our website. and more on faith, at abcnews.com/spirituality. sam? >> thank you, robin. this is a bittersweet christmas for some of america's men and women serving the country. just weeks ago, president obama announced his plan to send 30,000 more troops to afghanistan. some are preparing to ship out right now. our andrea canning has a look at how they're celebrating the holidays and these last few days at home. ♪ >> reporter: for this family of camp lejeune, north carolina, the holidays are always a special time. but this year, they're particularly meaningful. as the family prepares to say good-bye to dennis, a marine sergeant, who will be deployed to afghanistan in january. >> we love to have him here. it's awesome to have him in the kitchen and have him holding the kids. >> reporter: this family is hardly alone. president obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to afghanistan in the coming months is affecting thousands of families this season. 1,500 marines at camp lejeune were supposed to be deployed before christmas. dennis says he considers himself among the lucky ones, to be able to spend christmas morning with his life and children before he heads out. >> you never know when you'll be here for the next one. is it facing the right way? >> yeah. >> reporter: now, for this family of eight, decorating the tree, making christmas cookies, is take on new meaning. jordan, the family's only boy, knows soon he'll be the man of the house. >> every now and then, i really want him home. >> reporter: across the base, the reynolds family is already dealing with the reality of afghanistan. jason, a surgery, has been there since october. making it difficult for the mom to get in the spirit this year. >> without the kids, i wouldn't decorate. i don't want to put anything up. the lights. that's all stuff that he does. >> reporter: life, now, she says consists of counting down the days to his return. >> they'll ask constantly, when is dad coming home? is it going to be summer? they just don't know. >> reporter: it's a feeling christy leanas knows well. dennis has been deployed three times to various parts of the world. but that, she says, doesn't make things any easier this time. >> my initial thoughts were, i don't think i'm ready for this yet. >> reporter: what the leanes family does know, more than most, how to make every moment count this holiday season. their hope, that santa is listening closely, when they make their christmas wishes. >> i want this deployment to go as easy as possible. >> what i want for christmas is my dad to come home safely. and that we can be together for next christmas. >> reporter: for "good morning america," andrea canning, abc news. and on this morning, our thoughts are with each and every service member and their families. robin? >> sam, thank you. every family has their own traditions. where to put the christmas tree to what you eat on christmas morning. and some were wondering how do families in other parts of the world celebrate this day? we asked our reporters across the globe to share some of the traditions with us. and here's what they found. >> reporter: merry christmas. i'm laura is a trackian. and the old christmas story drown from the bible, three kings brings the baby jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. the prized incense would cross the desert to be traded across the ancient world. the frankincense and myrrh, were as prized as the gold itself. special enough for a gift for a newborn king. >> reporter: merry christmas from nairobi, kenya. i'm dana hughes. in this deeply religious country, nearly all kenyan families go to church christmas morning, to celebrate jesus' birth. after church, they go home to sit down for a special feast. usually including goat meat, a favorite dish here. families here don't put much importance in exchanging gifts. many urban kenyons travel great distances to their home villages for the holidays. it's a long and expensive trip. just the ability to be together as a family is seen as the best gift of all. >> reporter: merry christmas from seoul, korea. i'm joohee cho. christmas is a national holiday. just like the states, the season is full of shopping, and events like this, picking the best dancing baby santa. but the difference here, koreans celebrate with friends, lovers or colleagues, in groups, rather than families. according to traditional families, group interests overrules individual interests. >> reporter: i'm alex marquardt. today is not christmas here in russia. the russian orthodox church uses the julienne calendar. religious holidays were banned in the soviet union. so, new year became a bigger holiday. that's when russia's grandfather frost delivers presents to children, in his horse-drawn carriage or sleigh. he is skinnier than santa claus. always at his side, is his granddaughter, the snow maiden. >> reporter: merry christmas from japan. i'm margaret conley. this light display is back after an 11-year hiatus. and this season, it has an eco-friendly theme. using low-energy lights and trees, there are solar panels, recycling machines and this synthetic ice skating rink. in japan, about 2% of the population is christian. and christmas is not a national holiday. here, it is date night for couples. and in these tough economic times, many do their part to help bring in the holiday cheer. even if it means santa trading in reindeer for rickshaws. >> ho, ho, ho. >> wow. all over the world. all around the world. >> talk about a tradition. how about a big crowd in times square for christmas morning? good morning, everybody. how are you guys doing? we know lots of little boys and girls at home were waiting up last night for the sounds of the little hooves on the roof. in the studio this morning, can you give me a big wave? yeah. very nice. i have a treat for you. in case you missed him last night, i hear that santa may be here today. >> really? is he here yet? >> did you hear that? what do you think about that? not too bad? sam, were you up last night? >> i was. >> what did you see? anything at all? >> no. but i heard some things. >> oh. thanks for playing along, sam. appreciate that. coming up, you got that, well -- that gadget you really wanted. but now, you don't know what to do with it. our technology contributor, becky worley is here, with advice on how to get the gadgets working. and more importantly, to keep them working. >> that's impossible. becky will have you figure it out. and also, how about a little music. darius rucker this morning. you know from hootie & the blowfish. but basically, this year -- >> at the cmas, he won two awards. >> darius rucker will be here this morning. perfect soundtrack. it's christmas. i gave him a second one. a perfect soundtrack to your christmas morning. come on back, everybody. ho, ho, ho. >> ho, ho, ho. camping is no fun... ..when your nose is raw and sore. plain tissue can make it burn even more. but mom knows there's puffs plus... ...with the magic of three. soothing lotion with a touch of shea butter, aloe and e. plain tissue can irritate the sore nose issue. puffs plus with lotion is a more soothing tissue. a nose in need deserves puffs plus indeed. and try puffs plus with the comforting scent of vicks. mom vo: at our christmas dinner, and try puffs plus mom vo: i make sure there's more than enough. mom vo: thanks to walmart i can feed my family of 8 mom vo: for $30 or less. mom vo: christmas costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart. crafted to be exceptionally smooth... decadently rich... delightful... chocolate... bliss. hershey's bliss chocolate. crafted for bliss. pediatricians trust children's tylenol. to help their fevers, aches and pains feel better. want to wish my family a happy holidays. i miss you guys. i'll be home soon. >> i just wanted to wish my mom, dad and my family a happy holidays. i love you. i miss you. i'll be home soon. >> how are you doing? this is specialist morris brown. i want to wish my family a happy holidays. i miss you. i'll be home soon. >> i'm lieutenant greg richie. i just want to wish my family and friends happy holidays. i miss you very much. and love to each and every one of you. good morning, america. >> hi. i would like to say season greetings to my mother. good morning, america. >> this is david schef, i would like to say happy holidays to my friends and family in texas and missouri. good morning, america. >> my name is first class sharon gamble. i would like to send season greetings to my husband, john, and my daughter, cheyenne. good morning, america. >> out here in camp tajj, iraq. i want to say happy holidays to my wife and daughter back home. >> i'm a marine sergeant with battery 212. i want to say happy holidays to my mother. my beautiful lady. i love you and i miss you. be home soon. good morning, america. >> hi. my name is scott berman. and i want to give a shoutout to my family. tell them i love them. merry christmas. happy new year. and good morning, america. >> we would like to send a special holiday greeting to our friends and family back in ft. worth, texas, and around the world. >> good morning, america. >> my name is second lieutenant bosky, stationed here in iraq. i want to send season greetings and holiday wishes to my family and friends in texas. >> i'm out here with 182, 1st division. i want to say merry christmas and happ and dad. love you, honey. >> i'm corporal kevin tomlin. echo battery 212, in camp fuji, japan. i want to wish happy holidays to everyone in america. especially my family. my brothers, kyle and eric. and also would like to say good morning, america. >> this is the soldiers of the 133 brigade in hawaii. >> our friends, families and loved ones, back at home. >> happy holidays. learn more at supportyourvet.org. ♪ milk and cookies on a plate santa claus is on his way ♪ ♪ the kids should be fast asleep but ♪ ♪ sleigh bells are ringing in their heads ♪ oh, my. darius rucker getting us in the christmas spirit this christmas morning. he, of course, is famous for his turn with hootie & the blowfish. but he has a new career as a country singer. and just won new artist of the year at the cmas. he will be performing "candy cane christmas." sam, where are you? >> i'm right here. >> this is sweet caroline. and executive producer, tom. andrea, over here. hey, baby. say hi. so, our family is here with every other family. who do you have? >> tell me your name, young sir. >> mike. >> and someone dressed just like you. >> tristan. >> and who is this beautiful young lady? >> nadia. >> yeah. and whose birthday is it? >> my birthday. >> sure is. who got presents this morning? who gets christmas presents? everybody gets christmas presents? who gets them? chances are you have one or two you don't know how to put together. our becky worley will help us figure that out. and emeril lagasse is here. no-fuss recipes you can make, as the kids are opening their presents. how is breakfast bread pudding. doesn't that sound pretty good. yeah. first, let's get a check of the morning's news. we'll do that first? >> let's get a big check of the morning's news. >> and good morning. i'm jeremy hubbard, with our top stories. we begin with new pictures of the taliban of captured american soldier, bowe bergdahl. in it, the man in sunglasses identifies him as bergdahl. gives his hometown of sun valley, idaho, and mentions his mother's maiden name. the lengthy statement includes an attack on u.s. war policy. police in kandahar, afghanistan, now say a bomb attack has left eight people dead. authorities say a horse-drawn cart filled with explosives, blew up outside a hotel, where many foreigners stayed. guards had reportedly become suspicious of the driver and opened fire. police say he blew up the cart after he was shot. pope benedict is not changing his christmas plans, despite a scare at the vatican last night. a woman lunged at the pope and pulled him to the ground, just as he was starting his christmas eve mass. the pope was not hurt. but a french cardinal fractured his hip. the vatican says the 25-year-old attacker is a dual swiss-italian national, with a history of psychiatric problems. >> all of a sudden, this person flew over the barricade. the holy father went down. and the security people were on top of it. the whole pile there. getting her off and pulling him back up. >> the pope's mass continued without incident. and this morning, he celebrated at st. peters basilica, offering traditional christmas day blessings from the balcony. snow is piling up in the middle of the country this morning. it is two feet deep in some areas. normally mild dallas got a record three inches thursday. to the north, in oklahoma city, there was 14 inches. its heaviest snowfall ever. blizzard warnings are in effect for nine states, from kansas to minnesota. many holiday travelers are still struggling to make it to their destinations after widespread airline delays. here's a look at the national weather. that storm brings rain and snow or a mix to the midwest. below-normal temperatures from the rockies to the mississippi valley today. 40s in the northeast, dallas and new orleans. 20s in boise and denver. finally, christmas day, a great day to shop online, after last-minute retail sales surge. retailers got the late boost they needed. today, look for online deals. that's the news at 7:34. now, a return to times square. >> thank you. opening the christmas presents is the fun part. now, the hard work begins. you have to actually make all those gadgets work. and we all know, it's not as simple as putting in some batteries. so, our technology contributor, becky worley, put together tips on how to get the gadgets working and keep them working like brand-new. >> reporter: ah, yes. your gadgets feel so shiny and new right now, out of the box. and then, in a few months, they're not. so, here are some tips to keep your gizmos and gear feeling fresh. maintenance tips, if you will. let's start with i.d. tags. sure, you can put something on your device in case you lose it. but i forever to put something in your device. i make a document that lives on the desktop. if found. and it has my contact info there. you can do the same thing with your digital camera. i print out a piece of paper that has my contact info on it. that's my fake contact info. don't try to call me. then, i take a picture of it on my camera. this is the first photo that lives on my camera. if anybody finds it, they know how to track me down. i do the same thing with the cell phone. take a picture of the piece of paper and make it my wallpaper. anybody can help me track my phone if i lose it. let's talk a little bit about cell phone batteries. so, when you first get your cell phone, you want to charge that battery completely up. and then, the first time you use it, run it down to zero. you want to completely max out the juice that's in the battery. that's good for the phone. you want to do that at least once a month. now, the same is true for your laptop. juice it all the way up on first use. and then, let it run all the way down. do that at least once a month. and also, don't run your laptop off of wall power all the time. every once in a while, you want to take that out and not just have it completely plugged in all of the time. now, my final tip is probably my signature maintenance tip. it involves a sharpie pen and a ziploc bag. when you get a big item. you get a bunch of cables and warranty pamphlets and stuff like that. you want to put all of that and the extra remote into this bag. and write the name of the device on top. especially remember to put the receipt in or the gift receipt, if you received it over the holidays. then, seal that bad boy up. and now, you can low it in that drawer that we all have. that's kind of a mess of pamphlets and menus from takeout restaurants. i know. we all have that drawer. at least then when you run into trouble, you'll be able to find all of the items that came with your big-ticket electronic purchase or gift. so, may your holidays be filled with gadgety bliss. and your new year void of a need for tech support. >> becky, always makes it look so easy, doesn't she? coming up, darius rucker gets us in the spirit with "candy cane christmas." come on back. from southwest asia. i'd like to send out seasons greetings to my beautiful wife, jordan, in el pass tpaso, texas. >> sending greetings to my mom and dad in savannah, georgia. happy holidays. 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["melt with you" playing] pure friendship. pure delicious chocolate. pure hershey's. after his big win at the cma awards. new artist of the year. now, darius rucker is here with a song, sure to get you in the mood this morning. here he is, performing "candy cane christmas." ♪ tiny little boots covered in snow ♪ ♪ apple cider warming on the stove ♪ ♪ tinsel twinkle everywhere holly hanging on the stairs ♪ ♪ this must be christmas eve ♪ ♪ angels sitting high upon a tree ♪ ♪ watching over presents patiently ♪ ♪ milk and cookies on a plate ♪ ♪ santa claus is on his way ♪ ♪ the kids should be fast asleep ♪ ♪ but sleigh bells are ringing in their heads ♪ ♪ twisting like little tops in their beds ♪ ♪ trying to sleep but it's no use ♪ ♪ with hoofs tap-tapping on the roof ♪ ♪ peeking out the window to see what they can see ♪ ♪ it's a candy cane christmas sweet as it can be ♪ ♪ the kids will wake up awfully early ♪ ♪ because they can't wait to see ♪ ♪ if santa made it so they can say ♪ ♪ look what he brought me ♪ ♪ sleigh bells are ringing in their heads ♪ ♪ twisting like little tops in their beds ♪ ♪ trying to sleep but it's no use ♪ ♪ with hoofs tap-tapping on the roof ♪ ♪ peeking out the window to see what they can see ♪ ♪ it's a candy cane christmas sweet as it can be ♪ ♪ it's a candy cane christmas sweet as it can be ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ mom vo: at our christmas dinner, mom vo: i make sure there's more than enough. mom vo: thanks to walmart i can feed my family of 8 mom vo: for $30 or less. mom vo: christmas costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart. pediatricians trust children's tylenol. to help their fevers, aches and pains feel better. ooh. >> now, how will we know if it's santa claus? what do we look for if it's santa claus? >> a red hat. and what else? does he have a beard? >> yeah. >> he has a beard. >> and a belt. >> and a big belly? does he have a big belly? >> i was going for the belt and the red thing. >> what do you think? santa's on his way? >> this is the moment you all have been waiting for because you've been so good. let's see santa claus. >> there he is. >> there he is. >> is that him? >> come on, santa. >> merry christmas to you all. all of the beautiful children. hello. hello. >> hi, santa. >> i'm going to see every one of you. >> he'll be busy. >> let me get in. hi. how are you? >> we have to sit for santa. >> can i get through? >> yeah. let santa get through. >> hello. can santa get through? >> the favorite man of the day. >> you must be tired, santa. you had a busy night. >> excuse me, sweetie. >> are those gifts and presents for everyone? >> well, they are gifts for the children. >> wonderful. let's start handing them out, santa. >> shall we hand them out? >> we have some, too, sam. >> you do. this is for a little one. >> i think the ones -- these are for older kids, too. you guys are like older kids. >> happy birthday. >> and those. i'll give you that, sir. okay. someone gets one of those. robin, can you dig your hand in the sack there? >> i got it. >> look at this. look at all these presents. >> that's for you. that's for you. >> and that one. >> my goodness. you got it, sam? >> i'll hold the bag here. >> i've never seen so many presents. >> we'll get you one. you're being so good. my, my, my. we're surrounded. don't worry. we have something for everyone. >> we have presents for everyone. >> a gift for everyone. >> here you go, sweetie. oh, you want -- okay. >> all right. >> oh, my. >> give you one. >> got to make sure everyone gets one. >> we're going to give everybody presents this morning because you guys have been great all morning long. and then, coming up, it's kind of a present for us, robin. chances are, once you've gotten through all of the holiday gifts and the wrapping and all of that, you have to think food. >> and who better to think that than -- >> emeril lagasse. >> all right. we have emeril lagasse coming up. hope you're having a great morning. all storage is on sale with red and green 17-gallon totes just $3.50 each! get great fall and winter aparel at 50% off., plus, 60% off all hoiday costume jewelry r and jewelry boxes. there's smart, and there's kmart smart. mom vo: at our christmas dinner, mom vo: i make sure there's more than enough. mom vo: thanks to walmart i can feed my family of 8 mom vo: for $30 or less. mom vo: christmas costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart. ( crackling ) you'll know when you're ready. 01.01.10. the special k challenge begins. get started with a free box when you buy one, now at specialk.com. all storage is on sale with red and green 17-gallon totes just $3.50 each! get great fall and winter aparel at 50% off., plus, 60% off all hoiday costume jewelry r and jewelry boxes. there's smart, and there's kmart smart. ...now feel that [ kick ] stronger, healthier babies. it's what the march of dimes is all about. ) mgmgtk0h president obama: i wouldn't have been at this ceremony every friend and neighbor-- "good morning america," continues with good tidings and merry music on this christmas morn. from the snowy scenes of the wintry west, to the balmy beaches of the sunny south. so, gather around, as we sing carols, eat some tasty holiday treats and spread the christmas spirit on this christmas morning edition of "good morning america." can we all say good morning, america. say good morning, america. oh, my. that's a scene replayed in family homes all across the country, no doubt. little wrapping paper amongst friends. do you like the gifts you got? >> what did you get? what is that? >> a penguin. >> what's that one? >> a bear. >> what color is it? >> blue. >> do you think he's cold? >> i don't know. >> i think if he's blue, he must be cold. there's one to be opened there. a lot more coming up on the show this morning. >> santa is working hard over here. you still have gifts to hand out? >> little ones. >> little ones? >> i see a couple little ones over there. >> where? little ones over there. there you go. yeah. it is december 25th. merry christmas, everyone. the two newest members of our "gma" team, george and juju, are at home. >> i feel tiny in the spirit here. what better way to get in the spirit, than having presents with the family this morning. but one of my favorite shows, and when my niece was young, we would go every year. it's "the nutcracker." >> i had a little too much eggnog. it's actually friday. but i said thursday. we have the perfect soundtrack for your christmas morning. performances from the brooklyn tabernacle choir. and yo-yo ma will be stopping by to fill your home and your heart today. after all this, you worked up an appetite. you have to be hungry. yeah? what sounds good for breakfast? emeril has the menu for you. let's get news and weather. we'll be back. >> good morning. i'm jeremy hubbard with our top stories. we begin at the vatican, where it's business as usual, for the pope this morning, after a scare. the pope delivered his christmas day blessing from the balcony, after an unforgettable start to last night's services at st. peters basilica. lama hasan reports. >> reporter: just as pope benedict xvi was making his way to the altar, a woman lunged over the barrier, and knocked him down to the marble floor. >> all of a sudden, this person sort of flew over the barricade. and the holy father went down. and all of a sudden, all of the security people were on top of it. >> reporter: moments later, unhurt, the pontiff got up and continued with his christmas eve mass. he began with a wish for peace in latin. and there was no mention of the tackle. it was a lucky escape for him. but not for a cardinal. he went to the hospital with a broken hip. this incident comes just weeks after italian prime minister, silvio berlusconi, was attacked at a rally, by a man who was described as deranged. he, too, diverted security. at the end of last year's mass, the same woman also tried to get closer to pope benedict. but she was quickly wrestled to the ground. in 1981, the world watched in horror as pope john paul ii was shot and almost killed in st. peters square. a turkish man was arrested. although the swiss guard has been guarding popes for centuries, the fact that this woman breached security for a second time, is a reminder of how vulnerable the pope is during public gatherings. for "good morning america," lama hasan, abc news, london. also this morning, military personnel serving overseas are on the minds of many americans this christmas. troopsizationed in iraq gathered and sang christmas xarms and in afghanistan, military men and women celebrated christmas eve mass last night at camp phoenix. there are new pictures from the taliban that may be of captured american soldier, bowe bergdahl. the 30-minute videotape was sent to news organizations today. the man who is wearing sunglasses, says he is bergdahl. he mentioned his hometown and his mother's maiden name. he read a statement attacking u.s. war policy. after a five-year custody battle, a father and son are reunited in the united states. 9-year-old sean goldman is in orlando, after flying back to the u.s. with his father. sean's brazilian relatives turned the boy over to his dad, david goldman, after a court order. his stepmother cared for him since his mother died last year. the obama is vacationing this morning in the president's home state of hawaii. it's their regular vacation spot and their first trip as first family. >> reporter: the first family arrived under sunny skies and headed straight to their hawaiian getaway. a multimillion-dollar house on kaialua beach. >> he's looking to spend some time, doing some things they've done traditionally over the holiday season. >> reporter: the president has no public events scheduled while he's here. so, this may be the closest many get to seeing him. still, a lot of locals are hopeful. >> a lot of people are like, he's coming back. >> reporter: mr. obama and his daughter stopped by island snow last year. they added his order to the menu. they call it a snow-bama. >> the orange. lemon lime. there it is. >> reporter: mm. this woman is on the lookout. a year ago, she saw the president on the golf course, after waiting for four hours. >> it was worth it. it was christmas eve. that was my christmas present, to see the president. >> reporter: the beach outside of the obamas' rental is world-renowned. but with so many prying eyes, this year, relaxation may be all indoors. for "good morning america," yunji de nies, abc news, kailua. tens of thousands of people in the philippines are spending christmas away from home because they fled the mt. mayon volcano. many people are reluctant to evacuate. so, the army has been busy telling people to get out and stay out. the middle of this country is still taking a pounding from a powerful winter storm. two feet of snow could be on the ground in some areas by tonight. oklahoma city got 14 inches on thursday, it's heaviest snowfall ever. and it will be another day of blizzard conditions and whiteouts from kansas to minnesota. now, the national weather. that big storm brings ice and rain to the great lakes region, the ohio valley and the southeast. below-normal temperatures in the rockies today, all the way to the mississippi valley. 40s in the northeast. a mild 77 in orlando. dry and 65 for los ang and finally, a thumbs-up this holiday, for an innovative traveler. frenchman jeremy maurie, has been hitchhiking for the last four years. his budget, just $7 a day. he traveled across europe, and africa. and hopped across the atlantic. this morning, he's in new england. at 8:08, you're up to date. we'll send you back to times square. >> all right. thank you so much. now, all around the country, families share in one of the beloved traditions of the holiday season. taking in a performance of "the nutcracker." whether it's performed at a children's dance recital or a professional dance troupe. here in new york, it's been running for 55 years. and this year, our juju chang got an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour, from two of the ballet's biggest, little stars. >> reporter: the most glittering ballet at new york's city lincoln center this holiday season revolves around two of its youngest, brightest stars. 10-year-old calli reef and 12-year-old lance works. lance and callie are students at the new york school of ballet. practicing up until the final hour before the show. in "the nutcracker," callie plays the princess. and lance, the prince. >> welcome to the new york city ballet. >> it's a behind-the-scenes look at "the nutcracker." >> reporter: on our first stop, we saw adam hendrickson practicing with his hoop. on stage, he plays the lead sugar cane. he offers us a try. of course, i let the kids go first. now, my turn. do you have a bigger hoop? how does this work? >> that is the biggest one. >> reporter: that's it. i'm ready for show time. next, the kids lead me down long and narrow holloways to find the sugarplum fairy, played by maria. the sugarplum fairy is the most coveted character if i young girls. >> i want to be the sugarplum fairy. >> soon you will. >> reporter: like callie, you grew up about being the sugarplum fairy one day. >> yep. and i'm sure you'll get to be the sugarplum, as well. >> reporter: it's time for our tour guides to get dolled up. here, every girl does their own makeup. and they all look like pros. but the hair? that's tricky. and the parents get involved, including the dads. and the boys, including the prince, need to hair and makeup. they just slip into their costumes. that's it. they have plenty of time to text a friend or play a game before showtime. the girls play jacks to pass the time. the costuming is a huge part of "the nutcracker." >> can we have maria and the party girls get the costumes on? >> reporter: all the girls, including callie, get dressed just 15 minutes before they go on. and it's the costume that designs the characters. from sugar canes, to angels, to party girls. and the mouse. >> here is the big, fat mouse. >> reporter: hi. i'm juju. nice to meet you, big, fat mouse. each character has a classic dance. jump, twirl and glide. wow. are you on skates? and here's their favorite part of the entire show, the battle scene. >> i love when i get to throw my shoe at the mouse because i like when i get him. >> when you're fighting the mouse king, it's a lot of fun. sometimes i get a nice, good stab. >> reporter: you like to stab the mouse. and you like to hit him with a shoe. you two are a violent couple. finally, five minutes before show time. >> we need lance and callie to come to the stage. >> reporter: my backstage tour guides are making their way to center stage. they show no signs of nervousness. it's a show they know well. and love. >> there's all the magic. and it's like you're being transported into a fairy tale. >> i always dream about "the nutcracker." when lance puts the crown on my head, because that's a really beautiful moment. >> reporter: and for a finale to this fantastic journey, the prince and princess glide high above the stage, above the winter wonderland. >> i'll tell you, juju is still talking about that. coming up, the brooklyn tabernacle choir performs a christmas favorite. hi. tech sergeant genie lowe. i'm here in kyrgystan. my dreams are going out to my family. love you all. i'll be home soon. and happy holidays. >> staff sergeant shawn emory, in southwest asia. want to say happy holidays to family and friends in maine. i love you. and i'll see you all soon. good little helpers. hey, what happened to all the icing? it was his idea. (announcer) it's the most wonderful time of the year, and walmart's here to help. with low prices on everything you need to bake something irresistible. you'll save 20 percent versus leading national supermarkets. christmas costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart. how simple it is to make sure his check was deposited in the atm. simple, indeed. deposit checks into the atm. get the images on your receipt. with bank of america i'm from fayetteville, north carolina, ...and i smoked for 29 years. the one thing about smoking - is it dominates your life, and it dominated mine. i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. it was very interesting that you could smoke on the first week. 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(announcer) talk to your doctor to find out if prescription chantix is right for you. here's a great holiday story, in the early '80s, the director of the church choir decided to make a little tape of songs for the church. that tape launched what would become the famed brooklyn tabernacle choir. they're here with us this morning, helping to spread a little christmas cheer. ♪ let the music begin the time has come once again ♪ ♪ peace on earth goodwill to all men ♪ ♪ it's christmas ♪ candles aglow the lights reflecting on snow ♪ ♪ look around and you know it's christmas ♪ ♪ hark the herald angels sing ♪ ♪ glory to the king peace on earth ♪ ♪ goodwill to men let the angels sing ♪ ♪ this time of the year filled with joy ♪ ♪ and holiday cheer friends and family come here ♪ ♪ it's christmas children wait for the scene ♪ ♪ for the gifts under the tree they wonder how ♪ ♪ long it will be until christmas ♪ ♪ hark the herald angels sing glory to the king ♪ ♪ peace on earth goodwill to men ♪ ♪ is what the angels sing ♪ it's all about christmas all about christmas ♪ ♪ full of love everywhere it's christmastime again ♪ ♪ peace on earth goodwill to all men ♪ ♪ christmas, my favorite time of year ♪ ♪ christmas christmastime is here ♪ ♪ sleigh bells ring are you listening ♪ ♪ in the lane snow is glistening ♪ ♪ a beautiful sight we're happy tonight ♪ ♪ walking in a winter wonderland ♪ ♪ far away is the blue bird ♪ ♪ here to stay is a new bird ♪ ♪ he sings a love song as we go along ♪ ♪ walking in a winter wonderland ♪ ♪ in the meadow we can build a snowman ♪ ♪ and pretend that he is parsons brown ♪ ♪ he'll say are you married we'll say no, man ♪ ♪ but you can do the job when you're in town ♪ ♪ it's all about christmas there's a feeling in the air ♪ ♪ all about christmas full of laughter everywhere ♪ ♪ it's christmastime again peace on earth ♪ ♪ goodwill to all men christmas, my favorite ♪ ♪ time of year christmas, christmastime ♪ ♪ is here ♪ merry christmas [ cheers and applause ] i'm senior chief doug waite. and i'd like to say happy holidays to my wife, renee. my son, little doug. dalton, cameron, sidney and miranda. i love you all. and i'll be home soon. >> hello. i'm lieutenant kelly stepton, currently stationed in southwest asia. i want to wish my parents in travers city, michigan, a wonderful holiday season. i love you and miss you. and wish i was there. our professionals hair care line. this feels great. very moisturized and shiny. - it shines like glass. - so soft. - smooth. i would definitely recommend this to my clients. then we revealed what was really in the bottle. it's suave professionals. suave, really? i'm shocked. i didn't know suave could do that. top stylists were surprised. you will be, too. suave professionals. salon proven to work as well as salon brands. suave professionals. rethink salon hair. what are you looking for? the hairbrush for a rapunzel barbie doll. ohh! [ female announcer ] holiday savings are still happening at walmart. starting this saturday, come to walmart's garden center and get 50% off christmas items. save money. live better. walmart. make that first step easier, th the nicoderm cq patch. nicodermteps you down from nicotine gradually. doubling your chance for success. nicoderm cq. three steps, ten weeks and you're free. welcome back, everyone. time, now, for a check of market activity, starting overseas. tokyo's nikkei average dropped 42 points today. hong kong's hang seng is up sharply in late trading. in london, the ftse is closed for christmas. it finished yesterday at a 15-month high, though. wall street also closed, of course. the dow finished yesterday at 10,520, after gaining 53 points. and the nasdaq picked up 16, closing at 2285. the obama administration has pledged to provide unlimited financial aid to fannie mae and freddie mac. the move lets the government bypass an emergency funds limit without asking congress. this comes just after fannie and freddie revealed that their top executives are receiving wall street-type compensation this year. the top executives are getting $6 million apiece. apple closed at an all-time high, above $209. the reason? there's a lot of buzz about an upcoming apple product, said to be a tablet computer. unconfirmed reports say, it would have a touch-sensitive screen, kind of like the iphone. but it would be larger, kind of like the amazon kindle. retailers looking for a holiday shopping surge, may have found it. there are reports that shoppers finally started buying, on christmas eve. waiting for last-minute deals. and several major retailers are planning to hold christmas day sales online, in hopes of turning around a sluggish holiday season. and if you're looking for some economic stimulus, you might want to start by counting your pennies. a new survey, commissioned by visa, found americans cannot account for an average of $21 in cash they've spent each week. that adds up to more than $1,000 a year. the survey found most people made their mystery purchases by buying food, eating out, or enjoying a night out on the town. i've had that problem a few times. >> i think we all have. >> [vibrates] g morning, sunshine. wakey, wakey. text me back. [chattering] [vibrates] hey. did you tell your parents about us? let's skip first period together. did you get all my texts? is practice over yet? where you at? are you with your friends? that's laaaa-mee. capital "x," lower-case "o," capital "x," lower-case "o," i love you. jk. i hate you. jk. are you ignoring me? we're in a huge fight right now. is it something i did? i can see your lights on. i'm coming over. this isn't a joke. what did you dream about? [overlapping] is it me? i'm lonely. holla back. holla back. let's try something new. nude pics. send me some. text me. ♪ no one's better than yo-yo ma when it comes to the cello, getting us in the holiday mood like only he can. gorgeous music to start off your christmas morning. there's more coming up in this half hour. i wanted to get by the little ones. this is your second christmas? >> first. >> first christmas? i thought it was your second christmas. it's your second. second. now, look at these little, precious faces over here. first? >> just a very little mess on the bib. very neat, mom, i have to say. >> this is what christmas is all about. number two, looking like santa, too. >> ladies, there's a lot of these outfits running around. do you know the other ladies dressed similar to you? >> there's only one. >> there's only one there. but there's one right there, too. you know these people? >> that's my sister. >> you do know them. tell me your name. >> alecia. >> erin. >> you want to help me throw to news and weather? >> yes. >> tell me your name. >> alexis. >> and -- >>. >> oria. we have lots of news and weather coming up this morning. >> i'm jeremy hubbard. here's our top stories. we begin at the vatican, where pope benedict is not changing his plans today, after a scare at christmas eve mass. a woman who was identified as unstabled lunged at him and grabbed his cloak and dragged him to the ground. >> all of a sudden, this person flew over the barricade. and the holy father went down. and all of a sudden, the security people were on top of it. a whole pile there. getting her off and pulling him back up. >> the pope was not hurt. and the mass did continue. and this morning, he celebrated at st. peters basilica again. pictures possibly from captured american soldier bowe bergdahl, released by the sal taliban. in it, the man says he is bergdahl. gives information about his hometown and his mother's maiden name. bergdahl disappeared in afghanistan six months ago. pakistani police are now sur pursuing terrorist charges against five americans. the five, young men are from the washington, d.c. area. and were arrested this month. authorities say they tried to join militants in afghanistan. for the first time in five years, an american boy is reunited with his father on u.s. soil. a private jet flew david goldman and his son, sean, to orlando last night. goldman won a court bat until brazil, granting him custody of his 9-year-old son, sean. the boy had been with his stepfather since his mother died last year. president obama is vacationing with his family in his home state of hawaii. no public events are scheduled. the president is planning to spend some time on the golf course, while his family has access to hawaii's beaches. snow is still piling up in the middle of the country this christmas day. up to two feet is expected in some areas by tonight. normally mild dallas got a record three inches thursday. to the north, in oklahoma city, there were 14 inches of snow. its heaviest snowfall ever. blizzard warnings are in effect today from kansas to minnesota. now, here's a look at the national weather. in addition to the snow, that storm brings rain and ice around the great lakes, the ohio valley and the southeast. below-normal temperatures in the rockies, great plains and mississippi valley and finally from us, the people at apple commuters may already know what you want after christmas. apple is expected to introduce a new product, possibly a tablet computer. there's speculation it could have a touch-sensitive screen that's similar to the iphone. but the screen would be much larger. they say it's somewhat akin to the kindle. and that is the news at 8:34. let's go back, now, to times square for more "good morning america." we can see you now. we can see your living room. emeril and i are looking right out there. we're seeing piles of wrapping paper. the next thing you're thinking is breakfast, probably. well, lucky for us that emeril is here this morning. he's going to show you incredible dishes that are quick and easy. you can spend all of your time with the family, out of the kitchen. and with this one, you have breakfast for tomorrow. >> absolutely. how was your christmas eve? >> very nice. tell me about the fish thing. >> well, it's like the seven fishes. it's, you know, a tradition. anyhow, i didn't get to seven. i made it to five. then, we had pasta and it was done. >> we're not doing fish for breakfast? >> no. >> good. >> this is a breakfast casserole. we're going to use croissants because they hold up well. you can guy them at the bakery. we rendered some bacon first. >> rendered it? >> we cooked it so it was crispy like this. >> just help me out here. >> it's called rendered, sam. >> all right. rendered. >> with the drippings, what we're going to do is take some onion. you can really do this ahead of time. it's really great. and we're going to add some bell pepper. and a little of my essence right here. creole spice. all right. you cook this up for about eight to ten minutes. >> okay. how do you know -- is it really until the stuff looks clear? >> yes. >> okay. >> and that cooking term would be translucent. >> we rendered the bacon. >> now, translieu sanucents. you can use some of the bacon drippings. or lightly buttered. >> oh, wow. >> we put one layer of the croissants. then, the bell pepper with the onion. just spread it out like this. i'm going to explain why we do this. a little bit of green onion. >> okay. >> enthen, what we're going to do now is we're going to make a simple custard. we have eggs. and i'm going to whisk them. >> good thing you're doing that, they'd be all over. >> if you would give me the milk. >> pour it in there? >> yep. >> all at one time. >> and whipping cream. >> oh, good. it's low-calorie. >> it's low-calorie. all of the presents we're opening here. >> you burned it off. >> sea salt in here. and more of my creole seasoning or the essence. >> that's going to give it the flavor. >> that's going to give it the flavor. now, put your oven on 400 degrees, if you're going to bake it now. we're going to pour some of the custard in here. >> custard is the cream and the milk together? >> and the eggs. that's going to hold it together. >> you top it with cheddar cheese when it's done. a yellow or white cheddar cheese, et cetera. it looks like this. you put it in the refrigerator. if you're going to do it ahead of time, put it in the refrigerator. it absorbs all of the custard. >> it all goes up in there. >> now, the bread is nice and soggy. put foil over it. bake it in the oven. 30 to 40 minutes. it will look like this. now, my friend -- >> a little jealous now, aren't you? come on. >> merry christmas. also, what we did is we have brown sugared bananas. that's like a bananas foster. you can do with apples or pears. really tasty. and, of course, i also made some spiced tea because you just want to get all warm -- >> isn't that great? >> yeah. don't change the croissant. use the croissant. it's so good. >> put the bacon in there. layer it up. >> you can find the recipes. >> where? >> at the website. >> abcnews.com/recipes. coming up next, the wonderful yo-yo ma. now, here's a holiday treat. there's no one like him in the world. the incredibly talented cellist. and also, gabrielle cabezas. how is that? there's a fancy name to the holiday songs. this is "the jingle bells." >> yes. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ give a little bit give a little bit of ♪ before we go this morning, it has been, as its has in every household, a chaotic morning. before we go this morning, we want to remind you because all of our staff and their families are going to help us with our coat drive. our one warm coat, one warm heart drive. you can do this by going to a burlington coat factory where you are. tell me your name. >> amy. >> and who is behind you? who is your name? david. who are you? >> ryan. >> ryan. very nice. and you, sir? >> frankie. >> who is this? you're being held and holding a coat. who is this? >> camille. >> camille, thank you for your coat. that's a nice gift. you can do this, as well. in case there's no place around your neighborhood to make the donation, if you go to abcnews.com/coatdrive, we will give you all the information. remember, these coats do stay in your neighborhood. >> look how sweet. this is a brand-new coat that someone just donated. >> thank you. >> our "gma" family. >> jessica. very nice. young man, what's your name? >> i'm frank. >> another new coat. thank you. thank you. thank you. >> thank you all so much. >> if you have a gently worn coat at home. if you got a new coat for christmas, if you don't know what to do with your old coat, go to our website, abcnews.com and we'll tell you all you need to know. you can help someone else have a wonderful, wonderful holiday. thank you, mary. he cannot be that big now, mary. look at that. oh. so gorgeous. >> thank you. thank you very much. >> we could keep going and going and going. >> and we will. come on. bring them in. >> thanks. we said it takes a village to put us on the air every morning. how are you? 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