Tens of thousands of faithful gather today for Christmas Day celebrations at vatican as pope francis delivers his traditional message. Last night the pontiff celebrated Midnight Mass at st. Peters basilica and urged the worlds 1. 2 billion roman catholics not to be in his words intoxicated by possessions and also sounded ary to right injustice. Today, american troops posted overseas are also taking time to Mark Christmas and remembering family members celebrating without them back at home. Heres nbcs Kelly Cobiella. Reporter it was a somber Christmas Day in afghanistan where they honored six Fallen Soldiers killed in a motorcycle bomb attack called earlier this week. Especially important here where we got the opportunity to remember those who we have also lost. Reporter more than 200,000 members of the military are spending the holiday far from home in 100 countries on every peninsula in japan to the middle east. 3,000 are in turk to and another 5,000 just arrived in the arabian sea and 4,000 in the african country of djibouti where they celebrated with a special feliz navidad. At military bases around the world they wiwi be served up a holiday feast today with all of the trimmings. Weve got about 500 pounds of turkey thats got to be cooked. Weve got 500 to 600 pounds of ham. Reporter a lucky few will get the best present of all. Oh, my god. Reporter ike specialist William Marlow and his mom marry. Nothing else i want in this world. Got everything i want right here. Reporter a surprise christmas at home with family. Kelly cobiellalanbc news, london. And we thank all them for their service. Severe weather is making for a rough christmas in the deep south. At least 14 deaths are now blamed on storms that hit mississippi where theres now a state of emergency in seven count its. Heavy rains are also drenching parts of the southeast. Meanwhile, seral western states got a White Christmas much to the delight of these kids in california. In the east theres recordbrereing warmthth washington, d. C. Hit 71 degrees Christmas Eve breaking a record of 69 set in 1933. New york city also reached 71 degrees, breaking a 1988 record by 15 degrees. Meanwhile, a tragic start to the holiday in chchlotte, North Carolina when gunfire erupted at a mall. Police say it began as a feud among a group of people who knew each other. An offduty Police Officer fatally shot an armed man who pointed a weapon in his direction. Well, santa may be restiti up after a busy night but fedex workers will be back on the job today. Company says it could not make all its scheduled deliveries on time Christmas Eve so they will they blamed the delays on t t weather and lastminute Online Shopping surge. A check of the weather now. Record highs in the east and temperatures 25 degrees above from southeast to new england and a frontal sysysm will bring locally heavy rain louisiana northward to west virginia. Flooding will be a possibility in many areas of the south today. It will be cool and pleasant for Christmas Day in most of the midwest. Chicago will see highs today in the 40s. Farther south dallala will be sunny and warm with a high near 70. A storm system moving through the west will bring a new round of heavy snow and gusty winds to the rockies. Up to 10 to 20 inches of snow is expected to fall today in the mountains in w wtern colorado while Salt Lake City could see up to 4 inches of snow. And well be back after this. Get to kohls after christmas sale starting 7am saturday with amazing early bird specials like 60 to 70 off plus an extra 10 off sweaters and fleece for the family take 60 to 70 off and 60 to 70 off sleepwear for the family save up to 70 on holiday trim plus buy more; save more take an extra 15 or 20 off these already great savings kohls after christmas sale staturday dont miss it kohls. Today that dropped a couple inches or so in some spots while only leaving a coating in sioux city. It was south of our viewing area near omaha that received up to 9 inches of the white stuff so, yes there will be some snow on the ground to make for a White Christmas, but Christmas Day itself will be fairly quiet, with perhaps some sunshine in the morning clouds and eventually a rain snow mix will move back in late tomorrow and continue into saturday leaving a few inches of snow in some of our northernmost areas. Sioux city should once again be on the low end of the snow totals as winds become strong saturday too. Sunday will be a rest day from the precipitation before another chance of snow next monday and tuesday. See graphics. All right. Kristen, thaha you. As you get ready to dive into its also important to remember the real reason for the season. His eminence Cardinal Timothy dolan made the trip from across the street. Good morning. A blessed c cistmas to you and everybody. Merry christmas to you. Thanks for the invite. Become a regular thing with us. I was thinking this morning youve preached a Christmas Mass so many times how do you make it fresh and how do you have it come alive for your parishioners . Christmas is always fresh. You could people could recite the christmas gospel from memory they have heard that a hundred titis. Always brings tears to your eyes. Theres a newness, a freshness there all the time and this year because we so crave the hope, the light and the promise, just the decency and goodness that christmas stands for because of what we see in the world. Iean, all the darkness, the violence, terror, the fear. People are saying im afraid. So when we hear to the angels say to the shepherds be not that. At my prayer theres we do the prayer for the people and you pray for the world. Where do you even begin and what should our prayer . The best prayer is to say dear god, you know our need better than we do, but you know whats good for us to articulate them because in doing thaha were placing ourrust new a a were acknowledging that you can bring healing that is way beyond us, so, savannah, sometimes just to say, lord, you know the troubles of the world as much as we do. Youre more concerned than we are over what your creation and whats happening to your creation and whats happening to your beloved creatures. All we can do is trust in you and would you give us the grace to be an agent of the mercy and healing that only you can give. I love having therefore conversation with you. Thank you. Because we all love christmas. Yes. And a lot of fun and joy and family traditions and eating and ripping open presents but how kind of get back to what really matters . Well, can we go back to the eating papa . Yeah. Cardinal dolan. All right, focus. For us, for christians, for catholics, the focus comes of who has to be underneath the Christmas Tree, n ne lit crib scene. Up until last night you have the beautiful crib scene of the manger the stable, the animals and shepherds and mary and joseph. Up until last night that Christmas Eve, the manger, the straw bed was empty. With christmas we put the son of god, the savior and messiah in there. That beautiful simple manger scene that was a gift from st. Francis of assisi, a 1,000 yearold tra dis. Thats the focus and you know where you can see it. Across the street att st. Patricks. 4 Million People who walk through the cathedral and where you can see it the most is in the eyes of the kid because right away they are magnetized by that. Like a baby, right . Thing changes ill agree with that. Yes. Nothing changes lives more than a baby. Nothing gives new identity more than a baby. You werent a mom and now you that baby. That baby, the son of god, geezus, he gives us an identity. He gives us a purpose. He changes and transforms our lives, just lake a baby does in a family. Theres focus of christmas. And i have to talk to you about your year. Pope francis. Ah. May have paid a visit. You were part of it, and im glad you were. What an honor and neat what are your favorite memories of that in. Let me tell you the favorite memory because i used at cathedral. When we were coming down fifth avenue, savannah, exuberant crowds, the pope was waving t. Greeting the hundreds of thousands from the pope mobile. Looking this way and all of a sudden he stops and turns to me and i said, holy father, theres st. Patricks cathedral, a, and he said its right in the middle of everything. You know what he meant, most cathedrals are on top of a hill, fenced off, in a park area, a little aloof and he turns and he says but thats whehe it should be because god is in the midst of his people. Thats what christmas is about, right. Emanuel, our jewish neighbors will tell us you know what that means, god is with us. Thats christmas. Thats my memory of pope francis when he turnrn and looked at st. Patricks cathedral and said oh, my lord its right in the middle thgs. Thats where god is. So ny people of varying faiths have been really touched by his example and his words. What do you think his visit hered to the u. S. Accomplished . You know what im amazed at and its been three months now. Most people wish they did, but most people dont remember his words. They remember his person ashe. They remember his gentleness. They remember his smile. They remember his gestures o o suffering and struggling. They remember, savannah, his humanity. Theres the meaning of christmas, too, because god takes on a human nature. Gods almost saying how can i get through to you folks . Know, ill send myy son as a babe, and thats what thats wh i think people comment about pope francis, his humanity. He also reminds us. Divine which isnt thats a great vocation. Not a bad thing at all, is it. I know youre up on all your theological reading, i dont know if you ever read the onion and they had a funny headline, pope nervous for annual Performance Review with god. That made me laugh. That will get you thinking if we all had our Performance Review. You have to go to reviews every time. Every time i go to a meeting they are kind of reviewing my work but ultimate review, of course, is with the lord. Hes our boss and judge. E. You bet he is. Christmas morning, merry oh. A medallion about the holy fathers visit to st. Patricks. You were a big part of it. Will you give one to matt. And tell matt if i see this on ebay he is in trouble. And you know ill be first to report it back to you. Cardinal dolan. Merry christmas. And your mom. I was so happy to meet her. So happy to meet you foorks. Matt, well send it back to you. All right, savannah, cardinal dolan, thank you very much. The holiday spirit hasnt exactly been front and center in the president ial race, but christmas does offer the candidates a rare moment to pause, rest and, of course, reflect. Heres nbcs hallie jackson. Reporter at the white house, not a White Christmas but a colorful one, a display that delights like no other. Its the holiday time. Reporter this years theme, a timeless tradition, one 68,000 over the holidays, many sending Season Greetings to troops overseas and honoring the once we lost. They say its marvelous that they are recognized for their service and that they have given their lives for our country. Reporter gold star tree, one of 62 trees at the white house, including in the blue room, the official one, 18 feet full of ribbon, notesf love and hope. Its covered from trunk to tip with messages from military families to their Service Members stationed around the country and around the world. Local students write their own messages, their big dream, hang g hanging, andhile you wont find snow dogs youll find two real ones, sonny and bo, both holiday hits. The little children exclaim five, four, three, to you from the seasons kickoff at the tree lighting. Merry christmas, evererody. To the first familys farewell before their a had aan holiday vacation, its a whirlwind few weeks at the white house, and on the campaign trail, too, as the Holiday Season meets election season. 2016 contenders celebrating with holiday cheerf their own. This could be the first christmas picture without crying and anger sglesh here. Showing off Christmas Cards from family and some from supporters, and in the carsons case its all about the christmas carols. We wish you a Merry Christmas we wish you a Merry Christmas reporter and if youre doing lastminute shopping, looking for the perfect gift, try a political present, ornaments, mugs, even hillary for holiday gear. For some candidates though all they want from sante sax a please read this one, daddy. The senator who saved christmas. This is a good one. Reporter still, any candidate hoping to make it to the white house next year will have to settle for now for the gingerbread version. Hallie jackson, nbc news, washington . And, of course, we wish all the candidates a happy and peaceful Holiday Season. Were lucky enough to spend the holidays of view of the worlds most famous Christmas Tree. Millions of tourists make the pilgrimage to Rockefeller Center just to catch a glimpse of that tree. And this year its a beauty, a 78foot norway sprpre that stood watch over four generations of the asendorf family to give their kids a places to climb and watch before it was brought to new york city adorned with five miles of light. Cant look at the tree in your yard and say where did the come from . Nbcs Kelly Cobiella decided to find out. Reporter the black forest in the dead of winter where thousands of years ago people decorated their homes with branches from the evergreens as a reminder of spring, and centuries later with Christmas Trees. People used to go outut in the forest to cut a nice tree for christmas. Reporter if anyone knows about Christmas Trees its maamford, a tree farmer for 35 years. This one is close to perfect. Had t has a perfect pyramid shape. Reporter here you can cut your own, not as easy as you think. It was a 16th century protestant preacher who brought the first tree indoors. Legend has it Martin Luther was strolling through the woods one december night 500 years ago branches. He was so magical he decidededo bring it home to his children with a real tree and candles for stars, but what about all the other decorations, where did they come from . A Christmas Market like this one is a good mace to find out. They used whatever materials they had back then. These cute little stars are made of straw and these are carved from wood from the black forest. Other decorations,gingerbread, nuts and back then tinsel was made real silver. After a fortifying sip of hot spiced wine im for a history lesson. Incredibly this small was one of the first to have a Christmas Tree in 1576. So this is sort of like a receipt for one of the first Christmas Trees. Yes, yes. Elizabeths german great great grandfather Prince Albert pictured on Christmas Card like this who started the worldwide craze for chrimas. Over centuries, our lives and the way we decorate our homes may have changed but the Christmas Tree has always been there lighting up our living room. Oh, yes, the lies. Remember the candles. They were started so many fires good old american inning out came to the rescue with the inception of electric lights, a bright idea that gives a clowe to Christmas Trees all around the world and to think it all began long, long ago with a tree in a forest. For today, Kelly Cobiella, nbc news, germany. The lots of trivia there which is good. Next cgcktail party you can unload some of the Christmas Tree facts. Very own traditional Christmas Tree and edge end has made by a shepherd girl after she saw the star of bethlehem. Called say that again. Used the glass because he couldnt afford the walnut and other things they used to decorate the tree. Coming up, a woman says its not love thats all around. Its angels and how shes turning skeptics into believers. And a look down memory line and how weve celebrated over years here on today. Nbc. Just ahead on this christmas were going to exchange our presents. Ill tell that story when we get that. And whether youve been naughty or nice theres something for everyone on our 12 days of hot chocolate. I like that. How we are doctoring uphe christmau morning your loca vo some call it giving back. We call it share the love. During our share the love event, get a new subaru, and well donate 250 to those in need. Bringing our total donations to over sixtyfive Million Dollars. And bringing love where its needed most. Love. Its what makes a subaru, subaru. Brandon thinks hellmanns is heaven in a jar. Thats because our ingredients come from. Farmers s mmitted to responsibly sourced oils. Blended with ingredients like cagefree eggs. Mmm. Heaven. Real ingredients. 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