Lets get to a chur with nbcs Kristen Welker. Kiss ten, good morning to you. Good morning to you. Merry christmas, everyone. 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 a cry 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 spending the holiday far from home in 100 countries on every continent, from the korean 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 will 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 like 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 cobiella, nbc news, london. And we thank all them for their service. A rough christmas in the deep south. At least 14 deaths are now blamed on storms that hit arkansas, tennessee and mississippi where theres now a state of emergency in seven count its. Heavy rains are also drenching parts of the southeast. Meanwhile, several western states got a White Christmas much to the delight of these kids in california. In the east theres recordbreaking warmth. 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 charlotte, 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 resting up after a busy night but fedex workers will be back on the job today. Company says it could not make time Christmas Eve so they will try today. They blamed the delays on the 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 system 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 dallas 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 western 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 plus an extra 10 off sweaters and fleece for the family take 60 to 70 off outerwear for the family 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 starts 7am saturday dont miss it kohls. Wintry mix tonight into tomorrow before sunday gets breezy and colder. Road conditions are pretty good this morning, but we have some foggy and some not so much. Temps are mostly in the 20s this morning, but will couple of days. We have some clouds tracking through and that before the next system gets close enough by evening. This will then bring in a light wintry mix late tonight and will spread over the dakotas. We wont see much snow, but we in the mid 30s to around 40. Tomorrow morning the afternoon as all right. Kristen, thank you. As you get ready to dive into all the gifts under your tree 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 christmas 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 times. 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. Violence, terror, the fear. People are saying im afraid. We need some good news. 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 be . 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 that were placing our trust new and 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 and a lot of fun and joy and family traditions and eating and ripping open presents but how can we focus on this day and kind of get back to what really matters . Well, can we go back to the eating part . Yeah. Thats why we love you, cardinal dolan. All right, focus. For us, for christians, for catholics, the focus comes of who has to be underneath the Christmas Tree, name 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 at st. Patricks. 4 Million People who walk you can see it the most is in the eyes of the kid because right away they are magnetized by that. Nothing touches the human heart like a baby, right . Nothing 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 have a new identity because of 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 ah. May have paid a visit. You were part of it, and im glad you were. What an honor and neat experience. 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 looking this way and all of a sudden he stops and turns to me and says why are we stopping, 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 where 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 turned and looked at st. Patricks cathedral and said oh, my lord its right in the middle things. Thats where god is. So many 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 gentleness. They remember his smile. They remember his gestures of greeting those who are obviously 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 . I know, ill send my son as a babe, and thats what thats what 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 work but ultimate review, of course, is with the lord. Hes our boss and judge. And thankfully hes merciful. You bet he is. Christmas morning, Merry Christmas. 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. A timeless tradition, one 68,000 people are discovering sending 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, notes of 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, and while you wont find snow dogs youll find two the little children exclaim its bo and sonny. Five, four, three, to you from the seasons kickoff at the tree lighting. Merry christmas, everybody. 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 Cheer of 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 for some candidates though all they want from sante sax a storybook ending. 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 spruce 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 cant look at the tree in your yard and say where did the tradition of Christmas Trees 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 out 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 when he glanced up and saw the stars twinkling through the tree branches. He was so magical he decided to 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. Receipt for one of the first Christmas Trees. Yes, yes. Reporter and it was Queen Elizabeths german great great grandfather Prince Albert pictured on Christmas Card like this who started the worldwide craze for christmas. 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 Cocktail Party you can tree facts. Very own traditional Christmas Tree and edge end has it the very first straw star was made by a shepherd girl after she saw the star of bethlehem. And the first glass balls 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 Morning, secret santa. 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 up the Christmas 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, a subaru. Brandon thinks hellmanns is heaven in a jar. Thats because our ingredients come from. Farmers committed to responsibly sourced oils. Blended with ingredients like cagefree eggs. Mmm. Heaven. Real ingredients. Thats how were working to bring out the best. Why let someone else have all the fun . The sometimes haphazard, never boring fun. This all the time fun. The learning the virtue of sharing fun. Why let someone else have all t