this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. said the way up ininhe sky little lamb

a star, a star dancing in the night with a tail as big as a kite with a tail as big as a kite saiaithe little lamb to the shepherd boy do you hear what i hear? yes, wow! thank you, kids. >> it is christmas day,, december 25th, and very mr ri one to all of you. and those are the sweet sounds of the detroit arts and sounds choir. thank you so much. >> that is gorgeous. congratulations. we will have more music to keep you in the s srit as train is going to sing one of the very first songs off of their christmas album. >> and we have great ideas to welclce your holiday table. and you can make it so crowded are there to room for the potatoes.

a few hearty animals and not the ones from y yr book, but we will have the animals to help us open presents okay. whatever that is. and it is going to be fun. >> all right. now, if youou were u uble to make it to a nativity scene this holiday, we are have brought it to you. last december more than 1,000 people came together dressed as angels to create a nativity scene in provo, utah. >> they are in the guinness book of world rords for the largest, and they have joined withth the mormon tabernacle choir to capture a trulyeautiful moment. >> oh, beautiful. >> and sometimes we are t tking about christmas, and a lot of kids are probably at home opening presents, and that kind of stuff, but is there more to christmas? >> we found out by sending donna

kids what they think of when they think of christmas? >> going to church, and cuttingng down the tree. >> celebrating jesus' birthday. >> peace on earth. >> spending time with my family. >> being together with the family. >> and we always bake together and have a lot of fun. >> we play snowballs with our dad. >> i like to watch "frosty the snowman." >> i le to snuggle with mom. >> i want to give the kids toys and what they need so they will have a happy christmas. >> okay. how happeny are you? >> out of the mouths off babab. >> yes. >> and let's play a little game. >> okay. >> and this is called covered or uncored. and we will play some christmas sosos, and try the guessssho is singing it. not easy to guess. >> i get these wrong all of the time. >> okay. play with us. here is the first one.

things when the dog fights when the bee stings >> who is thth? >> plelee remember my favorite thing s things, and a few of my favorite things. >> kelly clarkson. >> she has a b butiful voice. >> okay. what can we get wrong next? >> joyful all ye nations rise -- >> okay. what's the next one? i'm dreaming of a white christmas >> it is a country artist.t. >> it aa duet. >> dixie chicks? little big town? taylor swift? it snded like a duet. is it just one. >> taylor. just taylor. >> i'm having trouble.

let's go on. >> how softly our christmas ships come sailing in on christmas morning. >> a a the next one? >>. o christmas tree o christmas trere >> it is reba. >> whereas fetty wap. >> and is there something called gift face? >> and now when you get a present and someone hands you a present what face do you make when you get what you are or are not making? >> you make this one. oh, i lovet. and ththe is a commercial out for the uk department store harvey nickels showing you what

>> i think that you will like it. mum, this is for you. and lizzy, darling, this is for you. >> oh. >> this is so they won't go stiff, and there is a hand towel in there. i knew she'd like them. >> you said that you wanted to read more. do you like it? >> this is even better than last year's. >> oh. >> i really do love it. >> oh, that is funny. yeah, yeah. would you rather not have a gift than to have one that you pretend, i mean, you can be grateful and not like sosothing. right, somebody thought -- >> i know, but don't you think of, this is exactly what is the perfect -- >> remember that gift i gave you. nevermind. >> but you know when you hand somebodydysomething, and you pined over it, and they give you

>> yeah. >> all right. >> so let's figure this out. you know how people say christmas around the world -- there joy, noel. >> and you are give inging them all away. >> and i only know the french. >> fa leezliz nav. >> this is italian. buon natale. there and this one, joyeux noel. >> all right. >> why is the person repeating everything? >> we are getting rid of the christmas spirit. >> and you know the rosetta stone, and trying to learn it. >> is that it?

>> that is swedish or something? >> czech. >> okay. way to go. never heard hello in czech, have you. feliz natal. >> oh, it is russian. >> is it portuguese. >> oh, good one. >> brazil. >> how did you noeknow that? >> because -- >> well, don't tell me. >> okay. the rere hodod is whatou are seeing on christmas day. oh. >> boldog ka are racsonyt. >> russian? >> no, it is something else. serbian. >> slovak. >> oh, that was fun. >> okay. any time you can make us look like complete idiots, thank you.

we want to thank luciano. >> you guys are all good? the singers and the dancers are all good. >> i hope that we are going have them sing again or they are going to be tired. >> yes, they aret at attention. >> and regis the elf on the shelf has been all over the shelves,@and some have their ogn elf at homes, to >> and they are all headed back to the north pole, and until next year. so we wanted to know about is some of the mischief. and lisa's elff likes to fish in the dog bowl. >> and ralph and scout made a zip line to the christmas tree. >> and this one went sledding on the chimney. >> jackie's elf star the enjoyed a spa day. >> and ashley welch's elf bruce spruce got into trouble with elsa. >> and kerry joe russell's elff

dark side. >> and jenny casilla's elf leaves a message and it read, "reaa bedtime story to your baby sister." >> ande look forwardrdo more of them next year. >> and it is a friday, and are >> okay. >> are where do snowmen go to dance? >> with where? >> a snowball. >> the kids from detroit are not even smiling. >> thats funny. >> all right. come on, you guys. >> okay. the next one. >> what do you get if santa goes down the chimney when the fire is lit? crisp cringle. >> oh, no, fake laughing.

favorite of parents and little heavenly joy did it for us yesterday. >> silent night. >> that is kind of like gift face. face. >> it is. >> yes, what's the difference between the christmas alphabet and the ordinary alphabet and is sort of a trick one. >> what? >> the christmas alphabet has noel. get it? >> cut away. all right. >> knock, knock, hoda. >> who's there? wait wait, i say that, and you say that. i say that. you say that and i say that. >> knock, knock. >> who's there? >> murray. >> murray christsts one and all. his name must be murray. >> thank you for applauding. >> and they get more lame every week. >> and your family will be comingng over, and how to make

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courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it. give now to the american cancer r ciety. what betterr day than christmas to invite choirack for one of his "god winks" stories. >> he is behind the series that proves that there is more to coincidence than meets the eye. >> good morn g toing to you, and merry christmas, and happy day. and this is coming from one of the "today" show viewers. kate in melbourne, florida, and she had been strugglglg with so many health issues that had kept her from getting anything but a part-time job at cracker barrel, but she was is the still finding

it was impossible for her to be able to afford the fly to her son's wedding, but kate kept her faith. she prayed for a god wink. so take a look at this one. >> i love my job at cracker barrel. as a cashier, because i love talking to people. but on the eve my son was getting married, i was feeling so sad, and then two cheerful flight attendants angie and ruben from southwest airlines came up to pay their bill. iisked them what route they fly. they said back and forth to vegas. so i joked, hey, if you are heading there now, how about straraing me into to a parachute and dropping me over phoenix, and i tolg them my sad story that i h to miss my sosos wedding the next day. they told me how sorry they were, and paid the bill, and

five minutes later, angie and ruben returned wring smiles. can you get tomorrow off, ruben wanted to know, we found a southwest buddy pass in our bag in the car. it is a complimentary standby ticket. i was dumb founded and i began to cry. all of the sudden, i heard, she sure can get tomorrow off. that is my co-worker katrina who volunteered to take my shift. angie got out the phoneneight there at the register, and bookededhe flight right there out of orlando and the next morning i showed up as a surprise for my son and my new daughter dauguger-in-law h. it was a wonderfululedding, and definite ly definitely the best god wink i ever had. >> oh, so that is a good story. >> they are all good. >> oh, good. >> and l lten, there is a follow-up to t ts story.

>> because when kate got home from the wedding, an ji the flight attendant called to hear about the wedding, but also to offer kate a job as a nanny for her two children, and now with two part-time jobs, kate can pay her bills and put presents under the christmas tree. >> oh, thank you, christmas squire squire. >> things sometimes seem hopeless in this world sometimes, but not today. >> not today. >> and how to set a beautiful

>> that is beautiful. why do i cook for the holidays? to share with family to carry o otraditions to come together, even when we're apart in stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and more, swanson makes holiday dishes delicious! ok, you're elbow deep up the business end of a turkey, and we're gonna serve sunday dinner off a counter wiped with jasmine sparkle? i got salmonella just thinking about it. me too. you want clean, get a cleaner with bleach in it.

dear strtrger, when i b bked your place,e,y friends thought i was crazy. but this morning, a city i'd never been to felt like home. thank you for sharing the world with me. airb. belong anywhere. the flu virus hits big. with aches, chilil, and fever, there's no such thing as a little flu. and it needs a big solution: an antiviral. so when the flu hits, call your doctor right away and up the ante with antiviral tamiflu. prescription tamiflu is an antiviral that attacks the flu virus at its source and helps stop it

tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people two weeks of age and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu, tell your doctor you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion, or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. anti-flu? go antiviral with tamiflu. it is christmas day which means it is only hours away from serving the holiday meal. >> are you singing again? >> it is the samam one. down at the five and ten >> if you open up the pages of

"good giftft and you can see that every table is set with design, and you can see that she did it with our very own decorator biancaborges. >> and you look so festive today. >> yes, it is the day. >> and setting the table is important, i've heard. i have heard the rumors. >> yes, it is. >> yeah, we worked beautifully together with andy when we did this book, and i tried to use everything that isiswe then the tick to my home. and these are my beautiful lenox beautiful christmas plates and the cignasignature way that i always do my napkins, and i like to do that and put itt there, and it adds a little height, but it disappear s disappears when everybody sits down. down. >> and another thing, some tables are so cluttered that you

>> and you want to have enough space for food. one of the main things iss that once you have picked the dinner plate, make extra plate and then di divide the food into two and put it in both ends of the food. >> so it does not have to go all of the to way around the table. >> yes, and the mashed potatoes and passing hot t avy iss notot easy on a table this big. >> right. it will get cold. >> and because you are dividing it into two, you don't have to have such large plates. they can be smaller to serve. >> andp appetizers? >> you put the food on top, and people will see that and start gathering, and of course, pouring wine will do the sasa thing.g. >> and also, the centerpiece there.

clusters of nowflowers and kathie lee did that throughout the whole book. >> it is a burst, but yououre not going to be eating the flowers, and set an ambiance, but not overtake the room. >> and you can still see the person across from you. but the center piece of food is very good with the nutcrackers and the clementines, because it gives people who need something to do who don't want dessert. >> check out "good gift sbooks.org and the proceeds go to help salvation army. we're only human. we... get... angry. out of control, mad to the core, angry. so cancer, you've got two options. get out of the way or get rolled over.

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sleigh bells ring are youthe iowa hawkeyes are e pending their christmaa in california for the rose bowl. the football team boarded their flight yesterday from cedar rapids -- surrounded by their families for the christmas eve sendoff. the players obviously exccied as they took picttes of each other and themselves -- to document the big day. the team will take on stanford university in pasadena on new

from california. you can join ron steele, mark woodley and the crew to keep you updated on the hawkeyes as they get set for their rose bowl now, let's go to eileen with a look at weather.

we are back on this christmas day. we hope that the all of you at

making memories with with family anan friends today. >> meantime w with, we are so thrilled to welcome in a group of kids who have per are fromm agess 9 to 13, and they have performed all of the way from here to the white house. >> andnd they will be joining felicia key with their rendition

feliz navidad feliz navidad feliz navidad prospero ano y felicidad feliz navidad feliz navidad feliz navidad prospero ano y felicidad i wanna wish you a merry christmas i wanna wish you a merry christmas i wanna wish you a merry christmas from the bottom of my heart feliz navidad feliz navidad feliz navidad prospero ano y felicidad feliz navidad feliz navidad feliz navidad prospero ano y felicidad i wanna wish you a merry christmas i wanna wish you a merry christmas i wanna wish you

from the bottom of my heart i wanna wish you a merry christmas i wanna wish you a merry christmas i wanna wish you a merry christmas from the bottom of my heart [ applplse ] we vhaveveot another holiday performance for you. >> from the grammy-w-wning band train. >> and they go wild for christmas. >> yes shgs, they do. we will have some amazing animals right after this. so i liked when my doctor told me i may reach my blood sugar anana1c goals by activating what's within me. with once-weekly trulicity. trulicity is not insnsin. it helps activate my body to do what it's supposed to do release its own insulin. trulicity responds when my blood sugar rises.

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tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and ananmedicines you take.. taking trulicity with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase your risk for low blood sugar. common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, decreased appetite, and indigestion. some side effectctcan lead to dehydrdrion, which may cause kidney failure. with trulicity, i click to activate what's within me. if you want help improvingour a1c and blood sugar numbers with a non-insnsin option, ask your doctor about once-weekly trulicity. and click to activate your within. glad forceflex. now even stronger to avoid rips and tears. be happy, it's glad. here's a little healthy advice. take care of what makes you, you. right down to your skin. aveeno daily moisturizing lotion with 5 vital nutrients for hehethier looking skin in just one day. aveeno .

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i love you. love you too. one minute. hi. hi dad. we need to do this, yes. you be good. letting go... don't say a word. it's a little easier when you've saved for college, with state farm. they say that the one thing that children cherish the most is traditions. >> and we will never break from ours, and that is why we are bringing you the one thing that we do every year. >> we invite animals to o en presents.

but here to help us is julie scardina from busch gardens and animals. >> i have brought you a beautiful surprise to start it off. oh, come over here. look at that. the bird of prey, but it is basically a predator, and the largest species of owl in the world. how much does it look like she weighs? >> ten pounds. >> not that far off, and she is about 6 pounds. she is mostly faeteather, and bones, so she looks a lot heavier. >> is she going to open up a present or no? >> well, she is going to fly in so we can bring in our next animal. >> and the packages, when are they coming? >> the otter. where is the otter? >> they knoww how the open up the

>> yes shgs, yes, there they ar >> oh,y gosh! >> there must be food in there. >> there are lots of treatsts >> they are never coming out. >> and which presents have treats and whichnes don't. they keep going all around. >> oh, oh! >> these two were orphan eded in the wild, and because they were raised by someone who thought they could be, they got to be 6 months old, they said that otters are like on steroids, so they actually turned them in and said that we can't care for them anymore. >> od-bye,good-bye. stay right in there, baby. >> and there goes another one. >> there are more presents. >> over here. >> right over here. >> yes, he going to bebeetting a l of the treats. >> and you k kw, in a weird way, you could watch that for hours. >> yes. >> what is next? >> christmas iabout porcupines, right? >> oh, yes.

this is a baby african crust porcupine porcupine. you want to hold this? >> i am not sure. >> and this is one of his favorite treats, and so right now, they get pretty big. this is only 3 m mths old. d you will see in a minute, but it isst rodent. they are punting wallrare pung chew -- punctual

eyes open. and look at this. >> what is that? >> oh, they are so beautiful. >> the macaws. >> they don't even look real they are so beautiful. merry christmas to everybody. >> look at the treat inside. >> they look in with their little eyeballs. >> whoa! >> e erybody okay? >> okay. and a happy new year. >> okay. when we come back, we will have music from the grammy award-winning band train. your body was made for better things than rheumatoid arthritis. before you and your rheumatologist move to a biologic, asif xeljanz is right for you. xeljanz is a small pill for adults with moderate to severe ra for whom methotrexate did not work well. xeljanz can reduce joint pain and swelling in as little as two weeks, and help stop further joint damage. xeljanz can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis.

lymphoma, and other cancers have happened. don't start xeljanz if you have an infection. tears in the stomach or intestines, low blood cell counts, and higher liver tests and cholesterol levels have happened. your dtor should perform blood tests before you start and while taking xeljanz, and monitor certain liver tests. tell your doctor if you were in a region where fungal infections are common, and if you have had tb, hepatitis b or c, or are prone to infections. xeljanz can reduce the symptoms of ra, even without methotrexate. ask your rheumatologist about xeljanz. we're only human. we... get... angry. out of control, mad to the core, angry. so cancer, you've got two options. get out of the way or get rolled over. anger. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it.

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the citi concert series on today is proudly presented to you by citi. >> we will keep the christmas day right on track with a little festive music from the grammy

>> this is awesis off of their first christmas album. this is train. there's a story that i was told and i want to tell the world before i get too old and i don't remember it so december it and reassemble it once upon a time in a town like this a little girl like this made a great big wish to fill the world full of happiness and be on santa's magic list shake up shake up for happiness shake it up shake it up wake up to happiness come on come on it's christmastime shake it up shake up happiness

to happiness come on y'all it is christmastime and million miles away a little boy made a wish that the world would be okay and santa claus was here to stay i got dreams and i got love i got my feet on the ground and family above and won't you give them happiness and the best to the people of the east and the west and maybe every once in a while you give my grandma a reason to smile 'tis the season to smile and though we will be freezing inside and let me meet a girl one day who wants to spread some love this way and we can let our souls run free and she can open some happiness with me shake it up shake up the happiness waking up wake up to happiness come on come on it's christmastime

shake it up to happiness wake up wake up to happiness come on y'all it is happiness i know you're out there i hear your reindeer i see the snow where your boots have been i'm going to surely know that someday they will know that their love will glow and make believe again waking up to happiness come on y'all it's christmastime shake it up shake up to happiness wake it up wake up to happiness come on y'all

na na na-na-na yeah yeah yeah we have something special to share.

next week, two of our favorite ladies bernadette peters and jane krakawski will be joining us. >> and we will have more music. >> and everything that you need to know about the new year from what to serve and the hottest trends. >> and before we go, we want to look back at all of the great moments this year. >> and all of the pele who happen. >> thank you all very much, and have a very merry, christmas, everyone. >> yes.

if you like living livin like everyday is today today today today is christmas and we've been living like living like everyday is i'd like to take the holidays to make it good and jingle jingle and we don't need to need a lot to feel jingle jingle it always takes a little spark to ignite and you will go jingle jingle grab the one you love and hold on to them tight and go jingle, jingle today today today is christmas

like everyday is today today today today today is christmas if we are living like living like living like everyday is down in your pocket you got something to give it goes jingle jingle and down in your heart make some room to give and go jingle jingle and we have heard that the wins will wave when you go jingle jingle today today today is christmas

like living like everyday is >> merry christmas. >> go, hoda. >> show us what you got now. today today today today is christmas ohf the we like living like living like living like every day is so let's live it like living like everyday is >> ooh! from now on there's no looking back only full steam ahead on this one-way track and from this day forward ly make a promise to be true to myself and always be honest

ly do what's right i will do what's rightht when i step outut on the ledge for the rest of our lives i'm on top of the world and touch tonight and tonight and touch the sky tonight and for the rest of our lives we will be on top of the world hey hey the rest of our lives and we are touching the sky

the rest of our lives noon... if you plan on buying rose bowl tickets -- watch out for scams. and ow on the ground this

for the weekend?

test. >> annonocer: today on the meredith vieira show.