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Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You (Official Video)

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100+ CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS FOR ANYONE 2023! *ultimate gift guide* under $25, $50, $75, & $100+

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How Christmas 2023 can affect the stock market (news article)

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How Christmas 2023 can affect the stock market (news article)

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The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) closes for 10 holidays in 2023, and the Nasdaq Stock Market follows the same schedule. The exchanges do not observe Veterans Day, but even if they did their schedules would not be affected as this year the holiday falls on a Saturday, an off-day for trading.

Here is the 2023 holiday schedule for the NYSE and Nasdaq:

New Year's Day: Monday, Jan. 2 (observed)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, Jan. 16

Washington's Birthday: Monday, Feb. 20

Good Friday: Friday, April 7

Memorial Day: Monday, May 29

Juneteenth National Independence Day: Monday, June 19

Independence Day: Tuesday, July 4

Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 4

Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov. 23

Christmas: Monday, Dec. 25

The exchanges, which typically operate from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. E﻿T on business days, will close early (at 1 p.m.) on the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, and on Christmas Eve.

Bond market and bank holidays differ

Bond traders follow a different holiday calendar under guidelines set by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, a trade group that represents securities firms, banks and asset management companies.. U.S. bond markets close on 9 of the 10 days the stock exchanges are silent (all but Good Friday) and also close for Columbus Day. Like the stock exchanges, they do not observe Veterans Day.

The bond markets have six scheduled early closures in 2023. The remaining early closures this year are at 2 p.m. ET on Black Friday and the last business days before Christmas and New Year's Eve (Dec. 22 and 29, respectively).

The stock market calendar also differs from the Federal Reserve System holiday schedule followed by most U.S. banks. The Fed observes Columbus Day and Veterans Day, does not take Good Friday off and does not have any formally scheduled early closing days.

Stock exchanges rarely sleep for long

Except in rare circumstances, three-day holiday weekends are the longest time the stock market goes quiet. The exchanges have closed for more than three days running only a handful of times in the past century, most recently during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

The three-day limit is not a formal policy, but rather a rule of thumb that prevents "investor angst" from building up during an extended down period and creating volatility when the market reopens, says Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at the investment research firm CFRA.

"There's an old saying that bull markets take the escalator while bear markets take the elevator," Stovall says. "Since fear is a greater motivator than greed, I think investors don﻿'t want to be denied access to their money for too long. Otherwise they end up taking money off the table, especially if some unnerving event occurred while the exchange was closed."

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Stock Market Holidays 2023: Are NYSE and Nasdaq Open?

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Here are the dates for 10 holidays when the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq are closed in 2023.

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Nativity scene depicted using Christmas lights

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The Lights of Christmas Blog - Holiday stories inside!

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Read the latest news about The Lights of Christmas and plan your trip to this perfect holiday destination. The event opens this year the day after Thanksgiving.

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Holiday Lights in Tucson 2023 | TucsonTopia

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Best places in Tucson to see holiday light displays. Neighborhoods with outstanding Christmas decor, light-up events at local attractions, parades, etc.

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For over 60 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa's flight. Follow Santa as he makes his magical journey!

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These Gingerbread Men are the ultimate Christmas cookies! This recipe yields soft, yet firm gingerbread cookies that are perfectly spiced, buttery, and hold their shape beautifully. Top them off with my foolproof icing that makes plenty for decorating, and you've got yourself a fun holiday activity for the whole family. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Perfect Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas cookie season is here, and I can't think of a cookie that's more festive than gingerbread men.

With their adorable icing faces and candy bowties and buttons, they're almost always the cutest cookies on the tray-but they're not always the most tasty. Many recipes call for loads of flour to make the very sticky dough (a byproduct of using molasses) more manageable, but this often leads to dull, dry cookies that just don't taste great.

While my recipe takes a little bit more patience, I simply chill my dough for a few hours, which guarantees gingerbread men that are easy to make and flavorful.

These cookies are soft and perfectly spiced in a way that's not overwhelming, but still distinctly gingerbread -flavored. Besides their perfect blend of spices, they have a subtle buttery note that adds richness and balances everything out beautifully. Like my well-loved sugar cookies, my gingerbread cookies maintain their shape while baking, so they're perfect for precise cut-out shapes. Even better, they don't get too hard (like gingersnaps); instead, the centers are firm, but ultimately melt in your mouth.

I'm confident you're going to love them, so let's get to it!

What You Need for Gingerbread Men

These gingerbread cookies are easy to make and so flavorful! Let's touch on a few of the key ingredients in the cookies:

Butter. Use unsalted and make sure it's softened, but not melty.

Brown sugar. You can use either light or dark brown sugar. Dark brown will add a stronger flavor, so just keep that in mind.

Molasses. This is an essential gingerbread ingredient! It adds color, flavor, and moisture. Look for molasses that says "unsulphered" on the label and avoid blackstrap molasses, which could make the cookies bitter.

Egg. Just one egg helps bind our dough together.

Flour. Use all-purpose flour, and don't be afraid to add extra when you're rolling your dough (it will be sticky). Note: I've increased the flour just a little bit (about ¼ cup) compared to my original recipe that was published several years ago.

While you could always use royal icing, I prefer to frost my gingerbread men with the same easy icing I use for my sugar cookies. It's super simple, and it tastes much better than royal icing! Here's what you need:

Powdered sugar. Sift your powdered sugar before using it to avoid any lumps.

Milk. Pretty much any kind of milk will work here.

Corn syrup. Not to be confused with high fructose corn syrup, this ingredient can be left out (you might need a splash more milk) but your icing won't dry as quickly, as shiny, or as well, unfortunately.

Vanilla. Just a splash of vanilla extract adds a nice smooth flavor.

Sprinkles/decoration. Use whatever you like! Or skip the sprinkles and just do some fun icing decorations.

SAM'S TIP: Many have asked if this recipe can be used to make a gingerbread house instead of gingerbread men. While I haven't tried it myself, I think it should work as long as you keep your house small and simple. The cookies bake up with crisp edges but somewhat tender middles, so if the house is too big, it may not hold up structurally.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Gingerbread Men

1. Beat together butter, sugar, and molasses and then stir in an egg and vanilla extract.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually stir them into the wet ingredients. You'll have a sticky dough, wrap it tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

3. Generously flour a clean surface and use a rolling pin to roll your dough until it is ¼″ thick.

4. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Gather scraps and re-roll your dough to cut out as many cookies as you can, and bake for 8-10 minutes.

SAM'S TIP: This dough will be VERY sticky once you've mixed it all together-this is normal! To make it more manageable, chill it for several hours. Some recipes would instead call for more flour to minimize the wait, but I don't prefer this because it can make the cookies hard, dry, and much less flavorful. Chilling our dough allows us to let that buttery, perfectly spiced gingerbread flavor shine!

This icing recipe makes a bit more than you typically need so you can have fun decorating your gingerbread men! If you don't need a lot of icing, simply make a half batch.

1. Combine icing ingredients with a whisk, starting with only two tablespoons of milk. You'll know its ready when you hold your whisk out of the bowl and the ribbon of icing that falls down hold its shape for several seconds before dissolving into the rest of the bowl. If your icing is too thick at this stage, add the remaining milk. If it's too thin, add some more powdered sugar.

2. Transfer icing to a piping bag and decorate! Let the icing harden before enjoying (or don't, I don't judge!).

SAM'S TIP: To make the icing in advance, simply store in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap against the surface. You can either refrigerate it or keep at room temperature, but just make sure to stir again before using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should gingerbread cookies be hard or soft?

This is really a personal preference, but I prefer my gingerbread men to be softer with crisp, well-defined edges and chewy, melt-in-your-mouth interiors. If you like dry, crisp gingerbread cookies, this recipe may not be for you.

Are gingerbread cookies the same as gingersnaps?

No! Gingersnaps are typically very crisp (although I do have a soft and chewy version) and have a different spice profile. Gingersnaps have no nutmeg, more ginger, and less cinnamon, plus a few extra spices that differentiate them from gingerbread men. I add both cayenne and black pepper to my gingersnaps to give them a slight heat, which my gingerbread men don't have.

Why is molasses used in gingerbread men cookies?

Molasses adds flavor, color, and moisture. It's an essential ingredient for gingerbread and gingerbread men, so don't skip it! I typically to use "Grandma's" or "Brer Rabbit" brand.

Enjoy!

More Recipes You Might Like
Let's bake together! I'll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

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Gingerbread men are the ultimate Christmas cookies! This recipe makes soft cookies that are perfectly spiced, buttery, and hold their shape.