Lifestyles

Four people in Boone County have already been diagnosed with influenza, and the flu season has not yet officially begun.

On Sunday, American and international families gathered at the International Community Church to sing carols in different languages, enjoy exotic food, watch a movie about the origin of Christmas and celebrate homeland traditions.

The social networking site has become a big part of how college students keep in touch, waste time and have fun. But more important, perhaps, it has also developed into a powerful platform for them to broadcast — or shape — their personas.

Between now and Christmas, Michael Flanagan, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Columbia, will once again see large numbers of parishioners lining up before the confessional. It’s the season of Advent, the time of repentance for Catholics as they prepare to celebrate the Nativity.

Like it has for just about everything else, the Internet has led to new trends in penance.

Web sites such as IveScrewedUp.com, run by a Protestant church in Florida, and DailyConfession.com., which arranges confessions based on the 10 Commandments, offer penitents a chance to forgive themselves through anonymous, online confessions.

Wearing gold sparkle eye shadow, a pink dress with swirls and a rhinestone-studded princess crown, Ashton Hall is having her shining moment.

For those who celebrate Christmas, the Christmas tree is as much a part of the holiday as Santa Claus. But how the tradition of decorating evergreen trees began isn’t so clear.

Ashish Sharma Pawan's handwritten records of 2,500 Hindu families date back 144 years.

Later this week, more than two million Muslims are expected to descend on Mecca for the annual hajj. The Rashids are one of at least two Muslim families from Columbia who will be among them.

Just like ‘Cheers,’ everybody really does know your name at Lucy's Diner.

When John Baker and others reflect on his ministry and how First Baptist has pursued social justice and a sense of community over the last decade, it is clear his work has tried to be consistent with the church’s heritage.

These easy crafts will bring birds to your backyard. Enjoy their company while they enjoy your generosity.

Santa Claus says his favorite part of the holiday season is choosing the right gifts for everyone.

Even the most successful people have failed at some point in their lives.

As Columbia’s population has grown, so has its violent crime, including sexual assaults. The number of rapes reported to police have increased in Columbia since 2004 — in contrast to a national decline — according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Hanukkah, which began Dec. 4 and runs through Dec. 12, is different from its neighbors on the December holiday calendar.

Muslims in Columbia have been without an imam since July, but the likelihood of finding a replacement before next spring is slim, said Ahmed Habib, chairman of the Islamic Center of Central Missouri.

Almost 70 years later, Superman is set for a homecoming of sorts — not to Smallville but through writer B. Clay Moore, who makes his home in Kansas City. Moore, 36, is part of a small but productive cadre of comic book writers and artists who are building on each other’s creativity and putting Kansas City on the national map of comic book creators.

This is the first time in several years that the Jewish festival of lights falls during the school year and not during finals week. For this reason, representatives of MU’s residence halls have decided to team up with Hillel, a campus Jewish student organization, to bring menorahs — and Hanukkah — to the dorms.