As the climate crisis intensifies, global warming is now hitting the heart of holiday traditions — from cocoa to reindeer to snowy Christmas dreams. In the Northern Hemisphere, where wintry scenes are part of the season’s culture, rising temperatures are reshaping what “holiday classics” even look like. Snow that once blanketed fields is increasingly turning into rain, and warmer weather patterns are disrupting the crops that make festive favourites possible. Cocoa yields plunged to record lows as extreme warmth and erratic weather in West Africa — where 90% of the world’s cacao is grown by millions of small-holder farmers — spiked chocolate prices worldwide. Climate scientists now warn this could be a “new normal.” Other crucial holiday crops like sugarcane and cinnamon are also faltering under unpredictable conditions. Iconic Christmas staples like fir trees are suffering from warmer winters and pest outbreaks, while reindeer populations — symbols of Christmas lore — face potential collapse due to habitat loss and overheating. Even the odds of a “white Christmas” are shrinking as winters warm. Inside Climate News
Source link:
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16122025/todays-climate-holidays-christmas-classics-global-warming/
