Holidaze

LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates just did their best Santa Claus impersonations ... gifting an entire room full of kids with brand new bicycles for the holidays!!!

The two Chargers legends hit up an L.A.-area school earlier this week for the sweet gesture ... and video of their surprise visit is AWESOME.

You can see in the footage, Tomlinson came out to the crowd of kids first with a new set of wheels and a Chargers helmet -- while Gates followed suit with a ride of his own shortly after.

It appeared the Bolts duo was only going to give out the two bikes -- but, when an official announced EVERYONE would be getting one, the kids lost their minds!!

Check out the vid, the youngsters clapped, cheered, and even high-fived the former star running back and tight end.

The Chargers -- who used to play in San Diego during Gates' and LT's time with the team -- tweeted out, "Oprah, this one's for u."

Of course, Gates and LT were teammates in San Diego from 2003-2011 ... and the two created magic on the field at their respective positions.

The dynamic duo worked well together -- leading the Bolts to the playoffs multiple times -- and this latest moment with the kids is further proof that chemistry is still going strong.

Santa Claus can pass up Philadelphia ... Meek Mill's got his hometown covered for the holidays, as he gives away more than half a million bucks worth of some fire gifts!!!

TMZ has learned Meek's planning to hand out a massive sack full of gifts for families in need this weekend -- things like bikes, video game gift cards, laptops, tablets, dolls and much more.

The Philly-born and raised rapper's getting his friends to kick in too -- Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Sixers partner Michael Rubin and Meek's managers at Roc Nation are supporting the huge gift giveaway.

The event, set for this coming Sunday, will be a more up close and personal giveaway than Meek could pull off last year during the pandemic. You might recall this heartwarming moment -- he had gifts delivered, surprising the families ... but could only video chat with them.

"Home Alone" star Devin Ratray -- who played Buzz McCallister in the flick -- had a spat with his girlfriend that got so bad ... someone called the cops to get things under control.

Law enforcement sources tell us they were called to a Hyatt near downtown OKC earlier this week for a domestic dispute between Ratray and his girlfriend.

Ratray's rep says the two got into a verbal argument, nothing physical, and things were so nasty the two broke up. The rep would not say what the argument was about.

Cops tell us things were sorted out once Devin and his gf decided to go their separate ways for the night -- she got a separate room -- and no one was arrested.

Of course, Ratray will live in classic Christmas movie infamy as Buzz, who tormented his little brother Kevin (played by Macaulay Culkin) for years to come. The actor recently revealed to People that there was a possible "Home Alone" reunion in the works ... but unclear if this hiccup will derail that project.

For what it's worth, "Home Alone" fans looking to relive their childhood fantasies can participate in an upcoming raffle to stay a night in the famous McCallister home thanks to Airbnb.

Jingle Ball 2021 did not disappoint ... lots of big stars showed up, but COVID reared its ugly head after the show.

Nick, Joe and Kevin -- aka the Jonas Bros -- performed, along with Dixie D'Amelio, Ed Sheeran, Saweetie, Bazzi, Tate McRae and Kane Brown. It was super glitzy and as far as what happened on stage ... it seems flawless. But, the virus took its toll, sidelining one of the big stars of the night.

Jimmy Fallon hosted the shindig at Madison Square Garden.

Lil Nas X performed some of his biggest hits including "Industry Baby," "Old Town Road," and "(MONTERO) Call Me By Your Name." Shortly after the concert wrapped, Capital's Jingle Bell Ball shared the upsetting news that Nas and Coldplay will no longer be performing at their scheduled shows. Someone on both of their crews tested positive for COVID. Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran will be playing extended sets on their respective nights.

ArrDee and Tom Grennan will also perform in place of Nas and Coldplay this weekend at the London event.

This news comes after Doja Cat announced that she will no longer perform at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball stops in NYC and Boston this weekend after members from her production team tested positive for COVID.

"We recently learned that a few members on my production team have tested positive for Covid 19 and are now on quarantine," reads the message posted on her socials.

Sleighbells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening ... and these stars are a beautiful sight and happy to be bundled up tonight!

Chilly celebrities -- like Nina Dobrev, Kendall & Kylie Jenner, Martha Hunt and Khalid -- are sharing their favorite freezing photos while taking a walk in a winter wonderland this season!

Celine Dion, Donald Faison, and Chelsea Handler are just a few other frosty faces sharing their fresh powder pics!

So, before you turn down building a snowman, click through this gallery of stars stuck in the snow making the best of being left out in the cold!

Colts star Darius Leonard became the real Santa Claus for kids in Indianapolis ... by bringing them on a holiday shopping spree!!

Leonard teamed up with Walmart for his first "Shop With a Jock" event ... where 50 lucky kids from the Boys & Girls Club in Indy got to go shopping with the linebacker with $100 gift cards for the store.

The special moment was caught on camera -- Leonard walked down each aisle at the local Walmart with the kids who picked out gifts like clothes and toys.

After that, they got to eat Papa John's pizza with Leonard and his teammates!!

One kid told WTHR he was so surprised he was shopping with an NFL star ... saying, "A football player in front of my eyes!" ... How adorable is that?!?

Leonard loved every minute of it -- saying he knows what it's like not getting much during the holidays, so he wanted to make a difference.

"I knew what it was like as a kid not really having too much up under the tree so just being able to come out and just be in these kids' faces -- now, they can go out and just shop and get whatever they want."

Leonard added, "They gonna remember this for the rest of their lives. Just tryna make a change in this world."

Leonard -- who has 8 siblings and 2 children of his own -- has been with the Colts since 2018 and the 2-time Pro Bowler has made over $29 million.

"Seeing the smiles on these kids faces is the reason why I do what I do!"

Dak Prescott is one of the best QBs in the NFL and apparently one of the best teammates, too -- 'cause he just gifted his squadmates with pairs of sick, Cool Grey Jordans!!

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jabril Cox revealed the present on his social media page ... showing off the feet heat while thanking his team's signal-caller.

"Bless you 4Dak," Cox said while opening the box.

In the note on the shoes, Prescott -- who signed a deal mega deal with Jordan brand this offseason -- wrote to his teammates, "Thankful for you this holiday season." He also autographed the paper.

Of course, the gift is going to be well received in the locker room -- the Jordans have yet to be released to the public, and they'll no doubt be hard to obtain when they eventually drop this week.

The shoes will retail for $225 -- but they'll almost certainly go for way more than that on resale sites ... so, dope gift for sure, Dak.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas -- a very smoky one -- after someone torched the tree outside the FOX News building ... and cops already have a suspect in custody.

NYPD arrested a homeless man they believe acted alone in setting the 50-foot tree ablaze early Wednesday morning. No one was injured, and FDNY put out the fire pretty quickly, still ... we're told smoke filled the office building.

The tree had been decorated with 10,000 ornaments, and its 100,000 lights were just turned on Sunday during an on-air lighting ceremony.

The flames damaged three other nearby trees decorated with Christmas lights ... but luckily, there were no injuries reported.

Crews are already taking down what's left of the burned-out tree, and FOX has plans to install and decorate a new one ASAP.

Not today, Grinch ... not today!!!

Chad Johnson did his best Santa Claus impression last weekend ... gifting a $1,000 tip to a single mother waitress -- and the gesture was awesome.

TMZ Sports has learned the ex-NFL star was dining at Bar Louie in Tampa, Fla. back on Nov. 26 -- and after piling up a $102 bill, he decided to get super generous.

The former Cincinnati Bengals wideout added a $1,000 tip to his total ... and when his waitress, Kayla Ashby, went back to him to make sure it wasn't a mistake, we're told he revealed to her it was no joke.

Ashby, we're told, thanked Chad ... and said afterward that she and her son, Zaith, are going to have a wonderful Christmas thanks in part to Johnson's generosity.

Of course, Chad's done this many times in the past ... the 43-year-old is known for leaving big tips every now and then.

As for the message he left to Ashby, Johnson wrote alongside the big tip, "Merry X-mas early. You can catch the Black Friday sales."

Johnson added, "'I love you.'"

The iconic house from 'Home Alone' is ready to play host to some lucky guests ... and while folks spending the night won't have to ward off bandits, they can still set the booby traps!!!

In celebration of the upcoming release of "Home Sweet Home Alone," Buzz McCallister is hosting a super rare overnight stay at the family's Chicago home, while the McCallisters are once again away for the holidays.

The famous home from the OG movie is being converted into an Airbnb for one night only ... and 4 guests can relive their favorite moments from the Christmas classic for only $25!!!

If you're lucky enough to snag the spot, a night inside the 'Home Alone' crib will have you feeling like Macaulay Culkin.

The place will be decked out with holiday decorations, including twinkling lights and a perfectly trimmed Christmas tree ... one of little Kevin McCallister's favorites.

Don't worry about the Sticky Bandits, but have fun setting up the booby traps ... and laugh because you're not the one sidestepping them!

Of course, a night in the McCallister house wouldn't be complete without splashing aftershave and screaming in the bathroom mirror.

Pig out with all the '90s junk food you can stomach, plus plenty of Chicago's finest pizza and a candlelit dinner with Kraft macaroni and cheese.

Buzz is hosting, so naturally, there's a meet and greet with a real-life tarantula ... which probably won't crawl on your face. No crowbars needed.

The movie inside the movie, "Angels With Filthy Souls," isn't long enough to really make your night ... instead, enjoy a viewing of the film franchise's newest offering, "Home Sweet Home Alone."

If LEGO is your thing ... the place comes with a 'Home Alone' kit to bring home.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are helping their kids give back ... working hand in hand with their daughters to help fight hunger in the community, and doing the grunt work.

It was a joint effort over the Thanksgiving weekend at Ben's home in Pacific Palisades, where they hosted a food drive for Rise Against Hunger.

As you can see, Ben and Jen were tasked with unloading a huge truck and hauling 50-pound sacks of rice and goods into the house ... and he flexed his muscles, even slinging 2 bags over his shoulders at a time.

J Lo was pretty impressive too, doing it all in high heels!!!

Ben's oldest daughter, Violet, appeared to be leading the effort ... and his other daughter, Seraphina, was doing her part too along with Jen's daughter, Emme.

Food insecurity and hunger is a huge issue nationwide ... and Rise helps provide food and support to local communities.

The White House is fully decked out for Christmas ... and it goes way beyond the official tree.

The East and West Wings were adorned with Xmas trees, ornaments and various other holiday decorations.

Now, check this out ... there's a photo attached to one of the trees just like an ornament, featuring President Joe and Jill Biden. AND ... there's another pic of Biden's predecessor -- yes, Donald Trump -- on another tree.

The theme -- "Gifts from the heart" ... although the overriding theme seems to be "kindness" ... there are ribbons displaying that message in both Wings.

There was a gingerbread White House front and center in the State Dining Room ... kinda awesome.

As you may know ... The National Xmas Tree was lit last week ... a tree costing $139,000.

Faizon Love says a potential "Elf" sequel doesn't need the star power of Will Ferrell ... he says America is ready for a Santa's helper redo -- a Black elf.

The actor, who played the store manager in the original "Elf," tells TMZ ... he's surprised Will turned down a $29 million payday for a sequel, but it just opens the door for the movie to go in a new direction.

Faizon says with Will out of the picture, it's a perfect time to introduce a Black elf into the storyline ... and he thinks audiences will embrace the change.

It's pretty funny ... Faizon says America got warmed up with a Black president and then an "orange" president ... so a Black elf is just the next step.

Will says he turned down the huge payday because he didn't think the sequel would ever live up to the OG holiday classic ... a decision Faizon says few could make.

President Biden's first National Christmas Tree Lighting is going to be more lively than Donald Trump's last one ... but bringing back a live audience is gonna cost taxpayers a bundle.

According to federal docs, obtained by TMZ, the National Park Service shelled out $139,000 to a company in Ohio to locate, transport and transplant this year's National Christmas Tree just outside the White House.

The feds got a jump on their holiday shopping, signing the tree contract back in September. BTW, the last pre-pandemic National Tree, in 2019, set us back just over $160k -- so, the government actually can spend less!!! Talk about Christmas miracles.

After a virtual tree lighting ceremony in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, it looks like things are getting back to normal with a live audience this year ... and that means another big bill.

The docs show the National Park Service dropped an additional $171,000 on "event support" for the 2021 National Christmas Tree Lighting Festivities.

The official ceremony and lighting is set for Dec. 2 ... and LL Cool J is hosting, with holiday music from Billy Porter, Chris Stapleton, H.E.R., Juanes, Keb' Mo', Kristin Chenoweth, Maren Morris, and Patti LaBelle.

On a smaller scale, the White House also spent $41k on holiday decorations for the Eisenhower building and Jackson Place.

Hollywood is cooking up more than dry turkeys and soupy mash potatoes ... Los Angeles has been roasting social media with some grade-A sexiness for you to feast your eyes on.

Stars like Kourtney Kardashian, Heidi Klum and Vanessa Hudgens have all whipped up some hungry content with their fit figures as the main course just waiting for you to sink your teeth into ... and while you're indulging in the trimmings try to guess the celebs behind the hot shots.

If you're still not satisfied try some of the sides getting fished out by Ed Westwick, Kara Del Toro or Paulina Gretzky.

Gunshots rang out at a shopping mall in North Carolina, sending Black Friday shoppers running for their lives ... and leaving multiple people injured.

The shooting went down at Southpoint Mall in Durham, N.C. ... where police say 3 people were struck by gunfire.

Naturally, the mall was super packed with folks coming through for Black Friday deals ... and the hail of bullets resulted in chaos, with people scrambling for cover as a stampede broke out.

A local reporter also captured video outside the mall, showing throngs of shoppers booking it to their cars to try to get the hell outta Dodge.

Police say one person is in custody, though others involved in the shooting managed to flee the scene. Cops say there is no active shooting threat.