Light Up the Holidays — 2019 Edition

"It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

“It’ll be just like a picture print by Currier & Ives.”

“In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas
Children laughing, people passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you hear
Silver bells, silver bells…”

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the holiday season is officially upon us. It’s that magical time of year when everyone is happy, children are on their best behavior, and everyone goes out of their way to bring peace on Earth and goodwill to mankind. Right?

For some people, December truly is the most wonderful time of the year as they bustle about, happily listening to Christmas music from the time the Thanksgiving meal ends (no earlier!) to midnight on December 26, baking cookies, wrapping presents, and looking forward to seeing their children’s happy faces on Christmas morn. For many kids, this is a time of anticipation, of making lists of the toys and games they want and bribing Santa and their parents with their very best behavior (unless no one’s looking, of course). It’s a time of crisp winter mornings and playing in the snow, of sledding and skiing, or of running in the sunshine and being glad that you live away from the cold…