It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Comfort and joy. Peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Holly jolly. Chestnuts roasting over the open fire – wait. Who has ever actually roasted chestnuts over an open fire? If you have, teach someone how to do it, because it sounds like it’s a lost tradition.

Speaking of tradition, this time of year has a lot of them. You go house to house and store to store starting sometime in November just to check off the traditional boxes you’ve always checked. A lot of joy is missed because we’re fa-la-la-la-la’ing just long enough to make it to the next holiday gathering in time. You could very well already be tired of the season because it’s just too much.

Or maybe you relate more to ‘Silent Night.’ Maybe your home is empty, your family is far away or you have an empty seat at your table this year. Maybe the cheer of the season has passed right by you.