It’s that time of year in the Faber household where the calendar turned over to November and Mrs. Faber and the three girls decided that it’s time for Christmas.

Last December, a Florida dairy farm transformed into a winter wonderland full of Christmas trees, festive music, 40,000 lights and fun activities for the entire family, including photos with Santa, a snow tubing hill and artificial snow.

Christmas is a fine opportunity to reconnect with family, friends and neighbors, and to even reach out to those who are less fortunate. It’s a season that can really bring out the best in all of us. However, to do so, maybe we need a way to let off a little steam. Maybe we need to also give a slight nod to the worst parts of human nature as well.

Every year, a festively decorated silage bag is proudly displayed along Route 30, Lincoln Way, in St. Thomas, Pennsylvania, visible from the road and brightening the holidays for passing drivers. As a cherished tradition, members of the Meyers family work together to generate ideas and create the design.

Taking the familiar Christmas pageant to the next level, living nativities seek to immerse visitors in the events surrounding Jesus’s birth, without ever leaving Idaho. And behind the scenes of many of these living nativities are the ranches and pet owners that contribute animals – and the sights, sounds, textures and smells that they bring – to the experience.

Maggie eased her tired joints into the old wingback chair. Nick had hated that chair. For years, he teased her that it was the most uncomfortable piece of furniture his rear end ever had the displeasure of coming in contact with.

One blizzardy night nearly two decades ago left sixth-generation dairy farmer Sara Bremer Hewitt stranded in town. Seventeen years later, that spontaneous shopping trip has grown from a small yard display into a magical half-mile drive-through Christmas experience at Bremer Farms in Hastings, Minnesota.