Thanksgiving is now almost a full-week into the rearview mirror, and you know what that means — it’s officially the Christmas season.

I know I say every holiday is one of my favorites (except Columbus Day, what is that all about?), but Christmas is truly my favorite. How could it not be? It’s a month-long celebration of the human capacity for giving and kindness, complete with cozy nights sipping hot cocoa, family time decorating the tree and enough sugar cookies to put you into a food coma for a week.

Even though I hate winter weather and road conditions with a fiery passion, Christmas time is truly the most wonderful time of the year. I just love it. Earlier this week, I put up my dinky, 4-foot-tall, apartment-sized Christmas tree, and I could not have been happier as I plugged it in and saw its multicolored bulbs light up my living room.

That’s really all it took to put me in the seasonal mood. However, if you need more than a slightly-tacky Christmas tree to get yourself into the holiday buzz, be sure to check out the many Christmas-themed community events taking place this month. This weekend alone will see the Candlelight Christmas Parade in Dowagiac, the Niles Amtrak Station’s seasonal lighting and visit with Santa, the Brandywine Community Holiday Bazaar and the Cassopolis Christmas tree lighting at the Pioneer Log Cabin Museum. And more events are taking place this weekend and throughout December to give local families ample opportunities to get into the Christmas spirit.

However, no matter how you choose to spend your Christmas season — attending all of the community events, hanging out with family or sitting inside your home yelling “Bah Humbug!” — be sure to keep in mind the true essence of the holiday — giving. No, I don’t mean giving gifts (though putting a lot of time and effort into a gift you know will bring someone joy is its own unique expression of love); I mean giving of yourself, your time, your resources, your efforts, your kindness, your happiness to others, even strangers.

I’m a firm believer that small acts of kindness, even as small as helping someone with their groceries or offering a sincere “Happy holidays,” can help make the world a better place. Though we should strive to be giving of ourselves year-round, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life to look around and ask ourselves how we can make someone’s day brighter. That’s why the holidays are a welcome reminder of life’s goodness and the magic of connecting with others. It’s a reminder to make sure that we are contributing to that goodness and magic rather than taking away from it.

So, whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or nothing at all, let’s all get into the holiday spirit by giving, being a part of the community and spreading joy this month.