You can’t always just turn on the Christmas Spirit like a light switch – some of us need a little help. Get a few Christmas Spirit pointers here.

Get in the Spirit of the Season

A Christmas Ferrell

One of the quintessential Christmas movies. If this holiday masterpiece doesn’t get you in the mood for gift-giving, tree-getting and all the other Christmas hallmarks, I honestly don’t know what will. This Jon Favreau directed film stars Will Ferrell as Buddy the elf; a human adopted and raised by elves that one day decides to leave the North Pole for the big apple in a quest to find his biological father. What makes the picture special is that it’s more than a Christmas movie. It’s also a coming of age picture (I say that loosely because Buddie is 30 something when he goes on his quest. So he’s come of age for quite a while, but you know what I mean) about finding what one’s good at, no matter how odd that may be, and finding a way to apply those talents, not just to help yourself, but to help others as well.

So even if you’re someone who loathes Christmas movies, I’m sure you’ll find something to your liking as well. When it comes right down to it, this movie has it all. Heart, humor, and ugly sweaters. If you’re feeling like the Christmas spirit just isn’t coming to you this season, pop this sucker in, and you’ll be drunk with the spirit of Christmas!

Downtown Christmas Tree Lights

Head down to Rotary Rink at Fountain Plaza on the first of December to witness the true beginning of the Christmas season. Be there to see the giant beauty of a tree they’ll have on display dressed up with so many spectacular lights you’ll worry for a moment if the block will have a blackout. It won’t, but you sure will feel ready for some gift-giving and some eggnog. Once you look up at this enormous beauty, you’ll be awe struck that something this big and beautiful actually exists. It’s nothing short of a Christmas miracle or a very well grown tree.

Visit Old St. Nick

Once again, old Saint Nick is getting ready to grace us with his presents once again. Yes, it’s rapidly approaching that wonderful season filled with gifts, cheer, and god awful sweaters that make you feel like running out and screaming as soon as you see them. With that comes the jolly man in the red suit hyping little kids up with the promise of gifts under the tree come Christmas morning. Find a few spots that Santa will pop up in this Christmas season!

Ice Skate At The Rotary Rink

No, the Rotary Rink isn’t just the place to kick off the Christmas season with the lighting of a big old beautiful tree. It is, after all a rink, and this one just so happens to be designed for the express purpose of ice-skating! Whether you gracefully glide on the ice like a ballerina or trip and fall after every leg movement like an elf that drank way too much egg nog (in low to moderate-size portions of egg nog it’s fine, but the elves always seem to overdo it). You are sure to, at the very least, get a bit of the old Christmas spirit by way of simply participating in this time-honored seasonal tradition. So what are you waiting for? Lace up those ice skates and get to gliding!

Make a Gingerbread House

Classic doesn’t begin to describe this holiday staple! Whether your trying to be a master architect or you’re just trying to finish it so you can eat it, building a gingerbread house is as challenging as it is delicious. So many questions arise when you’re in the process of building one. Should you use frosting or glue to hold it together (of course, if you choose glue, you can’t eat it, but it may look better when it’s all done)? Do you want to make a gingerbread house or something more akin to a mansion? And perhaps the most difficult question of all, gumdrops or no gumdrops? Whatever you end up choosing, you’ll end up having a blast and have something marvelous to show friends and family this Christmas season!