I Can't Believe It's Been 10 Years

 Ten years ago today my memoir, NORTH POLE HIGH: A REBEL WITHOUT A CLAUS was published. The book tells the TRUE inside story of Santa's 16-year-old daughter (me!). And the most amazing thing is, I'm still sixteen years old!

Now, before you go assuming that not aging is simply a benefit of being a fictional character like Lisa Simpson, I can assure you, I'm real. I'm as real as my father, who has delivered over a jillion toys all over the world in the ten years since I wrote NORTH POLE HIGH: A Rebel Without a Claus.

The thing is, as I explained in my book, NORTH POLE HIGH: A REBEL WITHOUT A CLAUS, which is still available at Popular Prices everywhere, all of us living here in the North Pole ages differently than those of you living outside the Circle. It has something to do with magnets and the rate of rotation of the earth up here at the top of the world and the route we take to school that takes us across the International Date Line every day. Plus most of our food is made with Magic. It's all very complicated and scientific. Einstein explained it all once to Chefy, but he didn't bother to write it down because he has flippers for hands.

Anyway, thank you to everyone who has read NORTH POLE HIGH: A REBEL WITHOUT A CLAUS over the last ten years. And to those of you who planned to read it one day but haven't gotten around to it yet: It's been TEN YEARS! What are you waiting for? YOU'RE not getting any younger!

PS: Merry Christmas!

Book Report: The Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is about a boy on the Naughty List who leaves his boarding school a few days before his Christmas break is supposed to start, not because he can't wait to see what goodies my dad will leave under his tree -- because, duh, he's on the Naughty List, remember? -- but because he's flunking out, hence his placement on the aforementioned Naughty List.

Instead of going home, Holden (that's the boy's name) wanders around New York City for a few days, I guess because he's so Naughty and all. And here's what I don't like about the book: It's Christmastime in New York, but you'd hardly even know it. I mean, at one point he goes to Central Park to give his sister Phoebe an early Christmas present, which was Nice of him and all, but he even says in the narration, "It didn't seem at all like Christmas was coming soon."

And I'm like, duh. You have to tell us about all the beautiful Christmas decorations Holden sees all the time and not just a little bit at the end, Mr. Salinger. That's the author, Jerry Salinger. He's dead. Daddy says Mr. Salinger was never on the Naughty List himself, but we still have all his Christmas presents here at the North Pole because Daddy could never find out where this guy lived. Anyway, I suppose if the he had allowed Hollywood to make a movie out of his book, we'd see the Christmas decorations everywhere and we'd all be calling it a Christmas movie like Die Hard or Gremlins or While You Were Sleeping and everyone would watch it every year at Christmastime. And then Holden would call us all a bunch of phonies, I bet.

So this Holden character takes this girl Sally Hayes ice skating outside Radio City Music Hall and she invites him to her house to trim her tree -- I think I know what she really means by that but I'm not allowed to say -- but there's not one mention of the ginormous Christmas tree they always have right there where they're skating. And I'm like, hello? This book makes me so mad sometimes!

Later the boy goes inside to see the wonderful Christmas Spectacular show without Sally, who ditched him, because, Naughty List, right? And he gives the show a worse review than Scrooge would have! I'm starting to understand why my father wanted this book banned from North Pole High.

I say, if you want to write a book that takes place during the most wonderful time of the year, then it should be filled with wonder and magic and Christmas trees. I'm not saying I'm a better writer than this J.D. Salinger guy was or anything, but my book, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus, has never been accused of holding back on the Christmas joy. So if you're looking for a Christmas book that isn't afraid to mention Christmas (200 times), reindeer (26 times), and presents (45 times), and is available in both print and (unlike The Catcher in the Rye) Kindle editions, then you know where to look!

Classic TV Christmas: The Ruggles

The following is an essay I wrote for my Christmas History class at North Pole High. My teacher, Mr. Ghost of Christmas Past, gave me a shining star to hang on my Christmas tree for it.

The Ruggles is one of the first television sitcoms in the United States, making their 1949 “Christmas Eve” episode one of the first very special Christmas episodes of a regular TV series.

The family-themed show opens with my favorite part: the two youngest children, Donna and Donald, reading their father a letter they’ve written to my father asking for a “real train” for Christmas, and “a couple more boyfriends” for their older sister Sharon. They’ve been good more times than they’ve been bad, they say.

The letter closes with a “P.S.,” which they say stands for “Please, Santa.,” reminding Daddy to give any leftover toys to children who aren’t as lucky as the little Ruggles. (PS: Daddy always makes enough toys for everyone who’s been good.)

When the mother and older siblings, inspired by the kids’ postscript, decide to give to those less fortunate, the father, who complains every year about having to put up a Christmas tree, scolds them for their unwarranted generosity. Even though he’s the star of the show, he’s what my Christmas Lit teacher would call the "Scrooge" of the story. Every Christmas story has one.

After their Christmas-Eve-morning ritual of reading their Christmas cards out loud over breakfast, the family decides to help Elaine, a less fortunate friend of Sharon’s whose father recently died. But when they tell poor Elaine of their plan to help someone less fortunate, she assumes they came to her for suggestions. Her father must have had a swell life insurance policy, because she doesn’t consider herself less fortunate at all.

Elaine and the Ruggles then share a splendid Yuletide meal and sing Christmas carols together. It turns out Elaine may be even less unfortunate one day. She has a beautiful voice and Mr. Ruggles offers to help her get a record contract. The show ends with Elaine singing “Silent Night.”

You can find this charming Christmas episode on many Classic Christmas TV compilation DVDs, such as Holiday TV Classics and Rare Christmas TV Classics Volume 1.

#HoHoHo

Is It A Christmas Movie? "While Yule Were Sleeping"

The following is an essay I wrote for my Christmas Lit class at North Pole High in the North Pole. My teacher, Mrs. Polar Bear, gave me an A+.

From 1995, While You Were Sleeping stars Sandra Bullock as Lucy, a lonely woman who falls in love with a man in a coma. This charming romantic comedy is set in Chicago, a great place to spend Christmas because they have lots of snow and they make their cocoa with Frango mints!

Before Lucy meets Coma Boy, she's struggling to get the Christmas tree she just bought into her apartment. It's so big, she has to hoist it up through her window on a rope. But it's so heavy, she drops it and it breaks the window of the apartment below her. Won't Coma Boy be lucky to get a girl who puts that much effort into Christmas!

Lucy's other problem is that besides her hunk being in a coma, she's never actually met him. But while he's asleep, she does meet his family. And since it's Christmastime, she gets to experience the warmth and joy of spending the holidays with a loving family, something she's missed since her parents died.

So now, instead of just having a crush on a hot dude in a coma, she's in love with the idea of becoming a part of his family. All because of Christmas. I don't want to spoil anything for you, but I think the message is that Christmas makes everything bright and wonderful. And for that, I hang five shining stars upon While You Were Sleeping!

Click here to watch While You Were Sleeping online.

Click here to buy While You Were Sleeping on DVD.

Click here to buy While You Were Sleeping on Blu-ray.

Christmas in July: Battle of the Christmas Musicals

I have some FANTASTIC news: North Pole High: The Musical was selected as a semi-finalist in the Battle of the Christmas Musicals at the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts in Brookfield, Connecticut!

I am so proud of the writers -- Rafi Nemes, Kristen Rea, and Danny Hercules -- for this early recognition they have received for their work-in-progress musical based on my memoir, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus. Congratulations! And keep up the great work!

Now for some more news that's also fantastic, but in a different way:

North Pole High didn't advance to the finalist round, but everyone here at the Top of the World is happy anyway because who knew there were so many new Christmas musicals being written? You can never have enough Christmas musicals!

Congratulations to the writers of The Christmas Bride, Christmas Letters, and Come Find Me.

I want to urge all my New England fans to head to Brookfield, Connecticut to celebrate Christmas in July! Yule get to see 45-minute excerpts from each of the three finalists and yule get to meet the writers. AND yule get to vote for your favorite. The winning show will get a full-length staged reading in December.

And it's FREE!

But the best reason to attend this event on Saturday, July 1, from 7:00 PM to 10:15 PM is because yule get to celebrate Christmas six months early!!!!!! Because when you think about it, December is just too far away to hold onto your Christmas cheer.

For tickets, go to brownpapertickets.com/event/2964680

Good luck to all three finalists, and have a Merry July!

No One Beats the Yuletide Pride at North Pole High

Swans-a-swimming! The musical based on my memoir had its first staged reading this month! I couldn't be there in person (way too much to do here in the Pole this time of year), but I know the cast was fabulous because, well, I've learned a few things from my dad and let's just say I see them when they're acting, I hear them when they sing.

Many thanks to the cast, from left to right:

Andrea Fantauzzi played my classmate Vixen far more sympathetically than she came off in my book.

Judy Nazemetz (member of Actors' Equity Association)  played my dear mother, Mrs. Claus, so dearly.

John Eddings embodied the enormous body of my father, Santa Claus, so believable he could probably get away with subbing for my dad at some of the malls this Season. #HoHoHo

Lauren Byrd really nailed me in the lead role, except that she carols even more beautifully than I do.

James Giusti found his inner Scrooge to accurately portray Rudy Tutti, the new boy at North Pole High.

Monica Allan was so much fun as my best friend Snowflake it's almost like I have another best friend!

Frankie Rodriguez was hilarious as my shy classmate Silentnight.

Samuel Thacker truly rose to the occasion to portray the handsome half-elf Tinsel.

And last, but not least, David Buckland was so much like my real teacher, Mr. Polar Bear, that parts of the show were eerily like being in class at the real North Pole High.

My thanks also to the writers. Danny couldn't fit everything from my book into his but managed to keep its Christmas Spirit front and center. Kristen and Rafi penned so many wonderful new tunes, from "Yuletide Pride" to "North Pole Prance," that we'll be singing them here at North Pole High for many Christmases to come. Like the song says, I'm on Top of the World!

Thanks also to New Musicals, Inc., for hosting this world premiere event!

Local Authors' Showcase

Great news! My critically acclaimed memoir, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus, will be featured THIS SATURDAY, October 15th, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the 2016 Local Authors' Showcase in sunny Burbank, California!

I know what you're thinking. Local author? When was the last time it snowed in Los Angeles?

Okay, you caught me. Yes, I was born and have always lived in the most wondrous land imaginable, hidden from view all the way at the northernmost part of the world, where it snows year-round and the sun only comes out for six months at a time. Where candy canes grow on red vines (which is how the licorice brand got its name) and friendly snowmen direct the Snow Pod traffic. Where reindeer fly and Santa Claus leads an army of elves in the creation of millions of toys a year. You get the picture.

While I did write every word of my manuscript here in my room at 16 Gingerbread Lane in the beautiful Village of the North Pole, I also had my own secret "little helper" down south to translate some of the more arcane Arctic idioms into language more easily digestible below the Circle. This assistant did much of his work at the Buena Vista branch of the Burbank Public Library, the very location where this event is being held.

I'm going to try my darnedest to make it down there to meet the 50 amazing authors who will be signing their books at the event, if I don't have too much homework and my dad lets me borrow his sleigh. If I don't make it, I've given my assistant power of attorney to sign my books for me in all territories outside the Arctic Circle. Since I'm a minor, I'm technically not allowed to sign my books in your world anyway.

For more information, hop on over to:

burbanklibrary.com/events/local-authors-showcase.

Hope you can make it.

North Pole High Talent Search

What's new at North Pole High? We're putting on a show!

My good friends at the Academy for New Musical Theatre in North Hollywood are putting together a staged reading of the first draft of their musical based on my critically-acclaimed memoir! I can't wait.

They're looking for talented singers and actors right now! Go to the Auditions Page now for character breakdowns and other information about how you can be among the first performers in the WORLD to play my friends in this very special edition of North Pole High: The Musical.

Please spread the word to all your friends in the Los Angeles acting community and let's make this the Best Christmas Musical Ever!

#HoHoHo

Swans-a-Swimming! It's North Pole High: The Musical!

Ho, ho, ho! Wanna hear about something almost more exciting than Christmas? The Academy for New Musical Theatre has selected my memoir, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus, for development as a MUSICAL! A talented team of writers has been hand-picked by me to bring the festive joy to the stage.

Danny Hercules will write the book for the play, with music by Raphael Nemes and lyrics by Kristen Rea. A private reading of the first draft is being planned for November 2016 in Los Angeles.

Can't wait that long to hear some fun new Christmas songs? You don't have to. North Pole High has been invited to preview our opening number, "Yuletide Pride," at Got Musical 2016, an exciting showcase of songs from a wide range of musical works-in-progress.

This will be the very first public performance of any portion of North Pole High: The Musical ever! So hurry over to New Musicals Inc. to reserve tickets for the April 26 World Premiere in Anaheim, California, or the special May 15 Encore Performance in Burbank, California. Tickets for these shows will sell out fast!


MEET THE TEAM

Composer RAPHAEL NEMES plays trumpet and piano and is a Harvard-trained Russian bell ringer. He has previously collaborated with Hercules at ANMT on the fifteen-minute time-travel musical Have a Nice Trip.

Lyricist KRISTEN REA is an accomplished performer specializing in creating productions that bridge live music, theater, and dance. With extensive training on the French horn, she has performed with world-renowned artists such as Grammy winner Gordon Goodwin, Disney Legend Randy Newman, and as a soloist in the Tony-winning production of Blast!, as well as staged productions at the Disneyland Resort and Busch Gardens. An enthusiastic educator, Kristen also serves as a clinician and creative development contributor for Disney Performing Arts, and helped create CITYstage, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring inner-city youth to realize their full potential through the performing arts.

Bookwriter DANNY HERCULES is a professional screenwriter and music journalist who made his stage musical writing debut at ANMT with the book for the well-received time-travel comedy Have a Nice Trip, with music by Nemes, his NPH collaborator. Hercules also helps Santa’s little helpers in publishing North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus outside the Arctic Circle.

ANMT is the academic wing of New Musicals Inc., and has supported and trained musical theatre writers for four decades, beginning as a sister workshop to the BMI Lehman Engel workshop in New York. North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus, a memoir by Candace Jane Kringle, is available at Amazon.com and Google Play.

Hang a Shining Star

You can hang on shining star on Christmas for this year, because it's ON! Santa has left the Circle.

While watching the elves load up the sleigh, I noticed that a lot of you asked my dad to bring you my critically acclaimed book, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus. I thank you for that, and I am super flattered.

No matter what Daddy gives you this year, may it bring you happiness and joy. I wish you the merriest of Christmases and the happiest new year ever.

Remember to be Nice and my dad will bring you more goodies next Christmas!

Can't wait for next Christmas? If you find a device under your tree that lets you read electronic books, or a gift card in your stocking to an online retailer of ebooks, you can visit the North Pole and jingle your bells any time of the year in the virtual pages of North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus.

That's Hot Chocolate

I was beginning to think December would never get here, but now the most wonderful month of the year is finally upon us!

Want something more to fa-la-la about? For the first TWELVE DAYS of December, the newly updated electronic edition of my book is just $1.99. That's less than the cost of a hot chocolate at Starbucks. It's also more entertaining and just as delicious.

So while you're waiting for Santa to slide down your chimney, enjoy the true behind-the-scenes stories of what really goes into making Christmas happen, in North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus. Merry Cyber Monday!

WHERE TO GET IT

For your Kindle:
[U.S.] [Canada] [Mexico] [Brazil] [India] [Australia]
[U.K.] [Germany] [France] [Italy] [Spain] [The Netherlands] [Japan]

For your Nook: [U.S.] [U.K.]
For your EPUB eReader: [Google Play]

What I'm Thankful For

To all my friends in the U.S., I wish you a Merry Thanksgiving.

The festive turkey feast is quite important to us here in the North Pole -- because so many of you can't seem to get serious about Christmas until you get this other holiday out of the way. So after today, no more excuses. You'd better haul out the holly.

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for many things.

I'm thankful that Taylor Swift won a special award at the AMAs this week, because that girl really needs a little recognition.

I'm thankful that none of my friends at North Pole High have been drafted to fight in the War on Christmas. I'm thankful for eggnog and mistletoe and peppermint milkshakes and candy canes dipped in chocolate.

I'm super thankful for reaching 3,000 followers on Twitter this week!

And I'm thankful to each and every one of my 3,000 followers. Including you, if you follow.

I'm super-duper thankful to the Kindle elves for fixing a bug in the Kindle edition of my critically acclaimed book, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus.

On some Kindle devices, the ending was cut off. If you think you may have been affected by this, contact me using the 'Contact Me" form in the sidebar on the right hand side of my web site and I'll help you upgrade to the brand new 2nd Edition!

In addition to the technical fix, this edition, which is also available for the Nook and other eReader devices, includes a brand new, exclusive, in-depth interview with the author (me), as well as a handy Reading Group Guide with questions and topics for discussion!

If you purchased the paperback edition from Amazon, you can get the Kindle version, with this fun bonus content, for just ninety-nine cents.

And if you're new to North Pole High, be on the lookout for a super generous Black Friday discount on the ebook in all formats tomorrow! Who knows? The price cut might even be in effect by the time you finish your turkey tonight!

Gobble, gobble!

Contest Deadline Extended

 ’Tis the month before CHRISTMAS.

I hope it comes fast.

Let’s start getting JOLLY

’cause Halloween’s past!

Merry November, everyone!

Guess what? By popular demand, we have extended the deadline for entering the North Pole High Video Contest!

Those of you who pre-registered in October, thank you. I can't wait to see your videos!

If you did not register in October, it's not too late. Just post your video any time during Round One and send its link to videos@northpolehigh.com as soon as it's up.

Round One begins at midnight, Pacific time, on November 1, 2014, and ends at midnight, Pacific time, on November 30, 2014.

The earlier in November you upload your video, the more time you will have to gather likes, views, and comments needed to become a Finalist, so don't wait till the last minute. Could you imagine what would happen if Santa and the elves waited till the last minute to bring you Christmas?

Be sure to read all the rules and terms and conditions and stuff first.

Good luck!

UPDATE: As of November 11, submissions for this contest are no longer open.
(The elves sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused.)

Christmas Eve is 9 Weeks from Tonight, Bitches

So, my dad promised he won't put you on his Naughty List for clicking on Bitches n Prose. That's because, in addition to all the great book reviews from one of Goodreads' top 1% reviewers, Jillyn has posted an EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT from my critically-acclaimed book, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus.

Read all about how I was forced to work on a school Christmas tree project with a boy who hates Christmas in this passage I like to call, "The Art of Designing Christmas Trees," which has never been seen anywhere on the internet before.

Last December I borrowed Daddy's sleigh to do an interview in Hollywood, U.S.A., on the incredible Create with Jenna podcast. We had such a blast, Jenna invited me to do a guest blog post on how you can be creative and Christmassy right now! Check it out, and then peruse all of Jenna's other inspiring posts and projects while you're there!

Obviously you can tell it's getting closer to Christmas now that I'm getting out for appearances all over cyberspace. I'm beyond proud to have my book listed at pretty-hot.com.

Rather than send Jenny the same old boilerplate back-cover copy I've used everywhere else, I had one of Daddy's smartest marketing elves whip up a modified synopsis of the story. Read it and let us know what you think in the comments.

Pretty-hot.com is a pretty hot chocolate resource, so be sure to browse the many other wonderful books listed on the site!

My thanks to Jenny, Jenna, and Jillyn for all the fun and excitement. Have a Merry October!

NEWS FLASH: Christmas in THREE MONTHS!

Lords-a-leaping! My Christmas Countdown app says we only have THREE MONTHS left to make Christmas happen!

Rest assured, Santa, Rudy, Mr. Polar Bear, Tinsel, Snowflake, Silentnight, and every tiny little elf and reindeer at the Pole are working round the tree to bring you the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

But we need YOUR help! We can't keep up this pace for three months without your Christmas Spirit. PLEASE make a video so we can all see how much you're looking forward to the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

And if making thousands of elves happy and having a magical Christmas isn't enough incentive, how about this: We're giving away $300 in prizes to the makers of the bestest Christmas videos we see!

See the Official North Pole High Video Contest page for details!

Merry Septembermas

from everyone at

North Pole High!

#HoHoHo

100 Days

This is it. The most busiest time of the year has begun for us here in the North Pole. Everyone is smiling and singing Christmas carols. The elves have made over ten million toys so far. They'd better get it in gear, or my dad will have to outsource some of their work to the penguins in the South Pole again.

I'm so excited because school has started again. In addition to caroling, gift wrapping, tree decorating, and merriment classes, I've signed up for the Joy to the World Club. And of course we're having a blast playing reindeer games in Phys. Ed.

What's YOUR favorite part of Christmas? Think fast. You only have 100 days left to be JOLLY!

Remember: The next 100 days are all in the Top 100 days of the year, because they're all one day closer to CHRISTMAS!

Candycane Claus, xoxo
#PeaceOnEarth

Christmas in July Giveaway Blog Hop

Wow! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm soooo happy to see so much enthusiasm for CHRISTMAS in July!

So, my giveaway is for one of the few remaining ARCs for my critically acclaimed memoir, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus. It's about this new boy at school and how my dad, Santa Claus, didn't want me seeing him, and how Christmas almost didn't happen because of it!

Christina at Cover2Cover called it "Christmas cheer between its covers." Gina at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers says it's "as jingle bell rockin as you can get!"

Now, one lucky winner will soon be aching for Christmas to hurry fast. So, on with the giveaway...

a Rafflecopter giveaway
My thanks to I Am A Reader and Laurie Here for hosting this hop! Each blog listed below is hosting its own CHRISTMAS BOOK GIVEAWAY. Enter them ALL! You can never have too many Christmas books!


Good luck. And if you don't win anything, you can always get the electronic edition of North Pole High delivered to your Kindle with the wink of an eye and a twist of the head via the magic of Whispernet!

PS: For the duration of this Christmas in July blog hop, we've made the Kindle edition of North Pole High available at the super low price of $2.99 (£1.80)!

Merry Jannuerrymas!

It's January 25th. One month down, only 11 more to go!

People always ask me what we do when Christmas is over.

Christmas is NEVER over in the North Pole. But we do lay low in the first month after Christmas. Santa goes into hiding to avoid all the complaints from boys and girls who were naughtier than they realized and didn't get everything they wanted for Christmas.

Like the Google+ team, who sent me this mean letter when I created my profile...

So they're basically saying Google doesn't believe Santa Claus is real, and therefore I am not real. Well! I hope they enjoyed their COAL! Ho Ho Ho!

And speaking of Grinches, look who's coming back....

Universal Pictures has announced they are releasing a new CG-animated feature version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! on November 17, 2017. Wait a minute, that's like four years away! I can't wait that long. I'll be like a hundred by then!

I know another classic Christmas book that might make a good movie. In fact, Nick Abdo, the producer of one of my mom's favorite movies, Beaches, gave my book a 5-star review on Amazon last month!

"Cool characters and a story that will appeal to older kids and adults alike," said the Big-Time Hollywood Producer! I'm so flattered. :) 

And here's some more Christmas movie news: A movie called Happy Christmas premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this month. The holiday film stars Lena Dunham of HBO's Girls and Anna Kendrick of Twilight.

A review in The Guardian said, "Christmas plays little part in the narrative other than as an excuse to bring everyone together," but called it "undeniably charming." I'm just glad to know that some people can still appreciate the undeniable charm of Christmas even in January. :)

Until Christmas, stay on the Nice List. You can do it. It's only eleven months! xoxo

Pictures from My Visit to Hollywood

I was so lucky to find the time during the Season to get away from the Pole and visit Jenna Edwards to chat with her about my book on her UBN Radio show, Create Your Life with Jenna Edwards!

I got Jenna to wear reindeer antlers for the show...

...and she made me this beautiful Christmas Tree...

...inspired by the school Christmas tree project I worked on with Rudy in my book, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus. And there are CANDY CANES on it! Find out how Jenna made this tree over at her blog, Create with Jenna!

And a very merry thank you to my "little helper," Mr. Dan, for appearing on the show with me (I was nervous--did it show?), publishing my book, and being a super reliable friend and my link to the lands between the Poles.

Now it's time to put on your jingle bells and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!