"I sometimes think we expect too much of Christmas Day.

We try to crowd into it the long arrears of kindliness

and humanity of the whole year.

As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time,

all through the year.

And thus I drift along into the holidays-

-let them overtake me unexpectedly-

-waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself:

'Why this is Christmas Day!' "

~ Ray Stannard Baker, pseud. David Grayson (1870-1946),

American author, journalist