There is a glowing light up ahead, hazy through the swirling snow, and I walk towards it, my boots crunching on the crisp newfallen snow. An icy wind howls through the woods, creaking this snow laden boughs. As I get closer, I see that the light is, in fact, emitting from the windows of an old green farmhouse, along with the faint hum of holiday music and chatter. Even though I’ve never seen this farmhouse before, it feels familiar. So I push open the door, instantly flooded with warmth, and for some reason I’m not surprised to realize that I recognize the people inside of the house. There’s Celine, Moon Wolf, Peri, Silver, and Parody, all sitting around the fire. 

“Hey, guys! What’s up?” I say, slightly breathless from the cold as I take off my jacket and hang it on a hook near the door, and then place my boots on a rubber mat. 

I have a messenger bag filled with fabric-wrapped presents, and I carefully arrange them beneath the richly verdant evergreen tree in the corner, alongside heaps of other gifts. “How have you guys been enjoying the holiday season?” I ask, sitting down on in a squishy maroon armchair.

I stand outside the door of the Holiday House and look around. It's beautiful, with amber light shining through the windows and snow whirling everywhere. I break a few pine needles off a nearby tree and sniff them thoughtfully, emjoying their wintry scent. Then I open the door and find myself in a warm, cozy place filled with holiday decorations. People are sitting all over the room, in comfortable chairs. As I come in, I hear one of them asking how everyone's holiday seasons have been going. I recognize her as pangolin, and I realize I recognize the others too.

"Hi!" I say. "Happy holidays!" I put the gifts I've brought under the tree. "I've been having a great season so far," I add in response to pangolin. "How about you?"

The fire dances in the hearth, the logs crackling and glowing crimson, and the orange flames leaping to and fro. My limbs have just about thawed out, and I'm holding a cup of peppermint tea. I'm not quite sure where it came from, but I suppose Holiday House is just like that--anticipating our needs before we're even aware of them ourselves. It's good tea. 

The farmhouse door opens, ushering a gust of cold air, heavy with the scent of crisp snow and pines. A girl--I recognize her as Poinsettia--comes inside, her face slightly flushed from the cold. She greets us as she places her gifts beneath the tree and then settles down on a nearby chair. "I've been having a great season so far," she tells me. "How about you?"

"Oh, that's good to hear!" I respond. "I've been having a good season as well, although it's barely snowed yet at home. We just put up our Christmas decorations, though, which I always enjoy. Does your family have any holiday traditions?"

Ah, I remember this thread.  :D Can't resist posting something.

~

I slip into the Holiday House. I know I haven't been here before, but it feels like I have... Like it's an old memory from a past life... ;D. I have brought presents, of course, something for everyone. I great the host of CBers, and take out the presents I have brought. While adding them to the now-getting-quite-large pile under the tree, I stumble across a small gift, wrapped in vintage-looking gold and red wrapping paper with my name scrawled on it in dark red ink that looks a little like blood. I pick it up and quietly move to a beanbag chair near the tree, where I settle down to open it. I slide a finger under the seam of the paper and carefully lift the tape, unfolding the paper. I carefully open the small cardboard box I find inside to reveal a small jar. Its about the size of a sample jam jar, no more than 2 inches tall with a radius of about one inch. Inside is a smoky black darkness with little points of light glimmering. I know exactly what this is and how to use it, and after all, the best gifts are the ones you can share with others, so i smash the jar of starlight on the floor. The little bit of night sky expands from the ruins of the jar, stretching up to the ceiling, clothing the rafters in shadows and starlight. The ceiling glimmers with a million little points of light, glowing down on the CBers and adding a touch of wonder to our celebrations. I sweep the shards of the jar up and drop them in the trash, then settle down to enjoy our quiet holiday party with a mug of hot chocolate.