Christmas

Salem holds its annual Christmas-tree bonfire this Friday at Dead Horse Beach - residents can show up with a tree and watch it go up in flames.

Mass Moments reminds us of our Puritan past.

Via Marie.

Darryl Houston captured the daylight-powerful lights on Fairmount Hill in Hyde Park - put up by a guy who rents an aerial lift to ensure no surface is unilluminated.

Uma Mirani photographed Cambridge Common:

Natick Police tweeted this afternoon:

To those frustrated by the traffic in and around the Mall: 'No one raindrop thinks it caused the flood'. At least you're sitting down.

Joe Joyce brings glad tidings.

Meanwhile, in the Back Bay, one creative resident has figured out how to overcome the lack of snow.

The MBTA reports both new GM Beverly Scott and Charlie the T Mascot will be on hand at Forest Hills around 6 p.m. tomorrow to welcome a group of "church ladies" and kids for some old-fashioned caroling. The originally impromptu carolers were kicked out of the station yesterday because they didn't have a busking permit.

The MBTA forwards this photo from the Blue Line repair facility in Orient Heights, where workers have made a Christmas tree out of a "bolster rack" of trucks used to hold the axles of Blue Line cars.

Boston Police reports the theft of 10 to 15 Christmas trees, stereo equipment and CDs from AJT Supplies, 4945 Washington St. in West Roxbury, sometime late Friday or early Saturday.

The landscaping trees sells Christmas trees to benefit Childrens' Hospital.

If you know anybody who suddenly came into possession of a dozen Christmas trees and CDs of Christmas music, let Cindy Lou Who E-5 detectives know at 617-343-4566 or contact the anonymous tip line by calling 800-494-TIPS or texting TIP to CRIME (27463).

BosGuy took in the annual Santas in Speedos run through the Back Bay today. Arturo Gossage took a ton of photos:

Photos copyright BosGuy and Arturo Gossage, respectively.

Good Morning Gloucester posts a completely unbiased poll on the efforts of Gloucester and two other ports.

A cavalcade of Nova Scotians, including red-suited Mounties, the deputy premier of the province and the percussion band Squid, will greet no doubt bemused commuters 7 to 9:30 on Thursday morning outside Park Street station, handing out "I Heart Nova Scotia" toques, um, caps and just generally thanking Bostonians for all that help we sent their way back in 1917. They'll then stick around for the lighting of the Nova Scotia Christmas tree on the Common, in a ceremony that starts at 6 p.m.

Out of lobster traps.

Courtney Porcella asked where the best place to get a tree in Brighton or Newton is.

Some answers via Twitter:

Mike Ball reports on his neighbor on Fairmount Hill in Hyde Park, who once again rented an aerial lift to put up his Christmas decorations yesterday:

He doesn't have that many trees on his smallish lot, but he strews multi-color lights down every single limb.

Then closer to the ground, he does every bush, shrub and apparently anything that doesn't move out of the way.

I've hesitated about posting here concerning my annual Quixotic quest to see Thanksgiving given respect. Most of you have heard it before. You know my feelings. And it hasn't really been news, so I've fought the temptation to annoy you.

Now, it has become news.

Michael watched workers trimming the giant tree a couple days ago.

Copyright Michael. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

In addition to the standard giant tree on the Common to be lit up on Nov. 29, the province is sending us four smaller trees, for the Pine Street Inn and Rosie's Place, the Parks and Recreation Department reports.

Nova Scotia sends us an annual tree as thanks for the trainload of doctors, emergency workers and supplies we sent to Halifax in 1917 after a relief ship rammed a munitions ship, causing what was at the time the largest manmade explosion ever. Some 2,000 people died, 9,000 more suffered injuries and downtown Halifax was completely destroyed.

Efforts were made this year to educate the public about how the annual gift-giving tradition from Halifax began. One class at the Mather Elementary School in Dorchester began a pen pal relationship with children their age at St. Stephen’s School in Halifax. The students spoke with each other via Skype on two occasions. In addition, photographs taken following the 1917 explosion are on display during the month of November at Boston City Hall.

The Dedham Lowe's already has a couple of aisles dedicated to Christmas lights and wreathes and singing Marilyn Monroe Christmas ornaments and icicles and all the other stuff without which you can't celebrate that most wonderful time of the year. But no giant inflatable Santas just yet - the shelves where those would normally go are still unaccountably filled with giant inflatable scythe-wielding Deaths on giant inflatable demon horses for those laggards who have yet to buy their Halloween decorations.

John Carroll posts crime-scene photos.

The DPW will collect Christmas trees (the real ones, that is) for the first two recycling days in January - put your denuded, de-ornamented tree at the curb by 7 a.m. on your recycling day.

No word on Festivus poles, although since those are simply alumninum, you can presumably just toss them in your recycling bin. But should you? William Ricker posits that you should just put it away somewhere for reuse next year. Ward 7 Somerville, however, counters that "fresh grievances merit a fresh pole."

Richard Beaubien spotted some nutcrackers, while Sean Sullivan saw Santa and Keith Lockhart at the Pops yesterday.

Copyright Richard Beaubien and Sean Sullivan, respectively. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

What? Too soon? Tell that to the Auburndale Shaw's, where Loriane DiSabato snapped this photo on the 23rd:

Posted under this Creative Commons license and in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

BostonZest provides the proof.

Mike Flynn provides the proof.

Associated Press reports the arrests of people for stealing packages and bows, but mostly just packages, in Somerville and Quincy