Holiday Briefing

Credit…Jess Hannigan

A day for reflection and joy

As a sometimes turbulent year draws to a close, we hope you enjoy a few moments of peace and happiness today.

This special edition of the Morning Briefing aims to bring some holiday spirit to your inbox. We’ll celebrate the cheerful little heroes of Swedish folklore or the pleasure of Christmas ornaments over what normally makes the headlines. (Well, we might have a little news below.)

A few weeks ago, we asked readers about the traditions they are most looking forward to this year, and many of you wrote in. We’re featuring some of the contributions below. (We hope you enjoy yours, however niche they may be.)

For billions of people, today is about Christmas: Santa Claus (is yours as handsome as this guy?), a feast, carol-singing or worship, the rewatching of festive classics. Take inspiration from a New York City bar and blast Mariah Carey’s holiday hit.

Perhaps you plan to light the menorah with loved ones for the first night of Hanukkah. (We have tips for making a DIY menorah.) If you relish latkes but are daunted by the prospect of dirty pans and umpteen potatoes, take this advice to heart: “The fun part is being at the table together. It doesn’t matter where the food came from.”

If today is just another workday, take a few minutes to find calm. And if all you fancy is takeout and the pleasure of your own company, we toast to that, too. Whatever today means to you, may it bring you joy. We’ll return to normal programming tomorrow.