I'm Laura Norton, and this is one strange thing,

the show where we search the nation's news archives for stories that can't quite be explained.

Thank you. It's that time again, strangers, midwinter.

Bells are ringing, or jingling, or jangling, or all three.

Candles have been lit, dradles spun, presents are being stuffed underneath trees,

mistletoe hung, and we, at one strange thing, are in the holiday spirit.

Asking for a friend here, are there holiday ghosts?

Not the Ebenezer Scrooge kind that might as well be cut-read tour guides. We're talking about the kind that could, hypothetically, be the subject of, say, an 18-22-minute-long

podcast episode, appropriate for general audiences?

Just for instance, if you, uh, happen to have any of those laying around, drop us a line. Now, if you celebrate winter

holidays, you've no doubt got your traditions, whether they be tied to religion, culture, family,

fun, or a combination thereof.

Maybe you roll out a special cookie, or air your grievances, or bust out your themed sock

collection, or your great-grandmother's tablecloth.

There are as many variations as there are families.

And for many of us, trees are a part of the holiday fun.

Whether you go big or small, real or fake, an elegant focal point of the room or

surrounded by high-security baby gates to ward off toddlers and cats, a beautifully decorated tree

can really make you feel, even in the

surreal nature of the past few years, that the holidays are finally here.

So, we'd like you to take a moment to imagine the classic Christmas model, a fragrant

balsam fur, or a sturdy, glossy white pine.

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