Beginning with Julie Goldberg’s story on Black Friday shoppers heading to the stores on Thanksgiving night, The News has continued its annual tradition of publishing daily Christmas-themed stories on its front page.

As we have each year, we’ll continue to publish such stories daily until Christmas Eve, our last paper before the big day.

Since Goldberg’s Black Friday piece, we’ve published stories on Christmas volunteers, on the debate over the right time to put up lights and get the Christmas music roaring, on folks who go big with the holiday displays, and more.

And, new this year, we’ve published occasional first-person columns from our News reporters who have shared some of their favorite Christmas memories and traditions.

We hope those stories have helped bring a little joy to your heart as you peruse your paper over morning coffee. That’s why we do it.

And we want to issue our thanks to Northeast Michigan for having the kind of Christmas spirit that helps us tell those stories.

Without your generosity for others, without your gusto for the season, without your yuletide revelry, we couldn’t continue a tradition that brings so much pleasure to our hearts each year.

So, thank you, Northeast Michigan, for the spirit.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus …

Here’s hoping whatever you’re celebrating this season is warm and bright.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)