The first Saturday of December once again brought joy to my small hometown.

This is the day when the annual Christmas parade brings several thousand locals to sidewalks in the center of town to watch, laugh, and shout with boisterous pride as floats, dancers, and marching bands wind their way through the cold streets.

As in years past, churches, schools, and small businesses – the heart of the community – sponsored most of the entertainment. Pickups pulled floats featuring the Grinch, Santa’s workshop, and the Babe in the manger; bands thumped out the tunes of “All I Want for Christmas” and “Joy to the World”; banners proclaimed the birth of the Christ Child.

Crowned in July at the county fair, the town’s Little Miss, a kid who looks to be seven or eight years old, brings cheers as her

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