Ah, the Christmas spirit.

Lights up everywhere downtown, and sparkling off the lake. Houses glittering and flashing all over the county.

Snow on the ground and more to come.

Strangers smiling at each other, saying “Happy Holidays” on the sidewalk, while families gather from all over creation to hug and laugh and take joy from being together.

It’s amazing, really, how people treat each other this time of year.

From mid-December through the first week of January, it’s like a lovefest everywhere you turn.

Everyone is kind, ready to offer greetings — or more seriously, folks donate to charities that help needy families who might be struggling as the rest of us laugh and sing and eat everything but the tablecloth.

It’s a wonderful season, truly, but it does make you wonder...

Why do we need a holiday season to be pleasant to one another?

CONSIDER that a serious question, by the way.

Somehow we have to be fixated on holidays to share some happiness.

If you truly love someone, do you keep quiet about it until Valentine’s Day?

I’m just guessing here, but I’d say that relationship isn’t going to last if you say nice things to your sweetheart just one day per year.

Which reminds me of a joke...

A group of about a hundred people are crammed into an auditorium for a seminar on expressing romantic feelings.

So the moderator asks: “How many of you have sex three or more times each week?”

Several hands go up.

Then he says: “OK, how many of you have sex about once each week?”

This time even more hands are raised.

Finally, the speaker says: “Is there anyone here who has sex just once a year?”

And with that, one man in the very back jumps up and begins waving his arms.

“That’s certainly not very often for you to be so excited,” the moderator says in a stern voice.

And the man hollers out: “No, but tonight’s the night!”

I KNOW, I know.

You’ve been a great audience, and I’ll be opening in Vegas on Jan. 15.

But hey, I’m serious about this business of being filled with kindness and goodwill around the Christmas holidays, yet finding it nearly impossible the rest of the year.

To steal the punchline of my gag, we don’t have wait for tonight to be the night.

There’s no reason we can’t greet each other pleasantly in, say, mid-April or the end of August.

We shouldn’t need tinsel and colored lights to put us in the mood to share a little joy. Why can’t we let this holiday spirit carry over, and try holding on to these good feelings for the rest of the year?

Take what’s in your heart around Christmas and hang on to it.

Just like you wouldn’t wait until Valentine’s Day to do something nice for your partner, there’s no reason to be grumpy until December...

And then sing Christmas carols and hug strangers as though it’s the most natural thing in the world.

How about leaving that “Season’s Greetings” streamer up in your entry hall all year ‘round?

You know, just as a reminder.

• • •

Steve Cameron is a special assignment reporter for The Press. Reach Steve at scameron@cdapress.com.