On the darkest nights of the year, it’s a good time to remind yourself that we’re all still capable of acts of great kindness, creativity, and warmth. Approach the season with gusto, and you’ll enter the new year refreshed and smelling like cloves!

SHOPPING

The St. John’s Farmer’s Market is doing an online fundraiser (12 Days of Local, December 5 to the 16th). “Our vendors donate products and we auction them off on our Facebook page,” says Emily Hunt of SJFM.

THEATRE & PERFORMANCE

Resource Centre for the Arts is doing a production of Penning the Carol! performed and written by Aiden Flynn (Dec. 21 and 22) , with all proceeds going to RCA and CAPE (Cultural Artists Plan for Emergencies, a special fund for artists in Newfoundland experiencing exceptional emergencies or crisis).

For a touch of Tchaikovsky, there’s Kittiwake’s Nutcracker 2015 (Dec. 16, 17, 18), which will have guest soloists from the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada with Kittiwake Dance Theatre Company members and dancers from the community.

The annual Mummers Parade is Saturday, December 10, from 2-3, starting at Bishop Feild Elementary (46 Bond Street). There are tons of associated events (mummersfestival.ca). Make your own ugly stick! Jam on some pots and pans!

CHRISTMAS CHEER

“The NLC has a stock of the Gold Medal Winners from the Canada Beer Awards,” says Tom Beckett of the Newfoundland Labrador Artisanal and Craft Beer Club, including the super-rich and chocolatey Flying Monkeys Chocolate Manifesto. “There is still a good selection of both the smoked German beers and the Delirium beers.” The Craft Beer Advent Calendars have also made their return to the NLC, with new reinforced cardboard cases.

MUSIC

If you’re looking for something to exorcise “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time” from your brain, try a big symphonic “Hallelujah!”, with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra’s annual production of Handel’s Messiah (Friday, December 16 & 17 at 8:00 PM at The Bascillica). Bring a butt pillow (seriously). Pews weren’t made of comfort.

Hey Rosetta will be doing three shows (December 16 & 17 at the St. John’s Convention Centre), Fortunate Ones will be, too (December 9, 10, 11 at George Street United), and The Once will be doing four (December 16, 17 & 18 at Gower Street United Church).

Kenny & Dolly (Don Brenton and Sheila Williams, with house band The Generations) are enjoying a sold out run at George Street United Church (Dec.4th, 5th, and 8th), but you can still watch the complete original 1984 Kenny & Dolly Christmas special, “A Christmas to Remember” on YouTube.

VOLUNTEER

Speaking of holiday television traditions, remember when the Golden Girls helped out at a soup kitchen, and Murphy Brown cooked turkey dinners for the less fortunate? Our city’s soup kitchens and food banks need you, too. Volunteer at the Jimmy Pratt Memorial Soup Kitchen at George Street United Church, the Gathering Place, or your local food bank. Head’s up: Don’t be like Carlton and Hilary at the homeless shelter: Call ahead. New volunteers need to be screened, trained, and supervised, so you can’t just roll up on Christmas morning and expect to be handed an apron.