There are any number of ways to finish that sentence.

It is joyous, festive, spiritual, celebratory and just downright fun.

Take decorating, for instance. At our house we cover nearly every square inch of flat surface with something to do with Christmas. If the cats didn't move around so much we'd have them dressed as Santa's elves. But I am on blood thinner, so that's not a good idea.

It looks like Santa's workshop exploded at our house. Every table, every shelf, the mantle, the hearth, the walls, even -- God help us -- the toilets, are covered with Christmas. Yes, at our house when you go No. 1 or No. 2, Santa will be watching. I know the song says, "He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake," but that is taking things a bit too far. We don't have Elf on the Shelf, but we have Jolly Old Man on the Can.

Putting up our aging, pre-lit tree is always an adventure. This year we just couldn't quite get male plug A to connect with female plug B, which sparked a brief but mild argument between human male A, me, and human female B, my bride. I lost that kerfuffle, of course. She was right, as always, the cord was wrapped around a branch and all we needed was to untangle it and, voila, let there be little multicolored lights.

Once the tree is up, the lights are all connected and working and the garland is wrapped around its length, hanging the decorations takes time. We learned long ago, however, that soft ornaments, those made of unbreakable materials like cloth, go near the bottom.

Why, you ask? Cats. Need I say more? That's why we don't hang Christmas stockings anymore. Dangling from the mantle they are simply too tempting for our two unruly little beasties.

Then there is all the cooking and baking which, thankfully, I have nothing to do with. However, it's not like I am totally uninvolved. Think of me as a baseball team's No. 4 hitter -- the cleanup man. And, on occasion, if a cookie or a piece of candy breaks, or turns out to be otherwise misshapen, I get to eat it.

Then there is the shopping. I have no problem with buying Christmas presents for my bride, if I can get her to tell me what she wants.

Wandering through the endless possibilities for Christmas gifts for my bride with little or no guidance whatsoever is like trying to traverse a vast desert without a map or GPS.

Of course, when I am asked the same question, I generally give the same answer. When you get to our age the biggest question about Christmas gifts is where we are going to put them.

Christmas is expensive. Everybody must have a gift, and it must be the right gift, or else Christmas is a failure. For many people, that means going into debt. Last Christmas Americans went into debt an average of $1,028. Some 28% of those who paid for their gifts with plastic last year still are paying that debt off.

Then there are the parties, programs and other get-togethers. We sing in our church choir and are preparing to perform a Christmas cantata at our church as well as another. We are trying to make it as close to perfect as possible, which simply serves to ramp up the stress level.

Combine all this with the fact Thanksgiving was about as late in November as it can possibly be, thus shortening the time between Turkey Day and Christmas, and that further complicates matters.

So I say again, Christmas is hard.

But Christmas is especially hard for those whose holiday gathering will be short one person this year. There will be empty chairs at any number of Christmas tables this year, as those left behind try to make the best of their new reality.

Christmas is really hard for those who are lonely, who have nobody with whom to share any measure of holiday cheer. They hear the Christmas carols, see the lights, watch the families shopping and celebrating, and feel more isolated than ever.

Some people celebrate Christmas as a secular rather than a sacred holiday. Perhaps they are of a different religion or have no religion at all. For them it is all Santa and tinsel, but no Mary and manger.

For many Christmas is not a joy but a burden, whether financially or emotionally.

It shouldn't be. It should be a time when we remember the birth of a baby who would save the world. It should not be a carnival of wretched excess, a Griswoldian tableau marked by too much of everything save taking time for oneself and one's family.

Christmas will not be perfect. You will forget the batteries, ornaments will break, the dress you buy her will make her look fat, the gingerbread will burn, you won't get the exact toy little Junior is just dying to have. Everyone will get over it. Just enjoy the season, don't dread it, and if you know someone who has no family or friends with whom to spend the holiday, invite them over. Maybe you'll make a new friend.

And that would be the best Christmas gift of all.