There’s no shortage of topics to discuss this issue: another year without Santa bringing postal reform in his bag of goodies; the likely long-term effects of “season treason” (retailers hauling out the holiday decorations and blasting carols before they’ve even taken down their Halloween decorations); whether Wal-Mart is contributing to the decline of civilization by instructing its employees to wish customers “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.”
But because I’m so full of holiday cheer, and in keeping with “a picture’s worth 1,000 words,” I’m instead going to devote this space to my favorite catalog covers of the season — the ones that stood out in my mailbox amid the scores of books I’ve received so far — and to wishing everyone a happy and safe end to the year.