Last night's tree lighting ceremony in Monument Square was a festive and fun start to the holiday season, with what must have been thousands of people packed into the city's center. Here's one of the hosts, WBLM'S DJ Celeste, adding a little laughter to the evening. She and her fellow emcees introduced performers who included Mayor Jill Duson (who got the crowd singing), a pianist from the Portland Conservatory of Music,

dancers from the Maine State Ballet's Nutcracker and, finally,

a duet between Rick Charette and Santa.

As we - a crowd that had just as many 20-somethings as toddlers - sang about mud and reindeer, I realized one of the great gifts of the holiday season is how it brings together community and allows us all to act like kids. And those two things, at any time of year, make a priceless present.