The lighting of the Christmas tree in Monument Square means that the holidays are no longer an eventuality.

In the near distance we can hear the rumble of impending eggnog hazes, shopping highs and heated brawls with a rebellious roll of wrapping paper.

We're now inescapably set on high-speed collision course with good cheer and holiday spirit.

I know, it's a hard reality. But there's no point in fighting it. (I tried to a few years ago but gave up the effort after one of Santa's husky henchman threw a perfectly wrapped brick through my apartment window.)

So now I choose to accept the holiday season with open arms. Well, mostly. There's still something I don't trust about those reindeer. Particularly Donner (aka "Dunder"). He's got crazy eyes and a fight club attitude and I venture to say he's been plotting a Christmas takeover for decades.

Any Christmas now Santa could find himself "accidentally" trapped between the weighty bricks of a collapsing chimney and the boot-melting flames of a recently lit fire. (A fire lit, no doubt, with a pack of matches stamped with the logo: Reindeer Saloon, North Pole.)

But besides that little issue, the holidays are great.

My colleague Avery wrote a blog entry about last Friday's tree lighting that will make your heart glow: "Crowds pack Monument Square for tree lighting"

But amid the Christmas carols and Santa spotting, I witnessed another astounding phenomenon: The rarely seen "Rising of the Toddlers."

During the ceremony, children are hoisted atop their dad's shoulders, one after the other, until a forest of shoulder-sitting kids rises from the crowd.

Scientists have been studying the spectacle years, although the true meaning of the practice is yet to be fully understood.

At any rate, other local holiday lights went bright on Friday as well, including the multi-colored orbs hanging from MECA's facade and the lighted trees in Tommy's Park.

Friday was also the first day of the Portland Downtown District's 12 Days of Christmas.

What in St. Nick's name is that, you ask?

It's 12 days (Fridays, Saturday and Sundays until Christmas) of freebies and giveaways, courtesy of the local shops/eateries downtown. And yes, each day corresponds with that old Christmas carol.

Friday was "Partridge in a Pear Tree" day. After the Monument Square tree was adequately lighted and Santa had long left the stage, some friends and I meandered through the Old Port (which was bustling with foot traffic after the tree lighting) in search of a Partridge in a Pear Tree shop window.

There were twelve partridge windows around town - we just needed to find one. Easier said than done. After walking a few blocks and seeing nothing, I began to question the decorative theme of every window. One shop had a small pine tree with a wooden owl crouched next to it.

I started thinking that "Owl near a Pine Tree" might actually be what we were looking for.

But wait! There! A pear tree in a shop window! And look, partridges in it!

The shop window belonged to Tavecchia on Exchange Street (clothes for the adventurous woman - my, my). Inside we dropped our names into the contest box. The prize for Partridge in a Pear Tree evening? Nutcracker tickets.

None of us won.

That's cool. I'm holding out for the Kids Crooked House they're giving out on Dec 21 anyway. If you've ever been to Buck's Naked BBQ, then you know what the crooked houses look like. If not, the house is going to be displayed in Post Office Park through the month of December. You can peruse it there and maybe peruse a mischievous local sleeping in it (and hopefully not doing anything else in it).

Sure, I'll have to pretend I'm a kid to enter that contest, but I fibbed much worse for much less when I was young.

Santa doesn't give Barbie Dream Houses to just anyone.