Perhaps there was a little something extra in the champagne on Thanksgiving Day back in 2010. That's as plausible an explanation as any other I can conjure up for what transpired the following afternoon.

For the record, I am no fan of day-after-Thanksgiving mania. Even before it morphed into a celebration of excessive profligacy, you could always expect enormous crowds on that Friday, particularly in large cities, as people descended en masse to admire decorated department store windows, ohh and ahh beneath the beautiful official municipal tree, and stroll along festooned sidewalks.

Don't get me wrong; I love "Christmas time in the city" - just not on the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend. (As for shopping as a contact sport? I've never understood how that could be considered enjoyable.)

How, then, to interpret 2010? Whatever possessed me to decide it might be fun to head into Boston on "that Friday" to see and photograph the massive Faneuil Hall Christmas tree? Even more mind-boggling, what prompted my husband (who is not exactly into holiday revelry) to join me?

I should have known there was some sort of magic in the air.

Into the city we went. It was, indeed, jam packed - but the tree was great. That year, it was the tallest Christmas tree in New England, and if I recall correctly, even larger than the one standing in Rockefeller Center. I made a few photographs.

Two nights later, I returned.

The rest, as they say, is history. That weekend, The Christmas Project was born, although I didn't know it yet. The idea quickly took on a life of its own as I began a quest to capture a variety of holiday scenes throughout New Hampshire's seacoast. You really can't beat New England for that type of subject matter: so many towns look like Currier and Ives lithographs come-to-life. As Christmas 2010 was wrapping up, I was already thinking about potential subject matter for the next year.

The Christmas Project has been a staple on my shooting calendar ever since. It has taken me throughout New England, to Canada, to New York City, and across the U.S.

This season I was back in familiar territory: my home city of Chicago.

Over multiple visits, I've covered just about every festive thing the Windy City has to offer, but you never know when you might find something new. In addition to strolling around downtown, I enjoyed holiday light shows at both the Chicago Botanic Garden and Morton Arboretum.

To wrap up this year's effort, I worked locally which, quite frankly, was unexpected. No, scratch that: mind-boggling is more accurate. Many municipalities out here in the wild, wild west have pitiful, lackluster holiday displays. Others don't even bother. After a few years scouring the area I'd pretty much given up.

The powers that be in Idaho Falls, long-time adherents of the Grinch School of Holiday Decor, apparently had an epiphany and decided to put some effort into making the place look festive. Shocker! They could do more; it's hard to go overboard. Still, the 2025 Christmas season has been a giant step in the right direction.

Following are a few souvenirs from the 16th Edition of The Christmas Project:

The city of Chicago's tree moved from Daley Plaza to Millennium Park in 2015. This location, adjacent to Michigan Avenue, is a nice spot for the showstopper. I've captured the tree previously (both at Daley Plaza and in its new home) but this year's Norway Spruce was quite tall and decorated so beautifully it practically begged me to give it another go.

For this composition, I added obvious location context. Opting for a wider angle to include the "Millennium Park" detail necessarily renders the tree smaller, but it's still the focal point and there remains a sense of its size relative to its surroundings. Importantly, the viewer understands where this tree stands.

Here a few silhouetted bystanders (to the bottom left of the tree) provide scale, while the wet sidewalk, courtesy of earlier snowfall, adds additional light and color via pavement reflections.

Situated near each other along the Chicago River, the Reid Murdoch Building and massive Merchandise Mart are lit in Christmas colors. A long exposure renders the water as silky smooth, thereby amplifying the reflected lights.

The Chicago Botanic Garden's annual "Lightscape" holiday show didn't disappoint. It's a little tricky because tripods aren't allowed, and many of this year's displays were softly illuminated, but who doesn't like a challenge?

And finally, downtown Idaho Falls:

Those festive lights will be shining for a while yet, but last call is approaching. Grab your camera and capture illuminated holiday magic before New Year's.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!