Oakland Interfaith Gospel Ensemble: This awe-inspiring gospel ensemble from "the other side of the Bay," noted for its "interfaith, multi-racial, and multi-cultural" makeup -- will get you in the mood. The Christmas-y mood, that is. And if you can't handle all of the holiday joy abounding, there are plenty of bars around the neighborhood where you can get your joy on, booze-wise. The singing starts at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. at Slim's; $15.Midnight......

We've watched Meet Me in St. Louis every Christmas Eve for the past million years. Perhaps an obvious choice, but nonetheless, Judy Garland's heart-wrenching version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas reduces us to sobs and snotty tissues every year. Not to mention the look on Tootie's face as she listens to her sister's melancholic words of comfort. What are some of your favorite Christmas scenes? Not just the stuff that makes you cry.......

Happy Holidays! Chances are, you're reading this the day after Christmas, back at your day job after all-too-short a holiday, and the last thing you want from us is stuff about the holidays. But that's just too bad. Because, see, here in the Ist-A-Verse, we do things ahead of time. It might be December 26 for you, but that's what you get for not checking your Favorite Local Blog on Christmas Eve. ...

We just looked at the SFist Watches we posted last Christmas and you know what? The TV offerings are basically the same this year! Darlene Love performing the best Christmas song ever, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Letterman tonight? Check. Twenty-four hours of A Christmas Story on TBS starting on Christmas Eve? Check. It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve, (albeit on NBC and butchered by an hour's worth of commercial interruptions)? Check.......

Welcome back, or welcome to your holiday American Football Spectacular, depending on whichever sets of traditions you choose to salute. Everyday is a holiday if you feel like it. This is the bear time of American Football, where the NFL's regular season gasps its last, college teams compete through the institutional irregularities of the bowl games, and high schoolers are home for the holidays. Mmmm... home cookin'. Here's the problem: your San Francisco 49ers won! Really! 24 - 20, sweeping those dastardly St. Louis Rams for 2005. Sure, they were somewhat depleted in Saturday's Christmas Eve matchup, but so what. We win. Hah! ...

'Twas the night before the night before Christmas, and all through the house, "Creature Comforts" was airing, and it included a few mouse....er...mice. OK. We promise never to attempt lame rhyming ever again. But we DID want to let you know that there's a "Creature Comforts" marathon on BBC America tonight, starting at 7:30 p.m. with the premiere of "Merry Christmas Everybody!" If you've ever seen Nick Park's Oscar-winning short "Creature Comforts," then you......