As the sun rose over Jerusalem, remnants of palm branches remained on the streets. A girl no more than five picked a branch up out of the dirt and waved it in the air just like she had seen her older siblings do the day before. A fresh squeal of “Hosanna” filled the morning air.

Ahhhh, chesnuts roasting by an open fire…Jack Frost nipping at your nose…car horns blaring and long lines forming…Pinterest recipes burning and ill-fitting gifts returning. Yep, that’s the holiday season all right.

I am the worst gift wrapper. My ability to accurately judge the amount of paper required to fit around a rectangle box without leaving an inch of present peeking out is severely compromised. Perfectly coiffed triangle corners meticulously donned with invisible tape? Forget it.

Americans will spend more than 450 billion dollars on purchases that accompany the Christmas season. We go to great lengths to find the perfect gift: take laps around the mall, scroll through the monstrosity of Amazon, or, alas, pick up the last-minute Starbucks gift card.