Commercialism is all around Brentwood during the holiday season. The Brentwood Promenade and Brentwood Square are bustling with people ready to soak up the commercial Christmas vibes and get their shopping done in style.

But let's take a more traditional look at the holiday season by observing how the holiday was celebrated in the past. The first publicly recorded community celebration was in 1929. Held in front of the former City Hall at 1115 North and South road (now Brentwood Boulevard), each child was given a bag of candy from Santa Claus. It looks very festive with an abundance of Brentwood residents in attendance.

Today, as in most communities, these events are coordinated and implemented by local organizations. What's the focus? Kids, family and fun of course! For example:

• St. Mary Magdalen has its Christmas school programs year-after-year. This year's festivities were held on Dec. 16. As far as I can tell, this has been going on for generations.
• The Brentwood Evening Optimist Club continually has its annual Christmas tree lot at the Gene-Del Printing Company parking lot and this year was no exception.
• The VFW Post 3500 has held a Children's Christmas Party in the past and this year it hosted a party on Dec. 9.
• Mount Calvary Lutheran Church held an Advent Fair for children on Dec. 5.
• As always, the Brentwood Police Department offered a drop off point for the Toys for Tots program.

In the past few years, any time it snows around the holidays, I've developed a habit that gets me through the commercialism of the season. I take the dog to Oak Tree Park around dusk. It gives him a chance to play in the snow and I can sit back and listen to the sounds of Brentwood softened by the snowfall. It makes me think of what Christmas truly means, take a deep breath and wish everyone peace on earth. May you and yours find a warm place to rest this holiday season.

Other people in my neighborhood have developed their own Christmas traditions too. Up the street on Florence Avenue, the Logans go all out every year with a fantastic display of red and white lights, a Santa in a race car and more. Mrs. Logan calls it the "candy cane house." And of course there's always "Moe's Tree" just down the street on the corner, with this year's decorating duties going to his daughter. What christmas traditions do you and your neighbors have?

Next week: Find out how the more things change, the more they stay the same in Brentwood.