In the first section of the book, Magic Making, McAlpine captures the enchantment of the holiday. “That’s what I love about Christmas: it kind of is magic. If you believe, it is magic. And these simple things that you do, whether it’s making gingerbread ornaments to go on your tree, or it’s laying the table really prettily, or it’s festive baking, or just losing yourself in this world — that can be really, genuinely magical. And making that part of your everyday for a short period, for that Christmas window, is just pretty special.”