For too long Christmas dinner was either ordinary for some families or another empty-plate day when there was simply nothing to eat in the house.

In Minot, those days might be ghosts of Christmases past as the Community Christmas Day Meal, organized by area churches, businesses, organizations and others, is catching on.

Last year, about 300 people attended the dinner as guests and this year about 350 were fed and entertained at the Grand Hotel. And get this, some 130 volunteers pitched in to help host the event.

As our newest writer – Ciara Parizek – reported, Jessica Ackerman, the coordinator of the occasion, said there were some faces that she recognized from last year that volunteered again to make the event a success. But Ackerman was also very glad to see unfamiliar faces, showing that the gift of giving was still being spread around the Magic City.

The community dinners are relatively new, having just started a few years ago. But what a great idea which anyone can participate in and perhaps make a family tradition…to give, to share, to engage and be blessed. It also looked like fun!

“Christmas truly is time of giving, whether it be money, time, gifts, or a combination of the three. Men, women and children alike can give their time to make people smile, whether it be with a joke, a hug or even just a simple ‘Merry Christmas.’ “

Well put, Ciara.