LITTLE ITALY GUIDE

• Dark days can bring out a merry and bright spirit
I'm dreaming of a Black Friday

• Places with Christmas names come alive this time of year
Douglas Taylor became postmaster of Noel, Mo., the week before Thanksgiving last year. "I came from California," he said. "And I had no idea."

• Staking out new territory for Christmas
Seeking to stand out from the Christmas crowd, CityMusic Cleveland has put together a creative yuletide event humorously titled "Not-Your-Usual-Holiday Concerts."

• You don't have to shop for the season's real gifts - Terry Pluto
Black Friday means lining up in front of stores for hours before they even open.

• A Christmas Story' gets needed fresh take at Cleveland Play House
Maybe it is just me.

• Willoughby holiday events include lighting program
Willoughby's annual Holiday Lighting program will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in downtown Wes Point Park.

• A Christmas list with meaning - Regina Brett
Every year on the day after Thanksgiving I consult my Christmas wish list.

• Actress sees role in "It's a Wonderful Life" as part of divine plan
It is an iconic moment in American holiday life: The little girl tells her father at the end of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" that "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."

• A Christmas Story 25th anniversary draws crowds to Cleveland house
The streets of Cleveland were still asleep Friday when the Gillens of Miami, Fla., bolted through the hotel lobby, ready to see the city that helped make their father famous.

• Get set for annual TV visitors Rudolph, Frosty, the Grinch and others
Although the aromatic remnants of Thanksgiving's turkey and pumpkin pie still hang heavy in our homes, it's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas in those halls being decked by television programmers.

• Give Santa a makeover
Hmm, maybe red isn't Santa's best color.