The Ghost of Christmas Puzzles

‘Tis the season to be Givin Gifts once more. And much to my delight, a gift arrived on my doorstep to ring in the festive times. Oh, what fun!

But lo, I was swiftly given stern warning: Do not open until Christmas.

Until Christmas? How shall I endure the anticipation of basking in another’s thoughtfulness? Can I even make it that long? Perhaps I’ll take just a little peek…

But before I could lay my hand on the box, a spirit appeared before my eyes. He said he was the ghost of my old business partner, but that feels like a contrived narrative detail, for I’ve never run such a business. Anyway, he warned me that I simply cannot view the gift until Christmas Day.

“Christmas? Bah, humbug.”, I said, suddenly speaking those words for the first time in my life.

He said I would be visited by three gifts. “Surely, you mean ‘three ghosts’.” But he insisted he wasn’t mistaken. As I tried to make sense of it all, he vanished into thin air. …as did the gift.

I guess I have no choice but to wait.

On Christmas morning, I ran to the tree to see what Santa may have brought for me. Tucked away, mixed into the sea of Santa-wrapped wonders, a box caught my eye. It seemed familiar to me, but I couldn’t quite place it. A vague memory of joy and anticipation rushed over me all at once. I was determined to open that one first. I freed it from the pile and suddenly, it was clear. It was my Givin Gifts gift, safely transported to Christmas Day, away from my prying-too-early gaze. The spirits did it all in a few weeks. They can do anything they like. Of course they can.

At last, the mystery could be solved. I opened the box, so carefully wrapped. Inside was a beautiful card with an intricate cutout design affixed to the front, wishing me a happy holiday and new year. So thoughtful. Beneath the card was a layer of tissue paper and confetti. How festive! I pulled the paper aside to finally reveal the gift.

Well, the gifts. The three gifts! Marley—or whatever your name probably was—I understand now.

The first gift was inside a cute little bag. As for the item itself, well, I have reason to believe it’s a puzzle. Very nice. I’m always up for a puzzle.

Beneath that, there was a handsome-looking wooden box. Inside the box was a set of tangrams. But not just ordinary tangrams; these pieces are formed to make the shape of a heart! Along with these unique pieces, there’s a deck of cards with a whole bunch of tangram puzzles to solve using these pieces. Amazing! I’m always up for a few dozen puzzles.

Finally, there was a compact—but dense—spiral-bound book of crossword puzzles. Over two hundred puzzles, to be somewhat exact. Fantastic! I’m always up for 200+ puzzles.

Givin Gifts Santa, you’ve outdone yourself. Thank you so much for sending me such thoughtful gifts, and furthermore for putting such extra care into every little detail of the package. I hope you have an amazing holiday of your own and wish you the best of luck in the coming year. Happy Holidays, all! 😄