12 Beyond-Touching Stories That Prove the Holiday Season Is the Most Magical Time of Year
The holiday season is all about putting others first, showing gratitude, and spending as much time with your family as possible, so it's no surprise that emotions run especially high in the Winter months. People everywhere tend to take that extra second during this time of year more than ever to go out of their way to help others who need it — whether it's by comforting a child with special needs or going the extra mile to help a neighbor. We've rounded up some of the most touching stories from the holiday season that are sure to get you in the giving spirit.
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The story about a boy asking for snacks for Christmas.
As a matter of fact, this story is just as heartbreaking as it sounds. The internet totally rallied behind an anonymous 10-year-old boy who asked Santa for snacks, so he wasn't the only one not eating during snack time at school.
The story about that time Santa knew exactly how to comfort a boy with autism.
After Landon took the time to tell St. Nick about his autism diagnosis, Santa gave him an extra boost of confidence by telling him that "he has been a very good boy being who he is." How sweet!
The story of an entire town doing Christmas early so a boy who was terminally ill could celebrate it.
When a boy named Evan from St. George Ontario, Canada's, dying wish was to celebrate the Christmas season for the very last time, the town residents made it happen — despite it only being October. The town sprung into action after Evan's mom "received the news that he will not be with us much longer" and quickly came up with the idea to kick off the holiday season early.
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The story about how a husband made a Christmas tree out of lights for his wife when he couldn't afford a real one.
Look, sometimes money is tight, especially around the holiday season. But that didn't stop one husband from putting his own spin on a traditional Christmas tree to surprise his wife.
The sweet story behind how a boy saved up all his money to get his dad a PS4 for Christmas.
This little boy was a human embodiment of the Christmas spirit when he bought his dad a PS4 and wrapped it in several boxes to keep him guessing.
The story about how one boy went above and beyond for parents who have sick children.
After almost losing his brother to a deadly illness, Jerry Hatcher Jr. knows a thing or two about spending the holidays in the hospital. He decided to give back to families in need by paying for their breakfast on Christmas morning with money he saved up. Wow, talk about thoughtful!
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The story behind Santa's response to a dad asking him to take a photo with his late son.
When one father waited in line with a framed photo of the little boy he had lost just a year before to see old St. Nicholas, Santa knew exactly how to handle the tearful father's request. He posed with the picture resting on his knee. Apparently the photo was going to be a gift for his wife, who was still struggling with the loss of their child.
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The story behind the heartbreaking reason one boy with cancer asked for Christmas cards.
When Jacob Thompson's family got word from his doctors that he would likely not survive until Christmas, they decided to kick the holiday spirit into overdrive in order to make his battle against cancer go smoother. After his mom posted to his GoFundMe page asking for holiday cards to be sent to his hospital room, the internet delivered in a big way.
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The story behind this hospital dressing all the preemie babies up as presents.
Having a baby in the NICU is often one of the hardest things a parent ever has to go through. But some March of Dimes volunteers got even the smallest baby into the spirit of the season by dressing them up as presents and scheduling a visit with Santa.
The story behind this gut-wrenching note a Scotland woman found in the middle of an empty field.
Can you even fathom finding a little boy's letter to his father who's passed away? Well, one woman did — and she went to great lengths to make sure he got everything he asked for on his Christmas list.
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The story of how one person came up big by paying elementary school students' overdue lunch balances.
An anonymous do-gooder gave back to his community in a huge way: by paying $900 in overdue school lunch fees at an elementary school in Pennsylvania. Talk about giving back!
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The story behind this Santa getting on the floor to give a boy with special needs the best Christmas ever.
When Brayden, a boy with special needs, was feeling a little bit too shy to sit on Santa's lap, the man in the red suit took matters into his own hands and got on the floor to find out exactly what he wanted for Christmas.