Since 1853 the residents of Concord have gathered in the center of town to celebrate the Christmas season. In 1915 an evergreen tree was planted which now stands at least 100 feet tall and is decorated with white lights each year. This evening I took Maya and her friends and Nico and his friends to the annual tree lighting ceremony. It was bitterly cold but spirits were high and local merchants put out the hot chocolate and cookies which sustained the crowds.