Beginning in late November, Busch Gardens will transform into a holiday wonderland, featuring more than 1 million twinkling lights and a 45-foot, light-animated Christmas tree.

Shoppers hit the stores early Friday to return unwanted gifts and take advantage of drastic price cuts offered by retailers desperate to get rid of old merchandise and boost their less-than-cheery holiday sales.

Gouri Raval said the dozen or so people in her parents’ house, including relatives from Maryland, needed to get out. “We wanted to be lazy in the morning, but the weather was so nice that we got pushed out of the house and into the park,“ she said, as she watched relatives play cricket at Deep Run Park in Henrico County.

When Ellen Northen and her family went to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Christmas morning, they stopped by a dogwood tree in the courtyard, as they have countless times. Her daughters, Blair and Sarah Bruck, touched the bare branches, smiling. It is their baby brother’s tree. He died 15 years ago, and they planted the dogwood in his memory. Often, they’ll take some of its leaves, or the first blooms of spring, to his grave.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES—Closed today. POSTAL SERVICE—Closed today; no delivery.  STATE GOVERNMENT OFFICES—Closed until Monday.  RICHMOND AREA COUNTY, CITY OFFICES—Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Powhatan, Hanover and New Kent are closed and will reopen Monday. Henrico will reopen tomorrow. Richmond will reopen Monday.

If Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus arrived in Richmond, they’d probably end up on West Grace Street. True to its name, Grace east of Belvidere Street is buoyed by good will that seems divinely inspired. This strip is home to The Daily Planet, a beacon for the homeless, and the Salvation Army. This area is a safety net for people who have run out of options.

The smell of warm cookies just pulled from the oven can bring back a flood of childhood recollections. The sounds of children’s sweet voices singing carols, the pride you felt as your mother opened a gift you made just for her—they’re the kinds of memories that last a lifetime. Making memories is what the holiday season is about.

One visitor climbed the front steps of the Chesterfield County home and rapped loudly with the brass knocker.

It was just a touch above freezing when baby Jesus was exiting the stage last night, but Savannah Wood didn’t care.

Messy weather could mess up holiday travel across large parts of the nation today. And northern and western Virginia could see a light wintry mix of sleet, freezing rain or drizzle early this morning, making driving hazardous.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES—Closed tomorrow. POSTAL SERVICE—Closed tomorrow; no delivery.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES—Closed Thursday. POSTAL SERVICE—Closed Thursday; no delivery.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES—Closed Thursday. POSTAL SERVICE—Closed Thursday; no delivery.

Manger-building project gives fathers tools to teach children about Christmas.

Every year, Chris and Jill Van Hoewyk of Chesterfield County place a menagerie of inflatable holiday figures in their front yard: Santa, Mickey Mouse in a Santa suit clutching a “Merry Christmas” ornament and a pair of penguins on a sled.