The holidays are just around the corner — and there is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than by spreading a little bit of goodwill.
So in between hurriedly planning festivities, buying gifts, and excitedly looking forward to family get-togethers, take a few moments, if you can, to spread some joy. One of the most important (and rewarding) things about the holidays is trying to make someone else happy too.
Here are just a few ideas for how to spread kindness and empathy this holiday season:
1. Without being asked, do a chore or favor for a family member to help make their day a little bit easier.
2. Say "hi" to your neighbors — or if you don’t know them, knock on their door and introduce yourself! (It’s about time!)
3. Don’t forget to hold the door open for the person behind you.
All images via iStock.
4. Planning to bake some holiday cookies this year? Make an extra batch and donate it to the local nursing home.
5. Get in the holiday spirit and participate (without eye rolls) in events that your family or colleagues are organizing, like the ugly sweater contest or bake-off, even if you think it’s silly.
6. Do you know someone spending the holidays alone? Invite them over to celebrate with you.
7. Let someone else eat that last slice of pie.
8. Find a fun project or cause that you believe in, and volunteer your time. Websites like Volunteermatch.org can help you find a local place to donate your time.
9. Tip a little bit extra to the barista or waiter who has to work over the holidays.
10. Invite a friend you haven’t seen in a while out for coffee or lunch.
11. Pick up litter on the sidewalk that you come across while you walk the dog or go for a stroll in the park.
12. Send a card to a family member or friend you won’t get to see this holiday.
13. Donate some frequent flyer miles that you aren’t using to a charity.
14. Pick up a few extra items — like canned goods or pantry staples — when buying groceries and donate them to your local food bank. Even better? If you have a little extra cash, donate directly to a food bank.
15. Offer to babysit for free for a friend or family member so they can have a night out.
16. Animal shelters can get busy during the holidays, so foster (or adopt if you can) a cat or dog.
17. Pay for a stranger’s cup of coffee, bus fare, or even a cart full of groceries.
18. If you're buying a snack at the vending machine, why not pre-pay for an item for the person behind you?
19. Spread some cheer at work by bringing a little snack for your co-workers.
20. Try to have an open mind: read a book or article written from a different perspective, or listen respectfully (and without judging) to someone that has a different opinion than you do.
21. Buy a toy and give it to the local toy drive.
22. Clean out your closet and donate warm clothes, coats, and shoes to an org that helps people who are homeless.
23. Collect used books from friends and family to give to a school, local library, or shelter. Or create a Little Free Library.
24. Remember to send thank-you notes this season.
25. Let people merge in during traffic.
26. Walk the shopping cart back to the front of the store.
27. Give a sincere compliment to a friend or loved one.
28. Set aside a little money for a charity or two that you support.
29. Do something nice for your partner or a family member to let them know you love them, like letting them watch “their” show or doing the dishes for them.
Most importantly, keep others in mind because not only will it help make someone else's holiday better, but it will also enrich yours as well.
One simple act of kindness might just turn someone's whole day around.






A woman is getting angry at her coworker.via
A man with tape over his mouth.via
A husband is angry with his wife. via 
a man sitting at a desk with his head on his arms Photo by
Can a warm cup of tea help you sleep better? If you believe it, then yes. Photo by 
Three women sit on a blanket in the park. 
Two women engaging in a pleasant conversation inside a coffee shop
Two men engaging in a peaceful disagreement.
Resurfaced video of French skier's groin incident has people giving the announcer a gold medal
"The boys took a beating on that one."
Downhill skiing is a sport rife with injuries, but not usually this kind.
A good commentator can make all the difference when watching sports, even when an event goes smoothly. But it's when something goes wrong that great announcers rise to the top. There's no better example of a great announcer in a surprise moment than when French skier Yannick Bertrand took a gate to the groin in a 2007 super-G race.
Competitive skiers fly down runs at incredible speeds, often exceeding 60 mph. Hitting something hard at that speed would definitely hurt, but hitting something hard with a particularly sensitive part of your body would be excruciating. So when Bertrand slammed right into a gate family-jewels-first, his high-pitched scream was unsurprising. What was surprising was the perfect commentary that immediately followed.
This is a clip you really just have to see and hear to fully appreciate:
- YouTube youtu.be
It's unclear who the announcer is, even after multiple Google inquiries, which is unfortunate because that gentleman deserves a medal. The commentary gets better with each repeated viewing, with highlights like:
"The gate the groin for Yannick Bertrand, and you could hear it. And if you're a man, you could feel it."
"Oh, the Frenchman. Oh-ho, monsieurrrrrr."
"The boys took a beating on that one."
"That guy needs a hug."
"Those are the moments that change your life if you're a man, I tell you what."
"When you crash through a gate, when you do it at high rate of speed, it's gonna hurt and it's going to leave a mark in most cases. And in this particular case, not the area where you want to leave a mark."
Imagine watching a man take a hit to the privates at 60 mph and having to make impromptu commentary straddling the line between professionalism and acknowledging the universal reality of what just happened. There are certain things you can't say on network television that you might feel compelled to say. There's a visceral element to this scenario that could easily be taken too far in the commentary, and the inherent humor element could be seen as insensitive and offensive if not handled just right.
The announcer nailed it. 10/10. No notes.
The clip frequently resurfaces during the Winter Olympic Games, though the incident didn't happen during an Olympic event. Yannick Bertrand was competing at the FIS World Cup super-G race in Kvitfjell, Norway in 2007, when the unfortunate accident occurred. Bertrand had competed at the Turin Olympics the year before, however, coming in 24th in the downhill and super-G events.
As painful as the gate to the groin clearly as, Bertrand did not appear to suffer any damage that kept him from the sport. In fact, he continued competing in international downhill and super-G races until 2014.
According to a 2018 study, Alpine skiing is a notoriously dangerous sport with a reported injury rate of 36.7 per 100 World Cup athletes per season. Of course, it's the knees and not the coin purse that are the most common casualty of ski racing, which we saw clearly in U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn's harrowing experiences at the 2026 Olympics. Vonn was competing with a torn ACL and ended up being helicoptered off of the mountain after an ugly crash that did additional damage to her legs, requiring multiple surgeries (though what caused the crash was reportedly unrelated to her ACL tear). Still, she says she has no regrets.
As Bertrand's return to the slopes shows, the risk of injury doesn't stop those who live for the thrill of victory, even when the agony of defeat hits them right in the rocks.