Anthony Quintano / NBC News

Over 32,000 LED lights will illuminate the New Year's Eve ball in Times Square this year.

An estimated one million revelers will pack into Times Square tonight to ring in 2013 while the dazzling New Year’s Eve ball makes its annual descent. But Anthony Quintano, a senior community manager for NBC News (and our resident shutterbug), had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the 11,875-pound sphere before the midnight madness begins. And what a view it is from the top of One Times Square, the ball's starting point since 1907.

Anthony Quintano / NBC News

While the 2013 ball is made up of thousands of lights, the original sphere was covered with only 100 light bulbs.

“We were about 30 stories high, on a day with 40 mph wind gusts. Every once in while you can feel the sign we were behind sway a little,” Quintano told TODAY.com. “Even though we were safely secured in a harness, it's still very nerve-racking. It was all very much worth it to capture this landmark in a different angle than people are used to seeing it.”

Anthony Quintano / NBC News

A view of Times Square from the top of the ball's home at One Times Square.

This year, the New Year’s Eve ball will display a kaleidoscope of color from the 16 million shades and billions of patterns it’s capable of creating. 

Anthony Quintano / NBC News

Millions of people from around the world will tune in to watch the ball drop in New York City.

The original ball was made of iron and wood (and weighed in at a measly 700 pounds). The 2013 version is covered with 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles that feature designs illustrating good wishes for the New Year, like “Let There Be Peace,” “Let There Be Friendship” and “Let There Be Love.”

Anthony Quintano / NBC News

The New Year's Eve ball crew makes preparations for the landmark's biggest night of the year.

Times Square Alliance

Since 2008, a permanent ball has rested atop One Time Square throughout the year

The countdown to New Year's Eve is on! TODAY style editor and Bobbie.com's Bobbie Thomas is here to share a few fun finds before the big night arrives.

kisstixx.com

Your kiss will be irresistible with these lip balm duos from KissTixx that come in combos that pair well together.

Kissable chemistry
Looking to make that midnight kiss even more special? Grab your partner and pucker up to KissTixx's flavored lip balm duos. Each set comes with two distinct flavors that create a special 'spark' when combined. Chocolate and Strawberry, Peaches and Cream or even Sweet and Sour give off a fire-and-ice-like sensation when you and your other half lock lips! ($5.99; kisstixx.com)

asos.com

Embellish your lids with eye tattoos from Eye Rock.

Striking beauty
Unleash your inner party girl! From starry eye tattoos and gems to glittering eyeliners turn heads with Eye Rock's fantastical makeup stickers ($11-18, ASOS.com). You can also add a festive streak of color to your strands with Rita Hazan's brand new Pop Color sprays ($18, RitaHazan.com). Both are instant ways to turn up the volume!

pulleez.com

Stylish hair holders from Pulleez allow you to pull your strands back without worrying about breakage.

An easy up-do 
Whether you're looking for a fast undo (or a backup solution in case your hair doesn't make it to midnight), Pulleez promises to give you the perfect pony. The stylish holders utilize a simple knot design to tighten (rather than wrap) around your strands, so they're easy to slide-on and secure. They also happen to come with chic, gem embellishments for an extra touch of sparkle ($12.80 to $24, pulleez.com).

More:
SHAPE's best beauty standouts of 2012
Best beauty trends of 2012
Duchess Kate's 10 best style moments of 2012

Whether you are hosting a large New Year’s Eve soiree or having and intimate gathering, show off your sweet bartender moves with these easy-to-mix holiday drinks. Mixologist Jason Littrell of the famed Death & Co. bar in New York City shares some drink recipes that are sure to be hit.

This is a more sophisticated version of bourbon and ginger ale, because of the ginger syrup and lime juice. Jason makes his own ginger syrup, but you can buy it at a store like Whole Foods.

Horse's Neck

• .75 parts fresh lime juice
• .75 parts ginger syrup
• 2 parts bourbon
• Top with soda

Build the cocktail in a Collins glass, top with soda and lavish orange garnish

Celebratory Sipper

• 2 parts vodka
• 3 parts pomegranate juice
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• Splash of soda water

Build ingredients in a Collins glass over ice and garnish with lemon peel. Stir well!

Bianco Mulled Wine (punch)
This is a very traditional winter cocktail that goes back centuries. You can make this on a stove, or you can also make this in a crockpot. The advantage of the crockpot is it heats all the way around. 

Normally this drink is made with red wine but Jason prefers it with white wine because it looks better in a colored glass. Go for a nice dry white wine.

• 2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
• 5 cardamom pods
• 3 black peppercorns
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 (750-ml) bottle sauvignon blanc
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 1 small orange, thinly sliced
• 1 small lemon, thinly sliced

Wrap cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and cloves in cheesecloth and tie with string. Bring sugar and water to a near boil in a 5-quart heavy pot, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then add spice bag, wine, vanilla bean and fruit. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Strain it. Ladle from crock pot in to tea cups.

Toasted Seelbach

• 7 dashes of Angostura (or other aromatic bitters)
• 7 dashes of Peychaud's bitters
• .5 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz Whiskey
• Ruffino Prosecco

 Stir and strain into Champagne flute, top with Ruffino Prosecco. You can find these bitters in a specialty store. 

Our mouths watered almost every day of 2012, thanks to the many delicious dishes we had the pleasure of discovering and sharing with all of you here on TODAY.com. But some recipes rose above the rest. So your favorites don't get lost in the shuffle, we've rounded up the most clicked-on edibles of the past year. Comfort food takes the cake. And is anyone surprised Giada DeLaurentiis' kitchen creations made the list three times? (We didn't think so.)

Presenting the Top 12 of 2012 (in reverse order):

TODAY

12. Mark Bittman's vegan dishes — black bean burgers and more
Get the recipe 

TODAY

11. Giada's pasta alla formiana and chicken with tarragon and white wine
Get the recipe

Anne Zimmerman

10. Homemade granola, low-cal risotto and chicken cutlets
Get the recipe

TODAY

TODAY

8. Giada's winter comfort foods: Baked gnocchi and beef stew
Get the recipe

TODAY

7. Four ways to spice up your grilled cheese sandwich

TODAY

6. Chris Kimball's apple desserts
Get the recipe

TODAY

5. One-pot chicken cacciatore for an easy weeknight meal
Get the recipe

Getty Images

4. Vanilla, rum and salted cashew milkshake
Get the recipe

TODAY

3. Dr. Pepper pulled pork
Get the recipe

TODAY

1. "World's best" mac and cheese
Get the recipe 

More from TODAY Food: 

• Skip Champagne! Go for a beer to toast the New Year
• 7 creative holiday cookies to drive your taste buds wild
• What happens to unsold holiday candy (and how long can you eat it)?

Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut hails from California but is made in the traditional Champagne style.

By Kara Reinhardt, Cheapism.com

The shouted countdown, the popping corks, the clinking glasses, the strains of “Auld Lang Syne.” In the symphony of a New Year’s celebration, Champagne has long played a crucial part. Many cheaper sparkling wines hit similar notes, however. A California sparkling white, Spanish cava, or Italian prosecco may not come from France’s storied Champagne region, but it can make for an equally festive and much more affordable toast.

Below are Cheapism’s top sparkling wines for $20 or less.

• Roederer Estate Brut (starting at $20) comes from a California producer owned by the famed Louis Roederer, maker of Cristal. Reviewers call this bubbly nectar crisp, full-bodied, and surprisingly complex -- an excellent value. (Where to buy)
• Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut (starting at $13) has earned high marks from critics for its flavors, which the winemaker’s tasting notes identify as apple, citrus, and toasted almond. This California sparkler is made according to the méthode Champenoise used in France. (Where to buy)
• Freixenet Cordon Negro Extra Dry (starting at $9) is a cava from Spain that incorporates different grapes and tastes sweeter than the other two sparkling wines on this list. At the same time, experts say, it’s fresh rather than cloying, with a pleasing finish. The label on the distinctive black bottle reads metodo tradicional, which indicates that the winemaker uses the traditional French method. (Where to buy)

Champagne and other sparkling wines go through two stages of fermentation. According to French tradition, the second stage, wherein the wines develop their trademark fizz, must take place in the bottle. Other inexpensive sparklers ferment in large tanks -- a cheaper, faster method that actually better suits prosecco. Some of the very cheapest sparkling wines are artificially carbonated, like soft drinks.

Producers add sugar to nearly all sparkling wines just before the final corking. Most often it amounts to no more than 12 grams per liter, which classifies the wine as brut. Ironically, brut wines are actually drier (or less sweet) than those identified as extra dry. That descriptor applies to wines with 12 to 17 grams of sugar per liter. Those make good selections for revelers who want something a little sweeter than usual. Sparkling wines labeled sec (the French word for dry), demi-sec, or doux are even sweeter and less common.

The abbreviation NV, which accompanies many sparkling wines, stands for non-vintage. Producers often make still wine using grapes from a single harvest and identify the wine according to that year -- a 2009 Bordeaux, for example. Winemakers produce vintage Champagne only in exceptionally good years and charge a premium for it. Non-vintage sparkling wine has the advantages of being less expensive, more widely available, and consistent from year to year, with the top producers aiming to cultivate a signature taste and style.

To get the most out of a sparkling wine, the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, the industry trade organization, recommends chilling the bottle on its side for at least three or four hours before serving.

More from Cheapism:

• Cheap champagne
• Webcam reviews
• Tablet reviews
• Treadmill reviews

Getty Images stock

Skip the Champagne and raise a glass of beer this New Year's Eve!

While Champagne is the traditional adult beverage to have in your glass on New Year’s Eve, a poll conducted by Wakefield Research found that 60 percent of American men between the ages of 21 and 40 would prefer to celebrate with beer over Champagne. I’m guessing the other 40 percent didn’t want to get yelled at by their wives for being knuckle-dragging barbarians. 

If you'd rather celebrate with a well-crafted brew, what beer should you drink? In the helpful holiday tradition, I’ve created this handy guide for what to drink depending on who you are and what you’re doing on New Year’s Eve.

You are:

Trying to show your non-geek friends just how fancy beer can be. Going for a beer that resembles Champagne in both form and flavor is a smart move here.  You won’t miss with a bottle of DueS Brut Des Flandres, an 11.5 percent ABV Belgian Ale that’s effervescent, fruity and dry.  As a bonus, it also comes in a fancy corked bottle that some people might mistake for traditional New Year’s bubbly.

Alone with your cats. You’re a cat fancier with a thirst for the finer things in life, so as the clock strikes 12, hoist a glass of Keegan Ales Hurricane Kitty to your feline friends, all of whom you have cleverly named after your favorite astrophysicists.  This 5.5 percent ABV American IPA will claw playfully at your tongue with a citrusy wallop of hops, and what are hops if not simply catnip for humans?

Trying to impress your beer geek friends.  As midnight draws near, you’ll want to break out the Westvleteren 12 you stood in the rain to get your hands on.  This ultra-rare 11 percent ABV Belgian Quad is regarded by some as being the best beer on the planet and is sure to impress even the most jaded beer geek. Figuring everyone gets a 2-ounce pour (hey, make it three – it’s the holidays!) two 330ml bottles should cover up to eight friends.  And really, do you know more people than that who are truly worthy of a taste?

Chilling with your bros, bro.  As the evening wears on and the Keystone Light flows (and the Ping-Pong balls fly) into the red Solo cups, you’re going to want to draw your ultimate bros near and treat them to the swaggiest suds they’ve ever had.  Chimay Grande Réserve (the one in the blue bottle) is a 9 percent ABV Belgian Strong Ale that will blow your bros’ minds with its layers of dark fruits and rich malts, not to mention its righteous corked top. Not only is this fine Belgian brew sold just about everywhere, it’s a great value for what you get.

Working on New Year’s Day. Surviving work on New Year’s Day depends on making smart choices on New Year’s Eve.  If you’re going to have a beer, it’s best to go with something flavorful and low in alcohol, like Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere, a 4.5 percent ABV Saison that’s grassy, fruity, a little funky and has just a hint of sourness in the finish.  It should allow you to enjoy your celebration like a grown up while leaving you capable of dealing with the general public the next morning (many of whom have made poorer choices than yourself the night before and will be crankier than normal).

Afraid of a marriage proposal. While you’ve been searching for Mr. Right, you’ve been dating Mr. Right Now, and he’s been dropping unsettling hints that “something big” is going to happen on New Year’s Eve. Best not to take any chances – you gotta get a bit unhinged so he won’t take it the wrong way when you throw up on the ring. St. Bernardus Abt 12 is a great choice here – it packs a hearty 10 percent ABV that’s very well hidden within an ambrosia of earthy fruits and dark caramel flavor notes.  Many people have found themselves unintentionally woozy after consorting with this crafty monk, so you’re groom-to-never-be will understand when you’re in no shape to make important life choices come midnight.

A doomsday cultist.  It’s understandable that you’re unprepared for New Year’s Eve, because you didn’t make any plans past 12/21/12.  Luckily for you, you’ve stocked up on canned goods, including canned beers.  Why not break out the finest of the bunch, a tallboy of Heady Topper, an amazing Double IPA that wonderfully balances a gush of citrusy hops with a huge malt backbone. 

Middle-aged with small children.  In other words, you’re me.  In that case, you’re probably going to hunker down at home with Ryan Seacrest and lift a tulip full of Troegs Mad Elf as the ball drops. This 11 percent ABV ale is brewed with cherries and honey and is by far my favorite taste of the season.  Enjoying one as 2012 expires is a great way to put a button on the holidays. After that, you’re immediately going to bed, because staying up past midnight doesn’t stop the kids from waking you up at 7:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day looking for a bowlful of Cheerios.  No rest for the weary!

In the end, it doesn’t matter which beer you drink on New Years Eve, just as long as it’s something a little special that you really enjoy.  In my opinion, about any craft beer is a better way to ring in 2013 than hoisting a fancy flute of sparkling French wine.

Tell us, what will you be drinking on New Year’s Eve?

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits. Follow him on Twitter.  

More from TODAY Food:

• Bourbon, beer share barrels for a smooth spirit
• Raise the roof with a rare beer brewed by monks
• Unique red, white and sparkling holiday wines
• Skip the cider: Jazz up non-alcoholic party drinks

From Steve Fuehne, the fun dad whose terrified screams were caught on tape as he rode an amusement park ride with his 10-year-old daughter, to an 81-year-old skydiver who survived an almost fatal mishap, to Chloe and Alexis Rudner, the adorable 1-year-old identical twins who rocked out in unison, viral stars were born this year thanks to some great moments captured on video.

We've listed some of the top viral video stars of 2012 below: relive them again and tell us which were your favorites.

1) Roller coaster dad's shrieks of terror while on ride with daughter 

People couldn't get enough of Steve Fuehne's terrified screams as he rode an amusement park ride with his 10-year-old daughter. His yelps turned him into a YouTube sensation. 

2) Boyfriend pops the question with a choreographed performance to Bruno Mars’ 'Marry Me'

Women swooned and guys groaned when Isaac Lamb, 31, proposed to Amy Frankel, 33, both of Portland, Ore., in what he called the “first live lip-dub proposal.” The elaborate routine involved 60 of the couple’s friends and relations, who surprised the bride-to-be with a choreographed dance routine to the tune of “Marry You” by Bruno Mars. Within four days of its post on YouTube, the video had reached 5 million hits. 

3) 81-year-old skydiver survives near-deadly incident, during which she began to fall out of her harness

There's no stopping Laverne Everett. At 80, she fulfilled a longtime wish and went skydiving, but it nearly became the final item on her bucket list when she almost slipped completely out of her harness during a tandem jump last May at the Parachute Center in Lodi, Calif. A year after her frightening fall, the video of her jump was all anyone was talking about.

4) Adorable twins rock out and dance in unison 

There's no stopping these tots. Identical 1-year-old twins Chloe and Alexis Rudner became a viral hit when they were captured on home video rocking out in unison. Within days, more than 2.7 million people had viewed the clip of the two girls in high chairs, swaying back and forth with huge grins on their faces as their dad strummed the guitar.

More on TODAY:

Gabby Douglas, Will and Kate among Facebook faves of 2012
You voted! Funniest TODAY moment of 2012 is...
Skydiver, 81, who survived mishap: 'Knitting is boring'
Adorable twins rock out in unison; on live TV, not so much

Jamie Lynne Grumet became a cover girl this year without ever setting foot on a catwalk.

The infamous pose she struck in May for TIME Magazine, standing hand on hip while she breast-fed her 3-year-old son as he stood on a chair, landed her as much publicity as any supermodel.

After the cover was revealed, Grumet, 26, defended her choice to pose that way in an interview on the TODAY show, saying "We knew exactly what we were getting into."

TIME Magazine's controversial cover featuring Jamie Lynne Grumet.

When TODAY.com caught up with Grumet seven months later, she said she still carries no regrets about posing for TIME, but feels disappointed that the photo – and its provocative “Are You Mom Enough” tagline – overshadowed the story inside on attachment parenting.

“Any photo is subjective, so it’s up for interpretation. That’s just the way it goes," the Los Angeles-based mother of two told TODAY.com. "I’m more upset that people in the media have said that I regretted it, or that I was manipulated."

That’s why Grumet later posed for the cover of another magazine, "Pathways to Family Wellness," once again while breast-feeding her child Aram. But in that photo she sat cradling him in a more traditional position, joined by her husband and their other son, 6-year-old Samuel.

The fall edition of the quarterly magazine played off the TIME cover with its own headline: "Jamie Grumet: Mom Enough To Speak Out for Attachment Parenting."

“It was important for us to pose and say, ‘Hey, if we had creative control (with the TIME piece) we would have done it like this,’” Grumet said.

Grumet now tries to deflect any attention she gets for either cover to a charity she runs, the Fayye Foundation. She created the nonprofit group in November 2011 to help curb the orphan crisis in Ethiopia by empowering women and mothers.

Pathways to Family Wellness

Grumet’s older son was adopted from Ethiopia, where attachment parenting is the norm. “It’s totally normal to breast-feed there for years and years and years,” she said.

Her foundation’s latest project focuses on clean water – specifically, working to ensure that future generations in Ethiopia can find clean water sources nearby.

“It’s a completely solvable issue," she said. "Right now, women there are walking miles and miles to get water, and they are not going to school because of it."

Grumet makes regular trips to the African nation, and returned from her most recent visit in September.

When Grumet appeared on the TIME cover, the instant outrage and publicity over her photo crashed the website that hosts her blog, IAmNotTheBabySitter.com. She received more than 40,000 emails in the first day, most from reporters and bloggers around the world seeking comment.

Grumet soon found herself being criticized from both sides.

Courtesy of Jamie Lynne Grumet

Grumet on a trip to Ethiopia for her charity.

Strong supporters of attachment parenting — a method that encourages parents to sleep with young children in their beds, extend breast-feeding beyond toddler years and adhere to other techniques to help develop parent-child bonds — felt slighted by what turned into negative publicity for the cause. But Grumet also got fierce criticism from the opposite end of the parenting spectrum, from those who felt it inappropriate to promote public breast-feeding.

A TODAY.com poll at the time about the TIME cover generated votes from more than 131,000 people. An overwhelming 73 percent said, “Eh, I don’t really want to see that,” while 27 percent thought, “It’s great!”

“Look, I’m not an advocate of breast-feeding, but I’m an advocate for normalizing it,” Grumet said.

“I think a lot of people wanted me to be crazy or extreme,” she acknowledged, saying she received 12 offers to be on reality shows, and handfuls of calls regarding prospective book deals or product endorsements.

“It was so ridiculous. You just don’t make money off of being an advocate or activist. That would be really, really wrong and hurtful to what we were trying to do,” she said. “A reality show? That would have been exploitative, for sure.”

Courtesy of Jamie Lynne Grumet

In the end, Grumet said she and her husband, a police officer, have learned a lot from the experience and laugh quite a bit at the response it generated. “We’re secure in who we are,” she said.

And for those wondering, she no longer breast-feeds Aram, now 4. "He's done," she said with a laugh.

Today, Grumet works primarily on home-schooling her two boys and on her charity. She is currently planning her next trip to Ethiopia.

“It’s funny, people would say things like, ‘Look, you’re a magazine cover,’ or, ‘Look, you’re a Halloween costume,’ or something like that. But that’s not me,” she said. “That’s why we were able to not take it personally, because that picture was just this persona. It wasn’t me. It was never us. It was just an image that people were filtering through their own views and own life experiences.”

More from TODAY:

Top stories that had women talking in 2012

Military mom 'proud' of breastfeeding in uniform

Controversial ad uses breastfeeding to sell cookies

Kids anxious to learn when Santa would arrive got an update from a surprise guest this year when first lady Michelle Obama fielded their phone calls.

Gary Cameron / REUTERS

Michelle Obama reads "The Night Before Christmas" to children at the Children's National Medical Center with unsolicited help from First Dog Bo.

That was just part of the Christmas festivities for the first lady, who also read “'The Night Before Christmas’’ at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 15.

On Christmas Eve, Obama was patched in as one of the volunteers answering phone calls to the NORAD Santa-tracking operation at a Colorado Air Force Base. She added to the excitement and anticipation of Christmas for several children, including one persistent one from Fort Worth, Texas, who wanted her to come visit him.

A boy named Anthony was hoping that not only Santa could stop by his home, but also the first lady and possibly her husband, according to a report by Politico.

“Yeah, [Santa's] heading your way,’’ the first lady said. “He’s heading your way. But you know what, Santa doesn’t come until you’re fast asleep.  You do know that, right?”

“Yeah, I was talking about you trying to visit me,’’ Anthony replied.

“Oh, me come to visit you. Well, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to come and visit before Christmas tomorrow, but if ever I find myself in Texas next year – and I know I’m going to be coming to Texas one time next year – hopefully we can see each other then.  How does that sound?”

Anthony then asked Mrs. Obama if she would come to his house or his school.

“You’re at Fort Worth?’’ the first lady replied. “I was in Fort Worth last year.  So maybe we can come back.  But until then, I want you to have a merry Christmas, OK, Anthony?”

But Anthony was not done.

“Can I talk to your husband?” he asked.

“He’s not here right now,’’ Mrs. Obama said. “But you know what, I will tell him that you asked about him.  OK? All right.  You keep being a good kid.  Work hard in school, okay?”

“OK,’’ Anthony responded. “Tell your daughters I said Merry Christmas.’’

“I sure will,’’ she said. “Thank you so much.  You give your family my best, OK?  You give them all a Merry Christmas from all of the Obamas, OK?”

Anthony from Fort Worth was from one of several families who received a special greeting from the first lady, including the Thomas family of Winona, N.J.

“Look, this just made their whole, like, life,’’ Mrs. Thomas told her. “They’re pretty excited now if they weren’t already.’’

Gary Cameron / REUTERS

Young A.J. Murray's reactions were a highlight of the first lady's reading of "The Night Before Christmas."

“Well, it’s pretty exciting around here, too,’’ the first lady responded.

There was also plenty of excitement during her reading of “The Night Before Christmas’’ in Washington on Dec. 15, which was released on video by the White House on Christmas Eve. The first lady had barely taken her seat when Bo, the Obama family dog, hopped right into her lap.

“This is exactly what he does at home,’’ Mrs. Obama said. “He tries to beat Malia and Sasha to my lap.’’

With the pet she jokingly called “the big baby in the room’’ nestled in her lap, she then delivered a dramatic reading of the Christmas classic while flanked by her tiny escorts, A.J. Murray and Jordyn Akuoko, as well as Santa himself. The adorable reactions of Murray and Akuoko highlight her reading.

Read more: 

'Savannah's Soldiers' send holiday cheer to military in Afghanistan

Former first children reveal highs, lows of holidays at White House

Jenna Bush Hager, Michelle Obama talk 'magical' White House holidays

TIME Person of the Year is President Obama

From Talia Castellano, the terminal cancer patient who became an honorary CoverGirl, to Will and Kate’s official baby announcement and Gabby Douglas’ ear-to-ear smiles after earning Olympic gold, big news spread fast this year, thanks to TODAY fans. We've listed the 10 most "liked" TODAY posts below. Which tops your list?

1) Dream comes true: Cancer patient, 13, becomes honorary CoverGirl
Total likes: 897,746

Talia Castellano touched fans across the nation – and the Web – when Ellen DeGeneres announced the cancer patient would be featured as an honorary CoverGirl.

Desiree Castellano

2) Thirteen-year-old boy, social media sensation, dies of cancer at 13
Total likes: 217,017

Fans showed their support after Lane Goodwin, known for his thumbs-up attitude toward fighting cancer, lost his battle with the disease.

AP / Brittney Galloway

3) Baby with Down syndrome lands swimsuit campaign
Total likes: 176,724

After 10-month-old Valentina Guerrero became the face of children's swimwear collection DCKids, thousands "liked" the news.

Joe Klamar / AFP - Getty Images

4) 'Batman' star Christian Bale visits victims of Aurora shooting
Total likes: 140,824

More than 140,000 people were touched to learn that the "Dark Knight Rises" actor had visited victims of the tragic movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., that took place on opening night of his film.

Denver Channel / Twitter

5) Moment of remembrance for 9/11 attack victims on 11th anniversary
Total likes: 123,566

"On this, the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the nation pauses to grieve and reflect at Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania." – Savannah Guthrie.

Reuters / Gary Hershorn

6) NYPD officer buys boots for barefoot homeless man in Times Square
Total likes: 118,683

TODAY show fans helped make this photograph – depicting a NYPD officer giving a pair of boots to a homeless man – go viral.

Jennifer Foster via Facebook.com/NYPD

7) Gabby Douglas on Olympic gold: "I haven’t stopped smiling"
Total likes: 97,702 

Olympic fans (nearly 100,000 of them) joined Savannah to congratulate Gabby on her team’s all-around gold medal.

8) America’s sheriff, Andy Griffith, dies at 86
Total likes: 91,534

Thousands flocked to Facebook in July to say goodbye to America’s sheriff, Andy Griffith. The iconic actor died on July 3, 2012 at the age of 86.

CBS via Getty Images

9) Duchess Kate is pregnant with first child
Total likes: 63,235 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced in December they are expecting their first child, the future heir to the British throne. According to Facebook, fans are looking forward to the royal family's newest addition.

Getty Images

10) Cop who bought shoes for homeless man: I "really didn't think about the money"
Total likes: 62,795

Lawrence DePrimo, the cop whose heartwarming gesture toward a homeless man in Times Square touched millions (see No. 6), told Savannah, “I knew I had to help him.”

TODAY

More on TODAY:

• 10 'OMG' posts on TODAY's march to 1M Facebook fans
• Top 10 Twitter moments on @TODAYshow's march to 1M followers

To bring holiday cheer to U.S. military missing their families while deployed in Afghanistan, an 11-year-old Florida girl has mobilized an army of her own.

Savannah Maddison Ogden of Weston, Fla., is the creator of “Savannah’s Soldiers,’’ a letter-writing campaign that has resulted in children sending an estimated 25,000 letters to soldiers serving in Afghanistan, including over 10,000 during this holiday season.

The campaign began a year ago with a simple gesture: Savannah wanted to cheer up good friend Wilson Schaper after his father, Lt. Col. William S. Clete Schaper, was deployed to Afghanistan in January. 

“I was kind of like, ‘Wow, what?’ I couldn’t imagine my parents going away for that long,’’ Savannah told NBC’s Kerry Sanders. “That would just crush me.’’

Savannah initially wrote a song for Wilson to cheer him up, but then decided to take it a big step further. She hoped to enlist enough other children to write letters to all 700 members that were deployed with Wilson’s father.

“I said, ‘Wilson, we need to do something more than this, is there anything we can do?'’’ she recalled. “We came up with ‘Savannah’s Soldiers.’’’

“I thought, ‘Oh how are we going to send 700 letters to Afghanistan?’’ Savannah’s mother, Monique Ogden, told NBC News. “She would get kids over, and they would start writing letters. It would be maybe 30-40 letters they would come up with in a week. I thought, ‘We’ve got a long way to go.'’’

To help achieve their goal, Ogden began speaking at local schools and Miami Marlins games. “The little kids write the cutest letters because they’re not the best spellers,’’ she said. “They’ll say ‘crunchy’ instead of ‘country.’ The kids really put their hearts into these letters.’’  

The missives began to pour in, and Ogden and her family sorted through them and then mailed them to Afghanistan.

“When you get a letter from a little kid that is telling you ‘good job’ and ‘thank you,’ you can’t explain it,’’ Capt. Bryan Durham, an engineer plans officer for the 841st Engineer Battalion, told NBC News.

“It helps them just get through the day and the tough situations that they’re dealing with in Afghanistan,’’ Janette Chandler, a support assistant with the U.S. Army’s Family Readiness Group, told NBC News.

The scores of children now writing letters enabled Savannah to far exceed her goal of cheering up the group deployed with Lt. Col. Schaper. Letter recipients now also include a naval unit and multiple army battalions, and many of them have posted their gratitude on Savannah’s Facebook page.

“The best is, they’re always smiling,’’ Savannah said. “They’re always holding up the letters with a smile on their face.’’

Two weeks ago, one of the regular recipients of the letters gave his family a special surprise: Wilson’s father made it home safely from Afghanistan for the holidays and thanked Savannah for all her hard work.

“Whenever Savannah’s letters boxes arrived, we would distribute them out,’’ Lt. Col. Schaper said. “Every time you were handing them out, there was always a huge smile, and a heartfelt thank you.’’

The letters helped Wilson feel close to his father while he was thousands of miles away before the two were reunited just in time for Christmas.

“It’s the best Christmas gift ever,’’ Wilson told NBC News.

Read more: 

Charitable giving that doesn't lighten your wallet

Santa, his elves give out hundreds of TODAY toys in Texas

Tiny Texas town opens its homes to 76 children in need

Fake tree brings Christmas spirit to Sandy-ravaged town

We can hardly contain ourselves in the office when an amazing animal story comes to our attention. 2012 was full of stories that not only made us smile, laugh, and sometimes tear up a little, but that clearly touched you strongly enough for you to pause and click that little ‘like’ button on our Facebook page.

See what made you and your fellow Facebookers express yourselves with our 12 most-liked animal stories below.

TODAY

12. Obie the obese dog works toward weight loss   
With 12,403 likes on our Facebook page, Obie's struggle with losing weight captured the hearts of TODAY viewers. He weighed twice the average for a dachshund at 77 pounds. We've been keeping up with Obie's struggle, which included a custody battle in October, and wish the best for this overweight pooch!

Nathan Edwards / Newspix via Rex USA

11. Dolphin and seal are underwater BFFs
When we see two different animal species become unlikely best buds, we just can't resist sharing their story with you! Jet the dolphin and Miri the seal have been inseparable since they were only two months old. While their friendship may be unlikely, especially since in the wild they would be competing for fish, it was not surprising that this post received 13,130 likes on our Facebook page.

Rob Leeson / Newspix via Rex USA

10. Cuddle buddies! Orphaned kangaroo and wombat become best friends 
Another unlikely animal friendship that captured our hearts and yours in 2012 was that of Anzac, an orphaned 5-month-old kangaroo, and Peggy, an orphaned 5-month-old baby wombat. These two both lost their mothers but ended up forming a bond with each other. 14,445 people liked this story on our Facebook page.

Caters News Agency

9. Meet Emma, the tiny donkey with a pink prosthetic leg
It's clear this inspiring recovery story was irresistible, getting 14,734 likes on our Facebook page. This miniature donkey foal was born with a deformed leg and was finally able to walk after a custom-fit pink prosthetic was made just for her. I dare you to look at the above photo and not smile! 

TODAY

8. Girl's best friend is a dog who carries her oxygen
This touching story illustrates how much a dog really can be a kid's best friend. Suffering from a rare lung disease, 3-year-old Alida is able to live more of a normal life thanks to her service dog Mr. Gibbs. Her amazing story garnered 15,264 likes on our Facebook page.

Adam Hunger / Reuters

7. Rush is on to rescue animals stranded in Sandy's wake
Everyone pulled together to help people and animals alike in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. This touching story of rescue workers helping animals stranded by Sandy, with resources on how you can help, received 16,580 likes on Facebook.

Courtesy Larassa Kabel

6. The 2012 White House holiday card stars Bo!
Who can resist the adorable first dog? This beautiful wintry image of Bo earned 18,322 likes on Facebook.

Marisa Papile Urbano/Facebook

5. Facebook campaign gets kids 100,000 'Likes,' 1 cat
Our story about two adorable kids adopting a shelter cat thanks to their social media-savvy mom and more than 100,000 Facebook users received 21,061 likes on our Facebook page. From the happy looks on their faces in the photo above, we can only image what they looked like when they reached their goal!

Casey Gutteridge / SWNS.com

4. 8 photos of a puppy and kitten who think they're sisters
There really isn't anything more we can say about this cute story that got 23,981 likes on our Facebook page other than: Awww!

Marina Cano / Solent News via Rex USA

3. A mother's determination: Elephant rescues baby trapped in mud
No matter what the species, this story showed that a mom will do anything for her child. On our Facebook page this heartwarming story received 29,556 likes.

TODAY

2. Two-faced kitty is drawing double takes across Web
Don't worry, Photoshop had nothing to do with this cat's striking features! Venus, a cat with two different color eyes and fur that is divided right down the middle between black and ginger, became a viral sensation on Reddit, Facebook and in a YouTube video with more than 600,000 views. This story received 38,773 likes on our Facebook page.

Hannah Stonehouse Hudson/Stoneho

1. In loving arms: Man floats his sick dog to sleep, becomes Internet sensation
How can I put into words how this story of unconditional love touched us all? For 19 years John Unger's loyal companion was his dog Schoep and when he learned his dog had severe arthritis and might have had to be put down he was devastated — and also determined to help alleviate his friend's pain. He brought Schoep to a lake, where he hoped his dog could feel weightless and relaxed.

A photo of his caring act was uploaded on Facebook and soon went viral. The story received 51,909 likes on our Facebook page, and the reaction was felt by Unger himself. Strangers began reaching out to help and when we last caught up with Unger the resulting treatments had helped Schoep immensely.

What TODAY animal story of 2012 did you like most? Tell us which one of the stories above you liked most or if you enjoyed a different one more in the comments below!

TODAY.com producer Lisa Granshaw just can't get enough of these inspiring, adorable animal stories. She is excited to see what antimal stories 2013 will hold!

More:

• Dog lost in the snow for two weeks is found after search goes viral
• Owner of viral sensation IKEA monkey wants him back
• Video: Boy, beaver wave to each other at zoo
• Your 11 top animal stories of 2011

Sara Schones

The Schones triplets from Minneapolis were not impressed by Santa.

Did your holiday trip to the mall traumatize your little one? You're not alone!

Countless families took their little ones to meet Santa this Christmas season. When their kids pouted, cried and screamed, parents who were saddened (and — let's be honest — entertained) by their kids’ reactions thankfully knew to reach for the camera.

Monica Spencer

We asked moms and dads earlier this month to capture their tots’ traumatic encounters with Saint Nick. Must-share candids immediately came pouring in. Here, we feature the best — of the worst — moments of children taking their traumatizing turns on Santa’s lap.     

Have a scroll below and let us know: which are your favorites? Perhaps the babies with quivering lips or maybe the cut-and-run toddlers? Click on the "vote" button on your favorite photo in the gallery below (you can click on the photos to enlarge them).

Christy Bailey

More on TODAY:

• Reddit 'Secret Santa' breaks Guinness world record
• Photo of baby sleeping on Santa goes viral
• TODAY anchors share their favorite holiday memories

It was a record-setting year for the TODAY toy drive, which wrapped up on Friday having raised $41.75 million in donations to benefit five million children across the country.

The historic giving this year brings the 19-year total of the TODAY toy drive to $332 million in donations, and the proceeds will be distributed to more than 200 U.S.-based charities.

One of the final generous gifts came from first-time donor Sun Products, which made a donation of $373,000 worth of Snuggle fabric softener, detergent and 1,000 Snuggle bears for children, announced Ed Vlacich, Sun Products executive vice president of national brands. The donations from Sun Products will go to three charities.

Epiphany School in Dorchester, Mass., a tuition-free middle school for economically-disadvantaged families from Boston neighborhoods, will receive donations, along with the Dominican Women’s Development Center in New York City, which helps organize low-income women and provide them with culturally competent social services. The third charity receiving the donation from Sun Products is Bailey house in New York City, which provides housing and services for those affected and infected by HIV/AIDs. 

Read more: 

Santa, his elves give out hundreds of TODAY toys in Texas

Video: James Patterson donates 100,000 books to toy drive

Video: TODAY toy drive receives the gift of music

Video: Arbonne donates $175,000 to TODAY toy drive

Read about other nonprofit organizations served by TODAY's Toy Drive. 

Pinterest

Looking for last-minute gift ideas? We all know the way to our loved ones' hearts is through their stomachs. As part of Pinterest's "30 Days of Pinspiration," TODAY and Paula Deen have teamed up to share our favorite gifts made in – or for – the kitchen. From s’mores gift jars and homemade truffles to DIY sugar and salt scrubs and delicious beverage infusions, there’s something for everyone on your list.

TODAY

Make some mouthwatering pumpkin whoopie pies as a last-minute gift. Get more delicious ideas on our Pinterest page!

We’ve even included some favorite edible gifts from the TODAY anchors. Check out our Gifts from the Kitchen Pinterest board to see what tasty treats Natalie, Al and Willie dole out to their lucky friends and family. It’s holiday crunch time – and time to get Pinspired! 

Click here to get 98 tasty gift ideas and click here to get more recipes and tips from Paula Deen. 

An NBC special that takes a historical perspective on Christmas at the White House also provides an unusual feat: the gathering of ten presidential families who celebrated the holidays inside the “People’s House.”

“A White House Christmas: First Families Remember,” which aired Thursday night, recounts holiday stories from former first ladies and their children, including a rare interview with Amy Carter.

The show offers a unique gathering of individuals who often get lumped into a single category by the general public, explains Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush.

“I don’t think any of us would say, ‘Hi, I’m a first daughter.’ That’s not how we think of ourselves,” said Hager, who served as executive producer of the piece.

“We define ourselves as being of our careers, and our relationships and our children. But we are part of this club who’s lived history, so it’s amazing to hear everybody’s perspective around something as non-political as the holidays.”

Story: Michelle Obama talks 'magical' White House holidays

The Christmas special provides an insider’s peek into the White House, including darker moments such as the period following the death of President John F. Kennedy.

“Everywhere you went downstairs and all the public rooms, it was all draped in black,” recalls Luci Baines Johnson, whose father ascended to the presidency after Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. “And there was a sense of respect for the unspeakable horror that our country had gone through.”

Following a 30-day mourning period, President Johnson lit the National Christmas tree on the Ellipse outside the White House.

Slideshow: Hail to the tree: Yuletide presidential portraits from FDR to today

Lawrence Jackson / The White House

Launch slideshow

“All of a sudden, the black was gone, and the tree was up, and there was a sense there would be hope for tomorrow,” Baines Johnson said.

The National Christmas tree lighting ceremony also created lasting memories for other first families.

“It was a must-do event. It was on everybody’s schedule,” said Secretary of State and former first lady Hillary Clinton, who was interviewed sitting next to her daughter.

Chelsea Clinton recalled her first time getting to hit the switch that illuminated the National Christmas tree.

“I remember thinking it might be anticlimactic to just hit a button. I don’t know what I thought, but it was the furthest from anticlimactic. I mean, to watch the tree just burst into light, and to gasp along with the thousands of people that are watching it on the mall,” she said. “It was a magical moment.”

Story: A 90-year tradition: Obama lights National Christmas Tree

Other moments from the show included the host, Meredith Vieira, sneaking a taste of this year’s White House gingerbread house.

The tradition of the edible homes began in 1969 with Pat Nixon, whose daughters remember how their father would chip off a tiny morsel from the back of the home where no one would notice.

Tricia Nixon Cox called the unveiling of the White House gingerbread homes a significant part of the season.

“That was a high point because who doesn’t feel young at heart in the presence of a charming old fashioned gingerbread house? “ she said.

Roughly 100 volunteers help decorate the 13 rooms and 54 live trees spread throughout the first floor of the White House, which is expected to get more 90,000 visitors during the holiday season.

This year’s theme, Joy to All, features special tribute to military families, as well as to Christmases past.

“We’re bringing back some of the favorite ornaments of some of our most recent first ladies, just to remember that this house never belongs to just one family,” said current first lady Michelle Obama, who jokingly called herself “hostess in chief.” “The history of this house is the culmination of families that have touched this place and have made their mark on this season.”

The show’s host, Meredith Vieira, sneaks a taste of this year’s White House gingerbread house. She also describes the work of the roughly 100 volunteers who help decorate the 13 rooms and several dozen trees spread throughout the first floor.

Story: Bo-Ho-Ho! First dog inspects holiday decorations

Hager said Christmas has always provided a peaceful, unifying influence to the White House, regardless of the political party in power at the time.

“It’s pretty amazing. It's a time when our country all comes together,” she said.

More: 

The 2012 White House holiday card stars Bo!

When Christmas comes a day early or a day late

Wow! See the world records that fell in 2012

Watch best of TODAY in only 15 minutes

With 13 days left until 2013, it’s time to break out the four-leaf clovers, rabbits' feet and horseshoes. And if you’re in New York, considering donating those lucky charms to the “13” that will soon hang over Times Square.

The seven-foot numbers “1” and “3,” illuminated by 200 LED bulbs, paid a visit to the TODAY plaza Wednesday before being taken to the Times Square Museum & Visitor Center. Guests there are being encouraged to drop off good-luck charms to help ward off any bad fortune that may follow the “13,” considered an unlucky number by the superstitious.

Museum visitors will get to look at the numbers up close until Dec. 26, when the “13” will be hoisted 400 feet above Times Square, joining the "20" to ring in the new year. 

More from TODAY:

• Best of TODAY 2012: What was your favorite?
• When Christmas comes a day early or a day late
• Obama, Olympics, Bieber topped Twitter in 2012

Every family has holiday traditions, but it’s a whole different story when you celebrate in the White House.

TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager knows first-hand what it’s like to spend the holidays at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Last month she sat down with Michelle Obama to get a glimpse into how the current White House occupants celebrate this season. 

“This is the most special time to be in the White House, and one of the things I really love is that it’s the one time of the year when we really open the White House,’’ Obama said. “We have thousands and thousands of visitors just streaming through every day. Everything looks great. The smells are magnificent. I feel very blessed to be able to be here during these times.’’

On Thursday at 8 p.m., NBC will air "A White House Christmas: First Families Remember,'' as former presidential families look back at their experiences. "During the holidays, it really is magical,'' Hager told TODAY's Savannah Guthrie. 

TODAY

TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager can remember her grandfather, George H.W. Bush, reading 'Night Before Christmas' to her and her siblings and cousins every year at the White House.

The first lady said her role during the holidays is to be “hostess-in-chief,’’ which includes welcoming some important guests.

“One of the things that’s really special for us is really being able to turn a spotlight onto our military families, which is something that we try to do every year through the holidays,’’ she said. “I just try to remember that this is the time when the White House is truly the people’s house.’’

The president also takes a backseat to the true star of the family during the holidays — Bo, the family’s Portuguese water dog. Bo is featured on this year’s official White House holiday card.

TODAY

The Obamas always try to work their beloved Portuguese water dog Bo into their holiday themes, including the cover of the White House holiday card this year.

“We always find a way to incorporate Bo into our Christmas themes,’’ Obama said. “Bo is the most popular member of our family. The president is clear on it. There are times when people recognize Bo, and they don’t even see him.’’

Read: Bo-Ho-Ho! First dog inspects White House holiday decorations

The Obamas will actually spend Christmas some 5,000 miles away from the White House in Hawaii, where the president grew up and attended high school.

“We go out there, and we spend time with friends and family,’’ she said. “That tends to be our gift to each other, the president and I. We don’t exchange gifts. We say, ‘We’re in Hawaii. Merry Christmas.’’’

TODAY

TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager also was able to experience putting the star on top of the National Christmas Tree with her grandmother, Barbara Bush.

One of the family traditions is a Christmas talent show involving the children — and the adults.

“Everyone has to participate, whether it’s singing or reading a poem,’’ Obama said. “The kids will construct a play of some sort, or we’ll sing Christmas carols.’’

The first lady declined to reveal the nature of her performance in this year's show.

“I wouldn’t disclose it to the public,’’ she joked. “It would give me a great disadvantage.’’

She did reveal the contents of the holiday meal: “There's turkey, there’s string beans and stuffing, a little mac and cheese,’’ she said. “This is a time when I throw ‘Let's Move’ out the window for a moment, and get that mac and cheese. Everybody deserves their mac and cheese.”

After the frenetic pace of the election, the family is looking forward to spending some time together with the understanding that the president’s job could take him away at any time.

TODAY

Just like the Obamas, it was all about family for Jenna Bush Hager (at right) during holiday time at the White House during the two presidential terms of her father, George W. Bush.

“This job never stops,’’ Obama said. “It's a wonderful privilege. It's a blessing. We're so glad to be here for four more years. There's so much work to do, but you don't have control over where the winds blow.’’

While the White House holiday experience differs from that of the average household, the core values are still the same, the first lady said.

“That’s what you realize living here is that in the end, it’s about family,’’ she said. “It’s about friendship. No matter what we’re dealing with around the world, the holidays are a time for us to all just be together and be thankful.’’

Read more: 

The 2012 White House holiday card stars Bo!

A 90-year tradition: Obama lights National Christmas Tree

When Christmas comes a day early or a day late

Wow! See the world records that fell in 2012

Watch best of TODAY in only 15 minutes

Getty Images file

President Barack Obama is TIME magazine’s iconic Person of the Year, managing editor Rick Stengel revealed Wednesday as he unveiled the 2012 cover on TODAY.

“He’s basically the beneficiary and the author of a kind of a New America, a new demographic, a new cultural America that he is now the symbol of,” Stengel said.

Obama became the first Democratic president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt to win two consecutive re-elections with at least 50 percent of the vote, despite the highest unemployment rate in seven decades.

Stengel said Obama won support from a core group of voters who “actually don’t care about politics” and felt the president ignored partisanship to do his job.

“Using the coalition of the ascendant young voters, millennials, Hispanics minorities, he’s creating a new alignment, a kind of realignment like Ronald Reagan did 40 years ago,” he said.

This is Obama's second time on the cover with the iconic title. He also secured the title the last time he won election — in 2008, just after he became the first African American elected president.

The magazine's short list for this year's Person of the Year cover was revealed on TODAY, and tens of thousands of TODAY.com readers voted among the eight candidates. In addition to President Obama, they included Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!; Mohammed Morsi, president of Egypt; Undocumented Americans; Bill and Hillary Clinton; ; Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani student activist who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban; Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple; and the Higgs Boson and Italian physicist Fabiola Giannati.

Yousafzai, the 15-year-old targeted by the Taliban because she championed the cause of education for girls, narrowly defeated Obama in a TODAY poll.

As it has for the past 85 years, the weekly newsmagazine selected the person (or sometimes group, or thing) that its editors deemed had the single greatest impact during the past year, for better or for worse.

Time’s Person of the Year has been a perennial topic of year-end debate ever since aviator Charles Lindbergh was chosen the first Man of the Year back in 1927 (the title was amended to Person of the Year in 1999). But the title is not necessarily an accolade; while many presidents, political leaders, innovators and captains of industry have been cited, some of the more notorious Persons of the Year include Adolf Hitler in 1938, Joseph Stalin in 1943 and Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. There have also been more conceptual choices, such as “the American Fighting-Man” (1950), “Middle Americans” (1969), and last year’s choice, The Protester.

Slideshow: Time Persons of the Year 1999-2011

Launch slideshow

More from TIME magazine:

• TIME Person of the Year 2012
• President Obama: 'These Tragedies Must End'
• Malala Yousafzai and why education should in the foreign policy debate
• Apple CEO Tim Cook announces U.S. Mac production, warns: 'Don't bet against us'
• Mohammed Morsi's moment
• The Higgs boson, Fabiola Giannati and the Cathedral of Science
• Marissa Mayer's Wall Street debut sends Yahoo! stock surging
• Bill & Hillary Clinton: What will diplomacy look like in the 21st century?
• Undocumented Americans: Not legal, not leaving
• Slideshow: TIME Persons of the Year 1999-2011

Courtesy of the Shaffer family

Tom Shaffer, a longtime bus driver and a senior training instructor for Greyhound, estimates he's worked 15 of the past 20 Christmases. He said his wife has adapted to his absences over the years because "she knows I love what I do."

Military service it is not: These workers expect to come home safe, and their absences are typically measured in days, not months.

But for thousands of pilots, flight attendants, baggage handlers, bus drivers, train conductors and other transportation employees, an un-jolly reality exists: Until they attain enough seniority, many of them can expect to spend anywhere from five to 25 years working on Christmas and other major holidays.

Faced with such an enduring buzzkill, transportation employees and their family members often get creative about when and how they celebrate. Sometimes Santa comes with great fanfare on, say, Dec. 19. Sometimes he rolls in with his reindeer (and gifts obtained at fabulous after-Christmas sales) on Dec. 28. But for many of them, Christmas consistently comes a day early or a day late — year after year after year.

That’s the situation Tom Shaffer has learned to accept along with his wife, their two sons and their extended family members who descend each Christmas on the Shaffer home in Rockwall, Texas. A longtime Greyhound bus driver and senior training instructor, Shaffer estimates he’s worked 15 of the past 20 Christmases — and this Dec. 25 will be no exception.

“I’ve just gotten used to it over the years,” said Shaffer, 56. “Greyhound is really, really busy during that time of year. My wife understands this is what I do and she’s grown accustomed to it and she’s accepted it. She knows I love what I do.”

Courtesy of the Shaffer family

Regina Shaffer, right, described her husband Tom Shaffer, left, as a "great person." "He's always so positive," she said. "I've learned a lot from him myself."

Opening gifts at different times
Indeed, everyone who knows Shaffer recognizes how much he loves his job and cares about his passengers. He takes great pains to make holiday bus rides cheery and upbeat.

“I like to be cheerful with everybody,” he said. “I make it my business to say, ‘You have a merry Christmas and a most happy and prosperous New Year’s.’ ... Sometimes people sing Christmas songs on the bus.”

Back at home, Shaffer’s family has found ways to adapt to his absence on pivotal Christmas mornings. They typically break with tradition and open special gifts at different times — sometimes on Dec. 24 before Shaffer has to leave town, or in the late afternoon or evening of Dec. 25 after he’s completed his bus route.

“Whatever we consider to be, you know, the big gift, we always want him to be here so he can see the reactions,” said Tom Shaffer’s wife, Regina Shaffer, 43.

Occasionally the “big gift” reveal happens late on Christmas day in front of as many as 20 members of the Shaffers’ extended family, and can result in special memories for everybody present. Last year, for instance, the Shaffers bought a telescope for their youngest son Jordan, who was 10 at the time. They were pretty confident their son, a space enthusiast, would love the gift — but his ecstatic reaction astonished everyone.

“We didn’t wrap it — we actually hid it and then set it up when he was in the back,” Regina Shaffer recalled. “When he saw it, his eyes were so big. He was almost crying and saying, ‘Thanks, Daddy! Thanks, Daddy!’ ... There wasn’t a dry eye in this house.”

Courtesy of the Shaffer family

Jordan Shaffer is pictured opening Christmas presents in 2009. Jordan, who is now 11 years old, delighted his family with his reaction to the gift of a telescope last Christmas.

Supporting, cheering fellow employees
A number of airlines provide priority travel passes to crew members so they can have a spouse or another close family member travel with them over the holidays. That way, if they have to spend Christmas in a strange city, at least they have their nearest and dearest along for the ride.

On an informal basis, senior airline workers will sometimes switch shifts with junior crew members who have small children. That way, the junior crew members can enjoy the Christmas morning experience at home.

No matter what, though, many moms and dads do end up working on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Sometimes winter weather is to blame.

Capt. Mark Niles, a pilot for Horizon Air, recalls flying one year with a first officer who had been scheduled to make it home on Christmas Eve.

“We got delayed due to a really bad snowstorm,” said Niles, who lives in Portland, Ore. “She was telling her young son over the phone that Santa Claus had a special arrangement with pilots and flight attendants, and he knew when they had to be gone and he would still show up on the right day. ... That was kind of hard to listen to.”

Niles — who also serves as vice president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations, an organization that represents 28,000 pilots — said he’s worked many major holidays during his 13 years with Horizon.

“I’m fairly junior as captains go in the grand scheme of things,” Niles said. “The junior guys are flying on holidays — that’s just how it is.

“In our case, we’ve done alternate days for Christmas, or for Thanksgiving we’ll plan to do it on a different day. Sometimes that works when you can coordinate with family, and sometimes it doesn’t. Then you just have your own little celebration with your immediate family.”

When transportation employees do have to spend the holidays with their “work families,” they usually enjoy special meals together. Greyhound provides traditional Christmas lunches or dinners to workers, and Delta does the same thing for gate agents, ticket agents, ramp workers, baggage handlers and other employees. American Airlines said teams of employees often create potluck, grassroots holiday celebrations with their co-workers.

Niles has fond memories of an unforgettable Thanksgiving meal he shared with fellow Horizon crew members about a decade ago.

“A crew member actually cooked the complete meal, with all the trimmings, and brought it with them in a cooler,” he said. “We were in a hotel in Boise with nothing open around us, and this person had taken care of the whole meal for all of us!

“It’s so great when you work with a really good crew and everybody kind of bands together for the holidays and does nice things for each other.”

Has a work schedule ever prompted your family to celebrate the holidays in different ways or on different days? Share your stories in the comments! 

Need a Coffey break? Friend TODAY.com writer Laura T. Coffey on Facebook, follow her on Twitter or read more of her stories at LauraTCoffey.com.

More on TODAY:

• Military parents come home for the holidays via reading
• Confessions of a mall Santa: Spit, snot and spreading cheer
• Video: Secret Santa pays Wal-Mart layaway bills for 53 families 
• Photos: Faces of Santa: See how St. Nick spreads holiday cheer around the world

Hey sexy lady! It's time for YouTube's top 10 countdown of 2012, kicking off with, yes, you guessed it, our new best friend, Korean rapper PSY.

With nearly a billion views on YouTube, there's one indisputed king and he's doing dance moves nobody's ever seen before — and only the YouTubers attempt to replicate.

Shocker in No. 2 - This isn't Gotye's original video for "Somebody That I Used to Know" but one of the multitude of stunt covers. This one, by Walk Off The Earth, features five band members simultaneously playing the same guitar.

Possibly the longest video ever to go super viral, this documentary about atrocities performed by Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony was the third most watched video of the year. 

In fourth place is Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," and no, not one of that insanely viral song's 7,000 cover versions.

The elections had to turn up somewhere, but who would have thought that a mock Romney/Obama rap battle (No. 5) would be the winner, with over 45 million views?

No. 6 is actually a commercial for the TNT cable channel ... in Belgium. Not where you'd expect the awesomest TV promo in history, which has to be the most dramatic thing to ever happen in this sleepy Flemish town.

Do you love pizza? Not as much as this guy. And that's just the beginning of the insanely popular Spoken Reasons' rant about relationships (No. 7). His YouTube followers are legion, and with good reason.

The eighth slot brings more music, an energetic dubstep violin jam starring the video game world's favorite angel, Lindsey Stirling.

You may recall back in February of 2012, a man posted a video of himself, shooting his daughter's laptop as a disciplinary measure, and the entire world went nuts.

Rounding out the top 10 is a highlight reel of daredevil Felix Baumgartner, who made history on Red Bull's dime, jumping from a capsule 128,000 feet in the air and surviving the trip back to Earth.

We recommend you clicking play on all of them at once, and listening to the chaos that ensues. Or, if you want to view them in a more orderly fashion, go to YouTube's Rewind page.

Michele Kahl

Christmas trees are decked out and illuminated in homes around the world – and thanks to your submissions, TODAY has collected photos of the best and brightest!

Inspired by Savannah’s small (but absolutely beautiful) tree, we asked fans to contribute pictures of their own needle-filled creations.

From the tiny to the towering, photos of Christmas trees from across the country came pouring in.

Diana Miller-Buchanan

Renee DeLoach

Jeannine Bandemer

Whether the focus is lights and garland or Kathie Lee and Hoda (check out the TODAY show-themed tree below!), these decorated cedars, firs, pines and spruces are sure to get you in the holiday spirit.

We’ve picked our favorites. Which are yours?

More from TODAY:

• Festive felines: 11 cats in Christmas trees
• Is this the best Christmas light display of 2012?
• There arose such a clatter over pipe-free Santa

On Tuesday morning, TIME magazine's short list of eight potential choices for its iconic Person of the Year cover was revealed live on TODAY. The list includes Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!; Mohammed Morsi, president of Egypt; Undocumented Americans; Bill and Hillary Clinton; President Barack Obama; Malala Yousafzai, the student activist from Pakistan who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban; Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple; and the Higgs Boson and Italian physicist Fabiola Giannati.

As it has for the past 85 years, the weekly newsmagazine will select the person (or sometimes group, or thing) that its editors deem had the single greatest impact during the past year, for better or for worse. Last year's choice was The Protester.

Some 5.6 million people have already voted in TIME's reader poll. On Dec. 13, TIME revealed that the winner was Kim Jong Un, supreme leader of North Korea.

Also in the top 10 in TIME's reader poll: funnyman Jon Stewart; Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas; Burmese leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Thein Sein; New Jersey's Gov. Chris Christie, and two choices who also made it onto the magazine's short list: Mohammed Morsi and Undocumented Immigrants.

TIME's official choice will come from this short list of eight, and will be revealed Wednesday morning live on TODAY, on TIME.com, and via TIME's Twitter feed.

Which is your pick?

More from TIME magazine:

• President Obama: 'These Tragedies Must End'
• Malala Yousafzai and why education should in the foreign policy debate
• Apple CEO Tim Cook announces U.S. Mac production, warns: 'Don't bet against us'
• Mohammed Morsi's moment
• The Higgs boson, Fabiola Giannati and the Cathedral of Science
• Marissa Mayer's Wall Street debut sends Yahoo! stock surging
• Bill & Hillary Clinton: What will diplomacy look like in the 21st century?
• Undocumented Americans: Not legal, not leaving
• Slideshow: TIME Persons of the Year 1999-2011