Ooh!
Good morning!
Hi, I'm Heidi!
Hi, Heidi.
I'm Harold!
You must be the new director of the Historical Society.
I am.
Word travels fast.
Small town.
Where are you moving from?
North Carolina.
We don't get much snow there,
so looks like it's gonna be a white Christmas.
That we will have.
But I highly suggest slippers.
Yeah. Yeah.
Those are with the movers,
and high heels just didn't feel right.
Well, let us know if you need anything.
Geraldine's my wife.
She's got slippers for days.
Great. Thank you!
Oh, and if you like history,
you're staying in the right place.
Nice meeting you!
Nice meeting you too, Harold.
Thank you!
Coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee.
Coffee!
Clara's cranberry Christmas cookies.
Thanks, Clara!
Uh ...
Heidi Wicks?
Yes. You found me!
If you could just put everything inside
where you think I might want it.
And here are the keys.
- Thank you. - Thank you!
Okay. See ya.
Hello?
Oh, in here!
There you are!
Welcome!
I'm so sorry that I'm late, and here's some cookies.
I didn't bake them, but somebody did.
Aw, thank you.
You must be Linda Swanson.
I am. And you must be Mrs. Wicks.
It's Miss now.
And please, call me Heidi.
And do you have children?
I do. Annie and Garrett.
They're not here yet.
They'll be arriving tonight.
They are driving with my ex.
It smells amazing in here! What is that?
Oh! That's my Christmas coffee.
I make this special holiday blend.
Let me get you a cup!
Sounds perfect.
I couldn't get my coffee maker to work this morning.
The electricity in the house is, it's a little tricky.
Oh, that house is beautiful,
but I'm sure it needs a lot of work.
You're actually the first director
who opted to live there,
so it hasn't been touched in ages.
But David can take a look if you have any problems.
Oh, you'll meet David.
He's just getting out our Christmas decoration from storage.
Perfect.
That was gonna be my first order of business.
I wanted to, you know,
make this place a little bit more festive.
Our previous director was not big on decorating.
We don't have a lot of people come in here,
so he just figured, you know,
why waste the money on sprucing it up?
I think that if we make it more fun and inviting,
then that will lure people in.
Mhmm.
That's the goal, right?
Yeah.
First day of work, still not here, huh?
That's what you get for hiring your new director
without meeting her in person first.
Eh.
Hi.
Thanks for the warning, Linda.
Ah.
Glad you made it.
David Avery.
Heidi Wicks.
Did you need some help with the rest of the decorations?
Oh!
No, that's it.
That? That's it?
Just one sad old fake tree?
The previous director really wasn't into decorating.
Or perhaps the former director
was just fiscally responsible.
Oh!
You know who else was fiscally responsible?
Old Ebeneezer Scrooge.
Hmm.
To be fair, nobody really comes in here.
People don't really seem to care about history anymore.
I care about history,
and I think that other people do too.
And you should probably care if you're going to work here.
Oh, I didn't say I don't care about history.
What do you do, exactly?
You do maintenance?
Something like that.
David is a master at everything he touches,
and he has kindly agreed to continue volunteering here.
I think, as the former director,
he'll be a great resource for you.
You're the fiscally responsible former director.
Yes.
But you can call me Ebeneezer.
Thank you for the warning, Linda.
I hope that me taking your old job
isn't going to make this any more awkward for us.
Not at all. This is your show now.
And I agreed to step down
because I am working on my own business.
Oh! Okay.
What's your own business?
Well, I'm glad you asked.
Historical renovations.
"Grrrreat jobs by David."
That's a lot of Rs.
Yeah.
Stands for Restore, Renovate, Refurbish, and Repair.
And my niece came up with it. She's seven.
She's smart.
Restoration. So you do care about history?
Yep. Basically my life.
Me too.
You should drink this while it's hot.
This is gonna make your day so much better.
Oh, okay!
Wow.
If we wanna get people in for the holiday exhibit,
we should offer them Linda's Christmas coffee!
Oh! Yeah, sure.
Do we have a holiday exhibit?
We will.
I've been doing some research,
and I really want to create an exhibit
that showcases the history of Christmas in New Hollow.
I cannot wait to get to work in your archive room.
Well, I appreciate the enthusiasm,
but we don't really have an archive room.
Oh, we do have some semblance of order here.
Ooh.
And we do have a microfiche reader.
That's great!
Okay, well you,
you get started on setting that up, and then Linda,
you and I can pull anything related
to Christmas in New Hollow.
Uh-huh.
Okay.
Really hitting the ground running, huh?
I'm trying.
Did you get that thing to work?
Barely.
It's pretty old.
Oh! Hello?
Yes?
Is he okay?
Okay, well I'm glad that he wasn't hurt.
Thank you for the help.
One of the movers tripped on a loose floorboard
and broke an old painting hanging on the wall.
See?
I knew it wasn't safe for anybody to be living in there.
Actually, living in that house
is a major perk of the job.
I'm hoping that it'll ease the sting for the kids
having to move up here.
You know, if your kids are coming in tonight,
maybe you should have David do a walkthrough.
Make sure there aren't any other safety hazards, right?
That's a good idea.
Would that be okay?
Yeah!
Yeah, I've got a few things to do this afternoon,
but I can stop by later and check things out.
Thank you.
Hi! - Hello!
Oh wow! Love what you've done with the place.
You do know that Boxing Day's
not until after Christmas, right?
Very funny.
Yeah, the movers decided to leave everything right here.
I was really hoping that it would feel
a little bit more like home when the kids arrived.
Come in, please.
Do you have kids?
No, I am just an uncle.
I've got two nieces and a nephew.
They live in Florida.
What about you? How old are your kids?
Garrett is nine and Annie is 12.
But they both think they're teenagers.
Please, thank you so much for coming.
Take a look at the floorboard.
All right.
Yeah? Awesome.
Thank you!
Aha. There's the culprit.
Nailed it!
I really hope that this wasn't valuable.
I doubt it. We had a similar one growing up.
Yeah?
In fact, may I?
Yeah.
My dad used to hang one that was
almost exactly the same during the holidays.
Huh.
And this one says "door" on it.
Guess they hung it in the wrong spot.
And a quote.
"If athletes get athlete's foot,
what do astronauts get?"
Missile toe.
They get missile toe.
Oh! Good one!
And then it's signed by JR.
Huh.
Maybe JR was a popular local painter.
Did your dad grow up here?
Yeah, he was born in New Hollow.
Then he moved a couple towns over to Brookline,
and now he's in Florida.
Do you guys get along?
We do.
You know how when two people are really similar
and they often clash?
That's me and my pops.
Me and my daughter are the same.
Trying to parent an outspoken
12-year-old version of yourself can be a challenge.
Hmm.
My son is much more shy.
Here we go.
Well, that's weird.
Look at that.
Oh wow!
That's so cool!
Oh! Wonder what D3 means.
Can I see?
Yeah.
I'm not sure.
It's hand carved.
Looks like red maple.
So probably made locally.
My son would love that.
Thanks!
Yeah.
Why don't I help you put all those boxes away
and get everything sorted before your family gets here?
That would be amazing!
- Yeah. - Thank you.
Yeah.
Garrett's room, upstairs.
Okay.
Alright.
What's this?
Yes!
I love records.
The music isn't perfect,
but still, it's so pure.
Agreed.
And of course you played a Christmas song.
Sorry, Scrooge,
but every record there is a Christmas album.
And I love it!
You know, if I would've known all this was in here,
I would've moved in when I had the chance.
Why didn't you move in?
Oh, my dad.
When I told him about this place,
he made a big deal about me never coming here.
Did he also think it was haunted?
I don't know, he just told me to stay away.
Are you trying to scare me?
Why, are you scared?
No.
Maybe.
Why has it been empty for all these years?
Apparently there's some sort of confusion
as to who owned the property.
They couldn't find the deed,
so the mayor just decided to hand it over
to the Historical Society.
Wonder who used to live here.
Oh, people.
People!
Oh, that's deep.
No wonder you were the director of the Historical Society.
Well, I choose to concern myself
with the history of architecture and structures.
Design.
I mean, you'd think you'd be more interested
in holiday decorating.
Oh, well I'm glad you brought that up.
I'll have you know that this town started
in the early colonial period,
when decorating for Christmas was not a thing.
All right, fine.
My family didn't decorate for Christmas.
But I am more into the history of things over people.
Yeah, but people are what make things interesting.
Who built it? Who designed it?
Who hid little tiny reindeers in its walls
and painted mistletoe and listened to Christmas music?
That's obvious. Santa Claus.
Santa Claus! Now that is a better answer.
Yes!
Yeah.
Kids are two hours out.
Oh! Looks much cozier in here!
Thank you so much for all your help.
I owe you big time.
Oh, that box there goes to Annie's room.
All right.
Garrett! Annie!
Oh!
Hi, Robert.
Thank you so much for bringing them home safe and sound.
I wanted to make a few more stops along the way,
but Garrett was worried about you
being all alone in a new place.
Oh, this is Avery.
David.
David is actually my first name. Hey.
Robert.
That's Annie and Garrett.
Howdy.
David is the former director of the Historical Society,
and now he's mine.
His old job is now mine.
And he's helping me move in.
Thank you, again.
You're welcome.
All right. - Okay.
I gotta get going. Nice to meet all of you.
Thank you again. Okay.
Come on in!
Come in, come in, come in!
I wanna show you the house.
How was the trip? Did you guys have fun?
Yeah, it's real fun driving hours away
from all my friends.
All you do is text your friends anyway.
You can do that from here.
At least I have friends.
Okay. Okay, guys.
Can we just try and make the best of this?
It's gonna be a white Christmas.
That is cool, right?
Yay! Freezing cold Christmas.
Can we see our rooms?
Yep. Just up the stairs.
They were like that the entire drive.
Come on in.
W-R.
What are you doing?
I don't really know.
I just found this.
It says,
"Merry Christmas. You're starting great.
Keep on looking and find all eight.
Don't give up and stay on track.
The first one might be tough to crack.
D-D-P-V-C-C-D-B."
It's like some sort of treasure hunt.
We should try to figure it out.
You have fun with that.
Come on. This place is creepy.
Before, you only had to be a mom,
which you're great at.
Now you wanna be a mom, and work in some strange town,
and live in some huge old house.
It's not gonna be easy, Heidi.
You know, it's not gonna be easy.
And that's okay.
Hi! Hey!
How are your bedrooms?
Mine's full of boxes, so.
But you are super creative!
And you're gonna make it look so cute.
Does this place even have wifi, or?
No, but we will get it.
I'm staying at a nice hotel in Boston tonight.
If you need some more time to get on unpacked,
the kids can stay with me.
There's an indoor pool and wifi.
Can we, mom?
I was kinda hoping to do something special
your first night in town.
You're gonna have them for months!
They can stay with me tonight.
Tomorrow, we'll go ice skating,
and then they can pick out a few Christmas presents
before I head back.
Okay.
But tomorrow night,
we are gonna do something really special, okay?
Okay.
Oh! Gosh, I almost forgot.
We found this hidden in a secret hole in a wall upstairs.
Cool, huh?
Yeah.
You can have it.
You found that in the wall?
Yeah, upstairs.
Hidden behind a painting.
Okay, let's hit the road.
All right, I'm gonna grab your jackets and toothbrushes.
This really is some old Christmas treasure hunt.
How cool is that?
Dad?
On second thought, I'm kind of tired.
Maybe you can come get us tomorrow morning?
Sure, I can do that.
Come on, dad.
Hey, Davey!
Hey, I wanna ask you a quick question.
You know that mistletoe painting
that used to hang during the holidays when I was a kid?
Where is that?
Well, if it's not down in the basement closet,
it probably got tossed.
What are you looking for that old thing for?
I'm just curious.
Where'd you get that painting anyway?
Leave it alone, Davey.
Okay.
Why don't you come down here and we can go golfing?
Nah. Nah, I like the snow.
Look, I gotta go, okay?
Talk to you later.
Come on.
Whoa.
Why doesn't mistletoe grow on a dogwood tree?
Hmm.
Mom? Mom!
Annie, Garrett!
We need to find the fuse box!
Creepy.
Whoa!
It's okay! It's just a nutcracker.
Sorry, guys.
Okay.
All right.
That's better.
Definitely.
Oh! Welcome to ...
Mistletoe Manor.
M and M.
Let's go.
What do you think the letters D-D-P-V-C-C-D-B stand for?
Maybe they're initials for something?
Eight letters, eight clues?
That's it!
Eight reindeer!
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen,
Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.
So D3 is Donner.
Hey, you guys coming?
We'll be right up, mom!
The note said the first clue might be
a tough one to crack.
Get it?
Crack like a nut!
Yeah.
Ho, ho, ho!
There it is.
Two down.
And six to go.
Yup.
Good morning!
Hi!
Oh, is that my sweater?
This?
No!
Yes. Yes, it is your sweater.
I was cold.
Sorry.
That's okay.
It looks better on you.
Did you hear the doorbell?
Mm-mm.
Oh. Okay.
Hello!
Whoever lived here before was obsessed with Christmas!
Also, Mistletoe Manor.
Does that ring a bell?
No, should it?
I think it's what this place was called before.
Sorry, why are you here?
Oh
I found my dad's mistletoe painting,
and it looks just like the other one.
It has a mistletoe joke on the back,
and it was also signed by JR.
Did he say where he got it?
You know, he acted all strange,
didn't wanna talk about it,
but you know how yours says door on the back?
Uh-huh.
This one says wall.
JR was very specific about where he wanted things hung.
Yeah, apparently.
I have to go and get ready for work.
I'll see you there?
Okay.
Linda?
Oh, good morning!
Good morning.
Oh, you look nice!
Thank you! So do you.
Oh, thanks.
Yeah, you do look nice.
Yeah.
But we're pretty casual around here.
You know, there's no need to dress all lawyer-ish.
I've been wearing yoga pants and mom jeans
for the last 12 years.
Now that I have a job, I'm going to dress for it.
But thank you for the fashion tip, Paul Bunyan.
Come with me.
Come here!
Just so you know,
flannel never goes out of style.
If you say so.
Okay, so today we're gonna work on the Christmas exhibit
and decorating.
Maybe we go period.
I have some modern lights and decorations
that we can put outside, and we can put in the office.
But for the exhibit, we could do more pre-industrial?
You know, candles, a homemade garland,
holly, you know, stuff like that.
And then we're gonna need a tree.
A real one.
You know, big, that we can put here,
and people that walk by can look at it in awe
and maybe even come in.
And when they do,
I'll have my Christmas coffee waiting for them!
Oh, come on, Linda.
You're not actually on board with all this
Christmas decorating stuff, are you?
People should know about what New Hollow used to be like!
I remember when everyone in this town knew each other,
and they'd say, "Merry Christmas!"
And then they'd ask about each other's holidays.
These were our relatives from past generations.
You just gave me an idea.
We can make the tree the centerpiece of the exhibit.
We can call it the tribute tree,
and people can come in with old photos of loved ones
from past Christmases.
I think it's a fantastic idea!
Thank you, Linda!
We're also gonna need a tree.
You know anyone that has a truck?
Nope.
Okay.
Is this where you get your Christmas tree?
No, I don't get a Christmas tree.
Tell me you had a Christmas tree growing up.
Well, we had a potted fern
that we called our Christmas tree.
A Christmas fern.
You don't know what you're missing!
I've never heard that before.
Wait, what about this one?
Well, it's better than a fern.
But, looking for something a little bit more special.
And how do you know when it's something special?
Well, you find the one that'll look and feel like family.
Oh, I wish I could look at Christmas trees like you.
I just don't have that same childhood nostalgia.
It's never too late.
Christmas isn't just for kids.
You know how you said when you find the one,
it feels like family?
Yes.
Well, this tree looks an awful lot like my uncle Leroy.
Your uncle Leroy is beautiful.
Yeah, you should see Aunt Ethel.
You did it!
You found the one.
Oh, I forgot to ask you,
what is the joke on the back of your dad's
mistletoe painting?
Oh, "Why doesn't mistletoe grow in a dogwood tree?"
Because it's afraid of the bark.
How do you know these jokes?
They're classics!
And when you have kids,
you need to know all these types of clean jokes
for any occasion.
Alright, prove it.
Tell me a clean joke for this occasion right here.
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Dishes.
Dishes who?
Dish is gonna be a beautiful Christmas tree.
Dish is gonna be a long day.
The tribute tree! It's perfect.
David picked it out.
And Linda, great job decorating!
I'm gonna get some more stuff
and have my kids help you out tomorrow.
Wait. More stuff?
Yeah, we want people to be excited!
So they come in.
I'm gonna go check in the archives
and see if there's any more material
that we can put on display.
David, would you please help Linda put up the lights?
Oh, yeah. Of course.
Whatever you need.
You're the boss!
I am!
I like the way that sounds.
I think you're gonna be the best boss
we've had in a long time.
Oh, no offense, David!
Oh, a little offense was taken, Linda.
Mistletoe Manor.
Hmm.
Okay.
I think that I may have officially broken the microfiche.
That's okay. I'll take a look at it.
And my kids are gonna be coming in early,
and I really wanna surprise them
with a Boston themed dinner.
Is there any recommendations for takeout?
Yeah, Bushcini's.
That's the best in town.
Okay!
Actually, you know what?
I haven't eaten lunch yet.
I could take you down there.
Please!
- Alright. - Okay.
Linda?
Chowder.
You know, at first,
I really thought I was living in Mistletoe Manor,
but the house in this photo looks different, right?
It's hard to tell.
Definitely looks like a different house.
And the address, 1225 Mistletoe Lane.
I mapped it out, and it doesn't exist.
Alrighty!
Jess! This is Heidi.
She is taking over my old job.
Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you too. - Thank you.
What do I leave?
On the house.
Welcome to town.
Are you sure?
Absolutely.
Thank you so much!
My pleasure. Enjoy.
Thanks, Jess.
And this chowdah, as we call it,
is unbelievable.
You wanna try some?
Sure.
May I?
Yes.
Nice. Perfect bite.
That is amazing!
Yeah, it's good.
I should run.
Thank you for this!
Thank Jesse.
Bye!
Ah, there he is!
Hey dad!
I got a quick question for you.
Have you heard of a place called Mistletoe Manor
in New Hollow?
I said to leave that alone, Davey.
All right.
Well we're just trying to figure a few things out.
There's a woman that moved into that big house on Mayfair,
and she found a few items.
What kind of items?
A little wooden reindeer
that was stuffed into a wall
behind a painting of a mistletoe.
Just like the one you used to have.
Is there anything on the reindeer?
Yep.
Yeah, there was a D3 carved on the belly.
We got a lot to talk about, but not right now.
I gotta go.
Okay.
Did you guys have fun with your dad?
He had an emergency at work,
so he was on his phone the whole time.
Oh. Okay.
Well, we're gonna have fun in our new house.
Yeah, 'cause this house is so new.
It is new to us.
We're gonna start off with a New England meal,
then (gasps) drum roll ...
Gingerbread houses!
We already ate.
Okay, well then we'll leave the meal for later,
and then we'll start building the gingerbread houses.
Mom, we don't have to keep doing
the same traditions we did back home.
Everything is different now.
No, the situation is different,
but we're not different.
And Christmas isn't different!
Yes it is!
Dad won't be here, my friends won't be here.
Annie, I know that this move
has been really, really hard for you,
but I do believe that this is all gonna work out
for you and your brother.
You mean work out for you.
For all of us.
I'm going up to my room that's not really my room.
There you are!
I knew you couldn't resist our holiday tradition.
Honey, are you okay?
I'm fine.
This house just seems more Halloween than Christmas.
Actually, I think whoever lived here
was obsessed with Christmas.
How are people supposed to get into your front door
if you covered it up?
That's the back.
The front door is on this side.
See?
The back door.
You guys just gave me an idea.
About what?
Follow me.
Maybe the back of this house
is the clue that we've been missing.
Just like Garrett's gingerbread house,
this was actually the front of the house.
This photo is our house!
So what?
Look at all the decorations!
Don't you think it's cool to live in a house
that was Mistletoe Manor?
Okay, can we just go back inside now?
I'm freezing.
First we go and get the Mistletoe Manor sign.
Now that we know that this is in fact Mistletoe Manor,
we've gotta put up the sign!
We'll go get it, Mom.
Okay, just please be careful.
David! It's Heidi.
Call me back as soon as you get this.
Who's there?
Harold!
Oh god, you scared me!
Oh!
I thought you were an intruder!
Maybe you could answer something for me.
Did this used to be the front of the house?
It was.
Years ago, they annexed the property
and moved the road to keep it within city limits.
So this house was Mistletoe Manor.
It went dark long before I lived here.
Went dark?
Well, from what I understand,
the people who lived here always had this place
lit up like Rockefeller Center at Christmas.
And then one year they just stopped.
Do you remember what year that was?
Oh, that's the extent of my knowledge.
Thank you very much, Harold.
And thank you for looking out for our house!
My pleasure.
Have a good night.
Good night!
Delivery!
Thanks, buddy.
Yeah.
We'll be in the basement, Mom.
Okay.
Heidi!
Yeah? I'm in here!
Hey!
Hi!
Is everything okay?
Yeah!
I got your message.
It sounded urgent.
I called you right back.
Oh my god, I'm so sorry.
Yes! This really is Mistletoe Manor.
Come here!
Look what we found in the house.
You know, that's interesting,
because I asked my dad about Mistletoe Manor,
and he just clammed up.
There's definitely something about this place
that he knows and he's not saying.
Hmm. I wonder what that's about.
There has to be a clue around here.
Found it!
What's it say?
"This soldier is strong and keeps up his guard,
protecting the treasures of our merry yard.
Soon he must find the king who's a mouse
and defeat him here in our own little house."
Remember that play Mom took us to,
where the Nutcracker fights the Mouse King?
I don't get it. This house isn't little.
It says the Nutcracker is guarding a treasure.
Has to be behind that door.
It's locked.
Maybe this will help.
Whoa.
This is amazing!
We're telling mom, right?
Of course!
Once we find the next reindeer.
Morning!
I was up all night working on the Christmas exhibit,
so I could really use a cup of your famous coffee,
whenever you get a chance.
Oh yeah! I made a fresh batch this morning.
Annie, Garrett.
You've met David.
This is Linda.
She's the best.
Aw. So nice to meet both of you!
You guys did all that work
putting up the Christmas lights!
You might as well turn 'em on.
Garrett, would you do the honors?
Just around the corner?
Yeah.
Okay, I know what you're thinking.
We need more lights.
That's not what I was thinking.
Don't worry, we have lots more.
Speaking of which,
I hear you two are gonna help me decorate today.
We are?
Yes! We are going into the city.
We are?
We have research to do.
And the microfiche reader is, it's broken.
Wonder how that happened.
On Thursday, we are throwing a soiree
to open up the exhibit and to decorate the tribute tree!
And we're going to work!
Come on, let's go!
Thank you, Linda!
You got it!
"The holiday season is upon us,
and one of our town's most beloved traditions
is the Christmas Eve gathering
at the elaborately decorated," don't say it.
"Mistletoe Manor, hosted by owners John and Susan Rawlings."
John Rawlings. JR.
JR!
Go on!
Alright.
"Every year, the Rawlings adorn their home
with thousands of lights."
Great.
"Decorations and ornaments.
The house is a must-see Christmas attraction
that has inspired the entire community of New Hollow
to elevate their holiday Christmas decorating.
This Christmas, the Rawlings are excited to welcome
child number two into their family,
joining three-year-old Dorothy.
Mistletoe Manor is truly a sight to behold,
and should be on everyone's Christmas Eve to-do list."
Okay, that's amazing!
We need to find the daughter, Dorothy Rawlings.
I mean, she'd probably be in her seventies?
- Seventies? - Yeah.
Okay. Let's see what we can dig up.
There.
Oh! We've got a visitor.
I'll be right back.
Hi!
Hi.
Welcome!
Thank you.
May I help you?
Oh, maybe you can.
I'm looking for my son, David Avery.
No! You're David's father?
Oh, I've heard so much about you!
I'm Linda.
Well, hello Linda.
I'm sorry that David didn't tell me more about you.
Oh. Oh ...
Yeah, David's not here right now.
He's in the city.
Do you wanna come in?
Do you wanna sit down, or?
Well, thank you,
but I think I'm just going to take a little stroll
and stretch my legs after a long flight.
Okay. Sure.
Thank you, Linda.
Nice to meet you!
Nice to meet you.
Oh!
"February 3rd, 1956.
Dorothy Ann Rawlings of New Hollow succumbed to pneumonia.
She is survived by her parents and one sibling.
Services will be held Thursday at First Lutheran Church."
That's really sad.
Yeah. It says that she had one sibling.
Excuse me!
We're closing in five minutes.
Oh, okay.
Wow, that went by fast.
May I help you?
Oh, no!
I just remember this house from when I was a kid.
Well, people live there now.
So it's best not to go snooping around.
Yeah, I apologize.
Merry Christmas!
Boston under the snow!
Boston under the stars!
I got a handsome cab ride for a handsome couple.
Oh, yeah. We're not ...
Let's do it.
Really?
Yeah. Yeah, we're gonna do it.
Let's go! - Okay.
Thank you.
Let me take your bag.
Oh, thanks.
Oh!
Aw.
Good idea!
This is really nice.
Have you ever heard of a place called Mistletoe Manor?
It's in New Hollow.
Doesn't ring a bell.
But I do know where you can find some mistletoe.
Subtle.
So, you know my story.
I'm divorced, a single mom.
Why is someone like you still single?
What makes you think I'm single?
Oh! I'm sorry.
I just, you're always so readily available.
I assumed.
No, no.
You're right. I'm single.
A few relationships here and there,
but nothing serious.
You know.
Now I don't have to worry about that anymore.
Wouldn't wanna upset the tradition of the mistletoe, so.
No, we wouldn't wanna do that.
No.
It'd be awful.
Yeah.
I should get this.
Look around on the other side!
Hi! Linda, is everything okay?
Oh! Really?
Yeah. I'll let him know.
We shouldn't be too much longer.
Bye.
You had a visitor.
Your dad came by the office.
My dad?
Yeah!
Does anybody show up out of the blue?
Yeah.
Do you know what about though?
We'll have to find out.
Read the second part again?
It says, "Soon he must find the king who's a mouse,
and defeat him here in our own little house."
Could be anywhere in this house,
which definitely isn't little.
It said the nutcracker is guarding this room.
It has to be around here somewhere.
Garrett? Annie?
Oh, wow!
You guys have hit the jackpot!
This is all the Mistletoe Manor decorations!
It's like a Christmas museum in here!
Oh wow!
Look at this little house!
Little house, of course!
Who's this guy?
The Mouse King!
Oh, guys!
You guys, look!
It's another one of those little reindeers,
like the one I found in the wall!
"It took a door and a wall to make our house
feel like a home."
Doesn't it always take a door and a wall
to make a house feel like a home?
Wait, that's strange.
Door and wall are capitalized, like names.
Who would name their kid Door or Wall?
Door, Dorothy.
Nicknames.
The Rawlings' daughter.
Maybe Wall is their son.
Bet his name is Walter.
Walter! That makes sense.
I really wanna help you guys figure this out,
but I have to get back to the tribute tree!
Later.
Can you guys be careful in here, please?
Thank you.
Do you think the door and wall thing
is a clue for the next reindeer?
I don't think so.
It doesn't rhyme.
There it is!
Nice job!
"Great job so far.
There's no going back.
Prancer's close, so don't get off track.
Your train of thought should stay on the clue.
Focus on toys and gifts made for you."
Gifts made for you.
Maybe for that boy, Walter?
Oh, that fire's nice!
Forgotten how cold it gets here.
Yeah. Sorry you were waiting outside, dad.
I didn't know you were coming.
You said I should come back for Christmas.
I hopped on a plane, thought I'd give you a surprise.
Is that okay?
Absolutely! Of course!
It's pretty unexpected though.
You know, I've been thinking.
I wanted to ask you,
why did we never have a Christmas tree growing up?
I don't know, Davey.
A lot of things I should have done differently
with you boys.
The truth is, I never let you have a Christmas tree
because my mother wouldn't allow me to have one.
You know, sometimes it's not always
the good family traditions that get handed down the line.
And sometimes you just wanna avoid anything
that could trigger certain memories.
What memories?
The kind that mean your kids don't have a Christmas tree
when they ask for it every year.
Dad, what happened?
I'm a man.
You know you can talk to me, right?
I thought I was ready to,
but there are just some old wounds
that shouldn't be reopened.
Hold on! I got it.
Off track? Train of thought?
Bingo!
Yes!
That's Prancer.
"You found number three with your razor sharp mind,
but keep the trail warm or you never will find,
Vixen who waits for her driver to slide.
Let's hope that his belly hasn't gotten too wide."
Vixen will make five!
Oh!
This place looks amazing, Heidi!
I don't know how you ever pulled it off.
I couldn't have done it without you.
I just hope people show up.
Well, we put out the posters,
we made the phone calls.
I think we're gonna get a decent crowd.
- Have you thought any - more about the last clue?
I haven't figured it out yet.
Me neither. But we will.
Why don't we ask Mom to help us?
This was supposed to be a treasure hunt for a kid.
Probably that boy Walter,
which means that we should be the ones to figure it out.
Besides, she moved us here without even asking us!
We should be allowed to have some fun on our own.
It's kind of cool here.
Mom's happier, and you didn't love it back home either.
We'll tell her eventually.
Hey David, did your dad have any information
about the painting?
No. No.
He has not shared anything.
My dad can be an enigma sometimes.
Hello?
Yes, hello Deputy Mayor!
6:30 is correct.
See you tonight!
He's not the jolly type.
No, no.
That man is the opposite of jolly.
Oh, he's grinchy.
Ooh. I like that.
That's a good word. He's very grinchy.
But he hired me, so I mean,
he can't be that bad.
Actually, the town council voted to hire you.
He wasn't too keen on it, to say the least.
Okay.
Well, he's coming tonight,
so it'll be my opportunity to prove him wrong.
There you go!
Hey, are you gonna have any music or something tonight?
Or is it just gonna be people
standing around having boring conversations?
Actually, that's a really good point.
The old record player from the house!
Ah, that would match the theme!
Do you think that it would be too much trouble
to move it here?
I can have my dad help me.
He's already got my truck anyway.
I can walk down and have him meet me there.
Great idea.
Can Garrett and I help?
No.
I'm just kidding.
You gotta ask your mom.
Yes!
All right. Let's bounce!
Isn't that what the kids are saying these days?
No. No.
I don't think so.
No, I don't think I've ever heard that one.
Hey dad!
You okay?
I think I need to sit down.
I'm gonna get a glass of water.
Okay. Yeah.
All right.
I got this.
Okay.
What have you got there?
Nothing. Just the puzzle we're working on.
Oh well, I used to be pretty good at
solving puzzles when I was your age.
Maybe I can help.
Okay. We found these in the house.
It's some sort of treasure hunt from the olden days.
Olden days, huh?
Yeah. We think the dad that used to live here
made them for his son, Walter.
Interesting. Hmm.
Where did you find the first one?
In a nutcracker.
And we found the second one in a dollhouse,
and the third in a toy train.
But we haven't figured out the fourth clue yet.
Let's see.
"You found number three with your razor sharp mind,
but keep the trail warm or you never will find,
Vixen who waits for her driver to slide.
Let's hope that big belly hasn't gotten too wide."
Keep the trail warm.
What keeps you warm?
Blankets? A jacket?
Fire?
"Vixen waits for her driver to slide."
Who drives the reindeer?
Santa!
It's somewhere in the fireplace!
I'll keep David occupied while you find it.
Oh, let me help with that!
Ah, I got it, pop.
Take a rest.
I'm fine. It was just a touch of vertigo.
It comes and goes, like Santa.
♪ And the mountains in reply
♪ Echoing their joyous strains
They're gone.
It can't be too close to the fire. It would burn.
Hey, look!
WR, just like my drawer.
It's loose.
That's Vixen!
Nice.
Hey, you guys ready?
Record player's on the truck.
- Yup! - Yeah.
All right.
Okay, let's give it a listen.
Hmm.
Annie, that adds the perfect touch!
Thank you all for helping.
Mr. Avery, can we talk to you for a second?
Of course!
Did you find it?
We did.
It was under a brick.
We didn't get the chance to read the clue yet.
Before you do,
we have something very important to discuss.
This is your treasure hunt,
but Christmas is about family.
So I think there's some important people
we need to include in this. Do you?
All right.
You guys have found four more of these reindeer,
and all these clues, and you're just telling us now?
Sorry.
The reindeer from the dollhouse!
Was that a clue?
Did I solve that?
Yes! Me!
So what does this latest clue say?
"He flies like a comet when he pulls Santa's sleigh,
beaming with pride as he shows them the way.
His hygiene is poor, but do not disparage.
He makes up for his smell when he pulls Santa's carriage."
"He's always been speedy since he was a fawn,
and when Santa needs him,
with the wind, they're gone."
Alright. It's about a smelly reindeer.
That's clever.
Okay.
Okay, don't worry.
We are gonna figure this out together.
Yeah.
Any other guests?
Nope, just her and this other couple.
That's it.
Okay.
You know, it's early!
Maybe they'll still show up.
Yeah, maybe.
So this one's sweet-
I'm gonna go give this to her.
Okay.
I printed your picture for the tribute tree.
I think it turned out pretty well.
This is such a great idea.
Thank you!
Is it okay if I get a photo in front of the tree
with the picture of my mom?
Of course! Yeah!
Thanks again. Thank you.
Oh, and if you post that pic,
make sure to use hashtag tribute tree.
You got it.
We have a tribute tree hashtag?
We do now!
Hello?
Oh, hi!
Hey hey hey!
That's Deputy Mayor Pruitt.
Welcome!
Did I miss the event?
No!
No, you, sir, are the event.
There's been a couple people that have come and gone.
Did you bring a photo?
I did not.
Oh, okay.
Well, you can drop one off,
or you can email one to us later.
The tribute tree is a way for us to remember
and honor the people that came before us.
This is my grandmother and my grandpa,
and he used to be a cello player,
and she was an opera singer in the 1930s.
Yeah, they were a match made in heaven.
The tree is an interesting concept.
Thank you!
But I'm not surprised that folks
aren't lining up to participate.
I think people prefer to think of
happier things at Christmas.
Nothing makes me happier
than to think of my grandparents during the holidays.
I applaud your efforts, Miss Wicks.
The history of Christmas exhibit is impressive,
but judging by the turnout,
I think the tribute tree missed the mark.
There's a town council meeting tomorrow.
I think you should attend.
11:00 AM. City Hall.
See you then?
Yeah! Yeah, of course.
We can discuss your future with the historical society.
Okay.
Thank you, Mr. Deputy ...
Grinchy.
Don't worry about him!
He just doesn't understand the vision.
Do you think that they're gonna fire me already?
I moved my entire life here.
No, no. Just be yourself.
They're gonna love you!
Mom!
Yeah.
Can we go now? We wanna continue the treasure hunt.
No! I'm sorry.
I just, I really wanna wait and see if any more people come.
I can walk them home and hang out with them.
They're no trouble.
Yeah?
I can join as well.
Oh, good!
I shouldn't be too much longer.
Oh, it's snowing!
It's so pretty!
Oh, it's so cold!
It is cold!
Cool!
Careful.
All right. Have a good night.
Get home safe, huh?
- Bye! - Thank you!
Bye!
Okay, bye kids!
See you!
- Bye! - Bye!
Well, it'd be a shame to let all this go to waste.
Do you wanna dance?
Oh! Sure!
♪ Joy to the world
My first event didn't go very well.
I don't know.
Feels like it's going pretty good to me.
You know what we should do?
We should bring back Mistletoe Manor!
You know, that's actually a really good idea.
Right?
Can we finish this dance first?
Yes.
Oh!
♪ Let heaven and angels sing
♪ Joy to the world
♪ The savior reigns
♪ Let men their songs employ
I still feel like there's a clue in here.
Hey, remember the mistletoe painting?
Mom and David never found a clue with it.
We found Donner, the seventh reindeer.
If we find the clue, we can skip to the end.
You're a genius!
Okay, now wait till you see what I found in here.
Hello! We're back!
Where are you all?
I'm in the kitchen!
The kids are outside.
They're on the treasure hunt with Wallace.
You never told me that your dad's name is Wallace.
Oh! I don't know.
I didn't think it mattered.
Wall. Wallace.
Yes, yes!
It totally matters!
Of course.
Wall-ace. Hmm.
No way!
What?
Kids?
Dad!
Pop, you in here?
Look. He looks just like you.
That was John Rawlings.
My father.
This was my home until I was seven years old.
To me, this house was alive.
It was my grandfather who first called it Mistletoe Manor,
but it was my dad who really ran with it
and turned it into something special.
So your birth father, my grandfather, is John Rawlings?
Yes. JR.
That's what everyone called him.
For the first six years of my life,
he could do no wrong, in my eyes.
Everything he touched was magical.
Including Mistletoe Manor.
Davey, I'm sorry I never told you
and your brother the truth.
I thought if I admitted it to anyone,
I'd have to admit it to myself,
and it was something I needed to keep in my past.
Yeah, but why?
Because of your sister, Dorothy.
Door was a big part of the reason.
That's what he called Dorothy.
She was his Door and I was his Wall.
And when Dorothy was about Annie's age,
she came down with pneumonia and didn't make it.
Door loved Christmas and all the decorating
just as much as my dad did.
They were like two peas in a pod.
So how did you go from being Wallace Rawlings
to Wallace Avery?
After what happened to Dorothy, my dad was devastated.
There was a piece of him that was gone.
He blamed himself.
He thought he'd let her play in the cold for too long.
My mother was a very strong woman.
She tried to hold the family together,
but my father, in his grief,
became a shell of himself, and withdrew from everyone.
Oh, that poor man.
He thought I'd be better off without him.
So he asked my mother to take me and leave.
And she did.
She remarried a nice man named Jim Avery,
who became my father.
My mom never looked back.
I was young.
As far as I knew, JR didn't want anything to do with me.
So I became Wallace Avery.
And then when Annie and Garrett
started finding hidden reindeer with clues,
I realized that my dad was
still trying to say something to me in his own way,
using this Christmas treasure hunt.
I think the three of you should continue the hunt
and find out what your dad wanted you to know.
And, with your permission,
I would really love to bring Mistletoe Manor back
on Christmas Eve, the way that it used to be.
I think that's a fine idea.
Good.
Christmas Eve is in four days.
I suggest you tell the council,
because you're really gonna wanna get them on your side.
It'll be a lot easier.
I'll tell them tomorrow.
David, what are you doing here?
I don't know, exactly.
Grinchy called me up this morning and asked me to come down.
That can't be good.
They wouldn't have had me uproot my life and my family
just so they can fire me right before Christmas, would they?
I don't think so.
It's hard to say with Pruitt, though.
I mean, he's kind of a stickler on certain things.
I do know that he didn't wanna hire
an out of towner with limited experience to begin with.
Great.
Maybe my ex is really gonna enjoy this.
He just loves being right.
Yeah.
David, you think I can do this job, don't you?
Look, I may not agree with how you've done things so far.
We're ready for you now.
David, you can come in as well.
Okay.
Great.
I'm up against Grinchy and Scrooge.
What could go wrong?
I am so grateful and excited for this job,
and you all believed in me.
Not only because I love history,
but because I love people,
and I am excited to connect the people of New Hollow
to their history.
I love Christmas, and everything that it stands for.
68 years ago, this town lost one of its
most treasured traditions, Mistletoe Manor.
And it just so happens to be the house
that you're letting me live in.
Every Christmas,
Mistletoe Manor brought the town of New Hollow
a sense of holiday joy.
And I, well we,
would love to bring back the magic of Mistletoe Manor,
to the next generation,
so they can experience that feeling of community
through the holidays, like their grandparents,
and their great-grandparents did so many years ago.
Another party?
Well, it's not a party.
It's ...
Excuse me, if I may.
We complain about people not being engaged
in our local history, right?
Well, maybe they're not engaged because
we haven't given them a reason to be engaged.
I know that I never did.
Well, Miss Wicks has done more in one week
as the director than I did in two years.
Now, what she's proposing is a way for us
to engage our community,
to help bridge the gap
between the past, present, and the future,
and share a little bit of Christmas joy along the way.
Now, if anybody can do this, it's Heidi.
I think she's incredible,
and I think we're very lucky to have her.
Thank you.
Mhmm.
No more Christmas parties, Miss Wicks.
Stick to practical ideas,
or we're going to have to take a look at your job status.
Maybe we should look at your job status.
Mr. Deputy Mayor.
You've enjoyed your little power trip
while I've been recovering,
but I am still the mayor in this town,
and I remember those Mistletoe Manor days fondly.
They were some of the best times of my life.
I can't wait to see that house come alive again.
You have our full support.
Thank you, Mayor.
Thank you all.
I won't disappoint.
Good job.
Thank you.
Mhmm.
Let's go. We've got three days to make Mistletoe magic.
So, how's it going?
We are still stuck.
Okay. Read it to me again.
"He flies like a comet when he pulls Santa sleigh,
beaming with pride as he shows them the way.
His hygiene is poor, but do not disparage.
He makes up for his smell when he pulls Santa's carriage.
He's always been speedy since he was a fawn,
and when Santa needs him,
with the wind, they're gone."
That is a tough one.
He mentions hygiene.
Did you check the bathrooms?
We already checked them.
You know, I'm no detective,
but he says "carriage",
which could imply carriage house.
Then "beaming."
Up on a beam?
Then he mentions "gone with the wind",
which starred Clark Gable.
So maybe near a gable.
You're right! Let's go!
My dad loved Gone with the Wind!
You should be a detective!
You're amazing!
So, how are we gonna get enough people
before Christmas Eve, which is in three days?
We need to get people's attention.
What is the most popular attraction in town?
Ice skating.
We could just hand out flyers there.
That would be great!
Okay.
My mom used to always say,
the best way to get people's attention is if you feed them.
I know just what to make.
I don't even know what a gable is.
That is a gable.
Oh!
Be careful!
There's Comet!
Yes!
Good job, sis!
Yes!
Okay.
"Christmas comes as quick as it goes.
Cupid, you'll find if you look with your nose,
be quiet as a mouse and thin as a noodle,
and don't eat all of mom's candy cane strudel."
My mom made delicious candy cane strudel.
Sounds kind of weird,
but it has candy canes, so it must be good.
Well, then the next reindeer has to be in the kitchen!
Come on! Let's go!
Hey, how's the treasure hunt?
Well, we are looking with our noses.
We think the next one's in here.
I really hope that you guys can hunt and help!
We have a lot of cookies to make,
and I need all hands on deck.
We found this great recipe
for Clara's Cranberry Christmas Cookies.
Oh! Clara was my grandmother.
Her cookies are even better
than my mom's candy cane strudel.
No, no, no!
Those aren't for us!
But Mom, someone needs to sample them!
Yeah, Mom!
Just one.
Are they good?
Those are really good.
You know, my dad had a sweet tooth like Davey,
and he used to keep a bag of sweets in a high cupboard
where mom couldn't see it.
Wait, in which cupboard?
That one.
Oh! That kind of looks like a reindeer.
Huh?
What? David, get me up there!
Right.
There it is!
Jeez!
"When it comes to art, da Vinci I ain't,
but Donner and I, we both like to paint.
It's puzzling to me, and nobody knows.
How does he paint without fingers or toes?
Christmas magic, no doubt,
and isn't it great?
Two more to find, and you'll have eight."
That's for the reindeer in the mistletoe painting.
But we haven't found the clue with it yet.
I'm sure that you guys will find it.
We really need to make cookies right now.
Come on!
I need some cookies!
Over here, you guys.
Ready to help!
I'll do cranberries!
Hi!
Please tell everyone that you know,
we're having a big Christmas Eve party!
We're bringing back Mistletoe Manor.
All the information is on the flyer.
You know, I can't help wondering how all this happened.
You know, you get that job,
and you're here all these years,
and you find the reindeer,
and no matter how I try to erase the past,
it was meant to be that I'd
always come back and face it again.
Well, it doesn't matter how.
It just matters that we're here.
And I'm really glad that I finally know the truth.
But most of all, I'm glad that I get to spend
another Christmas with you, pop.
Aww.
Me too, Davey. Me too.
Next skate is for couples only!
So find your Christmas crush, and head out to the rink!
Here, take these.
May I have the honor?
I'd love to!
Oh ...
I know I may not be as charming as my dad,
but do you wanna go out there and skate with me?
That's really sweet, but I should probably watch the-
It's okay, Mom!
Okay, thanks guys!
♪ I want that Christmas glow
♪ I want that dizzy little smile ♪
♪ Wanna roll around in the snow ♪
♪ You know it's been a little while ♪
You guys should come.
It's gonna be really fun.
♪ I know I'm not the only one
♪ Who needs some Christmas glow ♪
♪ Gimme that Christmas glow
♪ I want the Christmas glow
You're gonna get paint all over that nice jacket.
Put my shirt on.
There's so much to do by tomorrow,
and I just, I really want it to be perfect,
like it used to be!
We will work around the clock if we have to.
You've already made a huge difference.
Have you noticed the entire community is here to help you?
Yeah.
Who's using the black paint right now?
I think those are gonna go in the main hall.
Linda needs me at the Historical Society, and it's urgent.
Hmm.
Could you please watch the kids for me?
That would just be really great. Thanks!
Sure?
- Hi! - Hi!
Thank you for coming!
People have been coming by all day!
Apparently they saw something called a hashtag.
Hashtag tribute tree!
Annie! Yes!
Wonderful!
Hi! Merry Christmas!
Hey, how are you?
Thank you for coming, hello!
Wow!
Yes, please!
Look! The clue to the last reindeer!
It's a Rebus puzzle!
A what puzzle?
Rebus.
Cryptic symbols that represent words?
Let's get Wallace to help us solve this.
One puzzle left!
All right.
One, two, three!
Success!
Garrett found the clue to the last reindeer!
It's a Beavis puzzle.
Oh, a Rebus puzzle!
My dad's favorite.
There. What do you see?
Is it something like Santa's blank secret blank?
What do you think?
I know what that is.
You do?
Santa's sleigh.
Secret scroll.
- Oh, wow! - Cute.
Look at that!
"Son, you've gotten this far.
I knew that you could.
You always met challenges when no one else would.
Someday you'll have kids, and know from the start,
they hold every piece of your own fragile heart.
My wish for you on Christmas each year,
you'll always remember the fun we had here.
When you're old, if everything's right,
you'll also be reading to kids, t'was the night.
Merry Christmas.
I love you, my Wall.
Always."
Every year, my father's greatest joy
was sitting in this sleigh and wearing this silly cap
and reading this book to every kid who would listen.
Well, I guess now it's your turn.
It'll be yours after I'm gone.
My dad and I made a lot of mistakes as fathers,
but one thing we shared is our love for our children.
I love you, pop.
Love you, Davey.
I love you guys.
We're gonna be good here, right?
Yeah, we're gonna be good.
I love you too, mom.
Okay.
We have a party to throw.
All right!
Miss Wicks!
Hello!
My sister, three towns over,
told me about a tribute tree she heard about in New Hollow.
This is our mom.
May I?
Every Christmas, no matter what,
she found a way to make it special.
I miss her.
Merry Christmas, Miss Wicks.
I'm sorry I misjudged you.
Thanks, Grinchy.
Hey y'all!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, guys!
Hey, Linda!
Hey.
Oh, I don't need a coffee.
I just wanted to get another look at you.
Oh. Merry Christmas, Wallace.
Merry Christmas, Linda!
Have fun.
Yeah, you too!
Hi!
Hey, how you doing?
I'm doing good, how are you?
Good!
I have something for you.
You do?
I do!
Huh?
No no no no, you stay here!
Right here?
Yeah.
Okay.
No peeking. Turn around.
Okay. No peeking.
♪ Oh Christmas fern
Come on! Really?
Yeah!
Oh, I love this!
That is amazing!
My Christmas is now complete.
Good.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
You know, I gotta say,
you are much better at this job than I ever was.
This is incredible.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Is that my sweater?
This one?
Yup.
No.
T'was the night before Christmas,
and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse.
♪ Oh dear
♪ You know I
♪ Never ask for too much
♪ I hope starry nights
♪ May unite us in love
♪ 'Cause I'm patiently waiting
Stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that St. Nicholas, soon would be there.
Oh, by the way, I have something for you.
Oh!
Yeah. Now you turn around.
Okay, trust me.
Walk back. Watch your step.
There's a little step right here.
Okay.
See?
Christmas fern goes there.
All right.
You ready?
I think so.
Ta-da!
Oh!
We don't want to upset the mistletoe tradition.
Definitely shouldn't do that.
Shouldn't.
♪ Make my Christmas dreams come true ♪
Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a good night!