How To Get in the Holiday Mood this Weekend, Dec. 2-4

December is upon us, and with it comes the season of coniferous trees, twinkling lights, gingerbread houses and hot cocoa. 

Dickens, perhaps, captures the mood of the winter holidays best in his many festive writings — from A Christmas Carol to A Christmas Tree. Here's a passage from The Pickwick Papers that captures the run up to the big day:

Christmas was close at hand, in all his bluff and hearty honesty; it was the season of hospitality, merriment, and open-heartedness; the old year was preparing, like an ancient philosopher, to call his friends around him, and amidst the sound of feasting and revelry to pass gently and calmly away.

Here are a few local events to get you in the Dickensian spirit:

The Thirty Third Annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair

What: A holiday adventure into Victorian London, partying with hundreds of costumed players in over 120,000 square feet of theatrically-lit music halls, pubs, dance parties and Christmas shops on winding lanes. It's a twilight evening in Charles Dickens' London Town — a city filled with lively and colorful characters from both literature and history. 

When: Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 2011; 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Where: Cow Palace Exhibition Halls, 2600 Geneva Avenue, San Francisco

Cost: General Admission: $25
Student/Senior/Military: $21
Children 5-11: $12
Children Under 5 are Free
Groups of 15 or more: $17

What: Bring in your old incandescent holiday lights, and California Youth Energy Services (CYES) will swap them for brand new, energy-efficient LED holiday lights. All at no charge! In addition, CYES will recycle all incandescent strings of lights and halogen lamps.

When: Saturday, Dec. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: The Berkeley Farmers' Market, Martin Luther King Jr Way & Center St, Berkeley, CA 94704

Cost: Free

What: Snow? in Berkeley? Take a snow day in the Gourmet Ghetto with hot cider and cookies courtesy of Andronico’s Community Market. Buy a $10 snowball and you might just find a lot more "ice" than you bargained for, with locally designed jewelry by M.Lowe hidden inside. 

When: Sunday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: , 1550 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709 (Cedar St and Shattuck Ave -Snow in the parking lot)

Cost: Free

How are you getting in the holiday spirit this weekend? Let us know in the comments. Have an event to add? Click here to put it on the community calendar.