A star-topped Christmas tree, hung with colored baubles, stands at the center of a quiet town square. Children in old-fashioned coats and bonnets reach up toward it around a heap of ribbon-tied parcels. Beyond them, a horse-drawn sleigh glides past and a snowman waits at the edge of the square.

Rows of sage, rose, brick and cream townhouses frame the scene, with wreaths on their doors and snow on their roofs. A pale pink sky glows behind the tree, and bare trees on either side hold the composition in place. The soft, storybook handling gives it a nostalgic, greeting-card warmth.