A look at three Christmas traditions, "The Nutcracker" ballet, Christmas lights, and that most feared gift, the fruitcake. Plus a history of the song "White Christmas" as the Christmas day eve show. Either show may be bumped if there is real news.

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I'll keep this short because I'm sure that many of you, at least if you're like me, are running around madly trying to finish up all those last minute preparations. Tonight we're going to look at three things that are associated with Christmas. "The Nutcracker" ballet, which is being performed probably around the clock right now. We'll look at Christmas lights. Many of us may throw a string of lights around a tree or bush, but every city has that one neighborhood that goes all out, and we'll take you to one block in Baltimore tonight. And finally, I think every family has one of these, a fruitcake that is passed from person to person through the years, because no one in their right mind would ever eat it. How did fruitcake become a Christmas tradition anyway? One of those gifts that adds a tiny bit of malice to gift-giving, a fruitcake is not something you give someone you care about.

And then tomorrow night, we'll replay the broadcast we did last Christmas on the song "White Christmas." We'll tell you the history of the song, and what it has come to represent, especially in this time of war. Chris Bury will anchor both nights.

So I hope that all of you have wonderful holidays filled with peace and joy. From all of us in the Nightline family to all of you, we wish you the best of the season.

We hope you'll join us.

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
ABCNEWS Washington bureau

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