With all the commercialization of the holiday season, it can be difficult to wade through the department store ads, strings of holiday lights and tangled mounds of wrapping paper, ribbon, scissors and tape.

However, after all the trappings of the season are stripped away, the season really is about giving.

No matter what religion or faith you subscribe to, nobody can deny that this is the season to help our neighbors. It’s cliché, but “It’s better to give than to receive,” rings true during the holidays, especially during these tough economic times.

If you have young children, this Saturday is the perfect time to teach your children about the true meaning of the season. On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Santa Claus will visit the Suffolk News-Herald. For the cost of $5 or a new, unwrapped toy for the Suffolk News-Herald Cheer Fund, your children can have their photo taken with Santa, and we will publish the pictures in the Christmas Day edition of the News-Herald.

Just come by the office at 130 S. Saratoga St. with $5 or a toy, and Santa Claus will be ready to take your toy requests, get a photograph with you and help you help those less fortunate.