This year was a holiday first — the year without a tree lighting gala in Fair Haven.

Oh, Santa did his “Ho, Ho, Ho …” oooooliday drive-by on the fire truck, but there were no close encounters with the usual hordes of neighborhood kids, parents, officials and makers of embracing merriment.

And with the fire truck, even though Santa always seems to use that mode of transport around town, one has to wonder where or how the reindeer got ditched.

Well, here’s a thought …

He left them at Memorial Park back in 2015. It’s really just magic that propels the drivers into the star-lit Christmas sky. So we’re guessing that when Santa leaves the reindeer grounded, he also leaves them with their antlers and a strong sense of holiday spirit.

So, we look back at these little reindeer playing reindeer games they couldn’t play in the park this year. They are a reminder that the magic lies in the heart.

Rudolph and some friends seem to be missing from this innocent miscreant crew, but do you know who the others are?

What do you miss most about the tree lighting this year? Remember any mishaps of past celebrations?

• In Memoriam: Former Fair Haven, Little Silver Resident, 1945 RBR Grad, Elaine Inman Pope, 97
• Retro RFH Baseball Tackle Time
• Police Report: Burglary, Drugs, Theft, Assault by Auto, DUIs, Unlawful Weapons Possession, Terroristic Threats, Tobacco Sales to Underaged
• Retro RFH Cool Girl Cruisin’
• In Memoriam: Lifetime Rumsonite, Writer, Cyclist, Adventurer, Doug Yorke Jr., 72