As a foreigner living in a, erm, foreign land, one of the holy grails of getting an intimate glimpse into local culture is receiving an invitation to someone’s home. Most cities feel impenetrable unless you know a local. Sometimes, they open their doors to you (The Italians offer their mothers, aunts and grandmothers and their regional Home Food to hungry visitors); sometimes they bring their domestic lives out onto the street to you (In Mumbai, the porch of a motor workshop doubles up as an airy platform for a toddler’s nap).

Driving through the residential areas of US cities, the closed fences and drawn curtains oftentimes lend an air of separation between you-the-passer-by and them-the-rooted-here. Gawking at a neighbor’s open window is rude, except during one time of the year — between Halloween and New Year’s, when carved pumpkins, Christmas trees and Hanukkiyahs are deliberately displayed at windows, a piece of the family’s private life is shared with those standing on the outside.

So, insiders and outsiders, Happy Holidays!