Just in case you couldn't tell from all the Christmas decorations being put up in the stores around Amarillo & Texas, the holidays have officially arrived with a vengeance.

Now, if for some reason all the decorations and holiday goodies for sale completely missed your eye, there's something that can't miss your ears, and THAT is to me what officially signals the holidays have arrived.

It's the ringing of the Salvation Army bell when you're outside a store and those red kettles that collect the change and bills those generous people drop into them. You see and hear the bell ringers everywhere in the city.

Typically they're standing outside the entrance to your favorite grocery store or just retail outlet in general. They've always got a smile on their face, and usually they've got little candy canes for you if you drop a little change in the bucket.

So how do they select those bell ringers? Well it's pretty easy really. People sign up on the Salvation Army site and they assign you to a kettle somewhere in your city. Yeah, it's that simple.

They're actually signing people up right now to ring that little bell through Christmas Eve, so if you've ever wanted to try it, now is your chance. They have a website that's super easy to access and sign up at.

Now, the bell ringing isn't the only thing the Salvation Army does around the holidays. They also have their Angel Tree program where they provide gifts to less fortunate kiddos, and those gifts are donated by residents and local businesses.

They need help with that as well, so if that sounds more like your speed, contact your local Salvation Army office and they'll get you all set up.

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Gallery Credit: Stacker

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