This weekend prior a team of seasoned workers ascended a wooden ladder into the stuffy, cramped Attic at The Grove™, deftly maneuvered around a few dozen leftover boxes from Forever XXI (How did those get up here?), navigated the gloom to a particularly dusty, cobweb-laden corner and eventually returned - multiple times - with some hundred-dozen of boxes of Christmas decorations in their arms. Yon decorations are an essential part of what has become the single greatest commercialized Baby Jesus experience afforded Los Angeles shoppers in the last decade, if not century: CHRISTMAS AT THE GROVE! After the jump, read General Manager Jackie Levy's friendly missive on the preparation of the Vegas-sized spectacle, then sing along to a photo gallery of the stunning Yuletide transformation that will eventually result in the mall fountain's dancing waters being replaced by streams of liquid gold, frankincense, and myrrh ejaculated skyward in perfect time to "O Little Town Of Bethlehem":

Dear Grove Neighbor:

The holidays are our favorite time of year at The Grove, a time for sharing, counting our blessings and enjoying special time with family and friends. Our plans for the holidays begin months in advance to create a beautiful yet fanciful environment to delight our guests of all ages.

As our Grove neighbor, we would like to take a moment to personally inform you and your family that our Grove Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony will be taking place on Sunday, November 18, 2007. We invite you to join us in the celebration, which is complimentary and open to the public. The festivities are planned to take place between 7:00pm and 9:30pm, and will include fireworks, music and dance performances by a variety of entertainers. It is our utmost desire to provide a safe, festive, and entertaining environment for all guests who will be attending the ceremony. It is of equal importance to us that our neighbors are informed of the event details so planning for the night may take place.

Festive invites notwithstanding, the neighbors are surely grateful for the "Avoid this neighborhood at all costs November 18; don't say we didn't warn you" closing line. The gallery below offers a glimpse at the amount of (boxed) ornaments required to decorate The Grove's massive Christmas tree; here's hoping the whole thing doesn't go up in an Al Qaedal blaze of glory this holiday season [LAT].

Special Bonus Photo: Hollywood and Highland's reaction to the "set it up now and be prepared" school of thought.