It's Christmas Eve evening, but the Gillises are not having a Christmas family dinner as they would like. Winnie is at home. Dobie is at home. Even Davey is at home. But Herbert is in jail--voluntarily, much to the police's chagrin. Why? Herbert likes Christmas, but not the way people act at Christmas, taking advantage of the Christmas spirit by having some ulterior motive in doing something in the name of Christmas. These people include his own family. But the last straw for Herbert is customer Mrs. Lapping, who specifically uses the name of Christmas to make a profit at Herbert's expense. She takes him to court, where the presiding judge holds him in contempt. Because of the negative publicity, the judge drops the contempt charge, wanting Herbert out of jail before Christmas. But he refuses to leave because of what he now feels for people in general. Who or what can help Herbert get the true Christmas spirit and get home before midnight?
—Huggo