<p>Abundant prior research has shown that patterns of criminal sentencing often vary according to the characteristics of defendants and court communities, even under presumptive guidelines systems that are intended to reduce these inconsistencies and inequalities. Moreover, there is also some evidence that seemingly irrelevant events such as bad weather, the outcomes of local sporting events, and the clock change to daylight saving time can influence judicial decision-making and result in harsher punishments. Building on this body of work, the current study examines variation in sentencing severity by calendar date, with a specific focus on the possibility of increased leniency during Christmastime. Analyses of data on felony cases disposed in Minnesota district courts between 1991 and 2022 (<i>N</i> = 428,745) reveal that defendants who were sentenced on December 24, 26, and 27 were slightly more likely to receive a “stay of imposition”—a highly advantageous sanction in which the felony conviction is reduced to a misdemeanor upon successful completion of a probation term. Interpreted in light of the concepts of seasonal altruism and the “Scrooge effect,” these findings may suggest that the spirit of the Christmas season softens judges’ hearts and motivates the exercise of discretion.</p>