Some are over and down with. Others remain to be seen and enjoyed. We’re talking Christmas parades.

Yes, Christmas parades, not holiday parades. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of folks show up for these Christmas parades, whether they occur before Thanksgiving or after Thanksgiving. There’s no doubt that children enjoy Christmas parades, if for no other reason that they provide opportunities for children to see, meet and talk with Santa Claus.

For those who attend Christmas parades, all they have to do, basically, is show up and find the best spot possible along the parade route to observe the floats, marching bands and Kris Kringle. Know this: Christmas parades don’t happen on their own. Christmas parades are a produce of labor — a labor of love.

In Washington, it’s the local Kiwanis club that plans and puts on the Washington Christmas parade, which is at 10 a.m. Saturday. Many civic organizations have their hands in helping put on Christmas parades in the area. Edward Christian Church organizes the Edward Christmas parade.

Why do these groups bother with Christmas parades?

“We try to get the whole community involved. … It’s all about the community,” said David Linton, pastor of Edward Christian Church, in an interview two years ago. “We do this to pull the community together, to show them that we care. Sometimes it’s hard to make a dent in society, but this makes a dent.”

In Aurora, the Christmas parade there has a history of civic and community support.

“I think we’ve been doing the Christmas parade since 1975,” said 2012 parade chairwoman Gail Phelps in an interview two years ago. “It began with the Junior Women’s Club, then the Women’s Club took it over and now it is sponsored by the Aurora-Richland Township Chamber of Commerce.”

These folks who organize and direct the Christmas parades are living examples of the Christmas spirit — giving of themselves so others may have wonderful Christmas experiences.

That’s a wonderful gift — any time, any place.

The remaining Christmas parades in Beaufort County are as follows: Belhaven, 4 p.m. Dec. 6; Bath, 3 p.m., Dec. 7; Aurora, 3 p.m., Dec. 14; Edward, 3 p.m., Dec. 21.