As the holiday season nears, so does my annual mission to spread a little joy, relieve some stress, and brighten the lives of those around me. Like Johnny Appleseed, who scattered seeds wherever he traveled, I roam the world planting moments of joy. My seeds, however, are not apples. What are they? I'll keep you guessing for a moment. But here's a hint: They're sprinkled with humor.
Every December, I wear a round pin approximately two inches in diameter. It features a green letter “L” surrounded by a red circle with a diagonal slash through it—much like a no-smoking sign.
When people ask what it means, I invite them to figure it out. After all, much of the pleasure of humor comes from “getting it.”
Need a hint? Think Christmas. The red slash means “No,” so the pin says “No L.” Say it aloud. Got it? No-L. Noel!
When people solve the puzzle, their faces often light up. They smile, chuckle, or express delight. For a moment, their attention shifts from whatever occupied their minds to the pleasure of discovering something amusing. Often, that brief moment of delight becomes a pleasant memory that continues to bring a smile long after the encounter.
I don’t know what stresses or worries someone may be carrying when we meet, but I do know that, for a brief moment, we can share an experience of discovery, delight, and human connection. You don’t have to know someone’s struggles to offer them a moment of joy, and, at times of holiday stress, that moment of joy is often exactly what someone needs.
How does my little No-L pin connect with holiday stress, anxiety, and depression? In more ways than you might imagine. Although the holidays are often associated with joy and celebration, they can also bring financial pressures, family tensions, loneliness, and grief. For some people, these experiences contribute to increased stress, anxiety, or depressed mood. Humor offers one way to soften these experiences and create moments of emotional relief.
Humor offers four interconnected pathways for relieving distress and enhancing well-being—not only during the holidays but throughout the year (Sultanoff, 2026). First, humor may activate laughter, which can produce pleasurable physical sensations, relieve muscle tension, and promote relaxation. Research also suggests that laughter may reduce cortisol, a hormone involved in the body’s stress response.
Second, humor can activate mirth, the emotional experience of joy, uplift, and pleasure associated with humor—even when laughter is absent. Mirth can soften emotional distress and introduce pleasurable feelings.
Third, humor engages wit, a cognitive response. Wit involves recognizing incongruities, discovering unexpected meanings, and shifting perspectives. Because our interpretations influence our emotional experiences, wit can help us see difficult situations differently.
When someone “gets” my No-L pin, they experience wit through the discovery of an unexpected meaning. That moment of recognition can temporarily shift attention away from worries or distress.
Shakespeare captured the relationship between thinking and feeling in Hamlet: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Shakespeare reminds us that how we interpret events influences how we experience them. Our circumstances matter, but so does the meaning we assign to them. Humor can introduce alternative perspectives, interrupt negative thinking patterns, and encourage greater cognitive flexibility. These shifts may lead to a reduction in emotional distress and enable us to respond more effectively to life’s challenges.
Finally, humor can activate Relational Fusion, the interpersonal connection that develops through shared humorous experiences. Humor can serve as both social glue, strengthening relationships, and social lubricant, easing interpersonal tension.
Even a brief humorous encounter between strangers can create a moment of connection. These experiences may help buffer stress, reduce feelings of isolation, and enhance well-being.
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My No-L pin creates more than a moment of delight. Whenever someone solves its mystery (with a little prompting, that is practically everyone), I give them a pin of their own. The real gift is not the pin itself, but the experience it creates—and the opportunity for that experience to be shared again.
What begins as a playful puzzle becomes a shared experience, a gift, and sometimes a connection that lasts for years. For decades, I have been scattering No-L pins throughout the world. During the holidays, I occasionally encounter restaurant servers, store clerks, and others still wearing pins I gave them years earlier.
Without realizing it, I have recruited an army of Santa’s little helpers who continue spreading humor and delight. These encounters remind me that a small humorous interaction can have effects that extend well beyond the original moment. My little seeds of playfulness have taken root!
We can all intentionally create small moments of humor that enrich our lives and those of the people around us. My No-L pin is only one of my holiday traditions. I also wear playful holiday hats and sweatshirts designed to invite smiles and spark conversations.
As a longtime Star Trek fan, one of my favorite Christmas sweatshirts features a decorated tree with the caption, “Trek the Halls.” Perhaps you have a favorite piece of holiday clothing or other holiday props that could tickle someone’s funny bone.
During my years as a professional speaker, I gave away thousands of red clown noses. Fortunately, I still have a stockpile, and with a little holiday magic, those clown noses have transformed into Rudolph noses! I wear one myself and give them to others who want to spread a little holiday cheer.
You don’t need a No-L pin, a Rudolph nose, or a Star Trek Christmas sweatshirt to spread holiday humor. A playful observation, an unexpected twist, or a moment of shared amusement can brighten someone’s day.
Humor won’t eliminate life’s stresses, but it can change how we experience them. It can relax the body, lift our spirits, refresh our thinking, and strengthen our connections with others.
This holiday season, consider becoming a Johnny Appleseed of humor. Plant a little joy wherever you go. You never know how far those seeds may travel—or how long they may continue to grow.