December wouldn’t be the same without holiday lights, presents, and … web applications? Every year many of Caspio’s online media customers create interactive applications for holiday event calendars, TV listings, Santa finders, Christmas carol showdowns, and more. Out of the holiday apps we reviewed this year, two in particular stood out.

Readers Grant Christmas Wishes for the Less Fortunate

One of our favorite holiday apps exemplified the spirit of the season – giving. The Gaston Gazette’s Christmas Wishes initiative invited community members in need to submit their Christmas wishes through a Caspio form. Once the submission period ended, all the wishes were published on the newspaper website so the public could begin fulfilling them. Children’s toys, warm clothes, and Christmas dinners were among the items most wished for. As each wish is granted, its status is updated. More and more wishes are being granted every day.

Gaston Gazette – Christmas Wishes submission form.

Holiday Lights Map to Find the Best Displays

Nothing says it’s holiday time like lights, but how do you know where to go to see the best displays? Digtriad.com (WMFY Channel 2 in North Carolina) created a Christmas Lights Map for community members to showcase their holiday spirit by submitting their photo, description and address. The entries are plotted on a map for the public to find the best lights in several cities surrounding Greensboro, NC.

Digtriad.com – Map mashup showcases holiday lights.

Have your own holiday app to share? Post your link in the comments section below. We can’t wait to see how you’ve spread holiday cheer.