It's that time of year folks. And despite your religious beliefs, Christmas in the United States is in full bloom. Nativity sets are open for public viewing, work parties are commencing, people are swarming the malls like bees in a hive, toy and food drives are accepting donations like no other, your neighbors may or may not have knocked on your door to carol, radio stations refuse to let you forget it's December, and electricity companies are happily collecting those checks from all the energy-sucking lights left on throughout the evening. Needless to say, the weeks surrounding December 25th is a highly decorative and animated time of the year. Intrigued by the warmth and peculiarities that the day presents, photographer Jesse Rieser spent 7 years documenting the one-of-a-kind holiday.

Whether or not you're familiar with Rieser's body of work, you'll quickly notice that his eye lives in the subtleties. He lures his viewers into a photograph by highlighting a scenario that can only be distinguished after spending time studying the image's several puzzle pieces. And why not capture the most puzzling of all: Christmas festivities. While "initially inspired by the absurdity of a four story inflatable Santa who appeared to be guarding a tree lot," Rieser soon was on a quest to discover the ins and outs of the holiday resulting in, "Christmas in America". Since 2010, the photo talent spent time capturing the magic and mania of Christmas. Whether it be ornate table settings, Santa marathons or countless inflatable figures garnishing the tops and front yards of houses, Rieser gives us an odd-yet-charming glance of Christmas in the United States.

Words: Vanessa Feder
Photography: Jesse Rieser