I know that many have been waiting with anticipation for this post, being the last for 2022, and I’m pleased that I’ve finally prepared it. As most will know, the Points, Photo Views and Star Photos leaderboards regularly posted here on Connect, each look at a specific but different aspect of our Maps contributions. Based on various metrics, including the number of points and the number of photo views, the participants on these leaderboards are listed without giving any consideration to their respective country location.
In this way, Local Guides in smaller countries such as Cameroon, Nepal, Rwanda, or one where there are significantly less guiding opportunities, would have less chance of gaining enough points or photo views than those Local Guides in larger countries such as the United States, Canada, France or UK. It therefore follows that Local Guides in these smaller countries have less chance of getting onto the Points, Photo Views and Star Photos leaderboards!
The leaderboards in this Country focused post are different because they specifically take into account the country location of the participating Local Guides and in this way, they give Local Guides from even the smallest countries recognition and an opportunity to be listed, and you will see many are. Together with their country flag, this month we have Local Guides featured from 70 different countries!
The Cover gif and photos
Well we are now in the holiday season and with Christmas fast approaching, there have been a number of great Christmas based posts already posted here on Connect. Among these you will have seen the post by @TravellerG about his 2021 Christmas Celebration lunch at MISU, a “Pan Asian Restaurants” in Bangalore. Filled with great photos and not only of the very enticing dishes they enjoyed, but also of the decorations at MISU. The post leads me to wonder how he and his family will celebrate Christmas this year. If you haven’t read this post then you must!
I also very much enjoyed the interesting post by @Stephanie_OWL about the Advent Calendars, a tradition I have to say, I knew nothing about before Steph’s great post. It’s another must read post!
Well along the same lines of these great posts, given that we’re now in the holiday and festive season, and fast heading to the end of 2022, I thought that the theme for this month’s country focused Top 100 Leaderboards post, should be the holiday/festive season. So with this in mind, I recently invited Local Guides from around the world to share through photos, a little about the spirit and celebrations in their part of the world. Starting with the cover gif, you will see some of these great photos sprinkled throughout this post and now let me briefly describe the great festive photos in the cover gif
- The first photo, taken by @JustJake with a Google Pixel 2xl, shows a scene from the Phoenix AZ Desert Botanical Garden’s evening holiday display, featuring the desert plants in colored light along with art installations. Here we see various cactus and desert shrubs lit in green, red, and blue. Just beautiful! I love it and I know you will too!
- The second and third photos, taken by @TerryPG , show one of his friend’s house in Altona, Ontario, Canada with trees and large caricatures decorated in colorful Christmas lights. Some people certainly go to a lot of trouble to share love, joy and the season’s spirit! I can just imagine how many people, especially with young children, going past this house in awe!
- The fourth photo, taken by @Mikeinthefalls with a Google Pixel 6, depicts the season’s decorations at Cleveland (Ohio) Public Square. It had just finished raining, so Michael had the eye to snap the reflection of lights making this the colorful photo that it is.
- Photo number 5 is another photo taken by TerryPG with a Samsung 10, showing this year’s Christmas decorations at Costco, Oshawa. I’m sure that many of us will start seeing many stores similarly decorated like this in our own home towns.
- Next we have a photo taken by @EvaBar with an iPhone 11 Pro, which shows the ‘Enchant’ lighted sign at the entrance of a Christmas event in St. Petersburg, Florida. This is followed by another photo taken by EvaBar but this time with an iPhone 12 Pro. It shows a Lighted reindeer and Christmas Trees, a commercial for a Christmas event called enchant and located in Westshore Plaza, Tampa, Florida.
- The next photo taken by @Stephanie_OWL really impressed me. It was taken in the Christmas department of the Zürbrüggen furniture store in Bielefeld. Indeed a very elegant Christmas decoaration and a beautiful shot by Steph. I love the colors against the winter backdrop. In fact, like Steph, I love how the couch looks like it’s invitingly in the snowy landscape Zurbrüggen Bielefeld. Great shot Steph!
- Next we have another photo taken by @Mikeinthefalls with a Google Pixel 6. This time he takes us to see the holiday decorations at Tower City Center, Cleveland Ohio. Mike mentioned that going to Tower City has been a holiday tradition for him and his son for over 15 years. It certainly looks like they had a lot of fun.
- Then we have another @Stephanie_OWL photo taken of Schloss Wackerbarth (now a winery) beautifully decorated for Christmas. All trees shine in tiny garlands of lights. Steph said that the eyes were magically drawn up to the vineyard and the pavilion atop and we can all see exactly that!
- The final photo, which I’ve shown in different shades across 3 slides, is another photo taken by @EvaBar with an iPhone 11 Pro. It’s of the ‘Making Spirits Bright’ sign on a decorated backdrop at the Enchant Event in St. Petersburg, Florida. Nice words to end with I thought!
Well that’s enough from me but let me take this opportunity of wishing everyone here on Connect, Google Moderators, fellow Connect Moderators, awesome you and all Local Guides around the world, a happy and festive holiday season, and an awesome year ahead, full of love, joy, happiness, good healthy and prosperity.
May your wishes and dreams all come true in 2023.
ps: Sadly, we’ve got a problem with the first leaderboard! These leaderboards keep hitting Connect’s constraints. I’ll need to come back and try to sort this out 
