diff --git a/images/winter/grinch-smile-spritesheet.png b/images/winter/grinch-smile-spritesheet.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aba30f9
Binary files /dev/null and b/images/winter/grinch-smile-spritesheet.png differ
diff --git a/src/theme.js b/src/theme.js
index 26c3762..f9bdda1 100644
--- a/src/theme.js
+++ b/src/theme.js
@@ -3,13 +3,6 @@
 	const theme_storage_key = "jspaint theme";
 	const href_for = theme => `styles/themes/${theme}`;
 	
-	let current_theme;
-	try {
-		current_theme = localStorage[theme_storage_key] || default_theme;
-	} catch (error) {
-		current_theme = default_theme;
-	}
-
 	let iid;
 	function wait_for_theme_loaded(theme, callback) {
 		clearInterval(iid);
@@ -25,6 +18,24 @@
 		}, 15);
 	}
 
+	let grinch_button;
+	let current_theme;
+	try {
+		const grinch = localStorage.grinch === "true";
+		const is_december = new Date().getMonth() === 11;
+		if (is_december && !grinch) {
+			current_theme = "winter.css"; // overriding theme preference until you disable the seasonal theme
+			wait_for_theme_loaded(current_theme, () => { // could just wait for DOM to load, but theme is needed for the button styling
+				make_grinch_button();
+			});
+		} else {
+			current_theme = localStorage[theme_storage_key] || default_theme;
+		}
+	} catch (error) {
+		console.error(error);
+		current_theme = default_theme;
+	}
+
 	const theme_link = document.createElement("link");
 	theme_link.rel = "stylesheet";
 	theme_link.type = "text/css";
@@ -39,6 +50,8 @@
 
 		try {
 			localStorage[theme_storage_key] = theme;
+			localStorage.grinch = "true"; // any theme change disables seasonal theme (unless of course you select the seasonal theme)
+			grinch_button?.remove();
 		// eslint-disable-next-line no-empty
 		} catch(error) {}
 
@@ -51,4 +64,25 @@
 		theme_link.href = href_for(theme);
 		signal_theme_load();
 	};
+
+	function make_grinch_button() {
+		const button = document.createElement("button");
+		button.ariaLabel = "Disable seasonal theme";
+		button.className = "grinch-button";
+		button.onclick = () => {
+			let new_theme;
+			try {
+				localStorage.grinch = "true";
+				new_theme = localStorage[theme_storage_key] || default_theme;
+				// eslint-disable-next-line no-empty
+			} catch (error) { }
+			if (new_theme === "winter.css") {
+				new_theme = default_theme;
+			}
+			set_theme(new_theme);
+			button.remove();
+		};
+		document.body.appendChild(button);
+		grinch_button = button;
+	}
 })();
diff --git a/styles/themes/winter.css b/styles/themes/winter.css
index fc5c952..7cba382 100644
--- a/styles/themes/winter.css
+++ b/styles/themes/winter.css
@@ -146,3 +146,28 @@
 		color: red;
 	}
 }
+
+/* a button to leave the Winter theme */
+button.grinch-button {
+	position: absolute;
+	bottom: 0px;
+	right: 30px;
+	width: 100px;
+	height: 179px;
+    z-index: 2;
+	background-image: url("../../images/winter/grinch-smile-spritesheet.png");
+	border: 0;
+	background-color: transparent;
+	cursor: pointer;
+}
+button.grinch-button:hover {
+	animation: grinch-smile 2s steps(37) forwards;
+}
+@keyframes grinch-smile {
+	from {
+		background-position: 0 0;
+	}
+	to {
+		background-position: -3700px 0;
+	}
+}