A lot of you went to church this weekend for the first time in awhile, or perhaps the only time all year - tell us about whether your service addressed the news of the day or other events.  

Whether you celebrate one of the religious holidays or just a few days off from work, this time of year is a time to gather with friends and family. And chances are there will be lots of the same stories being told at your dinner table.

We open the phones for you to tell that classic family story - or try out a new one. Plus, WNYC reporter Jim O'Grady - a Moth StorySlam and GrandSlam winner - offers advice on how best to tell your tale. Call in with your story 212-433-9692!

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New York will reach 50.2 million visitors by the end of 2011, a milestone for the city. Are you a tourist? Call in and tell us your stories or ask Brian a question. Are you hosting a tourist? What is your experience?

Both the GOP and Democrats are selling holiday gifts online (how about a GOP Christmas ornament?) -- are you buying a politically-themed gift this month? Give us a call 212-433-9692 and tell us about what you're wrapping.

In another installment of our Holiday Gift Guide, we open the phones for the gift that changed your life - and maybe that will give others ideas about meaningful gifts to give. 

Fidelity came up in election politics this week. We are opening the phones and asking, can you trust people professionally if you know that they are cheating on their partners? Let us know what you think: 212-433-9692.

Senior Minister at Judson Memorial Church, Donna Schaper explains what she called the "edifice complex" some congregations have, and what Judson Church is offering to those without a space for worship.

A few recent news stories made us say, "Are you kidding me?" Call in with your examples, from news, culture, personal conversations, whatever! 212-433-9692

Reports are that this was a relatively successful kick-off to the holiday shopping season. Business owners, how was your Black Friday through Cyber Monday? Who's shopping, what are they buying, how are you luring them in? Let us know!

We run through a few stories that might get the conversation going at your Thanksgiving table. We'll hear from three guests...

• Tom Moran, columnist for The Star-Ledger, on how some NJ execs avoid taxes.
• Alice Park, reporter for TIME Magazine, on why anxiety is bad for us...but how it may be good.
• Stephen Dubner, host of Freakonomics, on the nature of momentum in the NFL.

And then...

Open Phones: Your suggestions for topics you plan to bring up at the dinner table.

All day we've been asking you questions, now it's time for you to talk to each other. We'll try an on-air chain letter - chatroulette for radio. Call-in with a question - any question - you'd want to ask a stranger on the radio. Once they answer, they get to turn around and ask the next person a question. You don't get to ask unless you've answered first! Call 212.433.WNYC at 11:40 to play - start thinking of your question now!

Sometimes, we a see a performance that’s so captivating (for better or worse) that we can’t help but put on a performance of the performance in sharing it with our friends. What did you see this weekend—on Broadway, in a concert hall, in the movie theater, on a panel—that has you so excited you must re-create the experience to explain it? Call in to tell us…or to perform it for us!

Listeners who aren't buying into the Occupy Wall Street protests call in. Do you disagree with all or parts of the goals and tactics? 

This weekend, while some protesters marked Guy Fawkes Day, others participated in "Bank Transfer Day" by switching from commercial banks to not-for-profit credit unions. Call in and tell us how you spent the fifth of November.

Listeners: has your power been out since Saturday? Call in and tell us how you've been coping. Who do you blame, and how is your community working through this? 

A recent caller said she thinks we live in a "madisonavenue-ocracy." What kind of ___ocracy do you think we live in?

→ Add Your Comments, Listen and Read a Recap on It's A Free Country

Listeners: How are you greening up your energy situation this year? Whether you've installed energy efficient light bulbs, chucked your air conditioner over the summer, or installed solar panels, we want to hear about it. What made you change your ways? And are you saving money? Call us at 212-433-WNYC.

Voter turnout in New York is abysmal--and we want to know why, what there is to do about it, and why we should all care.

Listeners: If you don't vote, tell us why. Maybe you don't vote because you feel like your vote doesn't matter. Maybe you feel like both parties are the same. Do you want to vote but are not allowed to? Or are you disillusioned with the political process and don't want to participate? Call us up at 212-433-WNYC or text "NYCVOTES" to 30644. 

Suggest a question that starts a conversation in this open phones segment. It can be anything from the personal to the political. One hint: yes or no questions don't start conversations!

We've got a Twitter assignment for you! Here's how it works: select a Twitter hashtag of your choice to follow all morning, then call in at 11:40 to let us know what you found out. What's the conversation like, how did it evolve, what'd you learn? If you're participating, tweet the hashtag you're watching to @brianlehrer and we'll retweet it for others to see!

Some Resources to Get You Started: Search Twitter | Tweets the BL Show is Following | Trend Map