“Christmas is the spirit of peace and giving,” Ernie Giannecchini, owner of Ernie’s General Store in Stockton, Calif., tells PEOPLE

Poehler voices the character Joy in both the 2015 original film and the 2024 sequel

"It was deeply important to him to help improve the human condition," Zak tells PEOPLE of his dad, who died in 2014 at age 63

“I wanted to do something for people of all faiths or no faith,” Deacon Dave Rezendes tells PEOPLE

“I wanted to do something for people of all faiths or no faith,” Deacon Dave Rezendes tells PEOPLE

“I thought maybe a couple hundred, 2,000 people at most would see it,” Luke Marcelle tells PEOPLE — but the opposite happened

Zoë Weiner says she needed some time to “reflect on who I am and who I want to be”