Even if you're not a die-hard GOT fan, you've probably heard the phrase "Winter is Coming." It is the watchword of the House Stark, which is one of the great houses of Westeros—or so I've read. A mantra of sorts aimed to remind the house not to think of life as a beach where you sip bottomless Mai Tai's while being kissed by the sun but to be constantly vigilant. Winter—for many, is synonymous with Christmas. And though we sing about it being the most 'wonderful' time of the year, winter tends to signify something quite different from jolly old St. Nick and his reindeer posse.