I first wrote this sweet meta back in 2019 - one of my earliest puzzle attempts, but still one of my favorites. Resharing it here for reasons that will become apparent. I would call it a week 3 or 4 on the Gaffney scale, especially because it requires a certain amount of specific linguistic knowledge. The meta answer is a seasonal greeting.
Hint 1: Pay attention to the beginnings of the starred answers.
Hint 2: The title suggests how you should read the meta answer.
Hint 3: Check the calendar!