In a delightful show of Christmas spirit, coffee drinkers at a Tim Hortons in Winnipeg, Manitoba, paid it forward for 228 customers in a row on Friday, the staff told the CBC.

One generous customer at the restaurant on Beaverhill Blvd. started a chain of customers paying for the person behind them that lasted about three hours.

Finally, one man ended the streak when he didn't pay for the three coffees ordered by the next person. The customer before him had paid for his four coffees.

The part of the story when the ghosts of Christmas transform him into a generous and loving coffee drinker comes later, don't worry.

Kindness among Winnipeg coffee drinkers has become a trend lately with anonymous do-gooders popping up around the city to pay for others' small purchases.

Such gestures warm our hearts during the holiday season. Yahoo! Canada News commenters have shared their experiences of goodwill, such as Rosie, who says she's paid for others' purchases at the grocery store.

"The gesture makes you feel emotionally rich," she wrote.

One man said a stranger once paid for an oyster dinner he'd had with his wife, covering a tab of almost $300.

Maclean's wrote that paying it forward is a centuries-old tradition.

U2 singer Bono once said "The world needs more Canada," as one Y! Canada commenter pointed out, saying he couldn't agree more.

Bono may have an idea there.