Christmas Spirit

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Families get together to spend time together and exchange gifts. It is a time of year where the motto “It is better to give than to receive” is prominent and high spirits are everywhere. Little kids getting excited for Santa Clause to come, indulging in the traditions taught by their parents. Christmas is a favorite holiday for many people, is it yours?

When you were a child there were many stories told to you about Christmas and all the things that go along with it. They range from Rudolph the red nose rain deer to the angry Grinch that stole Christmas. All the Christmas Eve antics that you must complete before you go to bed are set in as soon as you are able to understand what the heck is going on. These would be setting out cookies for Santa Clause and his helper elves, as well as leaving carrots for his rein deer.  Your parents may say that if you don’t complete these tasks you will not get presents from Santa.

The naughty or nice list is one of those things that you want to make sure you are on Santa’s good side because you always want to be on the nice list. If you are stuck on the naughty list you will only receive coal in your stocking; something no one wants.  Parents seem to hold the naughty or nice list over your head when you seem to be misbehaving. They threaten to tell Santa even, and then you know you are screwed.

For my family Christmas means putting up decorations all over the house as a family with the holiday music filling the house. Then you have to conquer the tree…so many ornaments. But first before we can fix the tree up, we have to pick out the tree that is just the right height and fullness. We happen to have high ceilings in our home so we typically get a huge tree. When it first arrives to the house and you walk into those front steps you get hit with the smell of fresh bristles and pine tree, the smell that indicates that the season is here and it is time to cheer!

Families come together at these times and it reminds them that family is forever. Aside from all the distractions that life has to bring you, you will still have the holidays and family to keep you going through it. In my family all the aunts, uncles, and cousins gather at my grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve to rest together then wake up the next morning to rip through all the gifts that everyone has to give. Even though all the little kids are spoiled, we have to be thankful for everything that we receive. Next year will be the first year I will be off to college and get to come home for all the Christmas joy, I have a feeling that I will be more thankful than ever and be happy to see everyone just a little bit more next year.

Some families don’t celebrate Christmas, if they have different religious beliefs they might celebrate in a different way such as Hanukah or Cuanza. They don’t have all the little stories or imaginary things like Santa.  The feeling is still present.

Christmas is the best times of year; you get a refreshing two weeks off and get to celebrate it in the Christmas spirit. No wonder it is everyone’s favorite holiday. But we can’t forget what the real story is all about though. The Jesus Christmas story of his birth in a manger, with all the wise men coming to give him gifts is what it is all about. (627)