The Christmas season is upon us, and the excitement is setting in. Everyone is smiling, Christmas music is blaring, and the Christmas cheer can be felt by everyone. Without a doubt, this is the happiest season of them all for many reasons.
1. Christmas Music
It's what you've been waiting for all year: that moment when you can finally belt out Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" and nobody can tell you to shut up. Christmas music is its own genre; it's a special kind of music that goes straight to your heart. From Frank Sinatra to Michael Bublé, you can finally blast all of the holiday hits and not feel any guilt.
2. Christmas Movies
Christmas movies are what make the holiday magic come to life. There are the classics (like "It's a Wonderful Life") that make you appreciate your friends and family, and there are the fun ones (like "The Polar Express") that really get you in the happy, bouncy Christmas mood. Plus, inviting friends over to sit by the fireplace and watch ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas is the ideal get-together when it's below freezing outside.
3. Giant Trees
Who knew that putting a giant tree in your living room could make you so excited? When the tree finally goes up, be it real or fake, your ordinary house becomes a Christmas House. It radiates some enchanting pine scent through your whole house, which signals to your brain that it's Christmas time (it's science). Decorating said tree is a whole marathon of its own. The ideal setting is playing ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas in the background with cookies baking in the oven and the whole family helping, but nine out of 10 times it involves broken glass and someone trying to find a good Christmas movie that isn't on a commercial.
4. Christmas Cookies
Normal cookies are good, but Christmas cookies are amazing. They taste like they were made with magic and delivered straight from Mrs. Claus' oven. Buying them is nice because they're professionally made and look perfect, but making them yourself is an adventure. Even though the snowmen are just a little lumpy, and there's something off about the Christmas trees that you can't quite point out, they still taste amazing and make great homemade gifts.
5. Christmas Decorations
On the tree, in the yard, basically everywhere you look there is something Christmas related. This is great because it gets you in the Christmas spirit and you just can't escape it. There are garlands and bows all over the place and it's like you're walking in a winter wonderland everywhere you go.
6. Christmas Lights
Driving around and seeing the Christmas lights in the neighborhood was always one of the best parts of Christmas. The light displays that some people put up are mesmerizing and must have cost a fortune, but it's so worth it when they're all lit up. Just like having a Christmas tree, lights turn any ordinary house into a Christmas House and give it a special kind of look.
7. Snow
Although this doesn't really apply to anyone in the warmer areas of the world, snow is a big part of Christmas. This probably came from the fact that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, where it is constantly snowing, but snow is just associated with Christmas regardless. Having a "white Christmas" is something that just makes the whole holiday feel more complete. The cold brings everyone closer, and going sledding with your friends is a must.
8. Buying Someone the Perfect Gift
Knowing what to get someone is like trying to crack the Da Vinci code, but when you figure out the perfect gift it's an amazing feeling. You want to give it to them as soon as you buy it, and waiting until Christmas is so hard. When they finally open the present and you see the joy in their face, it's the greatest feeling in the world to know that you made someone so happy.
9. Seeing Family
Christmastime is the season for friends and family, and getting to spend time with everyone helps you remember what's really important to you. People will go to great lengths to be with their families on Christmas, and that's an amazing thing (for proof, see "Home Alone"). Whether you see your family all the time, or never, there is something about getting together on Christmas that brings everyone closer. Giving and receiving presents is cool, but spending time with family is priceless.
10. Hot Cocoa
Although hot chocolate is not exclusively a Christmas thing, it's still a great winter beverage. It's like everything that you want after being outside in the cold in one cup; warmth, chocolate, and marshmallows. It warms up both your hands and your soul, and it cooks in two minutes.
11. Peppermint Everything
For some reason, peppermint is the flavor of Christmas. Peppermint chocolate, candy canes, and peppermint mocha coffee all become acceptable around this time of year, and it's fantastic. Yes, you can argue that all of these things just taste like toothpaste, but it's Christmas and everybody will ignore you. The flavor of Christmas will forever be peppermint.
12. Eggnog
If peppermint is Christmas' flavor, then eggnog takes a very close second (only because eggnog-flavored chocolate would probably taste gross). Although you can't really pinpoint eggnog's exact flavor, it's like a creamy vanilla goodness that just makes you happy inside. Plus, it's really fun to say.
13. Christmas Cheer
I believe that Christmas cheer is a real thing and that it spreads like wildfire starting on Dec. 1. The symptoms include a feeling of innate joy and an impulse to be nice to everyone. After all, that's what Christmas is really about.
