Last year, I was enlightened to the fact that celebrating Christmas is not something that must be contained in the short period between Thanksgiving and New Years. Christmas is a beautiful thing that can be celebrated and loved all year round. Not convinced? Here are 12 reasons why the joy of Christmas cannot be suppressed.

1. The music

Christmas music is perhaps the most cheerful and uplifting music ever. Unless you have a bad memory or experience with a particular song, the tunes are almost guaranteed to elicit excited emotions.

2. The food

There is nothing better than holiday food. Christmas cookies, traditional meals, candy canes. These foods are shockingly just as good when it's not December.

3. The decor

Christmas decorations are the best decorations. First of all, there are so many options, second of all they typically have a special meaning or memory behind them. So why not keep them up all year long?

4. The lights

Ah, Christmas lights. If you live in a dorm, then you're probably already on this bandwagon, but for those of you who aren't aware, string lights make everything better.

5. The gatherings

Getting together with old friends and special family is a real holiday treat. So why not celebrate the joy of each other's presence more than once a year?

6. The movies

Some of the most nostalgic movies happen to be Christmas movies. The Home Alone saga, Elf, The Grinch, It's A Wonderful Life, Eloise At Christmastime. What's not to like?

7. Christmas cards

Writing letters is somewhat of an old hat to certain populations, except when it comes to Christmas/New Years letters. What if the excitement of life was shared as it happened instead of as a long reflection that people only skim over?

8. The memories

Although the holidays can bring back painful emotions for some people, the general consensus would be that memories associated with Christmas traditions are not memories we would like to suppress.

9. The excitement

Christmas exudes excitement and anticipation. Get in the Christmas spirit early this year, because early is never too early.