Christmas is a beautiful holiday. It brings cheer and happiness to everyone who celebrates it during the whole month of December. I know many people who start to get into the spirit as soon as November first comes around. In the past, I have been of the mindset that it is not the Christmas season until after Santa has crossed the screen during the Thanksgiving Day Parade. But now that I have grown I can understand why people start to get jolly during November.

The carols, the lights, the movies. Everything about the Christmas season brings light and warmth into the people and homes that celebrate it. Life is hard, nobody can dispute that. But for some reason, Christmas makes that all OK. It makes all of the hardships seem worth it and make the weight on peoples shoulders lighter somehow. If people want that feeling for a little bit longer why should anyone disregard that?

The joy of Christmas starts at a young age. The stories of Santa and the sleigh pulled by reindeer entice the young ones in a way that only magic can. The morning filled with love and presents only solidifies the greatness that is Christmas for those that celebrate the holiday. As you grow older the magic found in the stories diminishes, but the magic of family and love will never go away. Christmas is a time of cheer and beginnings in a way that nothing else can be.

For many, Christmas comes with snow days, snowmen, and snow angels. For us Floridians, Christmas brings heat and sun. Some say that because of this we don't get the full Christmas experience, and while it may be true that we don't necessarily have the stereotypical holiday found in the Hallmark movies we do still experience the emotions that come with the holiday.

Christmas is about love and family. It is a time where you give back to those that you love in a way that is more materialistic, but it is also a time that you can show how much you truly care for someone. Some of my favorite family memories come from Christmas, early mornings in our pajamas while we stuff our faces with the cinnamon rolls my mom made before family arrives so we can open our presents. Memories from Christmas come with a warmth that will never go away and will always be there to help you get through the bad times and give you a push to keep going.

Christmas is something that is more than a day. It is more than shopping and presents. It is more than you or me. Christmas is something that will always be there to remind you of when you believed in magic and give you hope for a better year to come. It is because of this that people start to get into the holiday spirit early on and keep it going for as long as they can. Christmas isn't just one day out of three hundred and sixty-five, it is always there to turn to you just have to be willing.