Christmas is my favorite time of the year! Twinkly lights are everywhere, decorations are around every corner, and Christmas music is playing on the radio.
Christmas music always puts me in the Christmas spirit. There are many songs that I enjoy, but the song that always makes me happy is "That's Christmas to Me" by Pentatonix. The song talks about all the things that make Christmas what it is. Christmas is a time for tradition and brings up wonderful memories! These are some of the things I think of that are "Christmas to me."
1. Fudge
Every year, the one thing I always make sure my mom makes is fudge. It is my favorite dessert for Christmas. I can never get enough of it!
2. "The Polar Express"
This is my favorite Christmas movie, so I always make it a priority to watch it when I get home from school. "Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."
3. Amy Grant's Christmas album
Growing up, my mom loved Amy Grant, so every Christmas, one of the albums we played in our CD player was her Christmas album "The Christmas Collection." Every time I hear a song from that album, it takes me back to my childhood.
4. Decorating the house the day after Thanksgiving
The day after Thanksgiving is the official start of the Christmas season in my mind, so that's the day we spend playing Christmas music and decorating the whole house. We have a lot of Christmas decorations, so it takes us a while, but we make it a lot of fun! Since I've been off at college, it's been hard to fit it into the busy break, so I haven't been able to do it the last few years, but I always enjoyed it when I was home.
5. Watching Hallmark Christmas movies with my sister
In recent years, my sister has started recording every cheesy Christmas movie on the Hallmark Channel. I love spending time with her while we watch them together. It is a great way to bond with her while getting into the Christmas spirit.
6. Lenhertz Avenue
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is when my sister, my mom and I drive down Lenhertz Avenue in a nearby town to look at their Christmas display. Every year, the people that live there set up signs and scenes telling the Christmas story. My mom drives while my sister and I take turns reading the story out loud. Then, around the corner, the other part of the street has different Charlie Brown Christmas scenes for people to look at. It's a great way to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas!
7. "The Night Before Christmas"
Every Christmas Eve when my sister and I were younger, our dad would read us "The Night Before Christmas" before we went to bed. That story always reminds me of those days when I was a child and the magic of Christmas that came with believing in Santa.
8. Singing at one of the Christmas masses
I sang in church choir ever since I was in second grade, so naturally, I had to sing in the choir for a mass during Christmas. It was always part of the many activities surrounding Christmas Eve/Day and I miss being able to do that. But now I get to sit with my family and go to midnight mass and hear the beautiful adult choir sing.
9. Luminaries
Every year, or almost every year, my mom lines the driveway with luminaries. It makes the house look so peaceful and welcoming. When it snows, the house looks like it came straight out of a Christmas card.
Merry Christmas and may you know the joy of the Christmas spirit!
