Christmas time is the most wonderful time of the year, and people can sometimes disagree that they feel the christmas spirit. We have all discovered by now that Christmas isn’t as easy to get into as we grow older. However, there are definitely ways that we can overcome that. The first thing to do is to try as hard as you can to stay positive and want the Christmas spirit. To test it, grab a jingle bell and see if you can hear anything. The second step is to be lucky enough to live in a place where it snows. If you live in California, Hawaii, or Australia, then perhaps order some instant snow (snow in a can) online and enjoy the snow in your bathing suit for all that matter.

Nothing sucks more than going to a family gathering, or going out with your friends and someone being the party pooper by not having any holiday cheer. I know it is hard to feel when we have gone through it so many times. We don’t get to sit in front of a Christmas tree full of toys. We don’t get to listen to holiday classics for the first time anymore. We don’t get to enjoy our favorite Christmas movie with the same people because life goes on and people change. We don’t get to believe in the magical creature that brought Christmas together, and we don’t get to enjoy hot cocoa with no worries in the world because all we had to do at school the next day was color, but there are new holiday traditions and memories that can be made again.

This year I have felt more Christmas spirit than others and here are a few things I did to achieve that:

1. Watched Hallmark and classic Christmas movies in my living room with a hot cup of tea in my hand and a huge fuzzy blanket to cuddle with.
2. Went to see a Christmas play with my best friend that brought me a lot of happiness and comfort.
3. Decorated my apartment with my roommates with dollar tree decorations.
4. Played jazz music every day while taking a walk so it seemed like I was watching a christmas movie play right before my eyes.
5. Ordered peppermint mochas every once in awhile to treat myself.
6. Bought a mini christmas tree and decorated it with my friends. We even got ourselves a custom ornament with all of our names on it.
7. Opened Christmas gifts with my roommates before we leave for the holidays.
8. Made caramel apples.
9. Now maybe I will go sit on Santa's lap at the mall for a little extra spirit.
10. All in all, this wasn’t possible without the amazing people around me.

All of these things really made me happy considering I don’t have my family with me to make these days special. I will see them soon, but some people don’t get that opportunity, so take these notes of advice if you want to feel in the Christmas spirit and haven’t yet. Other people might not realize why their Christmas’ are so uncheerful, and it could be because they don’t take advantage of all of their options or get bored easily. Every year I am going to have my traditions, but I am also going to make new ones. If you pretend to have christmas cheer, you might actually have it. It’s infectious! Stay positive and try everything you can to make your days a little brighter. Make snowflakes for all I care (which I do)!