The time is here! Christmas is fast approaching as I finish up studying for finals and doing papers. Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year and for many different reasons. Every year, I get a Christmas tree and have it in my house. As a tradition, I also put lights around my house outside.The tree means a lot to me and it is a tradition that I have been doing for a long time. The Christmas tree is something special that really represents happiness, comfort, spiritual meaning, and that really represents Christmas.

Christmas should never be all about gifts. We should not lose the meaning of what it really means. We must give thanks for what we have and for being healthy and living life. In today's age, we take things for granted, which I can do at times. Christmas reminds me to always be grateful and humble, to not take anything for granted. Jesus died for us. The tree can easily mean giving thanks to God and Jesus. I believe in both, but I am open to all other interpretations and religions. I was just raised to believe in both beings. The tree can represent Jesus being the light of the world. It is a holiday filled with happiness and hope. We must continue to tell kids about Santa and to not break their hearts about him. I remember when I was first told that Santa did not exist by my mother, I was heartbroken, thinking how it could be so. But, the Christmas tree is beautiful and it represents the beauty of Christmas. I love putting decorations on them and an abundance of the objects I put on the tree which means a lot to me. My mother puts a lot of objects that I made when I was very young and hangs them up on the tree. I hang ornaments of my favorite team and of reindeer or nice looking bulbs. The lights usually get put on first, and then the ornaments follow.

Getting a tree and decorating it has become a family tradition. My grandparents get their own tree at their house filled with decorations with a town below made of stone and filled with presents on Christmas day. My grandpa hangs an ornament of a shoemaker that lights up and it represents himself because he used to be a good shoemaker who had his own store. My aunt has her own Christmas tree that is similar. And at my house, I put up the same ornaments around the tree and the presents go below the tree. Without a tree for the holiday, it would feel very weird to me. I am so used to having a tree and there really has not been one year that I have not gotten a tree for the holiday. A Christmas tree means to me, happiness and family. When the tree is done decorated with ornaments and bright lights, you can't help but stare at its beauty for a long time. It is a sight to behold. I stare and smile for a long time. Christmas is about spending time with your family around the tree, giving thanks, drinking Eggnog, and enjoying yourself. That is what Christmas and what a Christmas tree means to me.