I grew up going to church so I’d like to think I know what Christmas is all about. I listened to the sermons, I sang the songs by candlelight and I participated in the Christmas pageants, even landing the role of head angel one time. However, as I got older, I started going to church less and less until I eventually became a Chreaster. Now I’ve stopped going all together.

This time of year gets a little weird for me. It’s the holiday season and everyone celebrates it differently. Many people I know celebrate this season through different religious outlets. I know what lies in the story of Christmas, but that’s not how I celebrate. But, yes, the religious aspect is in fact the basis of the holidays even though it has started to turn into commercialism central.

So yeah, I can acknowledge Christmas is based on the birth Jesus even though I myself don’t practice that. So then what makes Christmas special for me? Well, the answer is exactly the same as everyone else who celebrates Christmas, even if they are religious. For me the holidays mean tradition, memories, family and friends. The only difference is that my traditions don’t include going to church.

Like people who celebrate for religious reasons, I celebrate this season with kindness, love, joy and hope. It is a season to reflect on the things that have happened over the past year, like adding a new member to the family or losing someone who was always there. It's time to look at these things and decide what you can do better in the upcoming year and what you should keep doing because it has worked out pretty well for you.

It shouldn’t matter if you view the holidays through religious eyes or not. When it comes down to it, it's about surrounding yourself with people who mean something and make you happy. The holidays are about creating memories, and if you do that through going to church on Christmas Eve with family, good for you, and if you do that through sitting home Christmas Eve night with the people you love, good for you. I think the point I’m trying to make here is that the holidays are what you make of them. Our traditions are what make this season unique and we can’t judge others' traditions.