This time of the year is my absolute favorite. I love the Christmas decorations that are on every building, the limited edition drinks at Starbucks, the cold weather, but most importantly, I love the kindness and caring that this season gives. I feel like people have a lot of compassion in their heart during the holidays, and it really shows. I love telling random strangers ‘Merry Christmas’, and hear it get returned to me. I love watch good deeds unfold in front of me, because it restores my faith in humanity.

When I was younger I loved Christmas because I got to see family, eat a bunch of food, and open up presents under the tree. I believed in Santa until I was sixteen (really seventeen), so my past Christmas I felt pretty down. I realized that Santa isn’t what makes Christmas so special, but everything else. I know it sounds silly for believing in a thing for so long, but I did. And now as an adult, Santa is someone who lives in my heart, and someone I love to share with my young nieces.

It is the Christmas spirit that I was adoring all of those years, and even now. Although I no longer believe in a man who delivers the world a bunch of Christmas presents in one night, I can honestly say that I still love this time of the year. Sure, it was a little sad at first. I mean, it honestly felt like I was living a lie my whole life after I found out the truth. But what Christmas is now definitely makes up for it. I realize the hard work my mom had done to make sure that we stayed youthful about Santa. She always left notes, rang some bells, and diligently placed what she bought us under the tree. We were all excited and babbled on about Santa, when really it was her all along. That is truly magical.

Christmas means so much to me. I love the little traditions we partake in every year. Such as decorating gingerbread men, watching our Christmas movies, seeing the Christmas lights, baking peanut butter fudge, and a lot of other things. My family is already close, but this time of the year manages to bring us even closer. Christmas is an amazing, wonderful thing, even as an adult. I get to do some pretty fun things with kids who are close to me, and it is fun to get to partake in these festivities with them.

As a Christian, Christmas is also a holiday I hold dear to my heart. I mean, when I was younger, I was always the angel in our church Christmas plays! I love the story of baby Jesus, and I never get tired of reading about it.

So although Christmas changes as you age, it doesn’t mean you should quit loving it. I love Christmas now for different reasons, and that is okay.