I just recently went Christmas shopping with my family, and just seeing everything to do with Christmas really makes me feel happy. The music, the decorations, the trees, every aspect of the holiday creates this feeling. There is a single string of colored Christmas lights in my living room at this moment, and just that one strand makes it feel like Christmas.

So what makes it such a happy time for me?

Christmas has always been about joy, giving, and family. I have only spent a few Christmases with just my Mom and Dad, almost all of them have been with my mom's side of the family. And most of those years, we have taken the time beforehand to go see my Dad's family. Christmas has always been about family for me.

As a child, getting gifts was a great part of Christmas, but what made me feel happiest was watching everyone else opening things that they got. I get excited to give gifts to people. This year, I can't really afford more than some candy and a scarf, but I still will be giving things to my friends and family. Giving someone a gift puts a smile on their face, as well as my own. It feels amazing to give something to someone else.

Over the years, I have noticed almost everyone is in a better mood around the holidays. People seem to have more joy. People seem to want to help others more.

Christmas is my favorite holiday because of this joy and all of this happiness. The spirit of the season really shines through, especially in dark times. My grandfather died last year at the beginning of December and it made things tough, but being around family at Christmas really helped me feel much better.

Does Christmas have the same effect on others?