As the year wraps up, the holiday season is in full swing. Exams are coming to an end, and it is finally time to return home for the long-awaited winter break. For the Christmas lovers like myself, this is a time for much joy and celebrating with family and loved ones. But it doesn’t quite seem like it’s time for Christmas until we experience a few specific things.

You know it’s almost Christmas when…

1) Christmas music plays on every radio station, inside every store, and as a result it will not stop playing in your head.

2) You are not surprised to see on the news that another baby Jesus has been stolen from the manger.

3) You start smelling that “Christmas smell.” You know the smell of those pine cones every one has in their house.

4) You begin to hear the all too familiar sound of the Salvation Army bell outside your neighborhood store.

5) Giant popcorn tins go on sale with the reindeer, snowmen, and Santa Claus themed decorations.

6) You are constantly reminded that “Jesus is the reason for the season!”

7) You help decorate the house with lights, tinsel, and random Christmas crafts you made as a kid, or sit back and watch as your mom does it all.

8) You can’t drive down the road without seeing a car dressed with reindeer antlers and a red Rudolph nose.

9) You dread going shopping because everyone is out finding the perfect gift, and finding a parking spot at the mall is almost as difficult as it was on Black Friday.

10) Eggnog is now on sale at every grocery store.

11) You dread that awkward feeling of being caught under the mistletoe with the wrong person.

12) You eat a candy cane with almost every meal because otherwise all the leftovers will be hung on your Christmas tree next year.

12) You take part in a gingerbread house building and decorating contest, and you enjoy it no matter how old you are.

13) You begin receiving and eating a variety of baked goods and you can’t help but eat more than one.

14) You start seeing Santa in the mall, and question whether or not you’re too old to sit on his lap for a picture.

15) ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas are your go-to for every evening of TV watching…especially the classics.

16) You constantly overhear people saying, “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”

17) Starbucks starts advertising all of their Christmas-themed coffee flavors.

18) You start planning a trip for you and your friends to see the tacky Christmas lights.

19) The weather man predicts snowfall and you go through your list of pre-snowfall-traditions to make sure it is guaranteed to stick. (In case you don’t know what I’m referring to, wearing your pajamas inside out, putting a paper snowflake on your window, flushing ice cubes down the toilet, and putting a metal spoon under your pillow, will guarantee that the snow will fall when predicted.)

20) Tacky Christmas sweaters go on sale and you have to pick the best one so you can win the tacky sweater contest. Not to mention, you visit every secondhand store because everyone knows that is the best place to find the perfect one.

21) You start planning your New Year’s resolution to work out and lose all the extra insulation you will acquire during this month.

Whether or not you look forward to all of the little things that come with the Christmas season, don’t forget to enjoy every bit and cherish the time off you will get to spend with those you love. But most of all, remember that Jesus is in fact the reason for this season, and have a very merry Christmas!