I wrote recently why Halloween was my least favorite holiday. Let me introduce my favorite holiday to you: Christmas. Why do I like Christmas so much? Let me count the ways.
- Family and friends. I may not have all of these things listed in order of preference, except for this one. Christmas isn't Christmas without loved ones. Don't ever spend Christmas alone. That's not allowed. Zoom or phone someone if you have to.
- Music. In my opinion, this is the life force of the holiday. No Christmas should pass without music. I know people who don't get into the music a lot, because they claim there's a limited supply. Not true. As a person who's done many Christmas concerts with a choir, I know of a good number of beautiful tunes out there that are appropriate for the holiday.
- Light-hearted activities galore. Oh, yes! The choices between attending a concert, a performance with the ballet or theatre, shopping at a festive mall, going to parks and amusement areas decorated for the holidays, and just taking a drive through neighborhoods to see all of the decorations. That's not everything either. There's so much to do suitable for all types of people!
- Upbeat and inspirational movies. There are a good supply of Santa movies out there, but we're not limited to them. There are others that teach all corners of the holiday, including the religious aspect as well as the inspirational pro-humanity stories that inspire us to refocus ourselves to love our neighbors. My personal favorite is It's a Wonderful Life, because it brings out the awareness of what is truly important in life.
- Talent spotlight. This is my time to shine. Just saying. There are times when I don't share my talents, because of my mind being pre-occupied somewhere else, but with Christmas being the time of sharing and reaching out I often take the opportunity to display at least one of my talents with my friends and family. It usually comes in the form of a new poem, but it may come in other ways also, such as a song I've been learning, or, in the case of this year, a fun project I've been working on.
- Lights, lights, lights! I absolutely love seeing Christmas lights everywhere, and for me, the more the merrier. I love to see the bright contrast against the dark night. There's just something enlivening and refreshing in the sight. There's nothing more magical than when it snows and the lights make the snow glow.
- Decorations. There are some I like better than others, but decorations are always fun. I personally prefer the more natural looking ones, such as the evergreen garland (with lights in it, of course), and evergreen wreaths with colored decorations. Poinsettias are always fun, too. Christmas trees and candles, all of the traditional things. Love it!
- Snow, weather, and nature. There are some people who can't stand the cold or the snow, but will take it during Christmas, because it brings that Christmas mood into the scene. I'm not bothered by it, and some of my most favorite Christmas memories were when we got blanketed by tons of snow. I'd say a few of those times the snow had to be at least a foot deep. I love to watch the snow when the sun comes out, because it sparkles. One of the other reasons I like the change in the weather would be because by Christmas I'm ready for a change from looking at everything gone brown. We also get some awesome winter sunsets. They're awesome year-round, but because the trees are bare they are more visible.
- Church activities. There's always the religious part about Christmas that we need to be reminded of, and going to church activities are always a good way to help us remember it. Where I go, it's a good mix of fun, songs, and stories as well as a service project for people who want to help someone as part of their Christmas.
- All around positive vibe. In contrast to Halloween's focus on darkness and morbid things, Christmas is focused on light and life. I love to feel the positive energy around me. I can have issues with crowds, but there's something beautiful about walking into a place where everyone is excited and happy to be there. Everything's enlivened and full of life. I can feel it everywhere.
So there it is, my reasons for loving Christmas. I probably could add to this, but I like to leave these lists to ten or less as much as possible. Some people may think 2020 has ruined Christmas, but not me. I made sure of that months ago. Some things had to be skipped or adjusted this year, but there are so many beautiful things about the holiday that there's just no taking it away from me. I'm determined to have 2020 leave on a good note.
Life is good.
