Aside from April (my birth month), December has to be my favorite month of the year simply because of Christmas. I love Christmas so much because it is the one time of the year that I can count on all of my family being in the same place, and that is when I am truly the most happy. Over the years, my family has developed several traditions that we always make sure to uphold around the holidays. Regardless of what holiday you choose to celebrate, I hope that you can incorporate some of these traditions into your own family’s holiday plans.
One thing we love to do when all of us are under the same roof is play board games. Now, this isn’t strictly exclusive to Christmas, but I still had to include it. My family and I are extremely competitive and will jump at any chance to prove that we are smarter than one another. We have a large collection of board games, ranging from trivia games to Monopoly, that we love to break out when all of us get together. This is one of my most favorite things to do together but it just gives us the perfect excuse to sit around and laugh.
Specifically, at Christmas time, my mom goes all out with the desserts. She makes everything you could possibly imagine from fudge to homemade pies. Of course, I love this part because everything she makes is absolutely delicious, but I always remember helping her out in the kitchen when I was younger. These are the memories that I hold closest to me.
The thing that I enjoy most about the holidays is the cheerful spirit that we have managed to keep alive throughout the years. My siblings and I are all grown now so we have a different appreciation and excitement for Christmas than we did when we were little. However, my mom still likes to keep the Christmas magic alive. She still writes, “From: Santa,” on all the presents we get, which I secretly really enjoy even though we tease her about it sometimes. It is the little things that she does that still makes the holiday special, and I will always appreciate it no matter how old I get.
I hope you have a happy holiday season with your family and find the time to truly relax and enjoy yourself. After this year, I believe we all need it.