Let's go back to what Christmas is really about

By Camille Blake

December 23, 2004 | I remember as a kid that I used to love Christmas. As I got older the season would mean less and less to me. I finally came to a point where I hated Christmas. So I decided to change that and get back to what used to excite me about Christmas.

Every Christmas Eve, my family goes down to Temple Square and walks around. It is a tradition for us that will always be special to me. There is something about seeing the glow of the lights and the excitement in the air that just amazes me. Who would have thought that seeing colored lights would bring the holiday spirit? It does for me. I like to watch my younger nieces and nephews get excited. It's like they have never seen so many lights before. It's seeing the simple joy on their faces that I love so much.

All year I wait till the day after Thanksgiving, because in our house that's when we can start listening to Christmas music and watch the Christmas movies. In elementary school, we would watch The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I love watching that movie now because we got to watch it during school and it was a special treat to be able to watch it. Another one of my favorite movies is Home Alone. That will always be a classic Christmas movie to me.

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear," Buddy the elf always said in the movie Elf In elementary school on the last day before break the entire student body would gather in the auditorium and sing Christmas carols to each other. We hated to do it and the only song worth singing was Rudolph because you could sing "like a light bulb" at the top of your lungs. Secretly I loved to sing. I was in the choir during high school and we would go sing at malls and do concerts during December. I can't deny that when we were sounding good and together, there was just a holiday spirit there.

Sledding is a must during the winter months. I would put on my purple snow suit, the overall kind, pull up the moon boots and trudge over to the park. There was the most incredible sledding hill there. Over time it would get icy so we would get a running start and just zoom down the hill till we hit the fence. Even now that I am older, I still feel like a kid when I have a goofy smile sledding down Old Main.

The one thing that brings it all together is decorating the Christmas tree. My mom would make my dad haul out the decorations and then ask me and my sisters to help decorate. After the lights were strung around the tree, we put up the decorations. Living away from home, I miss that tradition. So this year I made it a point to help my mom decorate. It was just the two of us and we were up till midnight decorating. I hung up the same old round bulbs and tacky bells we have had for years. My mom even kept all of our decorations we made when we were kids. I found the gold ornaments with our names engraved on them. My sister gets mad every year because she got the goose and I got the teddy bear. But I love it. We turned off the lights and stood back to enjoy the tree. I can't explain what it is that entrances me, but it just wouldn't be Christmas without a tree.

The Christmas season is a time to just enjoy family and spend time doing fun things. I have stopped stressing about shopping, because I can't afford it anyway, and spent time giving. This year at work we are doing a sub-for-santa for a lady at my work. I can't wait to see the look on her face when we give her the basket. Any look of deep appreciation means more to me than presents.

Let's get back to what Christmas is really about. The presents are an added bonus, but they do not bring the type of excitement serving or just being with your family brings. I love Christmas now because I have made it meaningful to me. So take advantage of this break from school and go do your favorite winter activities. Take time to remember the good things about the holiday season.

NW
MS