What makes you love Christmas so much?

[wstaple]

Think about it - most people aren't like those of us on this board. Christmas, for most people, is something celebrated from the Friday after Thanksgiving or the first part of December until the 25th. But we do things like listen to Christmas music in July! Unheard of, right? Maybe to some, but not for us.

From the time I was a little boy, I've loved Christmas - everything about it. I remember the excitement, the anticipation of Christmas morning as a child. And even though I'm older now, I still feel it at 50. In fact, every year it seems to get a little stronger.

I guess my love for Christmas comes from my parents and my grandmother. They always made Christmas fun. There were always surprises. I've tried to do that with my wife and daughters as an adult. There is always a surprise gift for each one of them every year. It may not be much, but there's always something. And the older I get, the more "unsuspecting" things I try to do around Christmas. Things like baking and cooking, which I've never done much of until the past few years. Every year there's some new kind of decoration around the house. And trust me, I'm no interior decorator! But when it comes to Christmas, I try my best.

And even though they think I try to hurry the season every year (I'd have the trees up as soon as the last trick-or-treater is leaving our front porch if it was up to me), I try to make sure they know that the reason I do what I do is not just for me - it's for them. I hope my daughters pass this on to our grandchildren one day. But if for whatever reason they don't, they'll always know where to come find it!

What about you? What makes you love Christmas like you do?

[ornamentmaven]

Beautifully said wstaple! The best part of Christmas, to me, is the spirit of peace and joy we give to each other. I fully immerse myself in just about every aspect and tradition associated with Christmas. I love decorating, baking, wrapping gifts, hanging lights, hosting a big Christmas Eve buffet (the tradition Italian seafood buffet), listening to Christmas music, watching all those great holiday movies, exchanging cards (I'm making mine right now), shopping for just the right gifts, and so on.

I love collecting my Madame Alexander doll ornaments every year for the past 19 years! Ornaments are my thing (hence the name ornamentmaven) I have 3 trees - one big, one medium and one small. The main tree in the living room is overloaded with ornaments of every kind - no special theme- just years of memories. Ornaments belonging to our parents from the 1950's, ornaments collected from childhood and from 35 years of marriage, as well as ornaments given to our children. My medium tree is white with a pastel/purple theme. The ornaments on this tree are from Hallmark's three different Madame Alexander doll series. My small tree is also white and decorated with "Rudolph" ornaments and small stuffed toys.

I make about 8 to 10 different types of cookies each year, plus my traditional fruitcake. I have cookies that I bake each year - like my pignoli cookies, but also like to try new things!

I always decorate outside and always send Christmas cards, even though many people have stopped the card tradition.

I own about 30 Christmas movies on DVD. I just started watching those and will watch some 3 or 4 times between now and New Years

There is nothing better than autumn and the run up to Christmas!

[steph535]

Great thread and post, wstaple. I get my love of Christmas from my mother, who, bent over backwards to make Christmas special, at least the actual day. Music was a big deal in our family and you can't get better than Christmas music, so just the music, alone, is a major reason why I love Christmas. My parents didn't care for the crooners and classics that most people prefer. We listened to the Robert Shaw Chorale, the Roger Wagner Chorale, Alfred Deller and the Deller Consort, A Music Box Christmas, among others. I loved them so much, I memorized every song and all the verses. I have a copy of each of them and at least thirty more, and still no crooners, haha. Anyway, when I was very young, my mother would wait until we children were in bed and she'd put up the tree on Christmas Eve, (always a real double balsam), decorate it, decorate the livingroom, wrap all the gifts and put them under the tree so it would be like magic, as if Santa had come and done it all, when we woke up on Christmas morning. After I got a little older, she'd put the tree up ten days before Christmas and forbade any Christmas music before then because I drove everyone crazy singing Christmas songs in September and begging her constantly to start playing Christmas records. (Somehow, I get the feeling that Mom wasn't quite as much a lover of Christmas as I was, lol.)

[noelglori]

Christmas has always been special because of the reason for Christmas, the candle light services at church, the plays at church, the fellowship. Also, my parents made it so very special. Certain things started to appear at Christmas time, different candies, decorations, bags of gifts hidden away etc. Our home was filled with love and peace and opened to friends and relatives who always arrived to share Christmas with us.

So therefore, my husband and I made sure our home was filled with love and peace and our kids would always have good memories of Christmas for it's the memories that fill our spirit with love and joy. And now our kids are doing the same for their children. Yes, the Christmas spirit gets passed down, so make sure you spread joy and cheer no matter what the circumstances try to predict.

[Mistletoe]

I used to think I was just mercenery and loved Christmas for the toys I got. But, as I've gotten older, I realize that I felt a great deal of love for Santa. He had a kind of unconditional love for us and gave without ever asking anything in return (except that we be good). I had started to get gifts for him, because I wanted him to know how much I appreciated and loved him. I didn't want to just take. So, I think that's why I love Christmas so much, because I equate it with a great feeling of love.

I also love how we went to church on Christmas Eve and everyone there was in their Christmas finery and excited. I liked how we were celebrating there together and then breaking off into groups to celebrate each with their own family- separate, but together in spirit. I like that about holidays- thinking of everyone else celebrating, too.

[E.S.]

I have to echo what everyone has said already: Great post wstaple. And it's great to read all of the responses.
For me, it's the extra time with my family, the music, the food... the spirit of the season. It really allows old, grumpy, responsible adults (like myself) to feel and act like a kid again.
It really is about the warmth of knowing that we'll get to see those people that we can't always see throughout the year, eating those food that we only eat at Christmas time, listening to that amazing once-a-year music. I mentioned in another post that on Christmas Eve, my family eats our traditional shrimp gumbo dinner. Well, I asked my wife about 15 years ago to only make this dish on Christmas Eve. At first she thought I was crazy (she might have a valid point in that) But now that we only eat it once a year, when Christmas Eve comes around, that's all we can think about, all day long. It's beyond special. I would say that it's transcendent, but that might be taking it a bit too far.
We remember fondly those traditions of our youth, and the people we have lost along the way. And we create new traditions, and new memories, with new family members.
I guess to sum it all up... spending time with my family, creating those new, special memories that sustain us throughout the rest of the year.

[Elf_Erv]

the connection to my childhood. Christmas at my grandparents with all the family around. Dean Martin Christmas records. My grandpa's conry Christmas decorations. The wonderful food. Many of the people are gone no but I will never forget the memories.

[Merry Christmas Darling]

Great thread and post, wstaple. I get my love of Christmas from my mother, who, bent over backwards to make Christmas special, at least the actual day. Music was a big deal in our family and you can't get better than Christmas music, so just the music, alone, is a major reason why I love Christmas. My parents didn't care for the crooners and classics that most people prefer. We listened to the Robert Shaw Chorale, the Roger Wagner Chorale, Alfred Deller and the Deller Consort, A Music Box Christmas, among others. I loved them so much, I memorized every song and all the verses. I have a copy of each of them and at least thirty more, and still no crooners, haha. Anyway, when I was very young, my mother would wait until we children were in bed and she'd put up the tree on Christmas Eve, (always a real double balsam), decorate it, decorate the livingroom, wrap all the gifts and put them under the tree so it would be like magic, as if Santa had come and done it all, when we woke up on Christmas morning. After I got a little older, she'd put the tree up ten days before Christmas and forbade any Christmas music before then because I drove everyone crazy singing Christmas songs in September and begging her constantly to start playing Christmas records. (Somehow, I get the feeling that Mom wasn't quite as much a lover of Christmas as I was, lol.)

My late husband and I played Christmas records in the summer when we were dating!

[Merry Christmas Darling]

My mother taught me to love Christmas decorations and homemade pie.

When I was old enough to think about it I began to love Christmas because of Jesus.

Christopher Radko Ornament I bought in 2013

[MinnesotaMike]

It goes without saying that we give special thanks at Christmas for Jesus. However, I can sum up my answer in one word: Nostalgia. Christmas is the time of year when I so fondly recall years gone by and all the people who shared them with me.

My wife and I share a love of the Christmas season, and all it brings. We've created and carried on SO many traditions for our boys. While I can't "make" them grow up to be Christmas fanatics, I can certainly provide them with a host of wonderful, warm family memories to carry with them through their lives. One thing is certain: Every year at Christmas time, after I'm gone, my boys will always remember how much the holidays meant to their old man, and hopefully they will feel love in their heart, and know that I am still with them as they spend that time with all of our shared loved ones.