Christmas Comes Each Time This Year

The Christmas Season is one of my favorite parts of the year. Growing up in a Jewish household, one would think that Christmas-time doesn’t rank high on my favorite part of the year. Well, you would be wrong if you thought that. Although my mom is Jewish and has therefore raised my sister and I as Jews, my dad was a Christian for the majority of my youth, so I grew up celebrating the major Christian holidays as well as the Jewish ones. There is no way I could possibly pick my favorite part of the season, but once December first hits, my Christmas mind is in full gear. From Christmas card writing, to decorating our tree and house, to Christmas music, to the Christmas spirit in general, I am a fan of it all.

It all starts out with decorating our house to portray the spirit of Christmas. Seeing my family bond over putting up our decorations puts a smile on my face. The decorating can’t start, though, until my dad and I have found the perfect tree. Since our house is on the older side, the ceilings are low. We have a specific method for picking out the tree though – you have to find one that is short, fat, and has a good, strong trunk. Once these criteria are met, we strap the tree atop my mom’s mini-van and drive on home. After decorating the tree and the rest of the house, it is time to bake cookies! This is especially one of my favorite Christmas activities, since I am an avid baker. Give me any cookie recipe and I will be more than happy to whip it up. Once Christmas Eve comes around, I know the true spirit of Christmas has landed. Christmas Eve is definitely set in stone in my family – every year it is the same. My dad’s parents arrive around 3:30, right as the brisket my mom is cooking is beginning to send a delicious aroma wafting around our house. We eat some delicious appetizers, chat and listen to lovely Christmas music all the while sitting in front of a roaring fire my dad has perfectly crafted. Because my grandparents are old, they usually leave around eight o’clock (after we have all helped my mom clear the table from dinner). This is when my immediate family’s traditions continue. My sister and I read for an hour in front of the fire, drinking hot chocolate, while my dad watches television and my mom finishes cleaning the kitchen. Then around 9:30 or 10:00 we turn on White Christmas and begin wrapping presents. Once the mound of presents has reached its maximum capacity, usually around one or two in the morning, it’s time to go to bed and wait for St. Nick to arrive. Sadly enough, to this day my sister and I usually wake up around eight in the morning, run to wake up our parents, and then head downstairs. After everyone has exchanged presents, we gather the presents for the rest of our family, put them into the car, and then head over to my aunt’s house where the festivities continue until the end of the day. Driving home after a fulfilling day of family, food, gifts, and good spirit, I am sufficiently content with my Christmas. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!