Entertainment
25 Reasons Why Christmas is Awesome
You know it, I know it, we all know it: Christmas is simply magnificent for so many delightful reasons! Grab a festive mug of cocoa, cozy up in that Christmas sweater, and take a seat by a snowy, frosted window or roaring fireplace. Let’s revel together in the season by unwrapping the ultimate list of the best things about Christmas!
25. Something to look forward to
Nothing is bleaker than facing the long, cold, and dark days of winter. Yet—what’s that off in the distance of the horizon of the calendar? An amazing, fun event that you can spend all the winter months looking forward to, celebrating, and planning for. Christmas gives us a happy, positive goal to work towards and take our minds clear out of those gray and dreary winter days.
24. Christmas lights
The colors. This glitz. The sparkle. The spectacle. Any amount, style, or form of warm, glowing Christmas lights brightens moods and immediately makes it feel like the holiday season. Whether inside, outside, on a tree, colorful, white, grand, or small scale, Christmas lights bring a magical twinkle to all our eyes with their unique charm. What a wonderful way to bring some light and color back into your life during those gray winter days!
23. Snow
Even if you happen to dislike the cold and snow, you have to admit that snow, especially when it’s physically snowing, is stunning. Millions of pure white, swirling flakes float down noiselessly to cover the world in a clean, bright blanket. There are so many fun activities to do in the snow this time of year as well: making snowmen, snow angels, sledding, skiing, and snowball fights, just to name a few. (If you’re still not a fan, it’s just as enjoyable to watch through a window!)
22. Seasonal food/beverages
Tis the season for special foods, sweets, and drinks that only roll around this time of year. Turkey, fruitcake, plum pudding, candy canes, gingerbread, sugar cookies, and not to mention the beverages! Hot cocoa, cider, mulled wine, peppermint tea, eggnog…there are many ways to sample the many flavors of the season that really let your mouth know Christmastime has arrived.
21. Seasonal scents
With all these amazing seasonal foods come tantalizing, familiar smells! One whiff of peppermint, spices, cocoa, turkey, Christmas cookies, and you’ll be transported in your memories to all the Christmases where you have smelled these lovely smells before. There are a few other scents, besides foods, that crop up, such as the bite of winter air, a smoldering fireplace, a real, full-blooded, pine Christmas tree? Heavenly!
20. Christmas music
Among the list of seasonal joys includes seasonal tunes. Now is prime time to listen to Christmas music favorites, traditional or original, loud or soft, jivey or soothing. Everyone has a special song (or songs) they play at this time of year to get into that groovy Christmas feeling and the holiday spirit. What are your favorites you always have listen to?
19. Holiday movies
Christmas movies hold a genre for everyone. Cute classics from your childhood, modern newcomers, comedies, romance, animated—even horror with movies like Krampus. Many of your favorite TV shows and well-known characters have their own Christmas specials. Some people wait all year eagerly to finally see their favorite holiday movie picks or the holiday episode of their favorite show. And like Christmas-specific foods, smells, and songs, movies are also a fun way to ring in the holiday season!
18. Seeing friends and family
Christmas is just about the best excuse to at last make plans to get together with old friends and distant relatives. We get to meet up, visit, catch up on news, and spend quality time together with loved ones we may not get to see very often otherwise. If Christmas does anything, it certainly is an opportunity to bring people in this world together again.
17. Traditions
Traditions give us yearly rituals to look forward to all year long. Family traditions are especially tailored and beloved and coveted by family members. Every time we continue traditions, family history is kept alive and active and memories are re-kindled. Having something so familiar to enact time after time is comforting to us, and the entire act of Christmas stems from traditions of old that are still put into practice today.
16. Shopping
Shopping at all is fun. Shopping for people is almost more fun. Having a reason to shop for someone and show them that you love and are thinking about them is perfect! Remember, it’s the thought that counts. Presents don’t have to be big, fancy, or expensive. Anything shows that you were thinking about them and care about them is special and meaningful! There are few better feelings than spying the perfect gift for someone who is hard to buy for, putting your heart and creativity into amazing homemade gifts, and finding sweet deals and unbelievable sales to brag about later!
15. Stockings
A somewhat background item to the glitz and glamor of the main gifts of Christmas, stockings are an underrated feature of Christmas. They’re a fun little bonus to the festivities, however, filling them with various little bits and bobs, candy, toys, and other small, extra gifts to relish over. (Then of course, there’s always the highly rare “Toe Bonus”—when you find a surprise left you missed in the toe of the stocking!) Don’t underestimate stocking stuffers, some of the best things come in small packages!
14. Everyone’s in a good mood
It’s hard to explain, but the Christmastime season sets pretty much everyone in a cheery, generous mood. Strangers become extra-friendly and there’s a general positive, (nay, magical?) feeling in the air that makes everyone want to be on their best behavior to each other. It’s truly a time where people are more patient, more generous, charitable, and positive. We wish that atmosphere can last!
13. Giving presents, watching someone open your present
Just about the only thing better than receiving is giving! Especially getting to finally see your recipient open the gift you especially picked out and wrapped for them. Seeing your loved one’s face light up in recognition of their present is a beautiful, heartwarming thing to witness. Making other people happy can’t help but make us happy, too. (Isn’t it awesome how that works out?)
12. Cozy clothes
Oh, sweet comfort. Fuzzy, flannel-y, warm pajamas are IN this season. (Long pants also equal no shaving! Score!) It’s that time of year when you will not be judged for living in a cozy, comfy pair of pajamas—especially all Christmas day. In addition to PJ’s, Christmas sweaters, thick socks, wooly hats, warm gloves, and snuggly scarves are all fashionable and comfy attire for this time of year. Enjoy!
11. Advent calendars
It may sound cheesy, but advent calendars are a fun way (especially for kids) to remain patient in counting down the days until Christmas day by getting little treats in the meantime. There are also some amazing “adult” versions of advent calendars out there now, like Legos, perfumes, makeup, high-quality, fancy chocolates, mini liquor bottles, tea, cocoa—if you can think of it, there very may be an advent calendar in existence! (And if there isn’t, why not make a customized one for a friend?)
10. Giving and getting Christmas cards
Cards are a great way to be able to let anyone know anywhere in the world that you’re keeping them in your warm thoughts at this special time of year. Even if you can’t afford or send presents, and aren’t able to physically visit in person, anyone can send a pretty note to let loved ones know news and to offer them wishes and thoughts for the holiday.
9. Seeing your name on a present
Picture it: there’s a big pile of colorfully wrapped gifts tumbling across the floor. You shift eagerly through the stack, the packages sliding over each other as you quickly scan the tags. Then, you see it. Your name. A jolt of anticipation shoots through you as you reach for the present, hefting it in your hands, wondering what treasure it holds. There’s something unexplainably exciting about spotting your very own name written on a gift tag.
8. Christmas trees
Many folk’s most favorite aspect of the holidays is the famous and much-celebrated Christmas tree. Whether you trek out in search of one to cut down yourself, get a pre-cut one, have an artificial one, a big one or small one—trees in all shapes, styles, and sizes look put-together and simply beautiful decorated with lights and precious family ornaments. Definitely a symbol of the season, Christmas trees are the perfect (sometimes literal) exquisite centerpiece to the holiday!
7. Wrapping
Wrapping isn’t always annoying. Hear me out. While wrapping can be a pain for some, the people who love it, really love it! You have to admit, browsing through and picking out wrapping paper among the thousands of styles is pleasing. Sitting back proudly and admiring a well-wrapped package is very rewarding. (And of course, when you hit that point when your scissors glide through the paper. So. Satisfying.)
6. Parties
Friends. Family. Food. Music. Dancing. Slick outfits and outrageous sweaters. Games. Drinks. No matter the type of party (office party, playing board games with relatives, dancing at clubs with friends, a neighborhood Secret Santa or Yankee Swap, etc.) it is definitely the perfect time to let loose and celebrate in style by partying in all kinds of ways!
5. Vacation
One of the best perks that only adds to all these reasons mentioned? Just about everyone gets some time off from work and school in order to relax, enjoy, and be able to do all these activities and traditions. A break from working, gifts, vacation, good food, good friends, good times—who could ask for more? (And to those of you working over the holidays, we commend you!)
4. Secrets
Secrets shared with another are fun and exciting. Sharing something that is only to be known between a select few (or one) person brings us closer together as we keep great surprises for each other. This time of year is rife with sneaky covert plots, plans, and schemes to bring happiness and joy to one another!
3. Decorating the house
Although sometimes it can be somewhat tiring work to decorate your home for holidays, the results certainly make it all worth it. Completely transforming your house with festive decorations, lovingly collected over the years, can really affect the atmosphere into one filled to the brim with holiday spirit. (And bring spirit to everyone who admires your decorations!)
2. Christmas eve
The delicious anticipation does not get better than this. The work is finally over and all there is left is to wait, just a few more hours…
1. Christmas morning!
At last! That grueling wait is finally over. Now is the time to enjoy what all the preparation, planning, and hard work has brought. Filling the day exchanging gifts, spending time with loved ones, reflecting on old memories and making new ones are one of the rare treasures of life we get to experience every December. Have a happy, healthy, safe, fun, and magical Christmas! (And now we can start counting down and scheming for next year!)