Christmas is a holiday that is celebrated all over the world from Europe to Asia and the Americas.  Because it is honored throughout vast nations, the traditions and ways through which it is marked are very different and specific to each region.  Special things happen through the holiday season, such as decorating your family’s home, baking treats, or wrapping presents to give to others. The season of giving is a wonderful time and is full of memories for all. Mr. Smith says, “I think about Christmas and think about my mom, my dad, and my brothers.”  The Christmas season is all about happiness and spending time with family.

This holiday is the annual mark of Jesus Christ’s birth in Bethlehem to his mother Mary and Joseph.   Some people associate Christmas with religion and observe the holiday by attending a Christmas Eve service to remember their reason for celebrating the season. Lindsay Ryan says, “It is always a joy to see the church filled with people.”  However, many others may celebrate this day without the presence of religion. Regardless of whether religion is involved or not, almost everyone gathers with their relatives to mark this celebration. The season of Christmas brings everyone together to spread joy and happiness all over!

Something that brightens seasonal cheer is having lights and displays all across town.  The origin of putting lights up is to symbolize the brightness that Jesus Christ brought into the world when he was born.  Lights of Christmas bring the joy to life. In Palestine, the most exciting thing that goes on during this season is found at the Lamotte Park.  The park holds a marvelous firework display, and Santa comes for the children. Allison Dunlap said, “We would always watch fireworks, and we would wait in line to see Santa, then leave for Nashville for the weekend.  It was always fun because I got to eat a bunch of cookies.”

Another thing that people do is go to a tree farm and pick out their Christmas tree.  This tradition originated in Germany, and evergreens were thought to keep away ghosts, witches, and illnesses.  A Christmas tree is supposed to represent the undying love brought by Christ, because these trees do not die in the winter and stay green all year.  Fresh wreaths are very popular as well and can be found in many homes. After bringing home a tree or a wreath, they are used for decorations and bring about the Christmas spirit!  

My family always enjoys experiencing these things, but we also have our own traditions that make the season special.  My brother Jace dreads putting up the tree, but he always says, “I like to look at it after we are done.” One thing we do is prepare our home for the season of giving, and we haul our twelve foot tree up from the storage room in the basement and start the grueling process.  We put together the first six feet and decorate it. Then we raise the first part up and do the same thing for the bottom half. We decorate our tree with homemade ornaments given to our family from friends and relatives. All of these decorations have a special story behind them and make us thankful for everyone in our lives.

My grandma and I love to bake, so Christmas is our favorite time of year.  We start baking around 8:30 on Christmas Eve and keep going until we are done with all the desserts.  Some of our favorite things to make are pecan pie, sugar cookies, and pumpkin pie. We also use my great grandmother’s recipe to make divinity, which is a candy made from eggs and sugar.  My grandma and I spend most of the day baking for Christmas, and we always have a great time together.

Another tradition for my family and grandparents is to go to a Christmas Eve service at our church.  Before the service at our church, Highland Church of Christ, we gather at a restaurant to eat together before the service.  We then go to the service and enjoy it. After Church, the whole family heads over to my grandma and granddad’s house, and each of us gets to open one present and one present only!  After opening our presents, we have desserts that my grandma and I baked earlier in the day. Christmas Eve is something I always look forward to, because I get to celebrate the season with my family.

The Christmas season is full of fun things to do and see, like wrapping presents or decorating your tree!  For me, it includes spending a lot of time with my family getting ready for the holiday and then celebrating.  I look forward to baking with my grandma and going to church with my whole family. Everyone has holiday traditions that make this time special for them, and this makes Christmastime for cherishing those you love and giving to those who you cherish.