Christmas is right around the corner which means stores are packed with people trying to find the perfect gift. It often seems like Thanksgiving is quickly surpassed in the excitement of Black Friday, the official kickoff of the holiday shopping season. Stores seem to keep pushing their hours further into Thanksgiving Day, trying to stay competitive. Last year, I remembered seeing advertisements for stores announcing they would be opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. This year, I even saw some stores open at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving! It makes me so sad that many people are choosing to opt out of the family Thanksgiving dinner to score some deals on electronics and other items for Christmas presents. This holiday season, I urge you to spend time with your family.
When I was younger, one of my absolute favorite holiday traditions was going to our local performing arts center every December and seeing a show. My mom, knowing how much I love musicals, would take me to see a show of my choice as part of my Christmas gift. Even though I am now 20 years old, my mom and I are going to be continuing the tradition, but this year I am treating her to the show of her choice! We will be going to see Michael W. Smith and Jordan Smith perform Christmas music and I can’t wait! I love seeing shows with my mom; it is one of those things that we both enjoy. You see, one of my favorite parts of Christmas was getting to spend time with my family, not the gifts. I will always cherish those memories with my mom.
Another tradition in my family was to pile into the car and drive around to see Christmas lights at different homes. It is so fun to crank up the Christmas music, grab some hot chocolate, and drive around enjoying the holiday lights. This ritual is one of my all-time favorite memories and I will keep the tradition going when I have my own family someday.
This holiday season, as you are deciding on what kind of gifts to get for your friends and family, I strongly encourage you to choose to spend time with those loved ones and build incredible memories. I urge you to focus less on the “perfect” present and more on spending time with one another. Material items can be ruined, get old, and eventually thrown away, but memories last a lifetime.
Do you have any fond memories of Christmas traditions with loved ones?
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