Our first Christmas Tree in ages!
I don’t actually remember the last time we had a Christmas Tree for the holidays, making me question whether we actually had one before. But after searching through the depths of my mind, I recalled a certain scene of a Christmas Tree, standing near the stairs of our old home. It’s a pretty old memory, I think I was still in the early years of grade school. Remembering it was nostalgic.
It was the first and the last time we ever had one. If you’re wondering why, it’s because we really couldn’t afford it since most of the budget went to the table. However, after all those years we’ve finally decided to put up a Christmas Tree for this year’s Christmas celebration. And here’s what I learned.
It sets the mood. Ever since I entered high school, the Holidays have never been the same again. As a kid, whenever the days got closer to Christmas Day, I felt excited as I could sense the “spirit” of the Holidays in the environment around me. My father putting up the Christmas lights, while my mother worked on various dishes in the kitchen. However, as I slowly grew up, that innocent wonder and excitement for Christmas that I had when I was a little boy gradually dissipated. I blamed my maturity, thinking that it’s because I’m becoming an adult that I’m losing my “childishness” that enjoyed the celebration for Christmas. But I was wrong, in so many ways. There were many factors, but one of them was losing the decorations. Due to financial reasons, even having special to prepare for the Holidays was still up to chance. Without the ornaments and decorations, it didn’t really sink into me that it was Christmas, not until it was time to eat at the dinner table. Putting up the Christmas Tree brought back my excitement for the Holidays and created an atmosphere that the “little boy” in me missed so much.
Preparing for the Holidays is fun. I never would have thought that helping out in placing the ornaments around the Christmas Tree would be fun. No matter how trivial it may seem, it was truly an enjoyable experience as it was an activity that my family and I got to do together.
Christmas is more than just the menu. In the past, whenever I knew that Christmas was just around the corner, the thoughts that pop up in my head were that of food. Just imagining the various dishes my mother would make was enough to make me wait in excitement. In other words, it was the menu that I loved the most about Christmas. But something’s different this year. Looking at the Christmas Tree that I had so much fun putting up with my family is giving me a different kind of excitement. The kind that makes this occasion special and separates it from other holidays.
Christmas is an occasion that happens once every year. Families gather around, there’s food, there’s ornaments and decorations, there’s music, etc. It’s a special time of the year for your family and for yourself. So aim to enjoy it as much as possible. Advanced Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, everyone. Thank you for reading.
