I get it — we all say we need to focus on the true meaning of Christmas…

And it’s true. Growing up in a Christian household, that’s the line I heard every December. And honestly, it shaped me. The church services, the candles, the organ, the choir, the scripture readings, the nativity… all of it plays a big part in what creates the Christmas spirit for me.

But… can we have a little confession moment?

Don’t tell my dad, but there are a few things that make Christmas feel like Christmas for me — and they have absolutely nothing to do with baby Jesus

 

 

 

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Christmas Movies (aka: Kevin McCallister & friends)

If “Home Alone” isn’t playing at least once, is it even December? I can’t do Christmas without holiday movies. Elf, Christmas with the Kranks, basically any chaotic, cosy family Christmas movie from the 90s — they’re all part of the ritual. It’s the glow of the TV, the repeated quotes, the same predictable storylines that somehow still get you. Those movies create a whole atmosphere that nothing else quite replaces.

 

 

 

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Snow. Cold. Darkness.

I didn’t realise how much winter shaped the feeling of Christmas until I moved to Australia. Back home, it was snow boots tossed off at the door, fingers frozen stiff until you pressed them against the heater (and that painful but satisfying burn that followed). It was Christmas lights reflecting on snow, the early darkness, the crisp air that made everything sparkle. Those things just made sense with Christmas — and I still miss them every year.

 

 

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Presents — but mostly the giving

Yes, I love giving presents. There’s just something about it. Picking out the perfect gift, wrapping it with paper that doesn’t completely clash with your tree, tying a ribbon that actually sits right, writing a card that isn’t generic. Then watching it sit under the tree, competing for “best dressed” among the other gifts. And of course — the moment someone actually opens it. Honestly? I live for that part.

 

 

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Alright, your turn — what’s something Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without in your world?