Christmas

Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.

~ Mary Ellen Chase

This is a strange time for me, especially this year. During Christmas time, people in the West celebrate some religious dates most of us don’t believe in. And yet, it’s somewhat magical; we come together, sit at a table and enjoy our company.

When I was a kid, the 24th of December was magical. We, the kids, would decorate the tree while my mother would spend almost all day in the kitchen preparing cookies and dinner for the evening.

Then, when the time was right, in the evening, we would be playing in my sisters’ room (it was the furthest from the living room). My mother would take the presents from their hiding place and put them under the tree while we played. Then she would play the Christmas bells from the Austrian Choir on our stereo in the living room at full pelt, and, we kids would run, laughing to the living room finding the tree and living room lit up, the smell of pine in the air. It was a magical moment for us, in which Santa had become real and had left presents for us.

I love the memories of that time.

And yet, I haven’t been able to recreate this for future generations in my adult life. Life has taken me on so many adventures (far and wide) and never allowed me to create that magical moment, so I eventually stopped celebrating it.

This year, I feel even less inclined to celebrate (is that even possible?), yet some personal circumstances have given me a little stab to make tonight special for someones who deserve a magical moment in their lives.

🎄Merry Christmas to you all! 🎄