Christmas. A day that most people, young and old, look forward too.

Children wake up bright and early, practically ecstatic to rip all of the wrapping paper off their presents. Meanwhile, the older people, teenagers and adults alike, are more relaxed as they open their gifts and are most likely enjoying being around their loved ones more than opening gifts. It is not hard to see, but as one ages, their Christmas experience changes with them.

First and foremost, the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. That is the meaning that everyone, no matter their age, should be focusing on. While the true meaning of Christmas remains with someone their whole life, how they feel and their thoughts on Christmas Day become different as they age.

The first few sentences in this article serve as an example of this theory. Children are eager to run to their living rooms and see what Santa left them under their Christmas trees. Teenagers and adults know the truth about Santa, but still enjoy opening gifts and focusing on the togetherness of family and friends that Christmas Day brings.

Some people feel happy emotions because they are with their loved ones, while others might be thinking of Christmas's past when certain family members were still with them. This is something I see some of my family members do, including myself. To further explain, my mom has a lot of Christmas decorations and I mean A LOT. The term "a lot" is almost an understatement.

However, she didn't actually purchase the majority of the decorations she has. Most of them were given to her by family members. This means, when my mom decorates for Christmas, it's almost like going back in time. Seeing my great grandmother's angel on the tree, the small multicolor ornaments of my other great-grandparents and my still living, great grandmother's tall nutcrackers bring back memories of people from Christmas past. Every year as I look around my living room during December, I am reminded of these family members and my memories I had with them. Some family members mentioned I didn't even meet face to face, but I already feel a connection with them through the stories I've heard and by seeing their possessions in my house.

My mom often calls Christmas the best and the hardest time of the year. It serves as a day of many purposes. It brings people together, hopefully causes people to be more thankful for their friends and family, and is all around a joyous day. With that being said, it can also be a hard day.

Seeing your family all together reminds you of whose missing. Telling stories of Christmas past refreshes people's memory of someone that might not be here anymore. So sure, Christmas is a great holiday that I look forward to celebrating every year, but as I age, I've learned that how I celebrate it changed.

The importance of the material gifts I receive start to fade away and I find myself feeling overjoyed by being with my family and surrounded by people I love and those I know who love me. Sometimes though, as I look around my living room and see all my family member'ss passed down decorations, I start to think, what would Christmas be like if they were still here?