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Christmas Is So Much More Than Presents

To me, it is more about the traditions and experiences.

Jessica Smith

Dec 18, 2017

University of Tennessee

198

Wikimedia Commons

Between the fall and spring semesters lies my favorite time of the year: Christmas. This is the time of the year where I feel the happiest. Also, Christmas gives me the perfect excuse to curl up next to the fireplace and drink a cup of hot chocolate while staring at the beautifully lit Christmas tree.

My Christmas traditions officially start the day after Thanksgiving when we partake in one of Knoxville's best Christmas traditions, the Fantasy of Trees. While walking around the convention center looking at all the uniquely decorated trees, I start taking note of how I want to decorate my own tree. There is even wreaths, dancing, games, activities for kids and the world's best coffee. This really gets me in the Christmas spirit. If you are ever in Knoxville during the week of Thanksgiving, I highly recommend experiencing the Fantasy of Trees for yourself.

I am a Christmas weirdo when it comes to wrapping presents. I schedule an entire day where I have the house to myself and I just wrap every single one of the gifts that I bought for others. I enjoy sitting on the floor of my living room surrounded by wrapping paper while watching a classic Hallmark Christmas movie. I am a sucker when it comes to a good Christmas romance movie, I am pretty sure that I inherited that from my mother.

Next is the endless baking. It would not be a Smith Christmas without baking dozens of cookies, dipping pretzels and Oreos, and my personal favorite, peppermint bark. Christmas baking is a time where we all get to be in the kitchen together and we are able to just talk to one another. This is probably one of my favorite bonding activities that we get to do during the Christmas season.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year because it is a time where I get to just spend time with my bonding. But it is also is important to me on a personal level.

I believe that Christmas is a time of celebration for Jesus' birth but it means much more then just that. It symbolizes the love the God had to send His son down to earth. There is no greater love then that.

So during Christmas, I really like to just show love and compassion towards everyone. I feel that if God can show me love even when I don't deserve it then I can do the same things to others. It is honestly the least that I can do.

On another note, I really want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!!!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Christmas Is So Much More Than Presents

To me, it is more about the traditions and experiences.

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#Adulting is hard.

1. Taking care of yourself when you're sick

2. Making a to-do list

3. Planning your activities around the weather

4. Scheduling your own doctor’s appointments

5. Getting your own toilet paper

6. Making food without needing to ask your mom questions

7. Holding your tongue

8. Saving your paycheck (or your tax refund) to pay your bills

9. Balancing your checkbook

10. Going places alone

11. Packing your own lunches

12. Actually eating your vegetables...on purpose

13. Taking a multivitamin

14. Planning a life after graduation

Sometimes bigger isn't always better.

1. If something happens, everyone knows about it

2. Never getting to be invisible

3. Knowing every single thing about every single person in the town

4. New kids are a big deal

5. It’s hard to make new friends

6. On that note ... the dating pool is even smaller!

7. Teachers are weirdly close to their students

8. It forced you to make friends out of school

"I'm hopeless and awkward and desperate for love"

1. That Time He Tested Out His Flirting Skills and This Happened

2. When He Was Willing to Do Anything to Avoid Confrontation

3. When He Couldn't Handle Awkward, Emotional Situations

4. How He Reacted Whenever His Friends Ignored Him

5. All of the Times He Worried About His Failing Love Life

6. Whenever He Tried to Whip Himself Into Shape

7. How He Handled New People and New Experiences

8. Whenever His Friends Got Annoying, He Was Always the Voice of Reason

9. He Always Knew How to Jam

10. He Finds a Way to Make Any Situation More Fun

No, I can't help you.

1. When a customer wants to return a product, hands you the receipt, where is printed "ALL SALES ARE FINAL" in all caps.

2. Just because you might be having a bad day, and you're in a crappy mood, doesn't make it okay for you to yell at me or be rude to me. I'm a person with feelings, just like you.

3. People refusing to be put on hold when a customer is standing right in front of you. Oh, how I wish I could just hang up on you!

4. Having the same conversations over and over again! To be honest I really don't even want to talk to you right now, or have this fake ass smile on my face!

5. Always having to have a smile on your face. I promise I'm not as happy as I may look!

6. Customers not understanding that sometimes, mistakes happen. I am a human being, we all mess up sometimes!

7. Having the boss from hell, it's their way or the highway! Even though I did my job correctly and efficiently, if I don't do it the exact way you do, I'm a piece of shit.

8. Having coworker who don't help out, who bend the rules just enough to screw you over.

9. Having to be at work after closing because a customer is taking forever and half! Not like I'd like to go home or anything!

10. Having shitty hours and more shifts than you asked for. Just because we don't have enough workers, doesn't mean I want to pick up every shift that you cant cover, oh great boss of mine!

11. Not having time for a social life. It gets old saying, "I can't I have work..." Every day of the week!

12. Having that lazy costumer who can't do anything for themselves... no please I'll get that, it's no problem at all!

It's just my face, I swear.

1. When you meet new people, they automatically assume you hate them or are rude.

2. People are constantly asking you if you're OK.

3. After being friends with someone for a while, they confess to you, "I thought you were so mean when I first met you," or, "I thought you hated me."

4. You get told to smile more, but they don't understand how scary that would be.

5. You're always labeled as seeming "judgy."

6. Passing a friend with your RBF in full force and not realizing you just shot them a death glare.

7. Being sarcastic, but everyone thinks you're outright rude.

8. Not knowing how mean you really look until you see a picture of yourself in resting face.

9. Your apologies never sound sincere because of your emotionless face.

10. Your "mad face" scares you.

11. And, lastly, people are constantly asking you if you are happy or having a good time because you look bored to death.

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