I remember being a kid and getting so excited once December rolled around. I would get out my advent calendar and proudly hang it on our kitchen door, counting down the days until Christmas. I would ask my mom a million and one times if we could get the tree, if we could start decorating the house, or if tomorrow would be a snow day. Each day felt like forever as I waited for Santa to come and leave presents under the tree.
Sadly, as I got older, Christmas became just another day for me. That excitement that I once felt had seemed to disappear and I was simply no longer in the holiday spirit.
Here are some reasons the Christmas season was definitely more exciting when I was younger:
1. Santa
I remember getting so excited about his arrival. I would beg my parents for whatever new toy or video game that just came out, and they would respond by saying that maybe Santa would bring it. So naturally, I would make the most decorative list to Santa asking him for these items. I would bake Christmas cookies for him and hope for the best!
2. Snow days
The minute that I saw a flake of snow, I would instantly start bugging my parents, asking them if we would have school tomorrow. If school was canceled, I would hit the neighborhood hill with my younger brother and go sledding or build a snowman at our house.
3. Decorating the house
When I was younger, I used to get so excited to hang up decorations around the house and help put lights up outside. I remember trying to drag these boxes up from the basement, despite them being way too heavy for me because I was that excited.
4. Reading "The Polar Express"
Each Christmas Eve, my mom would always read us "The Polar Express" before we went to bed. We would all sit on the couch, sip on hot chocolate, and listen to the story. The best part was seeing if we could still hear the sound of the bell that came with the book, signifying that we still believed.
5. The surprise factor
I miss the days of coming downstairs on Christmas morning and having no idea what I was going to get! Nowadays, I basically purchase all of my gifts on my own and my mom just wraps them up and puts them under the tree.
6. Driving around the neighborhood
Another one of our Christmas traditions was driving around the neighborhood and looking at all the houses lit up for the holiday! We would sit in our cars, sipping hot chocolate and admiring all the hard work that went into making these homes so festive.
7. Watching holiday movies
Each year I always used to watch ABC's Countdown Until Christmas. My favorite holiday movie would either be "Elf" or the original "Santa Claus."
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