Every Christmas, since I was a child, I have been woken up to a very early morning. Dark outside, but bright inside every room as my younger brothers and sister have always had to be the one's to drag me out of my bed. Though it is Christmas I do still hate to be woken up. We all would then gather around our gleaming living room filling ceiling high with presents that somehow seemed to grow even more overnight; as if we didn't think it possibly could anymore the night before. At that moment my father would share with us his meaning behind the true spirit of Christmas.
Every year my father would share with us a biblical passage, a poem, an article, or a personal story that would slowly bring him to tears. Just then, as I had seen it all the years before and would after, my mother would then rub his back and smile at him while still trying to keep my youngest brother from running towards the tree. He would then end his speech with a slight thank you and appreciation for his family and the people we had all grown to be that year.
By the end, for being even as young as we were during the first couple of years, we all felt as if we were put into our place and could then really appreciate our days then onward. We were still children though, no matter how old we got, and of course would still take small glimpses over at the tops of the multi-colored gifts to see where the first one we'd be unwrapping laid.
Most families allow their children to tear into the array of gifts underneath their trees. At a young age my siblings and I were taught not to open our gift unless we knew exactly who it was from. So, one by one we would begin our days by each grabbing a gift and proceeding on around in a circle to open and then thank the member of our family for our joyous gift.
Through this timeless ritual my family holds, my father has managed to show upon our family the meaning all should hold behind the holiday of Christmas. No matter the amount of presents, money, food, or thanks given into the holiday celebrations, it's family that will always be the backbone of the festivities and luxuries we gain during this joyous day. Family is the true meaning of Christmas.
