December has arrived. It’s my favorite time of the year. On Saturday, giddiness came over me like a child on Christmas morning. Christmas does that to me. I just could not wait to make Wassail, turn on Christmas music, build a fire, and decorate the house for Christmas. All afternoon I kept wondering, What is it about Christmas that I love so much?

Christmas Music. I know many hate Christmas music, but I happen to love it. The various artist renditions or jazzy instrumentals of the familiar songs make me just want to get up and dance around the house.

Festive Lights. What beautiful displays people place in their yards at this time of year. I often think of the electric bill they will receive for the over-the-top decorations, but I enjoy gazing at them.

Giving. I love giving more than receiving! To watch the expression when my daughter receives a long-awaited gift or a tender moment a special gift offers brings me such joy. I love the process of finding just the right thing for a person that will brighten their day.

Baking. Holidays means baking goodies and spending time with my daughter as we bake together.

Family. Holidays means extra time with my family. Time to decorate, play games, laugh, and just be.

The True Meaning. A time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The idea that the God of the universe sent his son to be born to this cruel, harsh world is hard to fathom. Yet He did, just for us. That is the greatest gift of all.

Yet often December gets bombarded with Christmas parties, hurried shopping, traffic, no parking places, long check-out lines, a flurry of items on the to-do list, and stress over money to be spent. Many years it seemed the more I tried to slow the month down, the faster it sped up.

This weekend we did an Advent Wreath craft with our Kindergarten Sunday School class. In preparing for the craft, I found that advent (Latin for “coming towards”) was of German origin dating back 150 years. Advent can be celebrated in many different ways, but what a great reminder of the true meaning of celebrating Christmas. It’s a new tradition my family is adding this year to keep us focused on what is most important.

No matter if it’s a daily advent calendar or a weekly advent candle, take time to remember the true reason for this season.