What Christmas Means to Me

Pentatonix wrote an original song a few years ago called “That’s Christmas to Me.” It’s dulcet, tranquil, and captures the nostalgia of Christmas memories. So it inspired me to write a list of ten things I love about Christmas.
Writing this list allowed me to reflect on all I have to be grateful for and to get into the Christmas spirit. I encourage you to try writing a few small things you love about this time of year - and share the joy by commenting them below! Here’s my personal list of things I love about Christmas:
  1. Togetherness. In this season of giving, the most irreplaceable and special gift we can give is our presence to others. Christians and non-Christians alike treat Christmas as a celebration of family, love, and giving back, which is beautiful.
  2. Christmas break. The two weeks off school is well-needed and long-awaited at this point in the year. It’s an opportunity to forget work, spend time with family, and catch up on writing and reading.
  3. Snow. Even light flurries make me feel like I’m in an urban wonderland or a rolling meadow scene from an impressionist painting. There’s something magical and awe-inspiring about a light dusting, like powdered sugar, or even a howling blizzard that makes you afraid to leave the house.
  4. Warmth. Dropping temperatures provide excuses for hot cocoa, heavy blankets, and blazing fireplaces.
  5. Traditional holiday music is comforting. The basic rhythms played over and over every year remind us of simpler times in the midst of holiday chaos.
  6. Decorations. I love decorating the tree and hanging Christmas lights with my dad in the freezing cold. Decorating is time spent together for the purpose of indulgence and extravagance; which isn’t always a bad thing.
  7. The treats. I love sweets and know that God gave us taste buds to enjoy the food around us with. Food makes the holidays fun.
  8. Christmas movies. There’s Die Hard, Elf, Christmas Vacation, The Polar Express, It’s a Wonderful Life, and so many more. They tell relatable tales about family and holiday drama, teaching simple, heart-warming lessons.
  9. Traditions are something exciting to looks forward to. My family decorates the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving while playing Christmas Vacation in the background every year. On Christmas Eve we go to church, see the new Star Wars movie in theaters, eat out, and drive around looking at Christmas lights. What traditions does your family uphold? Comment below!
  10. The giving this time of year is representative of the gift of Jesus Christ. Christmas is a time for extravagance - extravagant lights, food, gifts, and love. God lavished His love upon us, which we remember by giving - and I don’t mean spending money. I mean giving the priceless gift of our presences to others. Be with your family this holiday season - be present, be willing to love and serve them, and trust me, it will be a Christmas to remember.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Middle

The middle (or second act) of your novel will consist of your protagonist trying and failing to achieve their goal. Act 2’s structure begins after the First Plot Point with Pinch 1, then the Midpoint, then Pinch 2. Pinch points should raise tension by reminding the reader of what the protagonist has to lose or of the villain’s power. Make the situation life-or-death through a reveal or reminder. These Pinch Points both lead to and extrapolate off of the Midpoint. Pinch 1 - 1/4 of Act 2 Pinch 1 is just after the First Plot Point, so the protagonist is still scrambling to adjust to his new circumstances. He is already confused, so it’s the perfect time to throw him further off balance by introducing new clues about the nature of the conflict. Pinch 1 should show readers that the story is bigger than they expected, so there is more riding on the protagonist’s decisions. Reveal something about the context of the novel or apply new meaning to something the readers already know. T
Read more

The Art of the Plot Twist

A story is primarily about entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, our books produce messages that change readers’ views and teach them. But people read fiction for the entertainment value, otherwise, they’d read a self-help book. The best way to add entertainment value to your novel is through plot twists. End each scene in a way that catches readers off-guard but is more satisfying than any alternative ending. It can’t just be an attention grab; it must be better than readers’ expectations, logical, and add meaning to the story. There are generally three kinds of twists. 1. Something believable out of nowhere. Make readers uncertain about the direction of the story, then give them an ending that is not what they would have guessed, but is the only possible solution in retrospect. 2. Turn expectations against the reader. Lead the reader into certainty of an event or culprit (if you’re writing a mystery), then reveal that things weren’t going in that direction at all. They were g
Read more

The End

Hello Jars of Words readers. Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that keeping up a blog is not beneficial to me at this time. The blog detracts from time I could be spending on my fiction. I may begin posting again one day, but, as of right now, my work on this platform is at an end. Thank you for understanding.
Read more