Overall, Christmas is really the most wonderful time of the year. People are more generous, happy, cheerful, and everyone loves to see the smiles that it brings, especially to children. With all the joy that this jolly season brings we still can become Scrooges because of the small things that make us tick.

I think that Christmas should be meant for the month of December not October! I know that I’m not alone in this. I remember hearing people in stores amazed that Halloween hadn’t passed and there were Christmas decorations on the shelves already. With stores getting ready for the hectic shopping they can’t even wait for Black Friday to happen. Some stores have made Black Friday so that it really becomes Black Thursday. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has a reason why Santa is last and not first. He is simply telling us that the Christmas shopping and festivities have officially begun.

People are always saying that it is the season for giving, but are we giving the right kinds of things? Maybe some obsess about giving the perfect gift too much that they end up buying half the store so that they can please others. Diamonds, cars, and electronics are all fun to give to our loved ones but I think that time is more precious than anything that money can buy. Serving others is what the true meaning of Christmas is all about. Even taking the time to make a homemade present can be priceless to the receiver.

Lights are always a big hit especially with Temple Square so close to us. Hundreds of people come every night to enjoy looking at the magical lights. Some families even have a tradition to go around their communities and look at the colorful sparkling lights. However, there is a time when the lights should go off. When your neighbor has their entire house light up and flickers like a strobe light all night long it becomes a problem. Many have problems sleeping with any source of light leaking into their room but when it flashes different colors every 5 seconds it can be extremely annoying.

I don’t know what it is, but the song “Santa Baby” is one of the most hated Christmas songs. Some say they hate the song because of the lyrics, others because it suggests a flirtatious mood. I think that the most debated topic of the season is about Christmas music. I personally don’t listen to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving but it’s okay if you don’t agree.

The Christmas season means different things to different people because of their religious beliefs. So, to be politically correct we should say Happy Holidays so that it covers all the different looks of Christmas. Christmas was originally a Christian celebrated holiday and has become commercialized by today’s culture. Some people don’t like to focus on the original meaning of Christmas so they cross it out and use X-mas instead. Even though I used Merry Christmas I would say Happy Kwanzaa if that situation came up because it is just a greeting to me.

With all these pet peeves that make us tick we somehow make the best of the Christmas season. The best advice I would say for enjoying the festivities would be to step back and enjoy all that we already have. Spend time with your loved ones and just focus on what you like to do even though it may bug others.