It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
On Dec. 25, most of us will wake up to stockings filled with presents, candy and cheer. Each household will have its own way of celebrating, be it religious or secular or some combination thereof, and those traditions are what make this holiday so enjoyable.
There is something special about Christmas, something that separates it from other occasions on the calendar. It’s something hard to define, yet something we can feel when we file into our church for candlelight service, or when we take a last look at the hearth before bed on Christmas Eve, or when we throw open the curtains on Christmas morning to discover a dusting of snow.
They say ’tis the season to be jolly, and we hope that’s the case, and that the holiday is a happy one.
The days leading up to Christmas can be a stressful time, as anyone who’s braved the mall parking lots this week can attest. If we’ve been Grinching around lately, well, now’s the time to atone by sharing some smiles.
They also say ’tis better to give than to receive, and that’s worth remembering in a few different ways. We’ve given generously to the Sooke Christmas Bureau and other charities this month and we’ve perhaps overspent with gifts for our family.
Still, we should give once more this time of year: give of ourselves.
It’s worth remembering, at Christmas time, what’s important, and for most of us, that’s family.
The season for giving isn’t necessarily about what we want, it’s about what the family wants. And togetherness and tradition come wrapped up together, and that’s worth celebrating, and it will be worth celebrating next year, and every year.
Above all, we’re wishing for happy holidays for all our readers, and a very merry Christmas.