The real meaning of Christmas

This is another Blog This challenge:

What is the real meaning of Christmas

What does Xmas mean to you and your family?
Have you got some traditions?? 
What will you cook?! 
Who will you spend it with? 
Got a favourite Christmas memory? 
How are you decorating??

The cynic in me says the real meaning of Christmas is driving round to a million different places for a million different family functions. Never getting into the groove of one place before you're off to another. That's not true though. As much as it can be exhausting going from one family bash to the next, it is nice to catch up with everyone over the festive season.

I'm not really one for Christmas traditions, I've had so many different types of Christmases that there really hasn't been a place to keep traditions. I've spent Christmases overseas, interstate, at home, in restaurants, with family, with friends, with strangers. When I do spend it at home with family we never do the hot roast dinner - it tends to be cold ham, turkey and salads. 

For me, there are only three constants when it comes to Christmas. One is waking up with those butterflies of excitement on Christmas morning, this has continued past age five and Santa leaving presents under my tree. I still get excited on Christmas morning, knowing this day will be a little bit more special than any other day of the year.

Another is food - wherever I am and what ever I'm doing there's lots and lots of food.

The last is taking a moment to pause some time during the day. [This is something that I'm trying to do every day as I think it's really important for inner and outer health.] At some point on Christmas Day there will be a moment where everything goes quiet and you tend to reflect on what you've been doing in your life, family and what you want for the coming year. I have a million silly season memories but one that stays with me is one Christmas afternoon lying down with Skip to listen to a Jeff Buckley CD he had been given. As my mind processed the whole day, a cool breeze blew in and we drifted into the most blissful sleep, waking an hour or so later feeling so relaxed and rejuvenated. It was one of the best sleeps I've ever had. Not your average Christmas memory but one that Skip and I cherish.

Maybe now we have the girls we can start our own traditions, something just for the four of us, that we can pass down. Now that would be special. I guess that's what Christmas really is – behind the tinsel and the turkey it's a time for sharing special moments with the people that mean the most. (Or maybe I just stole that from a Family Ties Christmas Special...)

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