What Christmas Means to Me

By: Seth Ward

Ten things that Christmas represents to me... or 5 or 6 or 11... basically, however many I can think of before we go eat here.

1. Christmas means sleeping a bunch because usually we've traveled the two days before.

2. Christmas means eating a bunch, especially the fruity candy canes off the tree when my mom and sister (the tree-decorating nazis) are not looking.

3. Christmas means opening presents and checking to see if anyone got better presents, including the kids.

4. Christmas means spending a great amount of time thinking of a prank gift to give to someone.

5. Christmas means eating mounds and mounds of chocolate. (I already emphasized eating, but it should be emphasized again.)

6. Christmas means watching "A Christmas Story" on repeat until I have a headache from falling asleep while watching it, and waking up to watch it some more.

7. Christmas means going to see a movie with the fam, maybe two movies in a row, eating pounds of popcorn, milkduds, all washed down with a holiday Coke. (I even splurge the extra quarter for the large on C.E.)

8. Christmas to me means playing video games with my nephews because it is the only time my wife will let me do that.

9. Christmas to me means everyone sitting around and telling funny stories until my face hurts from laughing so much. And somewhere in all that uncontrollable family laughter someone toots because of all the Chili my dad made and then we laugh some more.

10. Finally, and most importantly, Christmas to me means going to midnight Mass (or church) and feeling a little guilty for numbers 1,2,3,5, and splurging the extra quarter in no. 7, and because I haven't spent enough time pondering the wonder of the incarnation, and because sometimes the movie runs late and we are late.