What makes Christmas Special

What's up guys, seasons greetings, I'm super excited not just because of Chrismas but because it's also my favorite time of the year (high fives for everyone). What about y'all? I am sure most of you are looking forward to this time as well. It's the season for giving and getting, being merry, so many beautiful lights, and most importantly spending time with loved ones. For me, Christmas brings with it so much memory and ambiance; a different kind of feeling, unique and true.


The one moment where I can range from an adult to a child over and over again. I love the decorations, the cold weather, the smell of coffee and gingerbread latte (please let me know if there is such a thing, seriously please).Every single year it's very special. It means something different to everyone, some memories good, some bad, some innocent, some wild, a lot of us can usually recollect something memorable during this period. With that being said, I want to share with you all briefly what Christmas means to me.

I remember growing up in my birth country, Nigeria, West Africa. Christmas was so different from common western practices. It wasn't about exchanging gifts, or Santa Claus (Seriously, a mythical old dude bringing gifts down a chimney?) Our parents didn't even have the time to make that stuff up. It usually went like this; wake up Christmas morning, say a prayer together wearing the new Christmas day clothes you get from your parents, lots of Christmas music you barely know the lyrics to but you still make it up flawlessly anyway like the boss that you are. Eating rice, stew, and chicken (I swear its always rice, stew, and chicken) and lots of banga (fireworks). Year after year it was something mostly along those lines, and year after year it was still always special.  We didn't really exchange gifts and looking back I don't remember a particular gift that stood out. However, one slightly significant thing I do remember was sometimes receiving money from my parents' friends (I guess you can call them Christmas gifts) it was more like pocket money.

Anyway, my mum would take it and always say she was saving the money for me but strangely enough I would never see it again. Maybe it was because I was too young to know what to do with it or she was just hustling me (lol). Even when my parents weren't feeling as festive, my siblings and I would take the responsibility of Christmas in our hands. I mean it only comes once a year. We usually take it up a notch by making our own decorations from paper. We would argue and fight about what to make and how to make them, then we would argue and fight some more about where to put up our decorations in the house. Gosh, those were really awesome times!

Either way, looking back now my Christmases weren't that elaborate but it was very special to me because it brought us all together. It was so much more than just decorations, food and clothes.


What childhood memory do you have of Christmas? and if you are reading this post after Christmas what was memorable about Christmas this year?