Christmas is, hands down, the best time of year. During this season, the happiest music plays, spirits are bright and people tend to forget about their worries. Nothing beats this time of year!

The first signs of Christmas are the strong smells. There are no words to explain the feeling I get when I smell a “Christmas Eve” Yankee Candle fuming from my coffee table. And nothing sets the mood like the sensation I get from gulping down a huge cup of a peppermint mocha. Christmas scents and foods are definitely a big attraction during the holidays. To me, it is obvious why: it brings nothing but joy.

The Christmas season is a joyful time for a lot of people. With families coming together from near and far to celebrate the happiness and laughter of being together and sharing stories, it makes for a wonderful time. Family is a huge part of Christmas for many.

The special decorations and all the memories that come along with them that come out for only this time of year also help make this season wonderful. In my house we love to decorate as a family. My younger sister always insists on decorating the tree while we watch. We let her, but then my mom secretly goes behind her to fix the placement of each and every ornament. Even though this is more work, it’s so fun to see her excitement and pleasure over decorating the tree.

Holidays bring people from near and far together too. For some, this is the only time of year they can travel to see family members who live far away. For others, they save their days all year to be off  at Christmastime. Being able to spend time with loved ones and enjoy each other’s company is a gift in itself.

Speaking of gifts. Receiving gifts is never a bad thing and giving gifts is even better. It’s not often that I receive random presents or new clothes. I work, so throughout the year I have to buy what I want for myself or wait. On Dec. 25 all that changes! Now that I’ve gotten older, what I receive for Christmas isn’t as much of a surprise because I like to pick out what I want, but in the end I’m still just as happy and excited as I was when I was little.

My parents aren’t together, and one of the only perks of this is I get two Christmases, which I don’t mind at all. I wake up Christmas morning at my mom’s house and then before the winter break ends, I go to my dad’s house. I really enjoy having two Christmases. It’s not that I get double the gifts, it’s that I get to spend time with the people that I love for two whole days.

From the movies to the decor to the food, I love everything about Christmas. Because of this, I make sure that I start celebrating early, usually around the end of October. After all, I want to make sure I get the most out of the time I have.

I have a mom that loves Hallmark Christmas specials and a dad that says “to heck with those” and settles in with just about any traditional Christmas movie. I have parents who both love different things and in this situation, being in the middle is a good place to be because it means that I get to enjoy it all.

I am the middle child. I have an older brother and a younger sister and we argue a lot, just like other siblings. During the Christmas season this seems to cease. My siblings and I spend our time together, joking around and enjoying each other’s company.

It’s hard to describe the mood around Christmas, but it’s definitely my favorite part. It’s truly the most magical time of year. The entire household is content, and there’s plenty of love to go around. This combined with the special decorations, the merry music and the delicious seasonal treats make for the perfect combination. Everyone is just happier at this time of year, it’s plain and simple.

If every day was like Christmas break, I would be excited to wake up every morning, but for now, I’m just going to have to sit back and enjoy life as it is. Christmas is my most favorite and cherished time of year and I wouldn’t change it for the world.