1) Playing Christmas carols!!! All day, every day :)
2) How crazy the shops are. I know most people hate this, but I LOVE the crowds, and the crazy feeling, and knowing everyone is buying things for other people!!
3) Drowning my little family in new Christmas traditions every day! - Some stick, some we totally forget about the next year - you can only have so many I guess!
4) Swimming!!
5) Everyone smiles more, don't you think???
6) A whole month of joyful anticipation, shared with pretty much everyone you know!!
7) Meeting nice people :) People talk more to random strangers in December :) They love to share Christmas plans and ideas, and Christmas presents they're buying :)
8) Feeling the spirit of Christ in people who don't think they're the religious kind as they smile, and give and love and share joy!
9) The food :)
10) Boxing Day!!!
11) Almost everyone gets some time off work to hang out :)
12) New Years - all the resolutions and anticipation and excitement! :) The turning over a new leaf and a chance to do more and better this year! :)
13) The Ward Christmas Party :)
14) Community events - Lord Mayor's carols, Christmas Markets, seeing Santa in the shopping centres, people singing in groups in shops!
15) Christmas lights displays :)
16) The million feelings of nostalgia you get hearing certain songs or smelling certain smells!! :)
17) Doing whatever you want on Christmas Day :)
18) Wrapping gifts! :)
19) Having fun secrets :)
20) Sorting out little gifts for people! :)
21) Reading sweet Christmas stories that always make me cry :)
22) The Nativity Story :) Acting it out on Christmas Eve growing up, and hopping with anticipation every year waiting for my babies to be old enough to do the same!!
23) Dad & James reading from Luke on Christmas Day
24) Ward Christmas programs
25) The whole vibe, really!:)
26) Watching cute Christmas movies :) And the Grinch. I love that one :) ("Solve world hunger! - tell no one.")
27) Putting out the Nativity set. I used to spend hours looking at and moving those figures around when I was growing up!
28) Ginger Beer and scorched almonds!
