People come together in celebration and affection as the joy of Christmas fills the air with a unique kind of warmth and charm. During this season, homes are decked out with sparkling lights, and the aroma of freshly baked goods permeates the air. Families get together, sharing gifts and laughing, and there's a sense of amazement as the giving spirit warms everyone's heart. Christmas serves as a reminder of the basic pleasures in life, such as the coziness of family, the beauty of custom, and the hope that permeates the season, whether through peaceful times of introspection or joyful celebrations. It's a celebration of love, peace, and the happiness that comes from spending time with the people we care about.
Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog episode. In today’s post, I want to share my Christmas reflection for this year and how it feels different. I also want to share how we celebrated Christmas about 15 years ago, together with my family and relatives.
Around 15 years ago, we would usually celebrate Christmas together as a family. Instead of receiving gifts, my family would always treat us to SM Cebu City. We often went to SM, unless we had something specific to buy. Even though it was a simple treat like playing at Timezone, eating at Jollibee, riding different attractions at the World of Fun, or just window shopping, those moments made our Christmas memorable. I also remember how we enjoyed every moment spent together with our parents. The excitement was palpable. Quality time meant more to us than any gifts we may have received at that time.
15 years ago, we would usually have an annual Christmas party at my aunt's house. I still remember that we also had our Christmas party at a resort in the northern part of Cebu, though I can't seem to find any pictures from that time. Anyway, it was so much fun spending Christmas with my relatives and cousins. I remember the games we played, like popping balloons, mannequin dancing, and dancing more and more to win a prize. People of all ages, young, teenagers, and adults were open to joining the games. It was memorable because we were all together, complete for the holidays. We also have exchanging gifts and of course money prizes and mandatory family gifts to all.
Around 10 years ago, we also celebrated Christmas at a resort, just like we did before, but this time at Intosan Resort. It was one of the most memorable Christmases we had. We were still all together during this time. We swam, dived, took pictures, and even cooked our own food. Everyone cooperated in making this annual family Christmas getaway special. At that time, we didn’t really care about getting sunburned; as long as we were enjoying the swimming and having fun, that was all that mattered.
Around 15 years ago, Christmas was all about eating French fries. You got that right! My aunt would usually buy 2-5 kilos of fries for all of us. We always enjoyed eating them with cheese and ketchup. We were simple back then and we didn't need an expensive Noche Buena; fries and ketchup were the best. We ate them together with our cousins, and sometimes we would argue because there were no more fries left on the plate.
If we didn’t have the budget for a prestigious Christmas party at home, we would celebrate it at a restaurant. Sometimes, as long as we were together, money and the scale of the celebration didn’t matter. We used to eat at a restaurant with my family, exchanging words, sharing food, and greeting each other with a Merry Christmas.
As the years pass by, Christmas feels different. In the past, quality time, gifts, and money were the most precious things we received. As kids, there was no stress, drama, or hatred in our hearts because happiness came from within us. Now, things have changed. The feeling of a quiet Christmas, the sound of carolers, and the importance of money often overshadow the joy of the season. However, the true essence of Christmas is about the emotions we share, not the physical or typical gifts.
There is no denying the differences between Christmas back then and today. For us as kids, Christmas was a season of innocent happiness, when the mere act of spending time together, laughing, and indulging in modest indulgences was enough to create a sense of magic. Christmas was really about spending time with family, even though gifts and festivities were significant. Christmas is still about love, thankfulness, and the feelings we share rather than the financial possessions we acquire, even though the celebrations may appear more subdued and introspective these days. No matter how Christmas has evolved throughout time, the essence of this lovely season will always be the joy of giving and the sense of community.
I miss spending Christmas with our entire family. What really made the season memorable was the shared meals, the laughs, and the sheer happiness of being together. It's simple to miss the times when we were all together, making memories alongside one another, as time goes on and things change. However, the affection we have for one another endures despite the fact that we might not have the same large parties or the entire family as before. Christmas will always be a time to think back on those treasured memories, and even though we may mourn them, we can always keep them close to our hearts because we know that the spirit of love, family, and unity never really dies.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and connect with my thoughts today. I’m excited to continue sharing my journey with you, and I hope you found something here that resonated or sparked an idea. This blog is a space for growth, inspiration, and conversation, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or experiences in the comments. Feel free to share if something stood out to you. Here’s to many more stories, lessons, and moments of connection ahead! See you in the next post!