As the Christmas season approaches, things start to get really hectic around the city of Evansville. Christmas break means finals for students, shopping for families and traveling to see relatives. In all the wild shopping and hustling about, people seem to forget the real meaning behind Christmas. As a true Christmas lover, there are certain elements about the holiday that most people neglect.

One of the things I’ve always loved when Christmas rolled around was setting aside a day to spend time with my family and hang the Christmas lights. Even last weekend, I was going to surprise my mom with a day to hang Christmas lights and decorations around the house just because we are both so busy.

That was always one thing I loved about Christmas: the love and family togetherness. Another thing most people forget about Christmas is sitting near the fireplace and making s’mores. One of my family’s traditions is to read “The Night Before Christmas” by the fireplace and drink milk and make s’mores.

Of all things that go on during Christmas, family and traditions are the two things that most people forget about. I look forward to Christmas time every year, and each year gets better and better. When you go home this year or even stay in town, remember how important it is to be close to family and spending time with the ones you love and cherish.