There is only one calendar day for Christmas, there’s not enough time for all the fun things to do around the Christmas season. In the preparation for the holiday, my family gets extremely excited for the holiday. My family has been getting ready for Christmas since before Halloween. Christmas itself only lasts one day, but the season of anticipation is the best part. Between the snowy streets and carols ringing through the air, my family gets extremely excited about this merry season. We put up the lights on our house, my mom buys decorations, and my brother makes a Christmas list. I’m super excited for Christmas, and these are my top 12 reasons why, one for each day of Christmas.

1. Watching the Grinch, Charlie Brown’s Christmas, Home Alone and Elf. Watching these movies is something my family does every year, it has become the tradition. With ABC Family’s 25 days of Christmas, there are plenty of Christmas movies to watch this year.
2. Celebrating with family and friends. My neighborhood sometimes has huge Christmas parties, which are always a blast. My extended family also comes and stays at my house which makes it very crowded but also very fun.
3. Decorating the Christmas tree. My family doesn’t go out to some farm and chop down our own Christmas tree, we take the long trek upstairs to get the box our fake Christmas tree is in. We spend about an hour putting the the color-coded branches on to the tree. We have to “de-crush” the branches, where we spread all the branches out so you can’t see the fake trunk. After we get the tree ready, we start putting on out loads of ornaments, the nice ones on the nice tree and the homemade ones on the not as nice tree.
4. Driving around KC and seeing the cool lights on houses. I can remember driving around 68th street and looking at the spider webbed Christmas lights.  
5. Getting candy. Okay, I just love candy, candy canes and candy corns. Candy is a part of the holiday season at my house, we actually hang candy on our Christmas tree sometimes.
6. Christmas cookies. I love making cookies, I have a long standing tradition with my neighbors who have just graduated college where we all decorate cookies together. Usually the cookies end up being like four stacked up (that makes them “one” cookie according to my mom.
7. Making gingerbread houses. This is a classic from making it completely yourself or getting a box with directions, this is so much fun. I especially like pulling off the candy and eating it.
8. Doing all the fun winter activities that you can’t do in other times of the year. Like turning on the fireplace, playing in the snow, and drinking hot chocolate.
9. Advisory Christmas parties. These are my favorite of all advisory parties. Everyone brings good food and LOTS of desserts. My advisory also does a Secret Santa, which is always a blast.
10. Doing all the pre-Santa festivities with my family. Like putting out the cookies, carrots and milk. I have an eleven year old brother, and I get really into Christmas. It’s actually kind of interesting how this website mirrors what Santa’s movements would be.
11. Christmas dinner… and dessert. Ok I’m not a big fan of big and fancy dinners, but I sure do love dessert. Brownies, cookies and cake, these all are my favorite part of the Christmas dinner.
12. Singing Christmas songs. My favorite songs are “Frosty the Snowman”, “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer”, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”, “I Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Feliz Navidad.” I think that singing Christmas songs (no matter how badly performed) is one of my favorite parts of the holiday.