Finding The Magic In Christmas

As I get older Christmas has lost it's magical feel. It seems like I'm just going through the motions of the holidays rather than truly celebrating them. So this year I set out to find the magic once again and recreate the Christmas' from my childhood.

The first step in my journey was creating the perfect atmosphere. This included hanging up lights, decorating the outside of the house, along with getting a Christmas tree. The decor reminded me of how our house looked when I was young.

Another crucial step in feeling festive was watching Christmas movies. Below are some of what I believe to be the best.

Elf-

One of my favorite Christmas movies for its humor and Buddy's Christmas spirit.

A Christmas Story-

I remember as I child this movie would be on repeat all Christmas day. Watching it brings me back to those magical days in my living room.

The Polar Express-

We used to watch this every Christmas Eve as it was my brother's favorite. It captures the magic of Christmas with the mysterious ghost atop the train and the bells of true belief.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas-

A lesser known movie that is my grandmother's favorite. It shows that one doesn't need a lot of money and presents to have a nice holiday. The effort and thought behind the gifts is what truly matters as it shows someone how much you care. Which is what Christmas is all about, being with and making the most out of what you have with your loved ones.

A quick way to get into the Christmas Spirit is to go look at lights. Around Christmas time my parents would make hot chocolate and pack everyone into the car with Christmas pajamas and blankets. We would drive around to different neighborhoods looking at all the lights while listening to Christmas music. I was always amazed at the effort put into the displays and found the glow of the lights beautiful.

Of course for this you need the perfect Christmas playlist so I created one. I included classics such as Winter Wonderland, Carol Of The Bells, O Holy Night and Let It Snow. But i also added new versions of songs like Pentatonix's Mary Did You Know, Hallelujah and some Trans Siberian Orchestra.

-Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, Frank Sinatra

-A Marshmallow World, Seth MacFarlane

-Mary Did You Know, Pentatonix

-O Holy Night, Bing Crosby

-Christmas Eve Sarajevo, Trans Siberian Orchestra

-Winter Wonderland, Bing Crosby

-Carol of the Bells, Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovy

-It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Perry Como

-Hallelujah, Penatonix

-A Mad Russian's Christmas, Trans Siberian Orchestra

-God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Bing Crosby

-White Christmas, Irving Berlin

-O Come, O Come Emmanuel, The Punch Brothers

Really I think the secret in finding Christmas magic is revisiting traditions. In doing so I was thrown back into the Christmas' of my childhood when the magic of it all was overwhelming. I was reminded of simpler times when there wasn't any stress in Christmas, just the joy of spending time with loved ones.