Christmas can be crazy and chaotic, but also a beautiful and meaningful time of year. I like listening to the classic carols, looking at the twinkling lights and elaborate decorations. But most of all, I love time together with family and friends.
I remember making wish lists as a kid by going through the toy section of the Argos catalog and picking out what looked the most awesome to me. When gifts would be set out under the tree, I would shake the wrapped presents, trying to determine what was in there.
As an adult, Christmas to me is about love. Not only for ourselves and our families, but for the world. It is about giving, not just gifts, but support and thanks. Christmas is a time to be grateful for the year that has passed and to look forward to the year that is to come. Not a time to dwell on what was not, or what could have been, relationships lost, dreams not met. It is a time to look up, look forward and to be happy and positive about what you do have. Christmas is about giving, to those who need it more than you, whether it be your time, a smile, a friendly hand, food or a gift. It is about helping to make someone else’s day a little happier than before. It is about community.
What Christmas means to others:
“Christmas is everything to me. It brings me so much joy, I just love it! From the build up to the excitement of Christmas day. I love how pretty everything is and just how much happier everyone is. Christmas for me is all about the memories and the traditions, ones from my childhood, and ones I’m yet to make with my family. I have such fond memories of always going round to my Nans to decorate her tree, she had a little faux one that sat on top of her TV and it came with little red berries you would put on the end of the branches, that was always my job. I didn’t have the best childhood but Christmas was always a happy occasion and I hope I always manage to make it special for my own children”- Amy from Mama Mighalls
“Christmas to me means spending time with family, relaxing with loved ones and making the most of some time off together and reflecting on the past year. Also, cheese. ” – Alice from Alice Anne
“Christmas means spending time with people who bring out the best in both you and the occasion. People who fully embrace the excitement, the atmosphere and the good food (obviously). Christmas means magic. For the children in our family who count down the days and the adults who get to see just how happy they are, all over their faces.” – Rach from From Rachael Claire
“Christmas is about family. It’s about that warm feeling you get when you walk into the house and the Christmas candles are burning, theres ALWAYS food and your family are all there laughing together, its a magical, waist expanding time!” – Charlie from Charlougray
“Christmas means spending time with the people you love. Surrounded by festive food,lights and music with a magical atmosphere. Christmas means letting your inner child out and forgetting the worries of every day life. It’s about just being in the moment and embracing the magic!” – Georgia from Georgia and Stanley
“For me, Christmas means family. And by that I don’t mean those who we are related to by blood, I mean real family. The ones who are there no matter what; the people that matter. To me it means creating memories together. Whether those be making Christmas decorations, baking festive treats. Or meeting Father Christmas, reading all of the festive books or just sitting together with some chocolates watching Elf. To me, Christmas is about all the little things that make up the big memories that we will cherish forever. ” Gee from Gee Gardner
“Christmas is for family time, but it’s also a time for gifts. Giving gifts and watching people open them is my favorite thing. There is nothing more exciting than watching people react exactly how you’d hoped they would to the gift you are giving them! – Laura from Em & Me
*Trigger warning – Baby loss *
Speaking of kindness towards others this time of year, a beautiful mama called Jenny Whatling gave birth to her beautiful little boy at 41 weeks. Sadly Jude was stillborn and gained his angel wings. Jenny has been amazingly brave and strong. She has been fundraising for Maternity bereavement support at The Norfolk and Norwich Hospital that supported her and her family at such a emotional time.
Jenny created Random Acts of Advent Calendars and sold them to raise money.
The Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendars was an idea I had following years of being a primary school teacher. After some tweaking with the design and some craft supply orders from Ebay I shared my project on Facebook and Instagram hoping for support from a few close friends.
After being shared a few times the orders started to come from further and further afield. Then one Sunday evening, following a share on the Norwich Mumbler Facebook page things went crazy and we took several hundred orders that evening. Since then orders have come from all over the world including Hong Kong, Germany and Texas.
I have been totally blown away by the support and I love that so many families are on board with the idea that kindness is just as valuable as gifts at Christmas time. Currently we have sold over 800 calendars and raised over £4000 for the hospital. Some of that money will be used to buy resources which can be used before the room is finished including story books and keepsakes.
This is an AMAZING idea and for such a wonderful cause. The calendars I believe are now sold out as they were super popular. I was lucky enough to purchase one, and shall be doing the advent over on my Instagram. Opening a envelope everyday.
Random acts of kindness is something you can do on your own, or as a family. Give a little something back!
Head on over here to read more about Jenny’s story and her Random acts of kindness advent, and to donate to this amazing cause, visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/nnuhbabybereavement <3
What does Christmas mean to you?
