The Christmas Spirit

It's December 4th already! Only 21 days until Christmas! I feel strange. In the recent past, I can't really remember being so excited about Christmas. I mean, I think I had an appropriate amount of excitement. But this year feels different. Maybe the difference is that I want things to be different. 

I just feel like now that I'm on my own, far away from my family, it's time for me to MAKE Christmas. It's time for me to find my own ways to celebrate. I feel like I really took things for granted. I'm not just far away from family. I'm far from the things that are familiar for this season (News Flash: Christmas isn't really celebrated in Japan.). I mean, I didn't have to work to feel excited because even if I didn't get excited, Christmas would be celebrated and it would feel like Christmas.

I guess what I'm saying is that even though I may be jaded, there's quite a lot of cheer and whimsy in my heart. (Somewhere...) I feel like as an "adult" I don't celebrate things as much as I used to and I'm just not cool with that. I mean, if you don't have all the preparation and pomp and corny things that go with the holiday, what's the point? It easy to brush special days off as just days because you're busy or you're too old or you're tired. But I have this theory that things matter. They matter because you make them matter. So I'm going to conduct an experiment in living deliberately. 

To get into the spirit of Christmas, I've made a list of 25 Christmas-y things to do. Actually I would have liked to make a Christmas calendar sort of thing but since it's already December 4th, I just have to settle for a list.

1. Decorate the tree.
2. Bake cookies. Preferably with people. Maybe even with children.
3. Make Xmas and New Year cards.
4. Take pictures of Xmas lights.
5. Drink hot wine at German Xmas town.
6. Wrap presents. Make your own wrapping paper this year?
7. Decorate windows with spray snow.
8. Make a snow globe.
9. Give back, volunteer, do something in the community.
10. Finish Ryan's scarf.
11. Drink hot cocoa with chocolate marshmallows.
12. Make a gingerbread house.
13. Watch Elf.
14. Make Xmas decorations.
15. Roast some chestnuts.
16. Kiss under mistletoe.
17. Dance around a Xmas tree.
18. Make s'mores.
19. Take a trip to Sapporo Factory (Mall) to see the big Xmas tree.
20. Camp out in a blanket fort in the living room. Preferably wearing a onesie suit from Donkei Hotei.
21. Go sledding or make a snowman. Drink hot cocoa by the heater.
22. Make something peppermint-y.
23.Write a letter to Santa.
24. Throw a great Xmas party.
25. Play an epic game of something.

I actually started this post on December 1st and I'm pretty sure I've only done two of these things. I'm quickly running out of time so I better get off the internet and get on it!