December is a very special month. It's a time for sharing the warmth of family and friendship. What was the best gift that you ever gave or received. Why? This gift DOES NOT have to be a material item...
As December comes around once again, we are bombarded with feelings of overjoy and a connectedness that we do not feel throughout the year. My personal educated guess on why this is so is because of the presence of the holidays in this particular month. Since some of these holidays are celebrated by a majority of the people of the world, there could be a feeling of togetherness that could transpire from a community of people celebrating a joyous event together. In December, the main holiday that a majority of people associate with this month would be, of course, Christmas. A holiday that is celebrated religiously by those who practice Christianity, the largest religion in the world, every December 25th. Of course, there are other holidays that are celebrated in December, but since this holiday is the most celebrated and commercialized, it is an obvious deduction to assume that this is the holiday that pops into people’s minds when thinking about winter holidays. And what else is associated with holidays, especially Christmas? But of course! Presents and gifts. Now, this might seem a bit weird in a sense, but I honestly mean this, and am not simply saying this to make me sound modest or selfless. I dislike receiving gifts or presents of any kind from people. I certainly love giving them and seeing the happy expressions on people when they open them, but I really do not like receiving them. I feel this way for a few reasons. One, when someone buys me a gift or spends money on me, I feel guilty. I feel this way because I do not want to inconvenience them, and when they spend their money on me, I feel as if they do not need to do that. It is not necessary. Also, if someone did something for me or got me something, I would feel as if I am indebted to them, and I dislike having to owe anyone anything. I would continue to try and pay off the person because I would feel as if I owed them something. And, I dislike being in other people’s, or rather, anybody’s debt. However, I feel as if one Christmas, I was given a gift that I gratefully took. I believe that it was the Christmas of 2014 when I got the best present that I have ever had before. It was around this time that my parents informed my siblings and I that we were going to be moving from our home in Philadelphia to Avenel, New Jersey. Now, at the beginning, I was pretty bummed out. I was reluctant to move away from everything that I had ever known. My entire life, my comfortableness with my surroundings the way that they were. But, as I reflected upon it the following weeks, I realized that I was actually psyched to be moving away from my home of seven years. I could restart my life over, reinvent myself. I would not know anybody when I moved, I would have this air of mystery that I could use to my advantage. These people did not know in the slightest, and I could completely start over. A clean slate. I could be anybody, and persona that I felt like being. The more that I thought about it, the more I realized the potential that moving could have for me. That, I believe was the best gift that I had ever been given.
December is a great month, a month normally associated with snow, holiday’s, the new year, and most important of all, for people who celebrate it, Christmas. December 25th is a special day for a large part of the human race. It started quite a long time ago, as long ago as the Roman Emperor. The first Christian Emperor, Constantine, celebrated it in the year 336. A few years later, Pope Julius, another roman, officially named December 25th the day they would celebrate the birth of Jesus. Other declare that December 25th was the day Jesus died and some go so far to say that it was the day that the world was created. If any of that is true, I have absolutely no idea, but I am pretty sure about one thing. Christmas is a holiday, on top of anything, that is celebrated for people to give receive presents. Even if that is not exactly how it was celebrated long ago, that is exactly how it is celebrated now. It’s an interesting story in any case, how the Christmas celebrations have evolved to the current celebration to this day. No matter how interesting the story is, the fact remains that, to this day, people have a tradition of giving gifts to others on Christmas. I unfortunately can’t say a time where I got a good christmas present, because I never seem to remember what gift I got on Christmas. I always remember if I get a gift or not, but I never remember when I got the gift so I can never tell if I got it on Christmas or not. For that reason, I can’t tell you the best “Christmas gift” I have ever given or received, however, telling you the best gift I have ever given or received would be much simpler. I’d say that one of the best gift’s I have ever been given is this stuffed lion that sits on my bed. It’s about the size of half my arm and somewhat averagely big. I can’t say I remember who gave it to me and when, but I do know that I have had him since before I was three years old. I obviously couldn’t have bought it when I was toddler so it must have been a gift. It is probably the best gift I have ever gotten for the simple fact that I still have it and basically use it. I mean, when I was a little kid, I probably couldn’t have slept without it. I loved that thing so much. Now, I just keep it on my bed, and even though I don’t use it that much or even need it, I just keep it around. It was probably my favorite gift because I still have it and still know where it is. That is more that can be said for any other of my gifts and toys. Most of those are just down in the basement somewhere taking up space and gathering dust! I may have not given many gifts to other people for the reason being that I don’t have habit of giving gifts. I mean, I don’t ever receive gifts anymore and I guess that I never got into the habit. Either way, I have given a few gifts to a few people, and even though I don't think I am a great “gift giver” I can easily tell what the best gift I have ever given a person is. I have this one friend who was really nice to me last year and he gave me a Christmas mug. I decided to give him something this year since he gave me something really nice last year. I gave him a steelers official mug that had the logo of the steelers on it. Since the stealers was his favorite team, he liked it a lot. His whole face lit up and I honestly think that it was the best gift I have ever given anybody! In conclusion, these were the best gifts I have ever received or given. THe best gift I ever received was my stuffed lion that I still have to this day. I have had him since I was 3. The best gift I have ever given to somebody would be the steelers mug I gave to my friend. I think he’ll use that mug a lot. I think giving gifts, on any day, is a great thing to do since it could liven someone’s day. These are definitely the best gifts I have given or received!
Christmas is a very important time in our society. It is a time in which people, regardless of their economic class, race, gender, age, nationality come together and celebrate a time of joy. Research shows that people improve their state of mind during Christmas because their are with family members which keeps them at peace. One big thing of Christmas is the giving presents out. Some people do it as a tradition, but others do it for good luck and to teach people something from the gift that they give. I have received a lot of gifts in my life, but no physical gift can surpass the feeling of being lived by your family during Christmas. This was the most exhilarating moment in my life and I think that everyone should have a feeling as this.
During every Christmas, I always wonder how children who live in orphanage feel. They probably have a Christmas celebration of their own, but I know for a fact that there is no feeling better then sitting next to the fireplace next to your family, during Christmas eve. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to be with my family during Christmas.
Another feeling that I have received is the happiness. I have always had a picture of happiness in my mind. Bright, yellow light that shines on me. I have a smile on my face, and and I can look at everything that makes me happy. My family. My friends. Everything. I think that this type of feeling is going to be impossible to have completely, but even if I receive a part of this feeling, I would be content. I received this feeling during Christmas. Happiness. During Christmas, I go to Pennsylvania and celebrate with all my cousins. A lot of my cousins are younger then me, and I savor the moment when they, run downstairs in the morning, (I wake up earlier then everyone to videotape the entire thing) and enjoy the time that they see their presents.
The present that I have given which I love the most is a card. I made this card when I was I think 4. I made this card for my parents, because I couldn’t go to the store and buy something. I had worked on the card for almost an entire day. I wrote inside the usual things- merry christmas, I love you.. And I had tons of spelling mistakes. But I had made it with all my heart. My meaning was to express the love for my parents. When I have this card to my parents. They started crying. That was also the first time that I saw my dad cry. They felt so highly of me. My mom framed the card, and saved it. I haven’t been able to top that gift.
Christmas has been a time of love, joy, and happiness for me. I hope that one day everyone can have the feeling that I have. I think that Christmas has a deeper meaning inside of it. I believe that every Christmas, people can take something away, and learn something that they hadn’t known before. That the power of Christmas. I hope that everyone has a safe, and happy Christmas (If I post this before) and a very jolly New Year!
It is the season o give back, and the time to give thanks for the gifts we have been presented with on Christmas day. As I am writing this it is post Christmas, but the spirit still lingers in the air. I had an amazing Christmas this year, and have gotten so many of the things I have wanted for years. Looking back at all the presents I have ever gotten, though, there is one that will forever stick out in my mind. This present only lasted one night, but it was the best night of my life. Although this happened many years ago, I still remember it as if it were yesterday when it happened. I will forever be so happy and thankful for this gift, and always remember that it was a once in a lifetime gift in my eyes and other people’s eyes. There have been hundreds of presents that I have gotten over all of my past Christmas’s, and many of those presents I received in the past were definitely to remember, but getting Justin Bieber tickets was one of the most amazing. At the time, I was one of the biggest fans there were, and everything I had involved or was Justin Bieber and his style. I had Justin Bieber curtains, sheets for my bed, pillows, blankets, posters, and even as much as a cutout of his whole body. There was nothing that made me happier than something that had to do with Justin Bieber. I have every album at the time and knew every song by heart. I would spend hours listening to his music and dancing until I could dance no more. If I was sad I would listen to his music and my day would be better. Anyways, the day I got the tickets was a magical day. It was almost four or five years ago, and I had finished opening all of my presents. Right when I was about to start playing with one of my toys, my mom called be over and said that Santa left another gift in my stocking. Curious, I went up to my stocking and saw an envelope. I opened the envelope and there they were. Three tickets now laid in my hand, and I was in total shock. I was so happy that I just started to cry tears of joy and could not speak. Everyone around me thought that I was upset, but then realized how amazed I was. This one of the best gifts because Justin Bieber was my role model, and he made me so happy with his music. They knew that Justin Bieber was my life at the time and to be able to see him in person was just unbelievable. I still wish that I could go to another Justin Bieber concert, and have drifted from being a fan over the past few years. Christmas and December is a time of giving and family time. We many times get presents that we love, but others are ones that we would and will never forget for the rest of our lives. For me, that was a few years ago when I got Justin Bieber tickets, which is the best present I have ever gotten that I am able to remember.
December is a very special month. It holds many celebrations throughout different practices and cultures. However, one of the most universal ones is Christmas. Originally, starting as the Christian Holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, Christmas has sprouted out into a gift giving, memory making, cheerful holiday. Almost anyone practices the tradition of gift giving. It has sprouted from a religious holiday to a huge festive celebration. The main center of it now is the Jolly fat man. However, I don’t see a problem with that. Giving gifts isn’t always horrible. You can give thoughtful gifts that makes the person you give it to really feel special. It also makes everyone feel happy. When you're walking around the streets in December, there is just a certain buzz about it. The lights, decorations, smiles. Christmas just seems special. I personally, love gift giving. Every year around Christmas I make it my goal to get the perfect gift for my family. This year I snooped around and made sure I found the perfect gifts for my siblings. However, I remember one time when I gave my favorite gift ever.
It wasn’t over Christmas, however it was very close. My Grandpa had been in the hospital for the past 2 weeks. He had a UTI. However, most people would just be able to go home and take anti-biotics. My Grandpa though had to go to the hospital because he has Parkinson's. His UTI also almost spread into his bloodstream and that would’ve really bad. So he had to go on an IV and go on Physical Therapy. During that time, I was very upset since that was a wakeup call since I realized that he won’t be here forever. But, my Dad told me we should do something for my Grandma instead of be upset. We visited my Grandpa when we could and made sure he was doing ok. Then we would help my Grandma in any way we could. My mom started picking my brothers up after school. My Dad and I cleaned up her house since she was busy often. We also visited my Grandma to make sure she is O.K. Since she relied on my Grandpa for a lot.
I really liked giving these presents to my Grandparents. It was a gift of time and work. My family knew that my Grandparents would need extra help in this time so we gave it. I’m glad I did because my Grandparents have been there almost all my life for me and it was time to pay them back. So In the end I got a gift from all of that. My Grandpa was released on Christmas Eve. So I basically got the best present after giving the best present.
Once again, the month of december is coming to end, bringing the New Year with it. Typically, this time of year, families reunite, friends start over, and and in the process, many gifts are given. Where they may be for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's, or simply out of the joy of giving something to someone, the definitely leave the person with a smile on their face. As Hifza said, is not as much as receiving the gifts, but more of giving the gifts. To me, when I give someone something, it makes me feel happy inside because I know that I made someone else happy. Watching someone’s eye light up excitement as they unwrap the present brings so much joy into the person that is giving the gift, at least it happens to me. Do not get me wrong, I do like receiving presents, they make me happy too! They makes me feel loved! I recall a time last year, where one gift I received really touched me. I will always remember the time when I first got my phone. May 9th, 2016 was the exact day that my parents gifted me my iPhone 5. It was supposed to be for my birthday, but it came in a couple days earlier. It was after school, in the evening in fact. There was some renovation going on in my basement so there were tools such as the screwdriver, drill, plastic gloves box, and a lot of other things (my dad does all of the reconstructing in our house). I was upstairs finishing my homework and I heard my dad calling me downstairs. I thought it was probably related to the work in the basement,but I came downstairs to find my parents and my brother, and sister in the family room. My dad was recording on his phone, my brother was holding the latex gloves box, and mom and sister were standing next to the T.V. “Look inside if the glove box”, Sparsh said. I knew immediately that something was fishy because my dad recording and they all had sly smiles on their faces. At first, I thought it was a prank and there was a bug in the box or something. “I know it is a prank, I am not going to look in the box,” I said laughing. They urged me again and again to look in the box and I knew it was a prank. That is when my little sister said: “if there was really a bug inside of the box, why would Sparsh be holding it?” That was a good point, he is extremely scared of bugs and insects, but still I doubted something. My dad told me it was something I liked and that it would be my own loss if I did not look inside of the box. That is when I gave up and finally walked over to my brother. I took the box and looked inside. There was an apple box inside and I knew at that moment that inside was my iPhone. I was happiest person ever and started jumping up and down stomping the floor. I jumped onto my dad giving him a hug, and then my mom saying “thank you” to both of them! That was the best best present I have ever gotten and I will cherish that moment forever!
December is truly a month that brings a season that we should all cherish. It is a time where we can spend valuable moments with our family and many other loved ones in our lives. We can also create memories throughout the year. There are many holidays to celebrate in the month of December including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s and especially my personal favorite, Christmas. Christmas is a joyous holiday that brings much cheer to everyone. It is a time of giving back to the people you love and to admire the beautiful things that they have impacted onto your life. Everyone should appreciate the gifts that are given to them because someone out there in the world needs a little love like you get on Christmas morning. People are less fortunate than we are so the little things in life matter to them the most. In my entire life that I have been living, I have received many gifts that I am so grateful for. My family being one of the best supporters in my life and have guided me to the right path. The gifts that I receive from my family always have a special meaning in my heart. I know that anything they give me will benefit me in the near future. My family is the reason why I’m so grateful for all the things that I do in life.
One of the best gifts that I have ever received is the memories I share with the people I love in my life. Many friendships are stronger than others and I am jovial that I am able to spend more time with them and create more memories. My family is the best memory I could ever have. They are always so happy and supportive. My love for them in undeniable and my bond between my sisters are unbreakable. Memories last a lifetime and can change the person you are. One memory that I remember from Christmas was the hectic ways my family went to the Christmas party. After Mass, we headed off to the mall as my dad surprised us with matching shoes and shirts for the party. We had no idea this was ever going to happen so we were all surprised at his Christmas gift. We were running around trying to find the size of our shoes as the mall was about to close. It was super chaotic but the ideal moment I got after that was the memory of this that I shared with them. There is never a moment where I’m hesitant of my family. Although they are very chaotic and crazy at times, I still love them!
Christmas, being in the month of December, has many opportunities for people to give back to their family and the community that they are in. Giving gifts to people shouldn’t be about the value of how much the gift costs, it should be about the appreciation and feeling of warmth inside of them receiving it. Hopefully in the new future I get to experience new moments with the people that appreciate me the most. I will never forget what happened this year in 2016 and I can’t wait for the new surprises in the upcoming year. 2017 is the year that will change the person we are today. Giving and receiving gifts and creating memories with others is just the beginning of an amazing future!
Honestly, I think that December is the best month because it is very special to me. December is associated with the cold and snow. Those are two things that I really enjoy. December is also associated with winter even though most of December is during fall. I like December because my birthday is during this month so basically this whole paragraph is biased. Honestly this month is a good month besides that. I feel like during this month is a time where giving happens much more often than other months, because I certainly gave back to the community by volunteering at the food drive and donating old toys of mine to charities. The main thing that everyone thinks about during this month is quite the opposite actually. Christmas is supposed to be about giving and not about receiving. Basically, every kid only cares about what they are getting for Christmas. They only care about if they got what they wanted or not. If they do not get what they wanted, they probably would get upset. That is what I used to do when I was younger. That is not what Christmas is about as it is about giving as a lot of people say. Christmas is actually a very important religious day as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Giving and receiving gifts is only just a tradition that a lot of families do. Yet it basically devours what the true meaning and reasoning behind Christmas really is. To be honest I never remember what I get for Christmas. In fact I can say that I never got a Christmas present before. It has been a really long time or I never opened a Christmas present on Christmas morning. I consider a Christmas present: a gift that you open on Christmas. It would always be on Christmas Eve, the day after Christmas, the week before, the week after, or mostly on my birthday. Most presents I get would be for Christmas and my birthday. The best gift that I ever gave somebody would be what I gave my sister on her birthday. That is mostly because it is the only thing I can remember giving somebody. I gave her a gift card for something to buy something. I honestly forgot what that was, too. I already also used some of it for me earlier so it was half used. That wasn’t really the best gift I could have given but it was last minute. The best gift I have ever received has to be my Nintendo DS Lite. That is the thing that got me into video gaming. I got it when I turned five or six. I actually still have it to this day even thought I cannot use it anymore because it will randomly stop working all of a sudden. I used to play on this for hours and I have a lot of my fondest childhood memories playing on it. One of them was staying up a whole night with my friends playing DS games. I also want to program or develop video games as a future career so if I do decide to become one, I know it all started when I got this gift for Christmas.
“The best gifts come from the heart not the store.”
Many times, with the holidays, we get so caught up with last minute shopping and wrapping gifts that we don’t see all of the significant meanings behind the holidays. Nowadays, the demanding days of December are full of Secret Santa and holiday parties. No one remembers the authentic meaning of Christmas anymore, because it’s all about the sales and discounts. The meaning behind Christmas is love, family, warmth, cheerfulness and joy. The holidays are when you spread joy to everyone around you and people thoroughly enjoy each other’s company. That is the real meaning of the holidays.
Personally, I think that it is so important to realize what the real meaning of the holidays, because we get so caught up with the materialistic things for the holidays. Now, I’m not saying that we should completely forget about the aspect of presents. I really do enjoy, taking time out to share and purchase gifts for other people, especially since I try to make them as personal as possible. I think that to some extent it does convey a thoughtful message of love and care. But, I feel that we get carried away with getting a fantastic present that we miss out on spending time with friends and family.
To be frank, if I was seven years old, and you asked me what the best gift I had ever received was, I would probably say my worn-down princess dollhouse that I played in for a solid eight years. Now, I would not be able to tell you one exact gift that stands out in my mind. There are many things that I am grateful for, that people have given me such as love, support and hope. But, being completely realistic, they do not usually come wrapped up in red and green glittery paper, with a bow and a gift receipt.
Although, there are many gifts that I have received, there are a few I would like to highlight in this blog. The first would be the necklace that I almost always wear around my neck. It is actually quite a simple necklace, with a durable metal chain, flat circular pendant and two thin silver rings. Last year, my best friend bought this necklace for me for Christmas. I’m emotionally attached to this unpretentious piece of jewelry because it reminds me that no matter how far away I am from my best friends, we’ll always stay together. It is a simple reassurance of my closeness with my two best friends. Although, many people come and go, I know in my heart that through everything, the three of us will always stick together.
To add on to that, the second gift that I really appreciate when people give me is a heartfelt conversation. Most of the time, I enjoy having these because it shows me that you took time out of whatever you were doing to have a genuine conversation with me. Half the time, I get frustrated when I’m texting a person because every other line includes ‘lol’ or ‘omg’. I like to have deep and thought-out conversations with people, because I feel like we all have something to say and that a simple conversation with words of advice can impact a person’s life forever. So, if you honestly take time out to have a sincere, profound discussion with me. I will be very appreciative for that gift and will definitely take something away from it.
Additionally, another material gift that I would label as one of the best gifts I have ever received were concert tickets to the 5 Seconds of Summer concert last year. I was so happy when my parents gave them to me, that I was actually jumping up and down with joy. I went to the concert with my father, and I had one of the best nights of my life. I had no worries, no fears and no doubts when I was dancing around and singing to their songs. I was in a room with people who loved the band just as much as I did and who understood, my passion for music. No one was judged and the entire fandom was united. It felt like I was part of something much, much bigger than myself and I know that I will never forget that night.
So to sum it up, although the holiday season has arrived and we are all busy with getting personal presents and perfect parties, don’t forget to stop and think about what the real meaning of the holidays is. You should spend time with your family, be thankful for what you have and spread euphoria and love. We have extra time on our hands so that we can share warmth and cheer with our friends and family. So even if you are wrapping gifts, or worrying about what to do for New Year’s don’t lose the unfeigned and concealed meaning of the holidays. Love and warmth!!!!
Personally, December is undoubtedly a very month for me. There are several reasons for this. From a religious perspective, I can truly appreciate the sacrifices that Jesus made for us during this time. It is the month of the Christmas Holiday. In addition, this month allows me to personally reflect as it is the month of my birth. Lastly, this is a time to consider adjustments and goals that will enable me to start my New Year with a continued positive perspective. I’ll opt to reflect on what is most important to me. This is indeed the opportunity to spend time with my immediate and extended family members. Additionally, it allows me the ability to spend quality time with friends and my dance family. While focusing on the Christmas Holiday, I’ll mention that my family has a tradition of alternating the hosting of the holiday on an annual basis. On the evening before Christmas (aka Christmas Eve), my mother and aunt rotate the planning. We have a large, festive arrangement with an array of appetizers, primary meal, and desert platters. As a family, we enjoy quality time catching up on current occurrences that are meaningful to each of us. As a tradition, we spend time watching movies and later dancing to music as we wait for the midnight hour to arrive. At midnight, we gather around the tree and begin to exchange gifts. On Christmas morning, we are sure to leave an extra present for the little children in our family whom still believe in Santa Claus. These gifts are intentionally wrapped in un-used wrapping paper and bows and labeled “From Santa”. Thereafter, we all work together to prepare a colossal breakfast. After enjoying the Christmas Holiday, we spend the next few days visiting and exchanging gifts with our extended family. During the holiday break, I’m fortunate to celebrate the holiday with my dance family at our annual holiday banquet. Thereafter, we begin to plan and commemorate my birthday party festivities. Ultimately, at the latter part of December, we begin to prepare and embrace the incoming of the New Year! These are simply some of the reasons to rationalize my appreciation of the month of December.
As December comes around once again, we are bombarded with feelings of overjoy and a connectedness that we do not feel throughout the year. My personal educated guess on why this is so is because of the presence of the holidays in this particular month. Since some of these holidays are celebrated by a majority of the people of the world, there could be a feeling of togetherness that could transpire from a community of people celebrating a joyous event together. In December, the main holiday that a majority of people associate with this month would be, of course, Christmas. A holiday that is celebrated religiously by those who practice Christianity, the largest religion in the world, every December 25th. Of course, there are other holidays that are celebrated in December, but since this holiday is the most celebrated and commercialized, it is an obvious deduction to assume that this is the holiday that pops into people’s minds when thinking about winter holidays. And what else is associated with holidays, especially Christmas? But of course! Presents and gifts. Now, this might seem a bit weird in a sense, but I honestly mean this, and am not simply saying this to make me sound modest or selfless. I dislike receiving gifts or presents of any kind from people. I certainly love giving them and seeing the happy expressions on people when they open them, but I really do not like receiving them. I feel this way for a few reasons. One, when someone buys me a gift or spends money on me, I feel guilty. I feel this way because I do not want to inconvenience them, and when they spend their money on me, I feel as if they do not need to do that. It is not necessary. Also, if someone did something for me or got me something, I would feel as if I am indebted to them, and I dislike having to owe anyone anything. I would continue to try and pay off the person because I would feel as if I owed them something. And, I dislike being in other people’s, or rather, anybody’s debt. However, I feel as if one Christmas, I was given a gift that I gratefully took.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it was the Christmas of 2014 when I got the best present that I have ever had before. It was around this time that my parents informed my siblings and I that we were going to be moving from our home in Philadelphia to Avenel, New Jersey. Now, at the beginning, I was pretty bummed out. I was reluctant to move away from everything that I had ever known. My entire life, my comfortableness with my surroundings the way that they were. But, as I reflected upon it the following weeks, I realized that I was actually psyched to be moving away from my home of seven years. I could restart my life over, reinvent myself. I would not know anybody when I moved, I would have this air of mystery that I could use to my advantage. These people did not know in the slightest, and I could completely start over. A clean slate. I could be anybody, and persona that I felt like being. The more that I thought about it, the more I realized the potential that moving could have for me. That, I believe was the best gift that I had ever been given.
December is a great month, a month normally associated with snow, holiday’s, the new year, and most important of all, for people who celebrate it, Christmas. December 25th is a special day for a large part of the human race. It started quite a long time ago, as long ago as the Roman Emperor. The first Christian Emperor, Constantine, celebrated it in the year 336. A few years later, Pope Julius, another roman, officially named December 25th the day they would celebrate the birth of Jesus. Other declare that December 25th was the day Jesus died and some go so far to say that it was the day that the world was created. If any of that is true, I have absolutely no idea, but I am pretty sure about one thing. Christmas is a holiday, on top of anything, that is celebrated for people to give receive presents. Even if that is not exactly how it was celebrated long ago, that is exactly how it is celebrated now. It’s an interesting story in any case, how the Christmas celebrations have evolved to the current celebration to this day.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how interesting the story is, the fact remains that, to this day, people have a tradition of giving gifts to others on Christmas. I unfortunately can’t say a time where I got a good christmas present, because I never seem to remember what gift I got on Christmas. I always remember if I get a gift or not, but I never remember when I got the gift so I can never tell if I got it on Christmas or not. For that reason, I can’t tell you the best “Christmas gift” I have ever given or received, however, telling you the best gift I have ever given or received would be much simpler.
I’d say that one of the best gift’s I have ever been given is this stuffed lion that sits on my bed. It’s about the size of half my arm and somewhat averagely big. I can’t say I remember who gave it to me and when, but I do know that I have had him since before I was three years old. I obviously couldn’t have bought it when I was toddler so it must have been a gift. It is probably the best gift I have ever gotten for the simple fact that I still have it and basically use it. I mean, when I was a little kid, I probably couldn’t have slept without it. I loved that thing so much. Now, I just keep it on my bed, and even though I don’t use it that much or even need it, I just keep it around. It was probably my favorite gift because I still have it and still know where it is. That is more that can be said for any other of my gifts and toys. Most of those are just down in the basement somewhere taking up space and gathering dust!
I may have not given many gifts to other people for the reason being that I don’t have habit of giving gifts. I mean, I don’t ever receive gifts anymore and I guess that I never got into the habit. Either way, I have given a few gifts to a few people, and even though I don't think I am a great “gift giver” I can easily tell what the best gift I have ever given a person is. I have this one friend who was really nice to me last year and he gave me a Christmas mug. I decided to give him something this year since he gave me something really nice last year. I gave him a steelers official mug that had the logo of the steelers on it. Since the stealers was his favorite team, he liked it a lot. His whole face lit up and I honestly think that it was the best gift I have ever given anybody!
In conclusion, these were the best gifts I have ever received or given. THe best gift I ever received was my stuffed lion that I still have to this day. I have had him since I was 3. The best gift I have ever given to somebody would be the steelers mug I gave to my friend. I think he’ll use that mug a lot. I think giving gifts, on any day, is a great thing to do since it could liven someone’s day. These are definitely the best gifts I have given or received!
Christmas is a very important time in our society. It is a time in which people, regardless of their economic class, race, gender, age, nationality come together and celebrate a time of joy. Research shows that people improve their state of mind during Christmas because their are with family members which keeps them at peace. One big thing of Christmas is the giving presents out. Some people do it as a tradition, but others do it for good luck and to teach people something from the gift that they give. I have received a lot of gifts in my life, but no physical gift can surpass the feeling of being lived by your family during Christmas. This was the most exhilarating moment in my life and I think that everyone should have a feeling as this.
ReplyDeleteDuring every Christmas, I always wonder how children who live in orphanage feel. They probably have a Christmas celebration of their own, but I know for a fact that there is no feeling better then sitting next to the fireplace next to your family, during Christmas eve. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to be with my family during Christmas.
Another feeling that I have received is the happiness. I have always had a picture of happiness in my mind. Bright, yellow light that shines on me. I have a smile on my face, and and I can look at everything that makes me happy. My family. My friends. Everything. I think that this type of feeling is going to be impossible to have completely, but even if I receive a part of this feeling, I would be content. I received this feeling during Christmas. Happiness. During Christmas, I go to Pennsylvania and celebrate with all my cousins. A lot of my cousins are younger then me, and I savor the moment when they, run downstairs in the morning, (I wake up earlier then everyone to videotape the entire thing) and enjoy the time that they see their presents.
The present that I have given which I love the most is a card. I made this card when I was I think 4. I made this card for my parents, because I couldn’t go to the store and buy something. I had worked on the card for almost an entire day. I wrote inside the usual things- merry christmas, I love you.. And I had tons of spelling mistakes. But I had made it with all my heart. My meaning was to express the love for my parents. When I have this card to my parents. They started crying. That was also the first time that I saw my dad cry. They felt so highly of me. My mom framed the card, and saved it. I haven’t been able to top that gift.
Christmas has been a time of love, joy, and happiness for me. I hope that one day everyone can have the feeling that I have. I think that Christmas has a deeper meaning inside of it. I believe that every Christmas, people can take something away, and learn something that they hadn’t known before. That the power of Christmas. I hope that everyone has a safe, and happy Christmas (If I post this before) and a very jolly New Year!
It is the season o give back, and the time to give thanks for the gifts we have been presented with on Christmas day. As I am writing this it is post Christmas, but the spirit still lingers in the air. I had an amazing Christmas this year, and have gotten so many of the things I have wanted for years. Looking back at all the presents I have ever gotten, though, there is one that will forever stick out in my mind. This present only lasted one night, but it was the best night of my life. Although this happened many years ago, I still remember it as if it were yesterday when it happened. I will forever be so happy and thankful for this gift, and always remember that it was a once in a lifetime gift in my eyes and other people’s eyes.
ReplyDeleteThere have been hundreds of presents that I have gotten over all of my past Christmas’s, and many of those presents I received in the past were definitely to remember, but getting Justin Bieber tickets was one of the most amazing. At the time, I was one of the biggest fans there were, and everything I had involved or was Justin Bieber and his style. I had Justin Bieber curtains, sheets for my bed, pillows, blankets, posters, and even as much as a cutout of his whole body. There was nothing that made me happier than something that had to do with Justin Bieber. I have every album at the time and knew every song by heart. I would spend hours listening to his music and dancing until I could dance no more. If I was sad I would listen to his music and my day would be better. Anyways, the day I got the tickets was a magical day. It was almost four or five years ago, and I had finished opening all of my presents. Right when I was about to start playing with one of my toys, my mom called be over and said that Santa left another gift in my stocking. Curious, I went up to my stocking and saw an envelope. I opened the envelope and there they were. Three tickets now laid in my hand, and I was in total shock. I was so happy that I just started to cry tears of joy and could not speak. Everyone around me thought that I was upset, but then realized how amazed I was. This one of the best gifts because Justin Bieber was my role model, and he made me so happy with his music. They knew that Justin Bieber was my life at the time and to be able to see him in person was just unbelievable. I still wish that I could go to another Justin Bieber concert, and have drifted from being a fan over the past few years.
Christmas and December is a time of giving and family time. We many times get presents that we love, but others are ones that we would and will never forget for the rest of our lives. For me, that was a few years ago when I got Justin Bieber tickets, which is the best present I have ever gotten that I am able to remember.
December is a very special month. It holds many celebrations throughout different practices and cultures. However, one of the most universal ones is Christmas. Originally, starting as the Christian Holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus, Christmas has sprouted out into a gift giving, memory making, cheerful holiday. Almost anyone practices the tradition of gift giving. It has sprouted from a religious holiday to a huge festive celebration. The main center of it now is the Jolly fat man. However, I don’t see a problem with that. Giving gifts isn’t always horrible. You can give thoughtful gifts that makes the person you give it to really feel special. It also makes everyone feel happy. When you're walking around the streets in December, there is just a certain buzz about it. The lights, decorations, smiles. Christmas just seems special. I personally, love gift giving. Every year around Christmas I make it my goal to get the perfect gift for my family. This year I snooped around and made sure I found the perfect gifts for my siblings. However, I remember one time when I gave my favorite gift ever.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn’t over Christmas, however it was very close. My Grandpa had been in the hospital for the past 2 weeks. He had a UTI. However, most people would just be able to go home and take anti-biotics. My Grandpa though had to go to the hospital because he has Parkinson's. His UTI also almost spread into his bloodstream and that would’ve really bad. So he had to go on an IV and go on Physical Therapy. During that time, I was very upset since that was a wakeup call since I realized that he won’t be here forever. But, my Dad told me we should do something for my Grandma instead of be upset. We visited my Grandpa when we could and made sure he was doing ok. Then we would help my Grandma in any way we could. My mom started picking my brothers up after school. My Dad and I cleaned up her house since she was busy often. We also visited my Grandma to make sure she is O.K. Since she relied on my Grandpa for a lot.
I really liked giving these presents to my Grandparents. It was a gift of time and work. My family knew that my Grandparents would need extra help in this time so we gave it. I’m glad I did because my Grandparents have been there almost all my life for me and it was time to pay them back. So In the end I got a gift from all of that. My Grandpa was released on Christmas Eve. So I basically got the best present after giving the best present.
Once again, the month of december is coming to end, bringing the New Year with it. Typically, this time of year, families reunite, friends start over, and and in the process, many gifts are given. Where they may be for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's, or simply out of the joy of giving something to someone, the definitely leave the person with a smile on their face. As Hifza said, is not as much as receiving the gifts, but more of giving the gifts. To me, when I give someone something, it makes me feel happy inside because I know that I made someone else happy. Watching someone’s eye light up excitement as they unwrap the present brings so much joy into the person that is giving the gift, at least it happens to me. Do not get me wrong, I do like receiving presents, they make me happy too! They makes me feel loved! I recall a time last year, where one gift I received really touched me. I will always remember the time when I first got my phone.
ReplyDeleteMay 9th, 2016 was the exact day that my parents gifted me my iPhone 5. It was supposed to be for my birthday, but it came in a couple days earlier. It was after school, in the evening in fact. There was some renovation going on in my basement so there were tools such as the screwdriver, drill, plastic gloves box, and a lot of other things (my dad does all of the reconstructing in our house). I was upstairs finishing my homework and I heard my dad calling me downstairs. I thought it was probably related to the work in the basement,but I came downstairs to find my parents and my brother, and sister in the family room. My dad was recording on his phone, my brother was holding the latex gloves box, and mom and sister were standing next to the T.V. “Look inside if the glove box”, Sparsh said. I knew immediately that something was fishy because my dad recording and they all had sly smiles on their faces. At first, I thought it was a prank and there was a bug in the box or something. “I know it is a prank, I am not going to look in the box,” I said laughing. They urged me again and again to look in the box and I knew it was a prank. That is when my little sister said: “if there was really a bug inside of the box, why would Sparsh be holding it?” That was a good point, he is extremely scared of bugs and insects, but still I doubted something. My dad told me it was something I liked and that it would be my own loss if I did not look inside of the box. That is when I gave up and finally walked over to my brother. I took the box and looked inside. There was an apple box inside and I knew at that moment that inside was my iPhone. I was happiest person ever and started jumping up and down stomping the floor. I jumped onto my dad giving him a hug, and then my mom saying “thank you” to both of them! That was the best best present I have ever gotten and I will cherish that moment forever!
December is truly a month that brings a season that we should all cherish. It is a time where we can spend valuable moments with our family and many other loved ones in our lives. We can also create memories throughout the year. There are many holidays to celebrate in the month of December including Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s and especially my personal favorite, Christmas. Christmas is a joyous holiday that brings much cheer to everyone. It is a time of giving back to the people you love and to admire the beautiful things that they have impacted onto your life. Everyone should appreciate the gifts that are given to them because someone out there in the world needs a little love like you get on Christmas morning. People are less fortunate than we are so the little things in life matter to them the most. In my entire life that I have been living, I have received many gifts that I am so grateful for. My family being one of the best supporters in my life and have guided me to the right path. The gifts that I receive from my family always have a special meaning in my heart. I know that anything they give me will benefit me in the near future. My family is the reason why I’m so grateful for all the things that I do in life.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best gifts that I have ever received is the memories I share with the people I love in my life. Many friendships are stronger than others and I am jovial that I am able to spend more time with them and create more memories. My family is the best memory I could ever have. They are always so happy and supportive. My love for them in undeniable and my bond between my sisters are unbreakable. Memories last a lifetime and can change the person you are. One memory that I remember from Christmas was the hectic ways my family went to the Christmas party. After Mass, we headed off to the mall as my dad surprised us with matching shoes and shirts for the party. We had no idea this was ever going to happen so we were all surprised at his Christmas gift. We were running around trying to find the size of our shoes as the mall was about to close. It was super chaotic but the ideal moment I got after that was the memory of this that I shared with them. There is never a moment where I’m hesitant of my family. Although they are very chaotic and crazy at times, I still love them!
Christmas, being in the month of December, has many opportunities for people to give back to their family and the community that they are in. Giving gifts to people shouldn’t be about the value of how much the gift costs, it should be about the appreciation and feeling of warmth inside of them receiving it. Hopefully in the new future I get to experience new moments with the people that appreciate me the most. I will never forget what happened this year in 2016 and I can’t wait for the new surprises in the upcoming year. 2017 is the year that will change the person we are today. Giving and receiving gifts and creating memories with others is just the beginning of an amazing future!
Honestly, I think that December is the best month because it is very special to me. December is associated with the cold and snow. Those are two things that I really enjoy. December is also associated with winter even though most of December is during fall. I like December because my birthday is during this month so basically this whole paragraph is biased. Honestly this month is a good month besides that. I feel like during this month is a time where giving happens much more often than other months, because I certainly gave back to the community by volunteering at the food drive and donating old toys of mine to charities. The main thing that everyone thinks about during this month is quite the opposite actually. Christmas is supposed to be about giving and not about receiving. Basically, every kid only cares about what they are getting for Christmas. They only care about if they got what they wanted or not. If they do not get what they wanted, they probably would get upset. That is what I used to do when I was younger. That is not what Christmas is about as it is about giving as a lot of people say. Christmas is actually a very important religious day as Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Giving and receiving gifts is only just a tradition that a lot of families do. Yet it basically devours what the true meaning and reasoning behind Christmas really is.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I never remember what I get for Christmas. In fact I can say that I never got a Christmas present before. It has been a really long time or I never opened a Christmas present on Christmas morning. I consider a Christmas present: a gift that you open on Christmas. It would always be on Christmas Eve, the day after Christmas, the week before, the week after, or mostly on my birthday. Most presents I get would be for Christmas and my birthday.
The best gift that I ever gave somebody would be what I gave my sister on her birthday. That is mostly because it is the only thing I can remember giving somebody. I gave her a gift card for something to buy something. I honestly forgot what that was, too. I already also used some of it for me earlier so it was half used. That wasn’t really the best gift I could have given but it was last minute.
The best gift I have ever received has to be my Nintendo DS Lite. That is the thing that got me into video gaming. I got it when I turned five or six. I actually still have it to this day even thought I cannot use it anymore because it will randomly stop working all of a sudden. I used to play on this for hours and I have a lot of my fondest childhood memories playing on it. One of them was staying up a whole night with my friends playing DS games. I also want to program or develop video games as a future career so if I do decide to become one, I know it all started when I got this gift for Christmas.
“The best gifts come from the heart not the store.”
ReplyDeleteMany times, with the holidays, we get so caught up with last minute shopping and wrapping gifts that we don’t see all of the significant meanings behind the holidays. Nowadays, the demanding days of December are full of Secret Santa and holiday parties. No one remembers the authentic meaning of Christmas anymore, because it’s all about the sales and discounts. The meaning behind Christmas is love, family, warmth, cheerfulness and joy. The holidays are when you spread joy to everyone around you and people thoroughly enjoy each other’s company. That is the real meaning of the holidays.
Personally, I think that it is so important to realize what the real meaning of the holidays, because we get so caught up with the materialistic things for the holidays. Now, I’m not saying that we should completely forget about the aspect of presents. I really do enjoy, taking time out to share and purchase gifts for other people, especially since I try to make them as personal as possible. I think that to some extent it does convey a thoughtful message of love and care. But, I feel that we get carried away with getting a fantastic present that we miss out on spending time with friends and family.
To be frank, if I was seven years old, and you asked me what the best gift I had ever received was, I would probably say my worn-down princess dollhouse that I played in for a solid eight years. Now, I would not be able to tell you one exact gift that stands out in my mind. There are many things that I am grateful for, that people have given me such as love, support and hope. But, being completely realistic, they do not usually come wrapped up in red and green glittery paper, with a bow and a gift receipt.
Although, there are many gifts that I have received, there are a few I would like to highlight in this blog. The first would be the necklace that I almost always wear around my neck. It is actually quite a simple necklace, with a durable metal chain, flat circular pendant and two thin silver rings. Last year, my best friend bought this necklace for me for Christmas. I’m emotionally attached to this unpretentious piece of jewelry because it reminds me that no matter how far away I am from my best friends, we’ll always stay together. It is a simple reassurance of my closeness with my two best friends. Although, many people come and go, I know in my heart that through everything, the three of us will always stick together.
To add on to that, the second gift that I really appreciate when people give me is a heartfelt conversation. Most of the time, I enjoy having these because it shows me that you took time out of whatever you were doing to have a genuine conversation with me. Half the time, I get frustrated when I’m texting a person because every other line includes ‘lol’ or ‘omg’. I like to have deep and thought-out conversations with people, because I feel like we all have something to say and that a simple conversation with words of advice can impact a person’s life forever. So, if you honestly take time out to have a sincere, profound discussion with me. I will be very appreciative for that gift and will definitely take something away from it.
Additionally, another material gift that I would label as one of the best gifts I have ever received were concert tickets to the 5 Seconds of Summer concert last year. I was so happy when my parents gave them to me, that I was actually jumping up and down with joy. I went to the concert with my father, and I had one of the best nights of my life. I had no worries, no fears and no doubts when I was dancing around and singing to their songs. I was in a room with people who loved the band just as much as I did and who understood, my passion for music. No one was judged and the entire fandom was united. It felt like I was part of something much, much bigger than myself and I know that I will never forget that night.
[Continued...]
ReplyDeleteSo to sum it up, although the holiday season has arrived and we are all busy with getting personal presents and perfect parties, don’t forget to stop and think about what the real meaning of the holidays is. You should spend time with your family, be thankful for what you have and spread euphoria and love. We have extra time on our hands so that we can share warmth and cheer with our friends and family. So even if you are wrapping gifts, or worrying about what to do for New Year’s don’t lose the unfeigned and concealed meaning of the holidays. Love and warmth!!!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ME!
Love these ideas, people! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletePersonally, December is undoubtedly a very month for me. There are several reasons for this. From a religious perspective, I can truly appreciate the sacrifices that Jesus made for us during this time. It is the month of the Christmas Holiday. In addition, this month allows me to personally reflect as it is the month of my birth. Lastly, this is a time to consider adjustments and goals that will enable me to start my New Year with a continued positive perspective.
ReplyDeleteI’ll opt to reflect on what is most important to me. This is indeed the opportunity to spend time with my immediate and extended family members. Additionally, it allows me the ability to spend quality time with friends and my dance family.
While focusing on the Christmas Holiday, I’ll mention that my family has a tradition of alternating the hosting of the holiday on an annual basis. On the evening before Christmas (aka Christmas Eve), my mother and aunt rotate the planning. We have a large, festive arrangement with an array of appetizers, primary meal, and desert platters. As a family, we enjoy quality time catching up on current occurrences that are meaningful to each of us. As a tradition, we spend time watching movies and later dancing to music as we wait for the midnight hour to arrive. At midnight, we gather around the tree and begin to exchange gifts.
On Christmas morning, we are sure to leave an extra present for the little children in our family whom still believe in Santa Claus. These gifts are intentionally wrapped in un-used wrapping paper and bows and labeled “From Santa”. Thereafter, we all work together to prepare a colossal breakfast. After enjoying the Christmas Holiday, we spend the next few days visiting and exchanging gifts with our extended family.
During the holiday break, I’m fortunate to celebrate the holiday with my dance family at our annual holiday banquet. Thereafter, we begin to plan and commemorate my birthday party festivities.
Ultimately, at the latter part of December, we begin to prepare and embrace the incoming of the New Year!
These are simply some of the reasons to rationalize my appreciation of the month of December.