By Katia Brunson

Opinion Assistant 

The Christmas season has always felt magical to me. It’s a time for love, family, traditions and A Christmas Story reruns.

Although Christmas in San Diego is never white with snow, we have many other traditions that take place in the slightly cooler weather.

One of my favorite Christmas memories was the first year that my extended family and I celebrated on the beach. Early Christmas morning we packed up our beach gear along with BBQ equipment and headed to the bonfire pits at Moonlight Beach. We had so much fun hanging out in the sun and making snowmen with the sand. It was a new twist on Christmas that became a fun tradition in our family.

Another Christmas tradition my family has is watching A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve. Although our family has seen that movie dozens of times it never seems to get old. We enjoy the jokes just as much and can quote almost every line word-for-word.

Many people use the Christmas season to give back to their community and help the less fortunate. Charities and organizations host fundraisers, food drives and toy drives to remind people that they should be grateful for what they have and to spread the wealth among those who don’t have the funds for Christmas festivities.

Spending time with friends is also one of the perks of the holiday season. One of my favorite things to do is go Christmas caroling door-to-door in my neighborhood with all my musically inclined peers. Seeing people’s faces light up when they open the door to a Christmas carol is probably one of the most rewarding sights to see. People are so grateful for the gesture and it’s a great way to spread holiday cheer. Bonus points if you make the old ladies down the street cry tears of joy.

Christmas can hold a religious meaning for some people, but for everyone who celebrates Christmas it is a holiday to remind us of the importance of our loved ones. Christmas celebrates traditions, togetherness and the magic of life.