Christmas is by far the best holiday of the year, at least in my book.

I am fortunate to have grown up with a very tight-knit family that loves food, which is the best combination. I also grew up in a very Christian home; both my grandparents were pastors and I pretty much live at church. Christmas is unique and holds so much value to me.

Right off the bat, I was told Santa didn’t exist and that my family does not believe in him, (although, let’s be honest, I had a feeling anyways ‒ a jolly fat man in a big, red suit delivered presents in one night? Too good to be true!). Instead, we believe in the birth of Jesus and that he is the real meaning of Christmas.

My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas in the morning. Instead, we wait until night when all my relatives come over to the house. We eat a giant dinner that takes pretty much all day to make, have dessert and gather around the Christmas tree.

My dad reads the story of Christ’ birth and we hold hands and each take turns praying for what we are thankful for and what the upcoming year has to offer. We take turns opening gifts and sharing in the excitement over each gift received. Once all the presents have been unwrapped we play board games, share fond memories and enjoy the time we have together.

My entire life I have been told my family’s way of Christmas is odd, or that people feel sorry for me for not experiencing Santa or being able to open my presents in the morning. However, I have to say, it’s one of my favorite parts of Christmas and although it may seem odd to others, I wouldn’t want it any other way.