365 Days of Christmas

 

 The 365 Days Of Christmas

                                        By Zoe Watters, Christmas 2019

 

                        One 

What is your favorite day of the year? Mine is Christmas. I live for this holiday all year long. When Christmas time finally comes, it seems a spirit rushes in and changes everything. Suddenly, everyone gets along––they put arguments on hold, and forget for a moment about the troubles of life. They do acts of service, probably to be on Santa's good list, but hey, it's nice to see people being nice and happy for once. But then, the day after Christmas, the magic vanishes. Whereas Christmas is my favorite day of the year, the day after Christmas is my least favorite. Nobody wants to wake up after Christmas is over and realize they’re on the first day of waiting 364 days for the next Christmas. But what if that didn't have to happen? 

During the Christmas season when I was 16, I was slowly driving down the streets of the city, gazing at the lights on the trees as they passed, the wreaths in the windows, people smiling at each other as they walked past. And I thought, this is really the most wonderful time of year. What makes it so wonderful? Maybe people just do good knowing they'll get goods in return. But why can't it be like this all year long? 

Whenever I had questions, I went to my dad for answers. I knew he would be able to help me, since he was an innovator. I repeated my questions to him when he had gotten home from work at his Virtual Visions company. In response, he said, "So you believe that the joy we have at Christmas could last all year long? Well I believe it’d be pretty hard on December 26 to stay happy. Ain't much to look forward to after that."

"But what if everyone celebrated Christmas all year long?" I asked. Let's say we celebrate it once a week, then we’d always have something to look forward to, and always have a reason to be happy: because it's Christmas, and it will always be Christmas!"

All my dad said was, "Hmm. I think I know what your present will be."

December 25

I woke up on Christmas morning, and my first thought was, this is it, the day I've set my hopes in is finally here. I got out of bed excitedly, and came downstairs for the best part of Christmas: seeing all of the presents for the first time. How magical to see all those mysteriously shaped packages holding wonderful things underneath their wrapping, and so many of them! I was not disappointed by this year’s reveal. There were presents stacked upon presents under the tree. It might have been enough to just sit there and see all the gifts, but we couldn't have our presents and open them too, so we decided on the latter. 

As we opened one gift after another, the pile kept getting smaller, and we finally got to the point where there were only a few presents under the tree. We wanted to open them, but we also didn't want to be done. I was saying this as Dad placed one of the last presents in my hand. "Well here's the answer to that predicament," he said. I ripped the Santa Claus wrapping around the gift, to discover a black box about the size of a cassette. "It's a box," I said, trying to see if there was another opening. There wasn't. 

"Uuhh, thanks?" I asked, hoping he'd tell me what it was supposed to be, or what I was supposed to do with it. All he said was, "Keep working on it, you'll find the answers that you're looking for." The rest of my family wasn't too interested in it, and moved on to opening the last gifts. I put the mysterious box away for later. 

                                                  🎄🗓

After a breakfast of hash brown casserole, chocolate doughnuts, and hot chocolate with all the toppings, I collected my new things and took them upstairs. It was then that I rediscovered the box from my dad. I sat down in my beanbag and spent an hour feeling along the box for buttons, shaking it, and trying to see if it would pull apart, even as I tried not to break it. But the yummy food in my stomach, the Christmas music in the background, and the morning of opening presents eventually made me drift off into daydreams and then to sleep. The last thing I said before falling asleep was, "I love Christmas."

                                                 Two

I woke up and, after wiping the drool off of my pillow (how embarrassing) and freshening up, I went downstairs to enjoy another amazing meal with my family.

"Hi darling," said my mom,"Did you have a good nap?"

How'd she know I was sleeping? I thought.

"Oh I wasn't sleeping," I replied, "just resting."

"Mm-hmm. Well, help me set the table, and then we'll call everyone up.” I carefully laid out our fragile Christmas plates, and set food on the dining room table. Then we all gathered together to eat. 

"Well,” said my dad, “Dig in!" 

"So, I said between bites of ham, “What was everyone's favorite gift?" 

"Definitely the Millenium Falcon," said my little brother Jax. 

"Have you started building it yet?" my dad asked him.

"Oh I finished it two hours ago."

"What?! I thought a Lego set that big would last you at least a day or two."

"Nope, you'll just have to get me another set next Christmas."

"Or your birthday," I commented.

"But Christmas is sooner," he retorted.

"What? Your birthday is in June.”

"Well Christmas is sooner." Sweet Jax, I thought, he just doesn't understand.

"Never mind.” Then I turned to Dad and asked, “Can we stay up and watch Aladdin, now that we own it? I had gotten Aladdin in my stocking and hadn’t seen it since Easter. 

"Honey, tomorrow's a school day. You know that. I’m guessing you still have homework to do."

"School?! It's still Christmas break for another week!"

"I know you love Christmas weekend, said my dad, "but it won't last that long.”

"Are you guys ok?" I started to panic. My family wasn't allowed to ruin Christmas by sending me back to school the very next day. 

"You know school doesn't start up until January Dad, and Jax you know your birthday is before next Christmas. What's going on here?"

"The real question is, are you ok?” said my sister Lilian. "Maybe that nap you had did something to you."

“I see, you’re pulling another prank." I thought my family had planned a joke on me while I was sleeping. "Haha, very funny.”

“Sweetie, we’re serious,” said my Mom. “School does start back tomorrow. So we can’t stay up late tonight. But maybe we can next weekend.”

"You seriously think I’m going to believe that school is starting up a day after Christmas break?”

“If you want to skip school and get bad grades,” said Lilian, “Then I guess you don’t have to believe us, but the rest of us kids will be at school.”

“I seriously don’t believe it. My Christmas is ruined if I have to go back to school so soon. I’m gonna go to my room.” I got up and took a roll off my plate to take upstairs. I couldn’t understand why my family was acting so strange. Maybe I’m still sleeping, I thought as I walked up the stairs. Yes, that's it! But then I tripped on the last step and scraped my knee. Ok that felt too painful to be a dream. Well then I must be going crazy. I stood up and limped to my bedroom on my throbbing knee. When I walked through the doorway, I found everything as it had been: from my bed to beanbag. Except that there was homework on my desk, which wasn't there when I fell asleep.

"Well isn't this just the best Christmas ever," I thought sarcastically.

                                                     🎄🗓

The next morning, I slept in, hoping yesterday was a dream, and that it was still Christmas break today. 

But it wasn't. "Maya, your breakfast is ready." My mom woke me up with her shout from downstairs. “Come eat before you go to school."

But there's no school right? I thought. I checked my phone calendar, and it agreed with my mom. Christmas break had disappeared from it, and it looked like I had a science test today.

"Great! Not only do I have two minutes to get ready, I also have a test I haven't studied for."

"Why would I have a test the day after Christmas?!"

“What if I just skipped school, and see what happens?" I asked out loud. “Don’t even think about it,” my mom said, coming in the doorway.

                                                     🎄🗓

I drove to school, more to see if anyone was there than because I believed my family. Turned out everyone was at school, and I proceeded to have a dismal day.

When I got to the cafeteria for lunch, I was about ready to cry. I knew I had failed on the science test I had just taken, but even more so, what had started off as the best day of the year yesterday––my favorite day––had ended horribly. I thought I would have a few days to relax and celebrate before getting back to my boring life. But instead, I was pushed straight into the January Blues.

 "What's the matter with you?" said my friend Max, startling me.

"Oh hey," I replied. Max seemed to understand me pretty well, so I thought I'd share my thoughts with him. “Wouldn't you be down when what you thought was Christmas break turned out to be back to school tomorrow? And don't ask me how I did on my science test."

"Well how about some Christmas music to cheer you up?" 

"Wait, you would play Christmas music for me now that Christmas is over? How sweet when you hate doing that!"

“What do you mean over?” he responded. “Christmas never ends, are you going crazy? I would expect you to be the last person to talk about Christmas ending, since you love it so much. Is your family the only one not celebrating Christmas again, this weekend and the next?"

“What are you talking about? You’re not in on a prank with my family are you?”

“No. Why?”

“Never mind.” Max went off to get his lunch. I kept thinking about all that had happened in the past 24 hours. I could not understand what was going on. Everyone seemed to be going crazy, which was making me go crazy. Christmas before June, school a day after Christmas. Then I tried to figure out when all of this craziness started. “Maybe that nap you had did something to you." Everything changed after my nap, after I was playing with that box from Dad, "Keep working on it, you'll find the answers that you're looking for”. . .

Suddenly I had an idea, and Max came back to the table with a loaded plate of food. “Hey Max,” I said, “Pretend that I am an alien from another planet.”

“Cause you’re sure acting like one,” he interrupted.

“Hey! Let me finish. If I was, and after landing here, I found out there was this thing called Christmas. What would you say it was?”

“Seriously? You’re the one who loves Christmas. Why are you asking this?”

“Just humor me, ok?”

“Fine. If I could speak Alien, I would say that Christmas is a holiday we celebrate all year long, because Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, so why not make the whole year wonderful?” We celebrate it every weekend, so we always have something to look forward to. There, how’s that?”

“Are you serious?” My dream has come true! I thought. “That’s awesome!”

I couldn’t believe it, Christmas forever. My January Blues ended immediately, and I was jubilant again. I could endure every mundane task--and long days, and school tests--by seeing the lights outside on the trees, and hearing Christmas music playing, and opening presents every week! It seemed unreal, but as Christmas music kept playing, as the decorations stayed up all week, and when we had Christmas again that weekend, I knew my dream was now a reality. My question had been answered.

                      Three

3 weeks later

“I don't want to go to school!” I complained. “Can't we stay home and open presents instead?” Ok so maybe my question hadn’t been fully answered. It felt great to celebrate Christmas every weekend, but then I had to go back to school during the week. I know I should’ve been happy that Christmas hadn’t ended, but Christmas was my life, and now I didn’t see any purpose in anything other than Christmas. This is why I posed a new question to my dad. 

“Can’t we just celebrate Christmas today?”

"What! That's silly,” said my dad. "You know we'll do that this weekend."

“I know, it's just that, well. . .it's the Christmas Spirit that keeps me going in school. But how can I have this Spirit when I'm taking tests?"

"Here, take a cookie with you to school."

"You mean like the chocolate mocha cookies? Uhh, I'm good. Two months of eating them has made me kinda sick. And it’s not like eating a cookie would instantly give me joy and confidence in a test.”

"Wait, you're not sick of Christmas are you?"

"Nooo," I said hesitantly. "I just thought that Christmas all year would make me happy. I could endure the boring things by looking forward to the fun of Christmas. And I thought the Christmas Spirit would help find joy in everyday life. But now I don't want to do everyday tests and chores, I just want to sit around and open presents. I want to skip straight to the fun.”

"Well, we'll see about that. But the Christmas spirit isn't going to take your tests for you, so run along." I did go to school that day, and I tried to be excited about another weekend coming to celebrate Christmas, but I kept wishing I could celebrate Christmas right then, instead of having to go to school.

The next day, I woke up at 6:30, feeling more depressed than I ever had. The first thought I had was I have nothing fun going on today. Why should I even get up? Who needs school when you can spend all day every day celebrating Christmas? I considered just sleeping until Saturday, but I got up anyway, knowing my family wouldn't let me do that.

I walked downstairs, dragging my feet. "What are you doing?" someone whispered behind me. I jumped in surprise.

Then I turned around and saw my dad. "Merry Christmas. Are you trying to sneak a look at the presents? It’s only. . .” he glanced at the clock, “6:30! Come down at 8:00, and then we can open presents."

"Don’t make it worse Dad. You know I have to go to school today, and. . . wait, shouldn't you be dressed for work?” I noticed he was still in his pjs, and I only saw him wearing them on Christmas.

"Work? School? You're going crazy again. It's Christmas. Remember, the Christmas Spirit is only real, and only brings us joy, if we spend every day opening presents and celebrating. Nothing else matters. Now, let me get everything ready, and I’ll see you at 8:00."

Yes! I thought as I gladly jumped into my bed again. Another dream come true. Now this is the life.

5 days later

I woke up, and immediately regretted it. Not another Christmas, I thought. At first, I couldn’t believe I was saying that. Christmas is everything to me, it is the love of my life. . . at least, it was. But now the Christmas tree looked bland, the music was annoying, and I felt fat from eating cookies every day. I had opened so many presents that I didn't enjoy it anymore. It almost seemed. . . mundane. I just wanted life to get back to normal. Because even though normal life seemed mundane, it was purposeful and things even changed, unlike if I just laid around opening Christmas presents the rest of my life. The thought of that made me sick. 

Then, my Mom came into the room. "Merry Christmas sweetie!" she said.

"No! I refuse to celebrate Christmas again,” I responded in a rage. “I hate Christmas!” Suddenly, everything went black.

 

                       Four

 I opened my eyes but could see nothing, as if my eyes were still closed. “How did I get here?” I said. “And why is it so gloomy? I felt scared. I’ll just close my eyes for a while and see if anything happens. I shut my eyes, and thought back on all that had just happened. Oh there's no hope, I sighed. Why do we celebrate Christmas anyway? All my life I thought true joy was found in Christmas. But what else is there to make me happy all year? Then, a red light hit my eyes.

 I opened my eyes to see a scene appearing before me. In the middle of the scene was a church. "Oh of course, a church,” I said. “Go all spiritual for the answer, is that it?" I turned around to look for anything other than the church to help me solve my problems, but then I heard voices behind me. When I looked to see where they were coming from, I saw a nice looking family walking towards the church. The daughter was speaking to her two brothers and parents. "Well that was a happy Christmas,” she said, “but now I'm excited about the year ahead." 

Christmas is over? I thought, That's great! No more useless days. But, if it's truly over, then why is that girl excited about life ahead? What else gives life such meaning? The family walked through the doors of the church. Ugh, I thought, Now I have to find out. I followed them inside. A man held the door for me and gave me a pamphlet as he directed me inside. I slipped into the back row of the church and watched what would happen. There, I observed people singing, praying and putting money into a basket. Then the pastor walked on stage. He set a book on a small podium, and began to speak.

“I hope all of you had a merry Christmas this past week. But now, Christmas is over; there is no denying it. We might try to keep Christmas going by playing Christmas music until March, or keeping our decorations up even longer. But we will eventually get tired of them, and they won't fit in with other things going on in life. The reality is that the weeks before and after Christmas are like being on a roller coaster. You feel the rush of excitement as Christmas approaches with all the parties and food and festivities that come with it. The peak of the coaster comes on Christmas Day. But then you rush down the other side, and suddenly, it's over. You are back to normal life. ‘What's there to be excited about now?’ you might wonder.” I do wonder, I responded in my thoughts.

“Another school semester is about to begin,” he continued. “We are only in the first month of winter and it will still be cold for a good while. Unless your birthday is coming up soon, you won't have another holiday to look forward to until February. It is inevitable that we will experience January Blues, and maybe wish that we were celebrating Christmas once again. But let me give you a verse of hope. Matthew 28:20 says "Behold I am with you always, to the end of the age." We can't always have Christmas with us, and even if we could afford to celebrate all year, it would quickly be tiring, and detestable. But we will always have Jesus with us, in the exhilarating events, and in the mundane everyday tasks we go through. He is the one who gives us true joy, even when life seems joyless. 

Jesus will give us more than we can ask or imagine, and we will learn more and more about him every day. If we truly meditate on the character of Jesus, we will find that he never becomes boring, and that we can always find satisfaction in him. There is always more to praise him for. He is the one who gives us strength when we don’t feel up to the tasks that are before us, or when we simply don’t want to do things that aren’t fun. He will guide us as we pray to him for help. So cling to him.”

I walked out of the church with the true answer I had been looking for. I thought it was the Christmas spirit that made me happy. But I started to understand the truth. Christms should be something we celebrate only once a year, so that we don't get tired of it, or addicted to it. We should look to Jesus for true happiness all year long. He will satisfy us in the midst of the mundane and even hard tasks we face. Also, when we trust in him, we will have even more joy at Christmas. 

Well now that I have that true joy, I thought, I’d better go home. I started walking down the street I had driven down when this whole adventure started. I realized I hadn’t noticed the quaint church in the midst of the bright lights and decorations. Maybe I’ll start going there, I thought. 

As I kept walking, I wondered something. The pastor said we could only have Christmas all year if we could afford it. How was my family able to afford having Christmas every day? And then, I woke up. 

And so, we leave Maya to discover she is back in the reality of life, where Christmas is only celebrated once a year, but Christ is celebrated all year long. She began to go to the church where she heard that first sermon and was forever changed. She used to wonder how the miracle of her changed life had happened. She figured it must have had something to do with the box her dad had given her, but she never found it again.

 
                     The End