Rediscovering the Magic of Christmas

By Sam Lofgran

Church Magazines

I wanted Christmas to feel like a special, holy day, not just another holiday.

I know I’m not the only one who got older and found that Christmas had lost a little of its magical feel. I held on to the holiday spark for as long as I could—I was that kid who believed in Santa until I was way too old—but with time, Christmas started to feel like just a lazy day at home.

That feeling was especially poignant once I started living on my own. I missed the holiday spirit that came from being around family. Juggling schoolwork and my job made focusing on “the reason for the season” more difficult than I thought it would be.

Two years ago, I finally decided that I didn’t want every Christmas to feel so dull and complicated. I wanted Christmas to be full of joy and hope and light again! I tried doing all kinds of holiday activities with friends: making cookies, decorating my home, seeing Christmas lights—anything we could think of. But then Christmas Day came and it felt … well, like any other day.

So last year, I decided that I wanted Christmas to feel like a holy day, not just a holiday. After some careful thought, I discovered the solution: I needed to invite Christ into Christmas. I tried to do this not only by learning more about Christ and noticing Him in my life but also by trying to live more like Him. When I did that, even in small ways, Christmas ended up being the best one I’d had since I was a little girl. Here are a few of the ideas that helped me invite the Christmas spirit:

Look for “Christmas miracles.” I always joke around and say, “Wow, that was a Christmas miracle!” But really, miracles are everywhere. The Lord gives us so many tender mercies, and I wanted to be grateful for everything he’s done for me—and for everything he does for me on a daily basis. I made an extra effort to notice these small tender mercies throughout December, and I saw all kinds of miracles.
Interact more with loved ones. I realized that my family helped make Christmas special. So I did my best to text and call when I could, and I traveled to my parents’ house when the semester was over. Spending time with them gave me the opportunity to feel more Christlike love and work on expressing Christlike love toward them.
Focus on Christ in scripture study. This feels like an obvious one, I know, but it really did help me so much. I tried President Russell M. Nelson’s suggestion of using the Topical Guide to learn more about the Savior.¹ Studying this way made me realize how important His birth was and why we celebrate it every year.
Be mindful with free time. I decided to use my Christmas break to work on hobbies—I wrote, read books, and baked almost every day. Baking also let me serve others, as my family and I delivered delicious food to neighbors and friends. I found that using my time deliberately helped the holiday feel like a period of celebration and purpose instead of a mindless weekend. It was like the difference between serving others on the Sabbath and napping all day on a Sunday—I was making sure to do things that would help me draw closer to the Savior by serving and developing my talents.
Pause to invite the Christmas spirit. I’ll admit it: I’m a bit of a cheesy person. Nothing makes me happier than princesses and fairy tales and a sense of magic in the air. So I embraced the cheese and tried noticing what Christmas really feels like. I felt the Christmas spirit while driving and listening to music or while walking and seeing lights. I would pause, soak in the peace of Christmas, and remember why I love the season so much. I started to realize that the peace and joy I was feeling was from the Savior—the kind of peace only He can bring.

Some of these ideas might seem simple, but it doesn’t take a lot of work to feel the Christmas spirit. Being on your own can make this feel more challenging, particularly if you’re busy with school or a job. But even then, you can invite Christ into your life. He will make Christmas a spiritual and magical time to enjoy!