What are the first things that come to your mind when you hear Christmas? I bet it
is rather stress and shopping, than joy and helping others. But what should it be about?

In my opinion that’s a simple question. Christmas should be about joy, helping people in need and spending time with the people you love. But actually doing these things isn’t as easy as it might sound. In our world Christmas has become a competition between stores. Who has the cheapest sales-prices? Where can you find the best gifts? For many people the time before Christmas has become a stressful-running-from-one-shop-to-the-other-time. People pass each other without a smile, but rather with angry looks on their faces, because they have spent too much time in the crammed shopping malls.  But that’s not how it should be.

Instead of giving each other useless and ugly Christmas decorations, we should offer time to others. Time to do something together or just time to talk. Sometimes the thing people really need is just time to tell someone how they actually feel.

Another thing you need to keep in mind is that not everybody can enjoy Christmas. Homeless people for example will have nobody who helps them and gives them what they need. But you could change that. The next time you buy a present for someone, just remember that other people would be happy about a present too. You can for example just buy a cup of hot tea and give it to the next lonely, homeless person who is probably shivering because of the cold. You will not only make them happy, but you also spread a glimpse of joy that improves the Christmas atmosphere rapidly.

And if everybody receives this happiness it will be a joyful Christmas! So merry Christmas to all of you!