Growing up in the pagan cultures of Europe was quite a warm-hearted feeling as a child.

I remember waiting so impatiently for Christmas morning on the night of the 24th.

I remember how much willpower it actually took, using every fiber of restraint in my little body to stay in bed past 6am, which was the earliest time my parents would accept me getting out of bed to start the Christmas festivities.

And then the dreadful wait which seemed eternal while my parents prepared their necessary cup of coffee (let's call it what it was: the minimum dose of caffeine for them to function at such an early hour of the morning!) to be able to properly compute and manage my sister and I's excitement, as well as capture it on film for posterity's sake and the family memories 😊

My parents fulfilled their pagan role to their children.

They perpetuated the beloved myth of the fat-bearded Norse or Germanic God who would land on the roof of the house, carried by his magical sleigh and flying reindeer.

The 25th of December, this holiday of the Winter Solstice, was a most enchanting and delightful day growing up.

It would bring the whole family together, and we knew we could expect a day full of delicious food, fine tunes, wonderful and exciting new toys...

It was a warm-hearted feeling that I still remember with crystal clear perfection.

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Where have those days gone?

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It's with a swing of nostalgia that I chose to write this article.

I wanted to write this because I still feel there is something special about Christmas, something worth honoring... Something to cherish, and to hold on to.

Today did not start like the Christmas' of past.

No, today, I was expected to go to the office, like any other day of the year.

I live in China, and although Chinese people love all things Christmas-y, it's not a legal holiday here.

I woke-up 15 minutes before I was supposed to be in the office, feeling exhausted and depleted, even though I had slept a sufficient amount of hours.

I dragged myself out of bed, decided against the shower because there was really no time for it.

I simply had a swig of water, put my clothes on, sprayed some deo, prepared my stuff, and pinged a cab on my phone.

When I got to the office, I realized I had forgotten my computer. A prescient omen, as I have been receiving several this year. I guess Mercury must be in its final phases of retrograde.

I jumped back in a cab, went home, got my computer, and came back to the office.

It was almost lunch time. So when 11:30 hit, I went out to treat myself to a bowl of spicey ramen-type noodles.

I ate the noodles, alone, then I walked out.. I was not feeling satisfied. I decided to buy a pag of cigarettes. Smoked one.
It was gross. So I threw the pack out (or rather, just left it on the curb, where a happy Chinese person will find them and surely smoke them all within the next few days.)

Now I'm sitting here in the office, contemplating the ways in which the meaning of Christmas have changed in my life.

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Is it possible that there is something more to Christmas that I've been missing?

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I know that there exist several kinds of cliches; I don't know where they come from, probably Hollywood or something, that people are either all alone on Christmas and they live in some kind of sad world sapped of all the light, or they are surrounded by their friends and family throughout the whole day, opening presents, have great meals, and loving the holidays...

This is like the cultural binary that everybody seems to experience. Either you love the holidays and have a great time, or they kind of suck and wish they could be over to move on to better times.

But then, there is also the wisdom tradition of Christmas... It's the cliche that everybody seems to know, but is hardly ever talked about in any serious manner.

It may look like I'm painting this picture of a New-Age Buddhist Hippie Christmas enlightenment or something, but actually, I think it's something much more simple than that.

It's a point that I did well to remind myself, which to me comes from the ultimate Christmas tale:

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas

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Direct Link :

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Watching this video, my heart grew three sizes bigger.

Because it just helped me remember, that Christmas doesn't come from all the fancy Christmas lore and decoration and celebration...

Christmas is not a 'cultural' thing...

Christmas is in the heart.

It's a sense of wonder, and magic.

That's why we pinned the birth of baby Jesus to this day, not because he was actually born during that time, we know he wasn't, but rather because it's right around the end of the year, it's the dead of winter, it would seem the world is being plunged in darkness... And yet somehow or rather, there is a special Light to this day...

Christmas, just simply is...

Magical.

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Spring and new life are just around the corner... hi-ho-hi-ho, just a bit further to go...

I for one, will be spending this Christmas day in high-spirits starting from now.

Even though I am surrounded in the office by people who largely do not understand the meaning of Christmas, I know that even my Chinese friends do get it.

They celebrate the Winter Solstice by getting all together and making dumplings, and just a couple days back, I was invited out by one of my colleagues to meet his friends and spend the night making dumplings, drinking rice-wine, and eating a big hearty meal.

So really, it truly is a Universal thing.

Christmas is not about the tradition and celebrations...

It's an Energy that comes around every calendar cycle around the same time, this time which is darkest point with the shortest days of the year...

And this energy tries to fill us up with light when there seemingly is none around us...

It reminds us to have hope, and to keep heart.

It reminds us to focus on the things that are important, and make the best of everything we currently have in our lives.

To hold our loved ones closely, to enjoy the best food available, to have good laughs and have big smiles...

This is the meaning of Christmas.

This is the meaning of the Winter Solstice...

No amount of being away from our families, living in a foreign country, busy working in an office, feeling like we are missing out on all the fun and good vibes, can actually ruin Christmas.

The only thing that can ruin Christmas: Is being a Grinch on Christmas Day.

Don't be a Grinch like I was this morning.

Though the world may be ruled by blood-thirsty psycopathic lizards that want to enslave us, that's not what Christmas is about.

Christmas is about the Inner Light, and letting it out and sharing it with the whole world.

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I hope this vision of Christmas resonates with you too. I'll be happy for you if you are with your family today, opening up presents, and sharing in that specific wonder of Christmas, which is truly a wonderful part of it. But if you are away from your family, and you're busy working on Christmas as I am, don't let all that light go to waste. Remember: today is Christmas! Whatever it is you end up doing, make sure you make the most of it. Every Christmas is a precious thing. There will only be ever so many in our lives before we must depart to a world that has no need for Christmas. Enjoy it. Call up a friend, meet them at a bar, or a restaurant, go for a walk, hell, go skinny dipping in a frozen lake and then have a hot piping hot chocolate with marshmallows on top. Today, the world is your oyster.

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Merry Christmas Steemit 🎅🎊🎄🎇💖🎉👼