Christmas is a time to spend with our family and friends, enjoy good food and conversation.

Our houses are warm and decorated for the season. There are special treats, a Christmas tree to gather round and packages with ribbons and bows.

Christmas today is far different than it was when this part of the country was being settled. During those years a single toy might have cost more than an entire family had to spend for holiday cheer.

In the homestead era, the family seldom had a tree at home. They had to travel several miles in the cold to a schoolhouse or a church to see and smell the evergreen. It was usually at school or in church, or perhaps in the store in their local community. Often gifts were given out, especially for the children at the schools or churches. Those community Christmas tree gatherings were memorable for many adults and children.

Whether years ago or today, the Christmas season is a welcome break from the everyday routine. It brings joy and optimism, and that is something to hold and share.

It’s a time that brings out the best in the human spirit through charity events and community people helping children in need of clothing, seniors needing a helping hand and other causes.

It’s a special time to give to a family member or friend who just wants your gift of time spent with them.

It’s a time for reacquainting with family and friends you might not have seen or talked to for a time, along with faith and treasured traditions. There are many traditions for Christmas – time spent with loved ones, sights and smells that evoke Christmases past and the warmth and hope that comes from acts of goodwill. Christmas will be gone before you know it, so it’s the time to add to the memories.

Christmas also is a time to appreciate the richness of life and those here and who have gone who contributed to it.

This is a perfect time for self-reflection, as our nation enters a new chapter in history. Christmas is a time to reset the clock, if temporarily. The new year and its challenges will come soon enough.

Decorated trees, colorful lights on homes and businesses, shopping and Santa Claus are part of the holiday cultural traditions, with the core of the Christmas celebration being the birth of Jesus. It is a matter of supreme wonderment to persons of every age.

We encourage you to remember the reason for Christmas as you enjoy time with family and friends.