Christmas is more than just December 25th.

Christmas is the unending songs about snow and Santa Claus on the radio. It’s the inflatable decorations, twinkling lights, and reindeer in front yards. It’s when Christmas cards are addressed and mailed. It’s letters addressed to the North Pole that are slipped into mailboxes.

There are the children screaming when they sit on Santa’s lap, and there are those who drag their parents across the mall to see Kris Kringle. There are glass ornaments and plastic ornaments and wood ornaments–some very old and other brand new–gingerly placed on branches. There are candy canes turned into reindeer with googly eyes and pipe cleaners.

Cookies are left out with a note and a class of milk. NORAD tracks a sleight with eight reindeer around the globe as young ears strain to hear hooves on the other side of the ceiling. And presents with crisp edges and those with wrinkled paper sit under Christmas trees, waiting to be unwrapped.

Christmas is family and friends and kindness. Sometimes it’s pain and heartache. But more often, Christmas is love. And it’s a kind of magic that comes but once a year.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays.