How to Capture the Spirit of CHRISTmas!

I LOVE CHRISTmas time!!! Can'tcha feel it??

I love Christmas time. Love it. I mean i LOVE listening to non-stop christmas music, watching christmas movies, making goodies, singing carols, reading the christmas story..the list goes on and on. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year!! But sometimes it doesn't feel like that. We all know we get focused too much on the non-important things such as what am I gonna buy so and so or do I have everything I need for the Christmas party..bla bla bla.
What is this really about??
CHRIST. Yes I'm sure you all know that.
 But how do you capture that Christmas spirit even though you may be awesome and remember that it is in fact, about Christ. The key is that you know why you are celebrating Christmas and not just what happened on Christmas.
See growing up I tried my darndest to remember it was really about Christ and I'd go ok, I'm super excited Santa is coming but I need to remember that we are celebrating Jesus' birth. But then once the Santa thing kinda died down..(kinda but not fully!) I realized I wasn't as excited for Christmas every year. I saw what it did to my family and the stress it put my parents under.
How my mom was so worried if everyone was going to get enough presents and if we'd like them or not. My Dad would get upset because us kids would always be fighting over our toys or something and I'd think how do I find the spirit of Christmas now?

 I think this video depicts exactly what my family was going through. And I love how this little girl in the video is completely focused on Christ. But for me that was just the beginning. I didn't really sit and ponder about Christ instead I went ya Christ was born happy birthday right? That is not enough. If we just focus on that he was born we miss the big picture.

So let's focus on the why.

 Why was Christ born to begin with? Who is Christ? What did he do for us? Now if you are not familiar with the birth of Christ-start there. It is important to know the story, and if we do not know it-how can we celebrate
For me, I feel like this year I am starting to grasp a different side of Christmas I may have been avoiding and that is what Christ has done for me.
The Why has helped me personally capture the meaning of CHRISTmas. He came down to be our Savior. We aren't just celebrating any ol' birthday but our Savior's birthday. And we aren't just celebrating the fact he was born-we are celebrating who He is.
Because of what He did for us, we can live with God again. We don't have to live a life full of sin, He can take that from us and we can be cleansed through His sacrifice. The Atonement is why He came. It says in the Book of Mormon that,

"the Son of God suffereth according to the ^bflesh that he might ^ctake upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance," (Alma 7:13) 

Once I realized the why I was celebrating everything became more exciting and wonderful and joyful to me! Everytime I say Merry CHRISTmas I can feel the Spirit warm my soul.
I know that Christ came down for me and for you so that we could one day live with God again. I celebrate Christmas because I am grateful for what he has done for me. I know that my life would not be the same without him. I know that I sin, and I need his Atonement and grace to help me come back to live with God again. I know that He lives. I know He loves me. I know I am never alone because of what He has done for me. He has felt my sorrow and every tear I will ever shed. He is my Savior and I love Him.

This is why Christ was born. This is why the angels rejoice. This is why we give gifts to one another. This is why Christmas time can be so jolly! This is why I say Merry CHRISTmas to everyone i meet! I am happy and joyful and grateful for what he did! Only the celebration of Christ's birth could warm all our hearts at this chilly time of year.
So take that Spirit of Christ and spread it to others and rejoice for Chirst is king!