Have Yourself A #MerrySMChristmas!

We only have few weeks left before the much awaited holiday and I can feel
the spirit already. I hear Christmas Songs almost everywhere and I see a bunch of colorful lights and decorations from one house to another. I wouldn't be surprised to see children singing Christmas Carols too. Christmas is such a very meaningful day not just for kids but for everybody but we have to remind ourselves that Christmas is not just about gifts or any material things or any form of luxurious celebration. It is about love, joy, peace and hospitality! Here's what #MerrySMChristmas means to me!
Magical - Christmas is indeed magical. Well, we may often encounter magic through some classic Christmas stories that we used to read since they literally involved the use of magic. Santa Claus, on the first place is already a magical figure that we used to believe in. We also have Snowman, the Reindeers, the fairy of Christmas just to name a few. However, the true magic of Christmas is this unexplainable feeling of excitement in our hearts. It is the magic that brings joy whenever this special day arrives.
Exciting - Speaking of excitement, nothing can be more exciting than Christmas. This is the most special time of the year. The time that we have been longing for. This is the season where we tend to expect so many surprises. We are excited see who among our relatives or a family member will arrive? We are excited to see what presents are we going to receive or what are the foods to be served in Christmas eve. Christmas is full of surprises indeed!
Reunion - One of the reasons why Christmas time is so special is because this is the time when family can spend their time together in one very special dinner. It is more like a tradition to many and it is very important that everyone should be there on the table as the Christmas Eve arrives. Some even took this very special time  to go somewhere as a family. It is a special family bonding moment opportunity indeed. My family and I used to go out together during the Christmas day and it was always a blast for us.

My Family And I spending our Christmas day at SM Mall Of Asia last year

Reminiscence - One thing I love about Christmas is that it brings so much memories. It is really fascinating to browse our old pictures from previous Christmas occasions. It always reminds me of those wonderful moments that we all shared together.
Yummy Foods - Okay, I just mentioned above that Christmas is not about material things but I just can't help but to associate this very special occasion to these yummy Christmas dishes that my mom used to prepare. My mom used to cook her special recipes including the macaroni salad, her very own version of spaghetti, her tamales (which also serve as her sideline business). Of course, this is also the season where Puto bumbong and Bibingka can be found almost everywhere! Oh Gosh, I'm drooling now.

Our Noche Buena, Puto Bumbong and My Mom's Tamales

Snow - Well, this may not be so applicable for a tropical country like us but Christmas is often associated with snow and how I wish we could have it here in the Philippines or perhaps I can get a chance to visit those country with winter season. I just love to experience it, that's all haha. Good thing we have some Christmas attractions at some shopping malls or better yet I could buy a snow spray to experience it at home*wink*

Snow Spray

Month of Giving- Christmas is all about giving and sharing not just for our family but for those who are also in need. It is not all about giving our "aguinaldo" to our beloved godchildren but about our willingness to share. It is not about material gifts but Love. I remember the quote from Dale Evans stating that "every time we love , every time we give, it's Christmas". However, let us remind ourselves that we should not do such thing for the sake of celebrating such occasion. We should do it on a regular basis or whenever someone needs our help and comfort.

Christmas Decorations -  Unlike other countries, Pinoy has the longest Christmas celebration. Christmas carols can be heard as early as September and same thing goes with Christmas decorations. They tend to decorate their houses as early as possible.  We actually do the same thing. We started to take our old Christmas decorations from their storage boxes and redecorate them to make them look brand new again (so frugal right hehe). 

Our Christmas Decorations

Homecoming - Since Christmas is a very special occasion, some families took this opportunity to reunite together.  We cannot deny that some family members will eventually decide to move and migrate to somewhere else that are too far from us. Some are also working abroad while others decided to walk away due to some misunderstanding.  Christmas is just an ideal time for them to come home, reconcile and reunite. Even just for a single day!

Rewarding - I'm not sure if you guys feel the same way but I find wrapping and giving gifts to my godchildren very rewarding. I may not receive any gift in return but seeing them excitingly unwrapping your present is just so priceless to watch.  It is a very rewarding experience indeed and a moment that you will always remember. 

My Little Brother unwrapping his gift

Indescribable Feeling - Christmas will give you a kind of feeling that no other words can explain. It is more like a mixture of joy, excitement, tears and more. All you know is that it is a very wonderful feeling that you wish to have everyday. 

Santa Claus- Yes! Santa! Christmas is not Christmas without seeing his face around. This huge white bearded guy who used to wear a shiny red suit riding on his floating sleigh which is carried by his jolly reindeers. He travels different places, sneak from one house to another through chimneys or windows and give a special gift for the lucky kids. Well, if you have been very naughty this year, you may not get one under your Christmas tree. We all know the truth about his existence but isn't magical that we keep him real for kids? After all, Santa made our childhood so memorable!

Toys - Since we're talking about Santa, we can also associate Christmas with toys. These are what the kids would love to receive every Christmas and these are the reason why they are always looking forward to this very special occasion. 

Meaning of Real Christmas - We often associate Christmas with so many things but we have to keep in mind that the true meaning of Christmas is not about giving gift, not just about sharing love, not about celebrations but to pay tribute to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we need to celebrate Christmas and it is sad that this is often being disregarded by many. This is the day where we commemorate to the birth of our Savior and I hope we all keep that in our hearts! 

Amusing - Christmas is indeed the most amusing day of the year. With all the things we have mentioned above, the festive celebration, the gift giving moments, the love sharing, the reunions, the homecomings, and more! I guess they are enough to say that Christmas is the merriest day everybody could ever have.

Family bonding at SM Mall of Asia 

Shopping - Remember the iconic quote from "How The Grinch Stole The Christmas" saying "What if Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”. In this epic part, Grinch realized that real spirit of Christmas doesn't really come from those precious gifts we buy from the store since it is more about giving and loving.  Shopping is definitely one of the things we do during this holiday. We get the opportunity to buy items in big discounted price due to some holiday sales. But if you think about it, some kids doesn't even have enough money to buy for new clothes. They can't even afford to buy foods. They do not have the opportunity to buy toys for themselves. So why not lend some money and donate it to some orphanage or charitable institutions instead of buying things that are beyond your needs? Interestingly, SM came up with a very interesting campaign that will make your shopping more meaningful.  You will probably look at shopping not the same way again.

SM came up with this so-called "Give A Bear of Joy" campaign as a part of their SM Cares program. In this campaign, SM shoppers are encouraged to buy a pair of teddy bears for as low as Php200.00 but here's the catch. You get to keep one of the bears while the other one will be given to other children from various orphanages and charitable institution.  Now, that is what you called Shopping for a cause!

Take note that this is just one of the many surprises of SM Malls this Christmas season so be sure to keep yourself updated with their latest events and activities (check their blog here). Oh not to mention their wonderful Christmas attractions too! That's something my family and I are always looking forward to. 

SM Christmas Attractions from the previous years

So that's how M-E-R-R-Y-S-M-C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S means to me. How about you! If you are interested, you might as well participate with this Give A Bear Joy campaign and Have Yourself A  #MerrySMChristmas!