It's that time of year again, the lights are stung up and handled with care, the air is filled with the smell of holiday baking, and Christmas is in stores before the Thanksgiving turkey hits the oven. It is the holiday season. But to many, it doesn't feel like it. Recently there has been talk about the loss of Christmas magic. Why do people feel like this? Well, maybe the answer is more simple than you'd think. 

     Firstly, we need to know what the magic of Christmas is. Christmas magic has many definitions depending on who you ask. For some, its a feeling, for others it's the look of everything, to some, it's what people do for others. The common theme of all of these is what others do. So in a way, all of them are correct. Others help create the feeling, create the look of the holidays, and what people do for others. So what changed?

     The times have changed over the years. Between the lack of snow around this time of year in places that normally see snow, financial hardships, rampant consumerism, and social concerns such as politics, toxic family, and an overall lack of community, it's understandable to see why people think the Christmas magic is gone. We aren't kids anymore and we don't know how to put the effort our parents did for us, what the community did for everyone. Most of us are either too busy, too tired, or just doesn't want to be part of the community and have become more bitter and spiteful. This has been on more of an uptick since the 2020 pandemic. So the question remains, how do we fix it?

     Earlier I mentioned that the answer is extremely simple, well, the answer lies in the mirror. You are the answer to it. It's something you have to put the effort into. While no one can control the weather, decorate where you live, hang a wreath outside your door, decorate your windows, if you can, put up lights and decorations. Give to others and volunteer as well. Help organize the local Christmas events in your town. Who knows, maybe this will bring back much more than that Christmas magic people are missing.