Christmas is my favorite time of year. It’s so much more than brightly wrapped gifts, and twinkling lights. It’s more than the carols that we sing and the perfect photo opts.

Growing up, Christmas meant family. When I was younger, my family and extended family would all gather at my parents’ home. We would sit in front of the fire, feast on sugar by way of candy canes and freshly baked cookies. We sang carols, played board games and just enjoyed being together. It wasn’t important if there were a lot of gifts under the tree. It wasn’t important if we were dressed to a tee.