The Spirit of the Season

One of my daughters is legit addicted to the Christmas season. She has a Christmas countdown timer on her phone every year, counting down to November 1 when the Christmas season begins for her. Since she was in middle school, she insisted on having her own Christmas tree in her bedroom, despite the massive tree in our living room. Now a sophomore in college and sharing an apartment with 3 other students, she has taken over their apartment with her many Christmas trees and decorations.

You are probably thinking, that’s no big deal, all kids love Christmas and receiving presents. But for her, it is not about the presents. In fact, she is the one of my three children who is notoriously slow to make her Christmas wish list.

For her, it is about the season of Christmas: Listening to Christmas music, enjoying the scent of holiday candles, watching Christmas movies with the family, and, importantly, praying at Midnight mass. Being around her at this time of year is infectious.

It is easy to get caught up in the commercial elements of the season, with all the sales and promotions in stores and online. We all have our lists of friends and family members for who we are shopping, searching for that perfect, personable present. (I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how books always make the best gifts, for any occasion!). All of us literally spend weeks in this holiday retail cycle.

But as the calendar counts down to December 25, the shopping hustle and bustle begins to fade and if we allow it, the calming quiet of Christmas Eve can begin. One of my most favorite things to do on Christmas Eve is to sit in front of our Christmas tree, long after everyone else has gone to bed, savoring at once both the tranquility and the anticipation of the moment.

One of our bestselling Christmas books, which is also a favorite holiday movie, is, not surprisingly, The Polar Express. There are so many wonderful themes and quotes throughout the story, for kids and for adults. One of my favorite quotes is in the beginning: “The wonder of Christmas is finding joy in the simplest of things.”

On this Christmas morning, my Christmas wish for all of you is to find joy in the simplest of things, today, and throughout these next 12 days which complete the Christmas season. Share your joy with friends, family, and strangers too. Be an infectious spirit of the season.

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas from all of us at ThriftBooks.

Barbara Hagen
VP, Sales and Marketing, ThriftBooks

For more cheer, see our previous Christmas Messages:

• 2023: Christmas Is All Around Us
• 2022: That Christmas Morning Feeling
• 2021: My Grown-Up Christmas List
• 2020: Welcome, Christmas!

About the Author: Barbara Hagen is the Vice President of Marketing and Sales here at ThriftBooks. She has more than 20 years of experience as a senior marketing executive, with an undergraduate degree in marketing from Syracuse University, an MBA in international marketing from NYU's Stern School of Business, and an MS in data analytics, also from NYU's Stern School.

Read more by Barbara Hagen