Most people, other than those forever turned off the holiday, love Christmas time, and have their own reasons for what makes this time of year special to them.
Some people unfortunately have bad memories of this holiday time, and it's hard for them to get over them; the stigma seems to stick to the holiday like a bad smell, and it just won't go away.
My best suggestion in an instance like this would be to try and make new memories with the people who are in your life now; don't dwell on the past, but make new memories that you can take forward with you in your life.
A couple ways (I think, anyway) that a new memory or two can be made is through music, or through holiday movies.
There are tons of both, and as is the case often, there are good and bad examples to be found. The thing with music is it really depends on one's tastes and preferences in music; there is a lot of good Christmas music, and the evidence of this are the many carols and songs that people associate with the holiday.
The recently-held Festival of Carols, hosted annually by the Quota Club of Weyburn at Grace United Church, is an awesome example of how music can be really good and really special at this time of year. Even the most hardened humbug would be softened by the singing of "Silent Night" with all the lights out and just candles glowing as voices all around sing those words quietly in the dark.
In addition, musical artists of every genre has made Christmas music, even the "Bieber", heart-throb to young females everywhere.
If movies are more your thing, there is no shortage of good holiday flicks to be found - and this might be just me, but the oldies are the goodies. Such classics as "It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol" (the version with Alastair Sim) are two of the best Christmas movies ever made.
"Miracle on 34th Street" is pretty good, and even the remake with a precocious Mara Wilson is pretty decent; for comedy lovers, there are flicks like "The Santa Clause" and "Elf" that are fairly funny.
In the animated world, you can't beat the classics again, like the "Charlie Brown Christmas", or "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" with the voice of Boris Karloff; recent movies like "The Polar Express" are also very good.
In the end, though, these are simply parts of the holiday that help make it enjoyable; the best parts are being with family and friends, sharing special times, and above all, don't forget the special baby who came long ago, under humble circumstances, to bring peace, joy and good will to all mankind.
