I woke up Sunday morning thinking about Christmas. I woke up on my own accord, and I was so warm and comfortable, I didn’t want to get out of bed.

I felt like I didn’t have to get out of bed — like I was on break and didn’t have to do classwork for a month. Then I looked out the window and saw the snow. The illusion was complete.

Unfortunately, it’s still October. Christmas isn’t for another two months.

I started wishing Christmas would hurry up and get here. Then I remembered that once December 25 rolls around, we don’t get to have Christmas again for another 364 days. Plus, after break, we have at least three more months of long, depressing, hopeless winter.

I decided I shouldn’t wish for Christmas to arrive too soon. After all, the best part of Christmas is the anticipation, right?

Of course, anticipation can be taken to the extreme. I was at Valley West Mall in Des Moines this weekend and was disappointed to see that the stores are already gearing up for the Christmas rush. I realize that some people do their Christmas shopping before December 21, which is when I usually start, but I hate to see Christmas trees in the mall before Halloween.

I’m all for keeping the Christmas spirit year ’round, but what is the Christmas spirit all about? Shopping?

For many Christians around the world, Christmas is a celebration of Christ’s birth. For me, Christmas is a celebration of love.

It’s a time to spend with family and friends, gathering around the fireplace, sledding on the hill or doing whatever is traditional for you. It’s a magical time of year when the world seems bright with lights and hope.

Giving gifts is often part of that tradition, and can be a way to express love. Finding the perfect gift for that special someone can be part of the fun.

Everyone likes to see people’s eyes light up when they open presents and find the toys, clothes or books they’ve been pining for. But giving gifts shouldn’t be the chore it has become.

How many times have you seen commercials counting down the number of shopping days left?

Does anyone really enjoy trying to shop in a mall crammed with people desperate to find a gift? I know I don’t.

I hate it when someone asks me what gift he should get for me. I think that if you don’t have a clue what to get for someone, then you either don’t know the person well enough or you’re not really in the spirit of giving.

Have you ever wished you knew how much someone was spending on you so you could spend a comparable amount on him or her? How many of us are scraping the bottom of the barrel after buying Christmas gifts for all our friends and family?

I think the best Christmas gift my family ever received was a cat. We called Diablo “the gift that keeps on giving.” How much did that very special gift cost? Fifteen dollars.

I hate to sound trite, but I have to say that it’s the thought that counts, not the gift.

Opening presents only takes a few minutes on Christmas Day, or whenever you exchange gifts. You may tire of the toy, grow out of the sweater in a few years and fail to finish the book. However, your family will always be there.

If all you are looking forward to this Christmas is the presents, I feel sorry for you.

If your family doesn’t have established Christmas traditions, why not start one? Even if you don’t believe in Christ, you can still celebrate love and family.

The first snow is bound to get people thinking of Christmas.

Before you start perusing the shops, looking for gifts, maybe you should think about what Christmas truly means to you.

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Catherine Conover is a junior in liberal studies from Mapleton.