Why Christmas doesn’t feel the same (and what to do about it) 

I think you really hit the nail on the head with ritual. As children, the school activities then entering Christmas break, Santa, and gathering with extended family for this insular period felt like entering a different time and space. The world around us and adults around us did a lot to create that space for us. As you pointed out, there is no reason we cannot intentionally create the same liminal space outside of daily life, full of awe and wonder and appreciation at Christmastime.

Really hit the nail on the head. Getting the Christmas decoration out of the attic, setting up the decorations. At school the Christmas party and anticipation of the break. It was so magical looking back. Some things we never get back and will never be able to experience and feel again. Sadly, that's the way things are.

It’s because we don’t experience awe in the moment but when we really just look back on memories then that’s when we start to feel a since of nostalgia

My family has had a lot of death around the holidays. Grandfather died Christmas eve in 94, my mom will be gone 20 years Dec 11. We have had years when its hard to feel joy. For us, we created new traditions and that helped. We do something small each day. We have an advent calendar thats a puzzle and we have hot cider. We donate to good causes for children. Volunteer one weekend. We devote all the time we can to the family we have left. We all slow down a bit.

Ever since I moved away, I find myself missing the small rituals of Christmas, like going to the huge Xmas tree farm to choose and cut down our own tree (they got composted at the end of the season and they gave you a plant for your house in exchange!), and watching The Nutcracker ballet with my mom. It's hard, but it's worth to make new traditions. Hopefully one day I'll have a whole set of traditions for my new family.

Our family, especially our grandparents and extended family were who really made Christmas a great time for us with all the many family gatherings, Christmas parties, going with them to Christmas Eve church services and then waking up at their home on Christmas morning to all the decorations and gifts under the tree and a huge celebratory Christmas breakfast cooked by our grandmother. When my grandparents passed away, all those rituals faded away, and Christmas just doesn't feel the same anymore.

He's right and I've definitely felt further and further from that "magical" feeling every year sicne around I graduated high school over 10 years ago. I think it's important to jot only keep up old traditions but create new ones to be excited about each year.

Love the ambiguous yet relatable vibes of this channel. Please keep posting

This vid was recommended to me and it's great! I feel the awe every year. Around october i start listening to halloween music, and starting november i already start listening ti christmas music. I love walking and taking in the vibe of the current season. Every season can give me awe. Growing leaves in spring, sunny rays through trees in summer. But fall and christmas are the highest vibes! A lot of people around me just don't get it. I will definitely send this to them so they can hopefully rekindle the awe and celebrate that feeling along with me!

Great video as usual, it’s good to see you’re doing fine (or at least not terrible). What struck me the most are your Polish roots. Cheers from Poland, your pronunciation of pierogi really is spot on!

Great video! Have definitely felt this a ton in adulthood. I 💯 agree with you on the awe walks! Iz and I take multiple, super long walks everyday and it's so refreshing to see everything from the perspective of a little. Everything is new and cool and they remind you of that! I hope you and your family enjoy your pierogis and the holidays!

I think that its just covid and the impact of it really affected everything and it just changed it all. Even though it is a sickness, I still missed out on 2 years of my childhood, and the year before 2020 everything felt great about christmas. 2019 is by far my most memorable and best christmas in my life. Everything after 2019 has felt like just a letdown in life. Nothing really is hyped up like it used to be and neither is christmas morning anymore.

Last night my girlfriend, 6 year old son and i went on a walk in our neighborhood to see some Christmas decorations and it was perfect! The streets were wet from rain. We could see our breath in the cold December air. Our cheeks were getting rosy red! Me and my son were wearing matching red and black plaid fleeces with vests!! We came across this one house in particular and all three of us were in “Awe”! I told them “This is the one; this is my favorite Christmas house in our neighborhood!”They all agreed. My son had to FaceTime his auntie to show her how amazing the house was lol (kids & technology these days 🤣) The main theme of the decor was gingerbread men and women with their own little hot chocolate cafés built out of kids toy houses, it was clever!! I hope my son will remember the things like this in life. An intentional exercise/Christmas decor hunt led us to a very memorable moment that was worth more than any present 🎁 🎄 Merry Christmas everyone!!

Somehow this happened to me at fckin 12 years old and now that i'm 15 the spirits completely gone and it really just feels like a kinda stress-full day with some extra sugar. now

This is a long essay 😅 Today is Christmas. It doesn’t feel the same. Multiple reasons for this. I’m a teenager and know that Santa isn’t real. Presents won’t pop out out of no where. Ever since my family got our house, we’ve struggled with money, less gifts with a sad attitude in the room. That was in the past years, this year my mom decided that me and my sister. Go shopping and find what we what. Great! But, store after store we couldn’t. The money being spent was hanging over our heads. Then she told us at Target, “there won’t be presents under the Christmas tree”. “Okay, it’s fine” Deep down inside I felt bad and even though we were getting presents it didn’t feel the same us if “Santa” or my parents were getting. I feel ungrateful for these things that I’m thinking. Being a teenager doesn’t change a lot. I’m trying to stay happy and not be bothered by this. It’s all crumbling down. Wishing Christmas to my friends, feeling half as their excitement I trying to stay happy and joyful for the Christmas mood despite all. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year! 🎉 This will go away as I find my happiness not in presents, money, surprises but in my family, friends, and in myself.😊 Sorry this was long but if you took the time to read this. Thank You!❤😊

All my family just keeps dying. It'll never be the same

Been wanting to watch this since it popped up on my home feed a week ago!! So good as usual I love your commentary on such universal themes. I've been watching the sunrise in the morning for awe and it's amazing! Highly recommend! Also the church "that whole thing" made me LOL

This Christmas was very tough for me. It was also 53 degrees in NY today and kind of humid 😢 Spring-like weather, and it got dark at like 4. I’m 33 now, and I just want that feeling back.

I know for me, while trying to figure out this 'loss' of awe over the years, has somewhat to do with awareness and family. Awareness - As an adult, you understand things on much more 'grand' scale than you ever did as a kid and therefor things are not 'new' and fresh. It's not that Halloween or Christmas gets old per say or loses it's touch, but rather us and losing our own sense of 'magic' that would normally come with it. All of us know more, see more, understand more, are aware of far more. 'Adult mentality' I guess. It's hard for me to articulate that in way that makes sense, but hopefully it clicked. Family - I remember my family gatherings would feel so massive. Everyone was festive, loving, caring and it felt so warm and inviting. Sometimes that goes away now that you understand family dramas, things that change in family dynamics, passing family members... it all kind of adds a grain of salt with each one of those punches, and obviously there's more you could add to that list. I often sit here and wonder if our parents feel the same way and started to lose their awe for the holidays when they started getting older. Either way, I'm so grateful that most of us experiences these holidays on such a magical level, because even though we can no longer go back to that, we can smile because it happened and we can still feel it lingering.

I always say that Christmas as an adult is different because we are the ones “making it happen” and don’t get to just show up like when we are kids

I’m still a kid and it just feels sad I don’t know what it is but I hate it

Ever since my Grandparents dies, Christmas died with them. It has never been the same and it will never be again. And it seems to be get worse each year. The older i get the more grumphy it seems. Im about to become the old grumphy man o every Christmas movie who seemingly seems to hate Christmas but just lost his touch.

as a pole, i have to do this. WAIT are you POLISH? but fr i've just watched a lite phone video and now im watching every other one and its just surprising hearing that you have a polish family, you're also a great smart guy keep up the good work

yep it just aint the same anymore that burst is gone

Hmm! I'm going to try and do this and report back.

Oh word.

If someone in office of a major country actually turns a complete 180 degrees (a lot easier said than done) and help FINALLY, fix the middle class problem and get taxes more manageable and lower inflation and rent and lots of other prices, and let other Uber wealthy people pick up that excess money to help us, again (a lot easier said than done) I believe that will finally bring out the goodness in the world

It feels like you've circled around a core reality of "why Christmas doesn't feel the same" without actually addressing it: Christmas was awe-inspiring for children in large part because they're children who had every want and need taken care of. You can't really find awe when there's a genocide happening, most companies you regularly buy things from (both basic necessities and luxuries) are funding it, and oh also some of your loved ones might be legislated to death if an election goes the wrong way next year. Adults have more stuff to do. We have to focus on survival, both literally and figuratively, while kids' one job is to experience awe and learn new things. Society in the 2020s is built to isolate people as much as possible from anyone besides the people they literally sleep in the same building as. You get a little close to the kernel of truth when mentioning family dinners/rituals are a big source of awe both as a kid and as an adult. Humans are social animals. We like being around other people, by and large. Which is all to say: your thesis that boils down to "touch grass" is a good stepping point but doesn't necessarily live up to the question proposed by the title. I get we all have to play an SEO game but this video is dressed up with the trappings of a video essay that asks and answers a question, but then turns out to be 12 minutes of you finding out going out for a walk to clear your head and being mindful kind-of sort-of help not be sad.

So you want to get that Christmas spirit back, that you had as a kid? Here's the secret to get it back. Have children. You will get to relive your childhood all over again, through your children. Albeit, through more experienced eyes. That's the emptiness that you feel. God programmed us to be fruitful and multiply. Have some kids.