FRAZIER: The most special Christmas memories

Published 4:00 am Friday, December 24, 2021

As a parent of four children, I remember dedicating an inordinate amount of time making sure my children had a magical Christmas morning.

I wrapped all the gifts from Santa in special “Santa paper” and made sure they had cute matching Christmas pajamas.

We had a special plate for the jolly old elf’s milk and cookies, and sometimes when I remembered to get a bunch of carrots from the grocery, we would put one out for the reindeer.

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No doubt, there are a lot of parents who, like me when my children were younger, aim to do the same.

But were these materialistic endeavors what really made Christmas special for them?

A couple of weeks ago, I visited a few elementary schools for an assignment, which entailed asking the students what Christmas meant to them. Truthfully, I was expecting them to give the classic answers all of which revolved around Santa Claus, presents and the baby Jesus.

A few of the children responded as I had expected, but most of them surprised me with their responses.

When I asked what Christmas meant to them, they said family. Wow!

In this modern world, when children are surrounded by technology, instant gratification and all the other pursuits vying for their time, at the end of the day, what really matters is family.

Christmas is a busy time of year for moms and dads of young children, and for me, it seemed like there was always something to be done. From cooking all the family favorites to wrapping the parcel of presents, I would just go, go, go, go, go.

Thinking back, I hope I left enough room in the day that if asked what Christmas meant to them, my children, too, would have said family.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child, and what better way is there to rejoice than being surrounded by family.

And to quote six-year-old Paisley Hott, Christmas means, “… Being with your family, eating treats and watching the Grinch and Christmas movies and love… That’s all I know about Christmas – and it is amazing.”

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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