I remember how my friends and I hid by the window, trying to see the first snowball or imagine that Santa had left gifts under the tree. We were little, but we believed that anything was possible that evening – even the greatest miracle.

Once, when I was still very little, my mother and I made garlands from colored paper. They were so simple, but for us – the most beautiful. We decorated the tree, sang carols, and then my mother lit candles, and the room turned into a fairy tale.

And the greatest miracle for me was always how the whole family would gather together on Christmas Eve. We would exchange warm words, wish each other the best, and I would feel like the happiest child in the world.

These memories still warm me when the winter gets cold. Christmas for me is not just a holiday, it is a feeling of warmth, love and unity that I will always carry in my heart.