Well with Christmas just a few days away I thought I would remind everyone who celebrates Christmas what exactly it is we enjoy so much about the festive season. I would hate to sound like I am full of cliches or that I am a particularly sappy human being. I am not, yet even someone who can be as much of a Grinch as me can still appreciate those small parts of Christmas we tend to take for granted but simply wouldn't be the same without them.

The meaning of Christmas

Many people argue about the true meaning of Christmas. Is it family, religion or the commercialization we should focus on the most.

I do not know and this debate will probably never get never actually get settled. Mainly because a person's perspective on Christmas can change.

When you are a child this particular holiday is all about one thing - presents. That's right presents, presents, presents it is the only thing that matters and you will inevitably write up a list over three pages long. This causes your parents' to look at each other, nervously scratch their necks and tell you that Santa Claus may not be able to fit your three-hundred gifts on his sleigh.

That will change once you reach adulthood and start earning your own money. Then it becomes about how many gifts you can get for people, without exceeding that nice little budget you set for yourself at the beginning of the year.

Before, all you did was sit and watch the Christmas specials while all the adults worked around you, but now you are being told to peel the potatoes before Nan and grandad arrive.

Despite the added responsibilities' that come with age I do not believe that someone can sour on the experience completely. With that in mind here are the top five reasons why everyone looks forward to Christmas, even by the tiniest fraction.

5. The gifts

I know I did talk about this a little bit before, but let's be honest no matter how old you are, no matter how much less extravagant your ideas of gifts get as you mature, getting something for nothing feels good. This is especially true in a world where prices for things you love are getting increasingly higher.

Even just having one gift of something you wouldn't just buy for yourself willy-nilly. It is a nice break from having to decide between practical and fun purchases the rest of the year.

4. Seeing your family

OK, so I can picture a few of you rolling your eyes and thinking, no! "I hate my family, they drive me crazy, that is the worst part of Christmas." Well to those of you who actually like spending time with your family then Christmas is the perfect time for it, you get to see them all together in one room in the comfort of your own home, unlike the formal, slightly uncomfortable setting of a family wedding.

Plus you get to see them near the very end of the year so there is plenty to catch up on.

Now to those who despise even the notion of a large family gathering at Christmas, here is a good way to think of the ordeal. At least you get it out of the way. You may be the kind of person who never does family gatherings, but you are still going to have that obligation to see everyone at some point in the year. At least this way it can all be done in one day and that is your obligation fulfilled.

3. The Christmas films

There is a reason they are classics and why they have been replayed around Christmas time year after year. Because films' like "Home Alone" and "Miracle on 34th Street" are the films we first watched as children during the holidays, so we instantly fell in love with them. Now you have this conversation with your colleague or flatmate which always ends the same way.

With you both usually going ''I love (with a lot more vowels added) that film.'' and rightly so, because they will probably be films you show your own children for the first time at Christmas, some time in the future.

2. The food

You may have thought I would put this first, which I could understand. The turkey and pigs in a blanket are two foods that people don't seem to have through the rest of the year, which make them an annual treat. Not forgetting the thousands of different food types that usually surround them. The best part is because it's a holiday, nobody really cares about how much they eat. It seems to become a sort of competition where you see how much food you can scarf down, before falling asleep in the armchair.

1. Things just stop

For the rest of the 364 days out of the year, most people have worries and concerns day and night. They try to blow off steam and forget, but honestly, it is usually still lingering in the back of their mind. I know that on Christmas day there is still work to be done, whether it is cooking, cleaning and for some unfortunate souls, travelling. But at a certain point during the day, usually after the meal, you can just tell that everyone's brain has stopped. Mainly because on the day the majority of the world comes to a momentary halt. All the stress, heartache and terrible occurrences that have maybe made this a not-so-great year can all be put to the side, even for the briefest moment.

Well, there it is readers, the top five reasons I think no one can ever hate everything about the festive season. I am sure at least one thing from my list has struck a chord and I hope you get to experience it this year.