by Mike Martin, @mike54martin

“Something about Christmastime… makes me wish it was Christmas every day”. So spoke the great Canadian balladeer, Brian Adams. It also kinda captures how I feel about Christmas. And also, why I choose to write about it.

It would come as no secret to anyone who knows me that I love Christmas. I love everything about it. And sorry to the ‘haters’ out there, but it can’t start early enough for me. The thing I love about Christmas is the spirit itself. I respect those who want to celebrate the birth of the Christ child. It is his birthday, after all. I also have time for the secular folks who can’t wait to turn their lawns and houses into a kaleidoscope of lights and colours. For those who see chaos and cacophony, I see and hear Christmas joy.

But for me, I love Christmas because it brings a new feeling to the world. Even the lowliest of low seem to get a little bit happier. People start smiling at each other. They are kinder to strangers. Many of us start thinking about other people a little more. Not just our families and close friends. But people in need. That’s the spirit of Christmas. It’s the spirit of giving and not asking for anything in return. The gift we get back is a warm glow inside that keeps us warm all throughout Christmas. And if we’re lucky, it just may last all year long.

I started writing Christmas stories a long time ago. Maybe 25 years or more. It began as a little project where I would write about some Christmas memory that I would share with my family. They seemed to like them so I kept writing them. Then the Sgt. Windflower mystery series came along and to no one’s surprise, Windflower loved Christmas, too. That spawned a whole new series of Christmas stories. Some almost mysteries but true to the spirit of Christmas there was little crime and much joy. And always a happy ending. It is Christmas after all.

About 6 years ago, I published the first set of stories called Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries. That went well, so two years ago we put out a second volume: Christmas in Newfoundland 2. And now we have Christmas in Newfoundland 3: Holiday Tales from Sgt. Windflower.

So, why do I write about Christmas so much? Mostly because it’s fun to share the joy I feel around this time of year. And if I can bring a smile to one more face, or remind you of what you remember most about Christmastime, old and new, it is absolutely worth it. I’m not sure I will publish another Christmas book. But I will never stop writing Christmas stories or reading them either.

With credit to the father of the modern Christmas story, Charles Dickens. “It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!” I would love to have that as my epitaph. Wouldn’t you?

Mike Martin is the author of the award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. His latest Christmas book is Christmas in Newfoundland 3: Holiday Tales from Sgt. Windflower. Available from Amazon all over the world.