Courtesy Photo Kaitlyn Tomaszewski, and her mother Peggy Tomaszewski pose for a photo in front of a Christmas tree. Kaitlyn said her love for Christmas stems from her mother and the times they had during the holidays when she was young.

ALPENA — For most people the Christmas season only lasts about a month, but for others it is at the forefront of their minds all year round.

From Thanksgiving until New Year’s Day many people enjoy Christmas music, movies, decorations, and cheer the holiday brings.

For Kaitlyn Tomaszewski and her mother Peggy Tomaszewski, the Christmas spirit is alive in them all 12 months of the year and they wear their love for it on their sleeves.

Kaitlyn said her mother’s passion for Christmas carried over to her when she was young, and today, she can’t have enough of anything Christmas related.

She has numerous Christmas trees decorated in her house, and holiday music coming from her stereo speakers more often than not. She said her trees are left up all year and she doesn’t change the seasonal theme like some people.

“They stay in the Christmas theme because I’m not into changing the decorations for Easter, the Fourth of July, or other holidays,” Kaitlyn said. “It is a Christmas tree and that is how I leave it.”

She may not like having Easter eggs, or Valentine’s Day hearts on the tree, but Kaitlyn does mix things up a bit by changing the Christmas themes on some of her trees during the holiday season.

She said one has an icicle theme and some have pine cones instead of bulbs. Others have various light and bulb color combinations, while one is candy cane themed.

Kaitlyn said when she was looking at homes to purchase, making sure her new home had plenty of space for her growing tree collection was on the must-have list.

“When I looked at my house it was like, ‘I can put a tree there. I can put a Christmas tree there, and I can put a tree there,'” she said. “Christmas continues to grow for me still. One year I had five trees, then seven, then 10. It continues to grow.”

Kaitlyn is a musician and learned how to play Christmas hymns and carols on the organ and, later, the saxophone. She said as a girl, the Elvis Christmas album was on the top of her list for holiday music and she still loves old, classic Christmas songs today.

She lends her talents by playing the keyboard and working with the choir at her church and she is excited for its Christmas performance.

When asked why she holds Christmas so near and why she goes the extra mile to celebrate it, she said the holiday is much different than other times of the year.

“I love the spirit and feeling of Christmas,” she said. “The air feels different. People feel different and there is just an indescribable spirit that encompasses everything. I think that is why I carry Christmas with me the whole year.”

Kaitlyn credits her mother for her bond with Christmas. She said still today they celebrate old and new traditions during the holiday season. It is those moments, Kaitlyn said, that makes Christmas all the more special.

“My mom has been such a positive influence for me in many, many ways,” Kaitlyn said. “I give her all the credit for how I feel about and celebrate Christmas.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.