NATCHEZ &8212; Natchez native David Lewis believes Christmas is centered around faith, family and giving.

&8220;Christmas is important to me because I&8217;m a Catholic,&8221; Lewis said. &8220;And I believe Christmas should be extended year-round, because people need help the year round.

&8220;Even the meanest people donate at Christmas. But some people are very good about donating food and canned goods and volunteering to help.&8221;

Lewis, who has volunteered at the Stewpot for 14 years, said he sees need at the soup kitchen throughout the year.

He also said he believed Christmas was more than just commercialism.

&8220;It&8217;s not only what the stores promote but it&8217;s about Christianity,&8221; he said. &8220;I look forward to going to midnight Mass.&8221;

Christmas is about family and love, he said. His three children, now grown and living in different states, come to town every year, he said, and this year will be no different.

&8220;They&8217;re all coming in for Christmas,&8221; Lewis said with a smile.

For the first 11 years of his marriage, he was not home on Christmas Day, he said. When he finally changed jobs, his first Christmas at home was a joy for the whole family.

&8220;That was one of the biggest excitements in my life,&8221; Lewis said.

Lewis and his family are still very close, and he and his wife still decorate the house like they did when their children were small.

&8220;We put up the Christmas tree and the decorations because the grandkids will like them,&8221; he said. &8220;It&8217;s a tradition.&8221;

Ultimately, giving to those in need is more important than receiving, and family and faith are the center of the season, he said.

&8220;It&8217;s Christ&8217;s birthday,&8221; Lewis said. &8220;It should be celebrated in a Christian way.&8221;