It was a favorite time for my mother as well, and last year was absolute hell for me. Though the pain never truly goes away, time does blunt it somewhat, and I'm sure next year will be a more pleasant one for you.

I think the advice you've already been given is sound--try to remember the good holiday moments you shared with her. My mother more than once admitted to being as excited as any child at Christmas--she didn't get a moment's sleep the night before. None of us could--we passed the hours on Christmas Eve by playing pinochle until we were too bleary-eyed to see the cards. I cherish the little moments when Mom and I would sit at the kitchen table and talk. I barely remember what gifts I got, but I'll remember those moments forever. Thinking about them gets me through the inevitable rough spots this time of year.

Do yourself a favor and try to give yourself a Christmas the likes of which your mother would have been proud. Put up any decorations you have; bake cookies if that's what you and she used to do. In a way, it'll be like having her there with you.