12.23.2008

Celebrate Christmas


"Silent Night", or "Stille Nacht" in its original German, is one of those carols that give me tingles. I've even heard that in its native Germany this song is so revered it is only sung once a year on Christmas Eve.

How I feel about this song summarizes how I feel about Christmas. I love Christmas so much that I hesitate to say that I love it because it sounds so stale and unexceptional.

It’s not enough to say that it is a magical time or a wonderful time, or even a joyful time. I guess it feels more like a sacred time. An actual season sanctified and consecrated to all things divine.

Christmas is to the year what the Sabbath is to the week; calming, fortifying, renewing, and universal enough to span nations, religions and cultures.

I anticipate this time of year all year. I love the carols, the spirit, the decorations, the traditions, the giving and yes, even the getting. Maybe most of all the getting.
Especially of that one most important gift given so many years ago.

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