Christmas Time Is Here

Ah! Katie said it, but I must repeat it: Christmas is here!!!!

Christmas music is playing on the radio. The air is growing colder. Thanksgiving has passed.

Today is traditionally the day my family decorates the house for Christmas, buys a Christmas tree (and when I was little we ALWAYS went and cut it down ourselves; now we do that if we have time), turns the Christmas music on in the stereo, etc. This year, things are a little different as we are preparing to move (yes, again), but still. I have my Christmas supplies in the car to decorate mine and Karen's room back at school. I'm SO excited.

I love Christmas. Someone was asking me the other day why I loved it, when its all about materialism and commercialism, etc. And I love Christmas because a) it celebrates the birth of Jesus, b) most people are in better moods, will smile at you on the street, won't make fun of you if you randomly burst into Christmas carols, etc. People anticipate, they are expecting something beautiful and magical and holy, and that is evident! and c) like my friend Alex said, everyone is celebrating Jesus' birth whether they know it or not! I know as well as the next person that Jesus probably wasn't born on December 25th, year 3 AD or something, but I do love Christmas carols, the Christmas Eve service (especially when everyone holds their lighted candle, the flames flickering on everyone's face), the beautiful lights, the decorations, the gift-giving(I LOVE getting gifts for people. I love the struggle of trying to pick the perfect gift for everyone), everything about Christmas I love! While the 4th of July is my favorite holiday, Christmas is a very close second! They could be tied, in fact.

I don't know. I just love Christmas. I'm sure I will post a lot about Christmas and what it means to me and what I think about it, so consider yourself warned. Tis the season!