My favorite day of the year

My favorite day of the year is not my birthday, nor is it either of my kids' birthdays.  It's not my anniversary, or even Valentine's Day.  It is a Winter holiday, but it's not the Winter Solstice. 

You could guess, and I'd bet you would come close, but (unless you know me) you probably will only come close to it.  My favorite day of the year is Christmas Eve.  Not Christmas Day, but Christmas Eve.  If you have read my previous post about saying "Merry Christmas," not "Happy Holiday," you probably came pretty close to guessing correctly.

 My kids and husband know they can skip any other church service in the year.  However, they had better have a darn good reason for not being there on Christmas Eve with me. 

Maybe it's the calm between all of the crazy, last minute preparations and the event itself.  There is just something about sitting in a candlelit church with old Christmas hymns and carols being played on a guitar, piano or even better, an organ. The soft, warm glow of the candlelight, along with the peaceful music just puts my soul at ease.  The tradition of everyone passing the flame from one candle to the next is like tying a ribbon of serenity all around the sanctuary.  Most churches play "Silent Night," while the candles are being lit.  When the musician quits playing during the last verse, and everyone is singing A Capella, goosebumps cover my body.  It is probably the most moving few minutes of the year.

More often than not, I will be in need of a tissue or two by the end of the service.  My grandmother loved playing music, especially this time of year.  The hymns being played usually send a flood of memories of times with her playing the same songs on a piano or organ.

Most people will never understand why gifts aren't so important to me at Christmas. To me, Christmas is a time of enjoying family members, and creating memories to cherish.  Those memories will last a lifetime.  So many of us couldn't say what gifts were received last year, but there's a story of some crazy relative's antics!

It's also a time to reflect on the events of the year that has passed.  Most of all, it's time of awe and wonder, while remembering the real reason for the season: the birth of our Savior, Jesus.