Merry Christmas! Wait, What?



    

     I don't know about everyone else, but it happens to me every year.
     In the middle of summer.
     While it seems to be hundreds of degrees outside, the trees have leaves, you can hear splashing and laughter from small children enjoying the pool, and most teenagers are dancing around with giddiness over the fact that they don't have to wake up early for another month or two...

     I'm curled up in a ball listening to Christmas music.

     I don't know why it happens; but it does! I just love the time of year when the air becomes crisp and cool, the susurrus of leaves blowing across the street can be heard, you can wear long sleeves, and it's finally almost socially acceptable to set up my seven feet tall artificial tree in my room.
     Most people find it odd that instead of trick or treating or participating in whatever activities there are associated with Halloween, I spend October 31st blasting Christmas music and transforming my large room into a winter wonderland! My mom has more self control than I do and we don't decorate the house until Thanksgiving break. Honestly, though, I don't really care about what anyone else thinks. When I am able to walk into my room after school and plop down to do my homework under string lights during the most wonderful time of the year, it makes me so happy!
     On November 1st, I start to get the warm-fuzzies because I know that a whole bunch of great stuff is about to happen. November and December are easily my favorite months. It's not just because they hold the expectation of Thanksgiving, my birthday (Nov. 29), Christmas, and New Year's Eve; it is also because I love the atmosphere. It is such a beautiful feeling. Kids all around the world are excited for Christmas, families are making plans to come home for the holidays, and everyone is just caught up in this global anticipation. I don't know about anyone else, but I feel camaraderie. Some of us are looking forward to the same thing, and some of us have different reasons to be excited, but no matter what, there's something positive in the air.
     I also love coming to church and seeing the giant tree and the Advent wreath. I'm a bit of a pyromaniac, so naturally, I love seeing the tiny flames that grow each week. Advent means "coming," and in our church, we celebrate Advent as a way to prepare ourselves spiritually for Christmas. Every week, another candle is lighted on the wreath. As I stare at the candles absentmindedly, my mind sort of goes through this thought process; "Oh, look! Fire! Fire is good. I like fire. Baby, you're a firework! Ignite the light and let it shine! This little light of mine! I'm gonna let it shine! Sparks. I saw sparks. Spark a revolution. Catching Fire. Fire spreads. Fire! Fire is cool! Candles. Christmas. Peace on Earth!"
     Then, I stop daydreaming and start thinking. The whole Christmas season is sort of like a fire; it starts with a spark, a little bit of hope. Then, as we draw nearer and nearer to Christmas, the fire grows bigger until we are all surrounded by flames of excitement!
     Finally, Christmas Eve comes. Hopefully, by this time, my family has finished making the luminaries that will line our yard and driveway that night. I'll probably sleep until about 10:00 since I'm on vacation, and then I'll wake up, groggily look around at all the glittery décor in my room, and lay my head back on the pillow. I close my eyes for a second, then sit straight up. Oh my goodness! It's Christmas Eve! I do an awkward ninja move that's somewhere between falling out of bed and a somersault and grab my glasses. Yay! Vision! I walk downstairs and make oatmeal. It is most likely that Mannheim Steamroller, Sarah McLachlan, or some other holiday musician is playing from the stereo as I find the newspaper section that has the comics, television, and Dear Abby. Once I finish breakfast, I'm most likely to change into sweatpants and an old t-shirt that's probably not warm enough and flop back down on top of my neatly made bed to kill time on the internet until one of my parents walks in from doing yard work or something outside. Then, I'll go outside and help set up the luminaries. The OCD person inside my brain requires them to be evenly spaced and aligned perfectly with the road. Once we finish, it's probably the early afternoon. I might make some last minute cards or play the Charlie Brown Theme on piano or do something else until about 3:30. Then, I take a shower and get all dolled up for the Christmas Eve service at 5:00. It's a tradition in our church that Becky Dingle, an amazing storyteller and sweet, caring, and kind person, tells a Christmas story. It's always a highlight for me. She is so talented! After the story is over, we'll song a song or two and turn off the lights. The sanctuary is illuminated by the soft glow of the advent wreath and lights on the massive tree. Our pastors will walk to the advent wreath (all five candles are on fire now!) and explain the Christ candle. It is the candle in the center of the wreath that is lighted on Christmas Eve. They compare the light of the candle to Jesus, the true light of the world. Then, there is silence. Everyone quietly takes out the small candles that they were given at the beginning of the service. Sometimes we stand in a circle, and sometimes we just stay in our seats. The silence is beautiful; it's like the noises of hectic rushing around to buy last minute gifts in department stores full of crazy people doing the same thing are all gone. The world seems to stop; nature itself knows that this is a special moment.
     Silence.
   
    Peace on earth.
    
    The pastors light their candles and light the people in the front row's candles.

    Silence.

    The light grows as people light their neighbors' candles until every candle is burning.

     Silence.

     Then, someone starts to sing.

     The song "Silent Night" floats up to the rafters along with the candle smoke. Everyone sings quietly until the song is over, the lights are on, and everyone is leaving.
      As we walk outside, we notice that it's raining. We drive through our neighborhood and see the luminaries struggling against the rain. Once we reach the house, we try our best to light our luminaries. then, we each open one present, and then we go upstairs to shower and go to sleep. I change into my flannel pajamas, look out my window at the candles, turn off my tree, and sleep.
     And in that moment, on a midnight not so clear, God's love falls on us like rain. A certain peace descends, and everything is beautiful.

     I wake the next morning not really remembering what day it is or where I am. Then, reality hits me and I run downstairs where my dad has been awake for hours watching the beginning of the TBS 24-hour marathon of "A Christmas Story." When mom wakes up (finally!) we turn off the TV, put on some music, and begin littering the floor with shreds of paper as we unwrap long-awaited gifts. (Last year, we actually had to get up at 5 something because my mom had to go to work.) We just chill for the rest of the day until the afternoon. Then we go to my grandparents' house to spend time with family, eat a huge dinner, unwrap gifts, and do the family ornament contest! Whoever wins picks next year's category and gets an awkward Christmas tree trophy. (I won last year with my Edward Scissorhands hand. The theme was Tim Burton.) After the festivities end, we go home and sleep with full stomachs and happy hearts!

    Most of the time, we'll go to one of my aunt's houses for New Year's Eve. Then, once we get home, I'll watch the ball drop on TV and toast the new year with my mom using sparkling grape juice and wine glasses. I usually leave my decorations up until late January, when my mom begs me to take them down. Then, I remove all clutter and start the new year with a clean room!
    The magic may be over, but it's still chilly outside until March and I'll listen to the music year round anyway! If only I can endure the summer (my least favorite season), it will be time to do it all over again! Merry early Christmas, people!

     P.S.- My mom and I drew the Van Gogh Silent Night at the top!