The songs of Christmas

I don't make any bones about it. For me, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. There are so many things about it that the other seasons don't have. First of all there are the directions. My hearts leap when I see the wreathes, the trees, and lights. It's something that in our culture you don't see at any other time of the year at least to the same extent. Yes there are special lights for Dhawali, and one does see some Easter and Hallowe'en decorations, but at least in Australia, these decorations pale when it comes to the proliferation of Christmas decorations.

Second there is the element of surprise at Christmas. We buy gifts for our loved ones, hoping that they will be truly surprised. Children wait with anticipation for the visit of Santa Claus.

Third there is the spirit of fellowship at Christmas. We have special gatherings to go to where we meet others, make merry, and spread Christmas joy. There are parties at church, gathering in people's houses, festive concerts, and special worship services to mark the holidays. For a while at least, it seems people do heed the message of the angels and live in peace and harmony as it should be.

Fourth there is the food. There is the Christmas baking that gets done. There are chocolates given as gifts. There are the foods that one buys for the Christmas feast. There are candy canes handed out. There are belts that get loosened. Christmas is a time of feasting.

But what sets Christmas apart from all of our other observances is the many Christmas carols that we sing at this time of year. Some we sing for fun- Jingle Bells and Rudolph for instance. Other Christmas songs don't make a lot of sense to me anymore now that I live in the Southern Hemisphere. It is hard to sing with integrity songs like Let it Snow and Winter Wonderland when it is plus 35. It's just not going happen no matter how hard I sing. But my favourite is to sing the great carols like Silent Night, Joy to the World, Hark the Herald, and O Come All Ye Faithful. These carols remind of us of the true meaning of Christmas. These carols tell us once more the story of the child who was born in the manger. They remind us of the shepherds, of the anticipation, of the angels, of the love, of the joy of that first Christmas night. And during this time of year, we see folks from all walks of life, join together to sing these songs of God's holy love which we mark this time of year. As we sing these familiar songs, we unite as symbols of the peace and love that was given to the world that first Christmas. Blessings.