Christmas Is
Christmas smells like fresh pine needles falling off the tree while decorating it with a rainbow of lights and ornaments from years' past. It smells like the old wooden pews at Ryssby Church that is lit only by the red candles in each and every window. And like the lutefisk that takes over Cousin Sally and Bill’s house at the Swedish Christmas dinner. Christmas smells like fresh baked sugar cookies, Winter Candy Apple lotion from Bath and Body Works and peppermint.
Christmas looks like a Precious Moments Nativity Scene with Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the three wise men, and all the barn animals surrounding Baby Jesus in His manger. It looks like all of us gathered around in Grandma’s living room in our “assigned spots” on Christmas morning eating breakfast casserole, meatballs, fruit and Swedish tea ring while waiting anxiously to open our gifts to and from one another in order from oldest to youngest. Christmas looks like houses covered in lights, tracking Santa on NORAD, and watching the children perform their play at church.
Christmas tastes like a Swedish Tea Ring that mom has been working on all day before we eat it that is full of cinnamon and sugar and is topped with frosting, nuts, and maraschino cherries. It tastes like cheesy corn, company potatoes, steak, and orange Jell-O salad leftovers from our Christmas Eve dinner that is eaten just as a “snack” before we go over to grandma’s house. And just like Judy the Elf makes hot chocolate in The Santa Claus, the warmth and taste of the cocoa fills our bellies. Christmas tastes like peppermint ice cream cake, candy canes, and the peanuts in the church’s annual goodie bags.
Christmas sounds like the unison of hundreds of people during the candlelight service singing the final hymn of Silent Night to finish off the night of glorious sounds including children singing Go Tell it on the Mountain, the choir singing O Holy Night, and the Swedish man reading the gospel in his language. It sounds like the reading of Luke 2:1-20 starting with “In the days of Caesar Augustus” and ending with “Glory to God in the Highest Heaven.” I hear the singing of the prayer led by Sally, the Christmas Eve dinner prayer led my dad and the church service prayer led by the pastor. Christmas sounds like KOSI 101 starting the day after Thanksgiving, candles flickering, and the crumpling of paper after the presents have been ripped open.
Christmas is that feeling of falling asleep next to the lit tree on Christmas Eve and waking up next to it on Christmas morning. It’s getting choked up on Christmas Eve and not being able to sing the songs that have been playing all season because it hits you all at once thinking about God’s love. Christmas feels like goosebumps from imagining being there on that night that our Savior was born. And thinking about the bright star and the angels that led all the people to Bethlehem to see to the Son of God. Christmas feels like giving to others and spending time with parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Christmas is knowing that Jesus is the ultimate reason for the season and we should give glory to God for unto us a Child is born.
What does Christmas mean to you?