Near the end of the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, we hear the jingling of a small silver bell? Jimmy Stewart’s small daughter says “Look, Daddy, teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” This is just a myth, but the ringing of bells has been significant for several reasons since ancient times. Orthodox churches always had bells to call the faithful to public worship. Town criers would walk about ringing bells in order to communicate the news to the town. Single bells (usually of gold or silver) called “crotals” were mounted on Knight’s warhorses in Medieval times for show and as a symbol of wealth. Horse bells came to be viewed as a source of good luck and as protection from evil and disease. Many people believed that such bells would attract wealth or other good fortune. Their practical use was as a warning to pedestrians and other drivers on narrow roadways.

The merry tune of “Jingle Bells” is perhaps the most recognizable of all Christmas music. Often it is the first holiday song learned by children. Though by strict definition not a Christmas carol, it is one of the top twenty-five songs in the history of recorded music. Written by James Pierpoint sometime during the late 1840s or early 1850s, “Jingle Bells” was publicly performed for a Thanksgiving program at the Savannah, Georgia Unitarian Universalist Church in 1857 where Pierpoint was the organist. His merry little tune proved so popular that it was requested for the Christmas program at the church a month later. From there, its fame grew.

When the bells are rung, a message is sent out for all to hear…either a good message or a message of warning. The message can be of a town meeting or of a church service beginning. The message can be the bell of a ship that is in distress.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

When you sing “Jingle Bells”, remember that you are that bell that broadcasts a message. It is a message of hope and good tidings. But it is a warning of disaster if the message of Jesus is rejected. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

The Christmas season is not just sights and sounds. What is Christmas without the smells and tastes of Christmas cookies, Christmas ham, egg nog, wassail, candy, and other good things coming out of the kitchen during this season?

The history of Christmas Cookies began with the people of the Persian Empire of the 7th century AD. The actual word ‘cookie’ comes from the Dutch word Koeptje [koekje], meaning small cake. Cookies spread all over Europe by 1500. Gingerbread was probably the first cake/cookie to be traditionally related with Christmas. The people of Sweden preferred Papparkakor (spicy ginger and black-pepper delights), while the Norwegians took to the liking of Krumkake (thin lemon and cardamom-scented wafers).

Wassail is a hot, spiced punch often associated with winter celebrations of northern Europe, such as Christmas, New Year’s and Twelfth Night. The term itself is a contraction of the Old English toast wæs þu hæl, meaning “be in good health”. A popular Christmas song mentions wassailing, which is groups of people either bearing wassail or begging for it, going from house to house singing and reveling. This is believed to be a custom of helping the poor without placing them in the category of, as a version of the song notes, “daily beggars”. It is also a way of preserving a perishable crop – apples, by turning them into something that can be preserved – cider, which is traditionally a central ingredient for Wassail. Today sugar, ale, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon are placed in a bowl, heated, and topped with slices of toast.

Yule Ham is a traditional dish in Scandinavian and English celebrations. The tradition is often suggested to have began as a tribute to Freyr, a major German god associated with boars and fertility. The boar’s head with apple in mouth was carried into the banquet hall as a sacrifice with the intent of imploring Freyer to show favor in the new year.

Our family enjoys a Christmas smoked ham (without the head). The recipe is simple: Trim the fat from a smoked ham. Wrap it in tinfoil and cook all night on Christmas Eve at 325 degrees. Next morning as you awake to a delicious smell, mix 3/4 can of coke, pineapple juice from a large can of pineapple, and one box of brown sugar. Pour over the ham and cook for one more hour. During the hour, baste often with the juice and sugar as deep into the meat as you can. Yummm!

Many believe that eggnog is a tradition that was brought to America from Europe. This is partially true. Eggnog is related to various milk and wine punches that had been concocted long ago in the “Old World”. However, in America a new twist was put on the theme. Rum was used in the place of wine. In Colonial America, rum was commonly called “grog”, so the name eggnog is likely derived from the very descriptive term for this drink, “egg-and-grog”, which became egg’n’grog and soon eggnog. Other experts say that the “nog” of eggnog comes from the word “noggin” which was a small, wooden, carved mug. It was used to serve drinks at table in taverns (while drinks beside the fire were served in tankards). The true story might be a mixture of the two and eggnog was originally called “egg and grog in a noggin”. This was a term that required shortening if ever there was one.

For our family, we enjoy “Christmas punch”. You take one half gallon of lime sherbert and you put it in a punch bowl with a 2 liter of ginger ale. Let the sherbert melt just a little. It is wonderful.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

As you eat the Christmas cookies, remember the time that Jesus gave bread to his disciples as recorded in Mark 14:22, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, “Take, eat: this is my body.” Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life…He will sustain us.

As you eat your Christmas ham, remember that Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice. Hebrews 7:27 He does not need to offer sacrifices every day like the other high priests. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he sacrificed himself on the cross.

As you drink the eggnog, wassail, or the punch, remember that it is Jesus who will spice up the atmosphere and He is the only source of joy. Remember the verse in Luke 2:10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”

The earliest ornaments, in the early 1800’s, were food: apples, onions, pears, nuts, candies, and fruits. These, along with the evergreen trees themselves, represented the certainty that life would return in the Spring.

As the idea of decorated Christmas trees spread, various countries added their own variations. The Germans, for instance, began hanging other types of food on their trees, such as, gingerbread or other hard cookies, baked in the shape of fruits, stars, hearts, angels, and bells. Americans would string long strands of cranberries or popcorn to circle their trees. In the UK, creative ornaments of lace, paper or other materials showed the variety of interests and talents of their makers.

Until the latter part of the nineteenth century, trees were decorated with the creations of the loving hands of family and friends. In Lauscha, Germany, an area long know for its glass blowing, began to make ornaments that were sold strictly as Christmas ornaments. Initially replicating fruits, nuts and other food items, they soon branched out and began to manufacture hearts, stars and other shapes that had been created out of cookies.

Until the late 1930’s ornaments in America were imported from Europe. The Corning Company of Corning of New York determined a way to make American glass ornaments. These ornaments were lacquered by machine on the outside and were silvered on the inside so they would remain “shiny bright” for longer periods. (An interesting side note: There is a legend that says if you placed a reflective ornament on your tree any evil spirits trying to enter your home would see their reflections and withdraw, terrified of what they saw.)

By 1940 Corning was making about 300,000 ornaments a day, compared with the perhaps 600 for a skilled German glassblower companies. Today, it has became harder and harder to actually see the tree beneath all the ornaments.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

Keep in mind as you hang your ornaments, that the first ornaments were hung on the tree as a symbol of the certainty that new life would return in the Spring. Think on the certain fact that Christ was born, died, and came back to life to give us new life in Him. 1 Peter 1:3-4 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God has given us a new birth because of his great mercy. We have been born into a new life that has a confidence which is alive because Jesus Christ has come back to life. We have been born into a new life which has an inheritance that can’t be destroyed or corrupted and can’t fade away. That inheritance is kept in heaven for you.

Christmas cards connect us to family and friends. Cards remind us that someone cares and, more importantly, has taken the time to remember us.

Christmas cards originated in England over 150 years ago. In 1843 Sir Henry Cole, the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, had so many Christmas greetings to send that handwriting them was impossible. Yet he wanted to make his friends aware of the need to help the destitute on that holiday. His answer was to commission John Calcott Horsley to paint a card showing the feeding and clothing of the poor. A center panel displayed a happy family embracing one another, sipping wine and enjoying the festivities, and the words “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You was printed on that first card. Although he had the best intentions, the card drew criticism for showing a child enjoying a sip of wine and Sir Henry was considered to be”fostering the moral corruption of children.” ” Legend says Sir Henry didn’t send any cards the following year, but the custom became popular anyway.

From this first-known Christmas card a flourishing card industry has evolved. That early card was hand-colored and lithographed on stiff cardboard, then delivered by hand, a far cry from today’s mass production and almost instant delivery of internet e-cards.

Still, the overriding purpose and custom of exchanging Christmas cards grows out of that very human need to connect. Christmas is that special time of year that makes us feel that we are all a part of the same family and being part of the same family we owe each other some measure of good. Christmas cards are one way we convey this to others and make them feel special?

How do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

As Christians, we are all part of Jesus’ family. The world should know us by our love. Jesus came to show us how to love one another, care for one another, and encourage one another, not just at Christmas but all year through. John 17:11 (Msg) For I’m no longer going to be visible in the world; they’ll continue in the world while I return to you. Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life that you conferred as a gift through me, So they can be one heart and mind as we are one heart and mind.

Yule is a Winter Solstice festival that has been celebrated in Northern Europe since ancient times. In pre-Christian times, Germans celebrated Yule from late December to early January. During the process of Christianization, Yule was placed on December 25, in order to correspond with the Christian celebration. Thus, the terms “Yule” and “Christmas” are often used interchangeably especially in Christmas carols. Many of the symbols associated with Christmas are derived from this traditional pagan Yule celebration. The burning of the Yule log, the decorating of Christmas trees, the eating of ham, the hanging of boughs, holly, mistletoe, etc. are all historically practices associated with Yule.

Burning a Yule log is probably the oldest Christmas tradition. In Scandinavia, Yule ran from several weeks before the winter solstice to a couple weeks after, which was the darkest time of year. There was quite a bit of ritual tied to the Yule log as it marked the sun’s rebirth from its southern reaches. As the big log was brought into a home or large hall, songs were sung, stories told, and children danced. Personal mistakes were said to be burned in the flame so everyone’s new year would start with a clean slate. The log was never allowed to burn completely; a bit was kept in the house to start next year’s log. The log was said to predict bad luck; if the fire went out during the night, tragedy would strike the home in the coming year. The log also brought good luck; any pieces that were kept, protected a house. Ashes of the log would be placed in wells to keep the water good or placed at the roots of fruit trees and vines to help them bear a good harvest.

In the fourth century AD, when Pope Julius I decided to celebrate Christmas around the Winter Solstice, the Yule log tradition continued, but the fire came to represent the light of the Savior instead of the light of the sun. The burning of the Yule log marked the beginning of Christmas celebrations. In Appalachia, as long as the log burned, you could celebrate, therefore a very large log was chosen and soaked in a stream to ensure a nice long celebration. In the early nineteenth century, American slaves didn’t have to work as long as the Yule log burned, so they would choose the biggest, greenest log they could find. If they did have to work while it burned, their master had to pay them for the work.

In England the log was supposed to burn for the twelve days of Christmas, from Christmas eve on December 24th to Epiphany on January 6th. Some English Yule logs were large enough that a team of horses were required to drag it to the castle or manor. Some English preferred a log from an ash tree. In the Slavic and other countries oak was the wood of choice. Almost everywhere, the fire was started with that bit of the last year’s log, to symbolize continuity and the eternal light of heaven.

In some parts of France, a special carol was sung when the log was brought into the home. The carol prayed for health and fertility of mothers, nanny-goats, ewes, and an abundant harvest. The French were probably the first to eat their Yule logs. They started out burning them like everyone else, but when big open fireplaces began to disappear in France, they moved the tradition to the table by making a cake roll that looked like a Yule log, called a “Buche de Noel”.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

The Yule log was to take away the mistakes of the last year. We know that Jesus came to take away our mistakes. Romans 3:22 We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.

The Yule log was not allowed to burn up completely. Be reminded from this that Jesus Christ is eternal. Rev. 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One.”

The Yule log represented the light of the sun during the dark winter: Remember that Jesus is our light in a dark world. John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

What we are trying to do with these 25 Days of Christmas newsletters is to help you enjoy the traditional practices of Christmas and give them Spiritual meaning for your family. We have always tried to do this with our children as we didn’t want to be so different from the world that the world wouldn’t want what we have.

An old English historical writing contains a letter from Pope Gregory to Saint Mellitus, who was then on his way to England to conduct missionary work among the pagan Anglo-Saxons. Pope Gregory suggested that converting heathens would go easier if they were allowed to retain the outward forms of their traditional pagan practices and traditions, while reinterpreting those traditions spiritually towards the Christian God instead of to their pagan “devils”: “to the end that, whilst some gratifications are outwardly permitted them, they may the more easily consent to the inward consolations of the grace of God”.

Today we as Christians should hear what Pope Gregory said, and rather than condemn the dark practices of the world, we should try to live the “Light”. Remember Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world.

Some people think that the Christmas wreath is a symbol of Christ’s crown of thorns. There may be some connection, but the actual origin of the wreath dates back to ancient Greece where the Greeks rewarded Olympic victors and other high achievers with laurel crowns. It’s unclear how such headgear was transformed into wall decor, but perhaps people just hung their crowns up as souvenirs. Neither Christmas nor Advent wreaths are worn as headbands, though for the Swedish festival of St. Lucia, on December 13, the family’s eldest daughter wears a headpiece decorated with greenery and nine lighted candles.

Though early Roman Christians used laurel in their Christmas decorations because it symbolized victory, glory, and cleansing from guilt, Europeans largely favored evergreens. In cold, northern climates, people latched onto anything that represented light and life against darkness and despair. As a result, their favorite winter symbols included plants that stayed green all year. The evergreen plant can symbolize the everlasting love of God.

The Advent wreath possibly originated in pre-Christian Germanic culture. During the cold December darkness of Eastern Europe, wreaths of evergreen were gathered as signs of hope in a coming spring. Christians incorporated this popular tradition, and by the 16th century, Catholics and Protestants throughout Germany used evergreen wreaths with candles to celebrate the coming of Christ, the everlasting Light. Traditionally, the wreath is made of four candles in a circle of evergreens with a fifth candle in the middle. Each day the candles are lit, one candle the first week, and then another each succeeding week until December 25th. The last candle is the middle candle. The lighting of this candle takes place on Christmas Eve. It represents Jesus Christ being born.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

As you look at all the Christmas wreaths this year, think of how the Greeks used wreaths as a sign of victory and remember this verse about the Ultimate Victor 1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The origin of giving gifts during Christmas can be attributed to The Wise Men (Magi) that were said to have followed a bright star from the East to Bethlehem where the baby Jesus was born. The Wise Men are sometimes depicted as kings from the East and three of them are regularly featured in nativity scenes in homes and churches all around the world. They brought three gifts for baby Jesus – gold, frankincense and myrrh. Just how many wise men there were is not known. According to scholars, camel caravans usually traveled in groups of 50 or more for safety reasons. Assumptions have been made that because there were three gifts, there were probably three wise men. As to when they arrived is also in dispute. Some religious scholars believe they came when baby Jesus was 2 years old or older because of the amount of time it would have taken to make the journey from their homeland of Persia.

In Germany, the Heilige Drei Knige or the Three Kings Day is the final celebration of Christmas, i.e. the Twelve Days of Christmas from December 25 to January 6. The abbreviation of the names of the three wise men, Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar (CMB) are put on the door the night before January 6 to protect the house. In many Spanish-speaking countries, the three wise men are bearers of gifts for children instead of Santa Clause. On January 5, the night before the Three Kings Day or El Dia De Reyes, they set their shoes outside filled with straw and the wise men, on their way to visit the baby Jesus, leave gifts for the children in exchange for the straw. In Mexico, children write letters to the wise men telling which gifts they would like to receive, tie them to a helium balloon, and later release them in Alameda Park, Mexico City. On January 6, children awake finding gifts in their shoes and dreaming they heard camel footsteps in the night and seeing the bright star that guided the wise men.

In Russia, children wait for Baboushka to give them gifts. Baboushka is a woman who supposedly gave the wise men the wrong directions to Bethlehem and wanders around on January 5, the night before the Three Kings Day, looking into houses and leaving gifts to all children trying to find the baby Jesus. In Italy, La Befana passed up the chance to go with the wise men because she had to clean her house. She goes around on the eve of the Three Kings Day, just as in Russia, trying to find baby Jesus.

Giving gifts during holidays is big business these days. Families, office colleagues, schools, teachers and just about anyone who believes in Christmas (and then some) exchange Christmas gifts. The actual tradition of exchanging gifts did not become popular until the early 1900s. Some people have pegged this relatively modern tradition as commercializing Christmas instead of focusing on the actual meaning of the day.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

As you watch the Christmas programs this year, focus on the gifts of the wise men. Gold was a gift fitting for a king. Frankincense was a gift fitting for a priest. Jesus earned the right to be called King of Kings. He is forever our High Priest…a priest is one who bridges the gap between man and God. But what about myrrh? This is the strangest of gifts. It was used to preserve a dead body. This too was a fitting gift. For Jesus came to die for the sins of all mankind.

We have always told our children that Jesus thinks of others so much that He would rather us give gifts to one another on His Birthday; our showing love to those around us is the best birthday present we could give Him. A great verse to share with your children and grandchildren at this time is Acts 20:35 “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Even though we point to the Magi as the ones who started the trend of gift giving, there is One who started before them. God gave the first gift of Christmas, His only Son. 2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Do we need to say anything more?

You are probably surprised…you thought this was the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ and you would receive no more emails. No…we are going all the way to Christmas Day…the 25 Days of Christmas. The traditional Advent calendar consisted of 25 days. Advent (from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming”) is a season in the Christian church of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, in other words, the period immediately preceding Christmas.

So what was the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ and where did it come from? Celebrated since medieval times, the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ traditionally began the day after Christmas Day and ended with Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night was the day that all decorations were to be removed because it was thought that leaving the decorations up would cause a disaster.

People believed that tree-spirits lived in the greenery (holy, ivy, etc.) they decorated their houses with. The greenery was brought into the house to provide a safe haven for the tree-spirits during the harsh midwinter days. Once this period was over, it was necessary to return the greenery back outside to release the tree-spirits into the countryside once again, or they would cause mischief in the house. Failure to do this would mean that vegetation would not be able to start growing again (spring would not return), leading to an agricultural disaster. Today some people still feel superstitious about leaving the Christmas decorations up after Twelfth Night.

The 12 days of Christmas were filled with merry-making, dancing, and continuous feasting. During this time, people would visit their neighbors, sharing and enjoying the traditional minced pie and other Christmas foods. Traditionally a Yule log was kept alight for these 12 days and was considered a bad omen if it went out before time!

The 12 days was a most welcome break for the workers on the land, which long ago was the majority of the people. All work, except for looking after the animals, stopped for those days. The Christmas season used to last much longer than that (until February 2), but people wanted the peasants to get back to work earlier, so the festive season was shortened, ending on Twelfth Night. The first Monday following the 12th day was called Plough Monday, because it was the time the farm workers were expected to return to the fields.

There is great debate as to the meaning of the carol, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” which became popular at the Twelfth Night parties that took place to end the Christmas season. A popular theory states that the song dates back to the time when Roman Catholics were not permitted to practice their faith openly (1558 until 1829). The song was written as a way of teaching young Catholics and had two levels of meanings: a surface meaning and a hidden meaning known only to their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember:

The ‘true love’ of the song refers to God.
‘A partridge in a pear’ tree was Jesus Christ.
‘Two turtle doves’ were the Old and New Testaments.
‘Three French hens’ stood for faith, hope, and love.
‘Four calling birds’ (actually the birds were colley birds or blackbirds) were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
‘Five golden rings’ recalled the Torah or law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
‘Six geese a laying’ stood for the six days of creation.
‘Seven swans a swimming’ represented the seven gifts of the Spirit which are the motivational gifts of prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, administration, and mercy found in Romans 12:3-8.
‘Eight maids a milking’ were the eight beatitudes of Matthew 5.
‘Nine ladies dancing’ were the nine fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, and self control found in Galatians.
‘Ten lords a leaping’ were the ten commandments.
‘Eleven pipers piping’ stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
‘Twelve drummers drumming’ symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostle’s Creed.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

Realize that as much as modern day marketing may think they are removing the memory of Jesus, He is so woven into the fabric of the season and our existence that they are up against an impossible task. It is the Christmas season and He is the reason for it ,and this is ‘His Story’. Jesus is in the lights…the candies…the carols…the gifts…the trees…the mistletoe…the tinsel. Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen

Jesus, the Christ Child, is the King of Kings and no one will defeat Him nor remove Him from the throne. Wow!! “Glory to the newborn king!”

Christmas carols are an important aspect of Christmas celebrations all over the world. They evoke in us the festive spirit with their simple lyrics and melody. Christmas Carols, whether “O Holy Night”, “Silver Bells”, or “Here Comes Santa Claus”, help to bring people together in harmony like no other music does. It has been said that Christmas songs wrap themselves about you like a shawl. But they warm more than your body. They warm your heart and fill it with a melody that makes you wish it would last forever.
Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were not Christmas Carols. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Solstice celebrations as people danced round stone circles. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, usually taking place around the 22nd December. The word Carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived!

Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christian songs to sing instead of pagan ones. This began in AD 129 when a Roman Bishop said that a song called “Angel’s Hymn” should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome. Soon after this, many composers all over Europe started to write carols. However, not many people liked them as they were all written and sung in Latin, a language that the normal people couldn’t understand.

This was changed by St. Francis of Assisi when, in 1223, he started his Nativity plays in Italy. The people in the plays sang songs that told the story of Christ’s birth. Normally they were all in a language that the people watching the play could understand and join in! The new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany and other European countries.

The earliest carol like this was written in 1410. The carol was about Mary and Jesus meeting different people in Bethlehem. Most Carols from this time were very loosely based on the Christmas story and were seen as entertaining rather than religious songs. They were usually sung in homes rather than in churches! In Europe, a tradition began of groups of people going from door to door in the community and singing outside their houses.
There is a legend that says the term ‘Christmas Carol’ originated because a young girl named Carol went missing in London, one cold winter night. As her friends went from door to door searching for her, in a manner similar to the Christmas singers, the name Christmas Carol began to be used.

Popular songs such as “Jingle Bells” or “White Christmas” are also considered as Christmas carols and are now sung with great gusto around Christmas time. Just hearing the famous Christmas carol “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” makes us feel happier. New Christmas songs continue to be written that try to put into words the special feeling that we have for family and friends at Christmas time.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

As you listen to all types of Christmas music this year, remember that the Angels may have been the first to sing a Christmas carol, as one star-lit night, they began to declare the message that baby Jesus had been born. Luke 2:10-12 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Our favorite Christmas song is “Mary’s Boy Child”. We first heard it the Christmas that Sheilah’s dad died. Christmas is a sad time to lose someone you love, but this song reminded us that year that ‘Man can live forevermore because of Christmas Day’ and we will see Pa Head again one day!

“We Wish You a Merry Christmas; We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!”