How do you celebrate Christmas? Everybody has a unique way of celebrating the holiday. Some attend a church service the night before and some gather with family. Traditions make Christmas extra special. In my family, we go to a Candle Light Service, visit my pap, and open gifts at my grammy's house. The first stop of the night is church. The Candle Light Service starts at 5:00 p.m. and continues until 6:30 the same night. Everyone shows up in suits, dresses, and festive clothes. The church gets quiet as our preacher, who many of the children believe is Santa Clause, approaches the podium. He tells the story of Jesus's birth, as he does every year. When he finishes, we open our Hymn Books and sing the same songs as we have the previous years- "Joy to the World", "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", Hark the Herald Angels Sing", and finally, "Silent Night". During the last song, the lights dim and we light out candles. We each get our own candle that we hold until the last song ends. After everything is over, we blow out our candles and exchange goodbyes. …show more content…
The entire Murphy family shows up. Within an hour, roughly forty people and two dogs are packed into four rooms. It very quickly becomes a sauna with little kids running and screaming and dogs following close behind them. They soon find the gifts and tear them open, then pester everyone to play with them. When everybody settles down, we move on to dinner. The entire congregation stuffs themselves in the kitchen. The aroma of honey-glazed ham and macaroni salad fills the air. There's a large piece of the counter top reserved for my grama's famous iced tea that tastes perfect with everything from bacon-chicken casserole to the strawberry-pretzel desert. Soon after we have filled ourselves to the brim, we slowly
I have always found communion to be an important sacrament to the Christian faith, but sometimes its meaning can be lost in repetitiveness. Sara Miles, in her book Take This Bread, has shed a new light on what it means to take communion as she writes about her transformation into being a Christian by receiving bread and wine. Hunger is the main theme of the book, whether it be spiritually or physically, all humans are linked by that common need. This transformation goes beyond her and pours into the souls and bodies of the San Francisco community, by sharing not only food but the body of Christ. This book has pushed me to get past my comfort zone and heavily consider the way in which food can be an important aspect of my faith and how I share
Every Christmas, my family comes together to celebrate our Roman Catholic faith. Church is emphasized in my family; my great-grandfather would go to two different masses on Christmas Eve. My
Christmas is a holiday celebrated by most of the world. Christianity is very popular in the US and Hispanic cultures. In the US, Christmas is celebrated with going to Church on Christmas Eve, spending time with their families, and many other things. People also reenact the nativity scene, sing Christmas carols, and do
The Bible provides no guidelines that explain how Christmas should be observed, nor does it even suggest that it should be considered a religious holiday. Because of the lack of biblical instructions, Christmas rituals have been shaped by the religious and popular traditions of each culture that celebrates the holiday.
The spirit of Christmas continues, as the notable star is place at the tip-top of the Christmas tree. When comprehending the birth of Jesus Christ, one will soon learn of the part of the story that is about a star that led the three wise men east, towards the
The service began with a time of invocation through prayer, responsive reading and song that evoked the presence of God. An oil fueled candle and tray that contained the communion bread and grape juice were then placed at the center of a table. The invocation brought attention to the reality that we who were in attendance were not merely gathered as individuals. We were part of a community, the larger body of Christians from which we came. Remarks were made that emphasized the significance of the event and the paradox in sharing the...
Carols, snow, mistletoe, cookies and milk. These are all synonymous with the Christmas season. However, for many, the true staple of Christmas is Santa Claus. Every child has felt the joy of Christmas Eve, spending time with family, leaving treats out for Santa, tossing and turning in their beds in anticipation for old St. Nick’s arrival. Although what Santa does is well known, his origins are slightly less familiar to most. The man we identify with Christmas has developed over a long time and has encountered many changes. “The original St. Nicholas is for the most part a shadowy figure, lost in historical mists and religious myths. (Myers 318).
Although it was never celebrated in biblical times, Christmas is celebrated in local churches here in Visalia, California in praise of the fact that God loved us so much; he sent his one and only son to earth. He was wholey god and wholey man. Whereas we have succumbed to the temptations of this earth, Jesus was able to overcome all temptations and live a sinless life. He was then crucified as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. One cannot understand why we celebrate the birth of Christ without seeing the other end of his life. He was crucified for our sins and resurrected.
The hosts come to our table and escort us to the buffet. The buffet is set up in a different room adjacent to the dining room. A long table is covered with a white table cloth. Large white plates start off the buffet line followed by multiple silver chafers. I pick up my plate and make my way down the line. Apple roasted pork shoulder with pan jus fills the first chafer, with beef tenderloin in the next. As I continue, I scoop garlic whipped potatoes onto my plate along with bacon maple balsamic Brussel sprouts. Continuing with the exceptional staff, bus boys line the room making sure the chafers never run low on their content. I head back to the dining room anxious to begin devouring my
Christmas to me is a celebration, which includes spending time with my family, decorating the entire house, inside and out, and shopping, for the people I love. Doing this with the people I love is what means the most to me. Spending Christmas with my family is very important to me. We usually gather and celebrate at my parent’s house, in East Tennessee. My husband, our three children, and myself travel from California. My two sisters, their husbands, and children come from a nearby town, for our celebration.
Ever since I could remember, I have spent Christmas at my grandmother’s house, a house which is full of comfort, warmth, and happiness. At Christmas, I have always been able to escape the cold and dark real world allowing myself to truly enjoy just several moments in time. These moments have left impressionable memories from my childhood making Christmas a holiday that is special to me and my family. It is a time for my family to get together, share stories, laugh, and even cry.
Christmas is my favorite holiday because it is the time of year that everyone should spend with their family and friends loving them unconditionally. Every Christmas, my family and I, on my mother 's side, join together on Christmas Eve to be able to spend time with the ones which we love. Considering that my family loves to eat, my grandmother cooks a ginormous feast! My grandmother loves to cook, but on Christmas she goes crazy. She cooks dressing, corn, potatoes, macaroni, green beans, sweet potato casserole, and my favorite pecan pie. After making sure everyone gets enough food, we all join in the living room to share stories and open our presents. My cousin, Brady Parker, always finds a way to make
I love Christmas. I think it is the most wonderful day of the year.When my calander mark December 26 butterflies flutter around my stomach and I feel like a kid in the candy store . I love this day so much because I eat delicious food, see my family, and receive presents.
Everyone has a Christmas Eve routine. Christmas Eve starts with getting ready for mass. My family is Catholic, so Christmas Eve mass is always long. Christmas Eve mass starts at around 6 o’clock, and usually gets over at around 8 o’clock. It is usually close to two hours long, but we do not mind because Christmas reminds us why we attend. I love Christmas Eve mass because of the music the choir sings. They remind me of the angels that would be singing around the manager of Jesus after he was born on Christmas Eve hundreds of years ago. The music is soothing, and makes a person realize how beautiful celebrating Christmas is. After church, my family heads back to
People set time aside to prepare, by repenting their sins or doing something cheerful, like opening one window of an Advent Calendar every morning and reading the spiritual message inside, to guide them throughout the day. Christmas cards, a fairly recent custom, are sent to others wishing a happy Christmas. Christmas Day,December 25th ,is the second most important festival of the liturgical year. People can do many things to commemorate Jesus' birth, like Carol singing or the cultural tradition of decorating a