Merry Christmas Everyone

I love Christmas. I always have done so. I remember as a little girl, lying in the cold darkness of the winter night,  listening, willing myself to hear sleigh bells and the clatter of reindeer hooves on the roof.  I always fell asleep too soon but in the morning I'd find my presents at the bottom of my bed.  I remember too going to Christmas mass with my parents, sitting upstairs in the gallery of the small country church, listening to the carols which seemed to me to echo the singing of angels. (Yes, we did have a good choir!)
While I no longer believe in fairytales, I still love Christmas.  I love the idea of a festival to brighten
the darkest days of the year. I love the decorations, the cards we send to friends, the exchanging of gifts with those we love, the family traditions,  the feeling of goodwill to all. I love putting up the decorations, remembering the stories of where and when they were purchased, blending family recipes to create our own Christmas dinner, getting out the old china and best table cloth.
I'm not naive enough to think that everyone enjoys Christmas.  For many people it's a time of sadness, a reminder of empty places around the table, of loved ones who won't be joining the celebrations.  For others,  it's a struggle to meet the expectations which our materialistic society have foisted on this mid-winter festival.
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable and peaceful Christmas with those they love.