Christmas All the Year

No doubt many a family reads or watches A Christmas Carol this time of year. It is one of my very favorite stories. There is a reason why some characters become iconic or plots become classic. Some just manage to hit home more than others because they touch your heart and make you see life differently. 

I especially love the quote: "I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year." Christmas all the year. Christmas is not simply a day, but a season, and not just a season, but a spirit that we should carry all year. I think it's so sad when we have to take Christmas decorations down . . . maybe because we think the joy and peace goes with them. Sometimes I'd like to think we should keep up a small tree with lights just to remind us that the spirit of Christmas should live in our hearts all year long.

Christmas has to be my very favorite holiday. Externals like Christmas trees and cookies help make things feel festive for sure, but the special graces that come to our souls from the celebration of Christ's Birth are the moments to be treasured. Our Lord wants to bring us that joy and peace every day. He is present in the smiles in our families, the laughter in our friends, the peace in our hearts. 

To keep Christmas all the year means to love the Infant Jesus in every moment and in loving Him, sharing that gift with others. For when we look hard enough, we may find that the Christmas spirit can be found all year, if only we let it reign in our lives. Merry Christmas!!