Where Did The Christmas Magic Go?
Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year. You have a lot of great things going on simultaneously. Of course, there is the birth of Jesus. But, there is also Santa Claus and presents. And finally, there is family and food. However, Christmas Eve used to be a magical evening for me. It was different than any other night of the year. But not recently. Where did the Christmas magic go? I miss it.
History
My grandmother was simply not a nice person. She had a very tough life, and she could barely hear out of one ear. This frustrated her and made her talk really loud, so I always thought she was yelling at me.
But, my grandmother loved Christmas. And, she was the matriarch of a yearly Christmas Eve party for the entire family. As children, we had to decorate big grocery boxes and bring them. Then, as the families arrived, they would drop their gifts in our boxes.
After dinner, everybody went into the “box room.” Youngest to oldest, each child dragged their box to the middle of the room and opened their gifts in front of everybody. Needless to say, it was a blast. But, it was more of a blast because my grandmother was like a different person that night. That made it magical.
Silent Night
I can remember when we left the Christmas Eve party and started home, their was something different about that night than any other night. I would look out the window to see if I could see Santa Claus. But, the night was always so peaceful. It seemed like the sky was so bright and there was no noise. I always got a special feeling in my body.
This phenomenon stayed with me until about five years ago. I’m not sure what happened to the magic, but it just stopped. I didn’t notice the brightness or the peace anymore. Now, it feels like any other night. And, I miss that magic.
Conclusion
I’m not going to lie. Presents are nice. Both to give and to receive. But, Christmas is about more. Under Vatican II, Christmas mass has become mundane. When I was young, our Christmas mass was an event. It had bells, incense and a choir. Now the mass has a bunch of talking.
I think the pomp and circumstance of our masses got me in the mood for the season. And, I believe that’s what put the special feeling in my belly and made the night seem so special in my mind. Everything has to come together for the season. And, it doesn’t seem to do that anymore. I miss the magic.
