The Reason for the Season
Christmas Eve Gift!
We have a tradition in my family started by my Pawpaw Higgins that has been passed down. I’m sure he was not the originator and my research tells me no one is quite sure how or why it started, however it predates George Washington and probably started as an Irish tradition. It's called "Christmas Eve Gift". When people who are playing the game wake up on Christmas Eve, there is a race to say "Christmas Eve Gift!"
Christmas Eve is best described as a game of verbal tag. The only catch is that once you've been "gotten" you are out of the game with that person for the year, and you have to wait 365 days to catch them again.
The rules of Christmas Eve Gift are simple:1. It can only be played on Christmas Eve. 2. You must say the words "Christmas Eve Gift" to them before they say it to you. 3. Whoever "gets" someone first is the winner. Whoever "gets got" is not only a miserable loser, they are a miserable loser for an ENTIRE YEAR. I love Christmas! One year I put up our Christmas tree before Halloween. Several Children didn't quite finish, "Trick or Treeeaat?" when they saw the tree as I opened the door. We decorate the house.We have Nativities.Kenett is a Christmas artist!I love everything about Christmas. I love celebrating the birth of my Lord. I love the secular aspects of Christmas. Even Santa! I love the commercialization of Christmas. I love Christmas! I love saying: "Merry Christmas!"
Think about the first Christmas.
Hotels were full, people were busy.
Money was tight because the government made everyone journey to the place of their birth lineage.
Christmas crept up on everyone. No one was expecting it.
On Christmas Eve no one knew it was Christmas Eve.
It had been predicted in writings, proclaimed by the prophets. But, it was not a fresh idea.
It was expected by a few, forgotten by most.
Two thousand years later a society actively pursues forgetfulness.
We are ignoring truth, celebrating obscurity and either actively or passively participating in the de-Christification of Christmas.
My perceived turning point in history is slowly, methodically becoming unrecognizable.
“Noel” – a shout of joy at Christmas for the birth of the Savior, the Birthday for “Emmanuel” – God with us.
Christmas happened. There was time before Christmas, then there was Christmas.
I for one never thought in America I would observe a debate about removing the word “Christmas” from Christmas!
But here we are. How did we get so far from where we started?
Luke 2:8-14 The New King James Version
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 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!”
The angels sang an old song they had sung from before the foundations of the earth, yet sang it as a new song with a new verse, “On earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
This is the desire of Christmas!
This is the hope of Christmas!
Christmas Eve Gift! Merry Christmas from Illinois 4 Huckabee!
