Anticipation is delicious. The heart races, attention sharpens, excitement brings boatloads of energy and enthusiasm!
Christmas, with decorating the tree, candlelight services, and of course the gifts, has always been a time of anticipation. After Thanksgiving, when December begins, it's like a countdown. Decorations come out, there's a radio station dedicated to the music of the season, and the bell people come out of the woodwork in front of every store.
Christmas Eve was the height of it all. The night before, when the thrill had built over each passing day, the pile of gifts growing beneath the tree, the curiosity of it all just couldn't be denied. Shaking boxes, making guesses as to what was what. It was a family game to figure out what everyone was getting.
We got to open one present on Christmas Eve. It was like whetting our appetites for the next day, giving some satisfaction, but still...there were the rest of them! Just waiting. And of course, try getting us to sleep when we got home after the midnight candlelight service.
Still, we waited for the gifts until the next day, when we could really enjoy them. The next day, it was all about ripping up paper, exploring our gifts and our imaginations, and being incredibly thankful that we could experience it all together.
This year I'm thankful for the people I have in my life, each and every one! Love is the true gift this year. Well, that and the Doctor Who Christmas special, but...I'm a geek that way!
What are your Christmas Eve traditions? Do you agree about the anticipation that precedes Christmas?
Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it! May you have joy on this day.
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