Here's the Christmas Blog Swap number 3! Today I'm swapping with Hannah! I've just recently met Hannah through this blog swap and really enjoyed her posts about Christmas traditions. This post that I'm sharing today is especially fun for me, because she's talking about one of my favorite traditions, too! After reading Hannah's post, you can head over to her blog to read my Christmas post, and the one's on Lizzie and Shelley's blog, as well!
Christmas Traditions: Candlelight Services & Christmas Carols
When I think back over holiday memories, I remember being so excited about our church's Christmas Eve service! It was so exciting to go to church and sing Christmas carols with friends. It was exciting to praise God and take time to remember the true meaning of Christmas--Christ's birth. And as a kid, it was always exciting to hold a candle and sing in the candlelight.
When my family moved from Massachusetts to Florida when I was in high school, our new church didn't have a Christmas Eve service. But my family made sure to set aside time to sing carols together! And we even lit candles or would light a fire in our fireplace.
I want my kids to grow up singing Christmas carols! I love how many carols are so worshipful and can direct our attention from the busyness of the season to thinking about Christ's birth. I started playing Christmas carols for my 1.5 year old and he loves "Angels We Have Heard On High" because of the part where we sing "Gloria"…now when he sees a Christmas angel he sings "Gloria!"
Other favorite carols are "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", "We Three Kings", "O Holy Night" and I could keep going! I love how these songs focus not only on Christ's actual birth, but also on why He came--to lay down His life for our sins so that we could know the Father!
I would love to hear about your favorite carols and why! Last year I shared some carols with my Compassion kids and asked them to share songs that they sing during Christmas. It was fun to read some of the songs!
That's so fun that you also love this Christmas tradition!! It worked out perfectly that I was able to share this tradition on your blog.
ReplyDeleteI love Christmas Eve services and carols too! They bring so much joy. Christmastime is such an incredible time of the year :) That is so precious that Juanito sings "gloria!"
ReplyDeleteYes... the candle with the little wax drip protector! I remember that so well! I thought it was so cool that I (a mere child) could actually hold something that was burning!!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite...O Come, O Come Emmanuel. It's haunting yet pining for something - someone - great to come!
I LOVE playing Christmas carols on my violin and sometimes that makes me forget the lyrics...and now that I have kids I love that they can learn both the lyrics AND how to play the beautiful melodies. I want them to know both.
We "carol" our neighbors and friends every year by ringing their doorbells and playing a few carols on our violins. The words are missing, but my hope is that the words of truth ring in their minds as they listen to us play.
My favorite Christmas carol is O Come, O Come Emmanual, too! For some reason I don't enjoy most of the Christmas songs written in major. But the minor carols are so beautiful! I love to play them on the piano and teach them to my students.
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