WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES 12.

It's the 24th of December, lovers&friends-who'd-soon-to-be-my-lovers-too!
I don't know about you but, about for me, I'm looking forward for the 24th more than I do for the 25th.
I think because I enjoy all the preparations -- well, last-minute ones, at least -- more than I enjoy the actual party.

Especially when I was young and we're in the province and my cousins and I would be playing all day while our grandma and moms and aunts would cook and prepare the dishes that we're going to eat for Noche Buena. Then, when it's around 8 at night, all of us, kids, will sleep and the older people (NYAHAHA) will just wake us up few minutes before 12am. Then, after eating, we'd all gather around the Christmas tree and one member of the family will grab the presents and read the cards and have them passed around to those people to whom it's addressed to. And we'll delight in our presents until we grow tired and sleep again. Christmas has always been like that to me when I was little. We'd always travel to our province at least a day before Christmas. But when I got past Grade3, If I remember correctly, we don't always spend Christmas in the province anymore. Nonetheless, Christmas remains to be one of the days of the year that I always look forward to.

As years passed by, the childish ecstasy once prominent with every thought of Christmas day has slowly faded away. The red decorated Christmas socks hung up for Santa to fill in with gifts had been replaced with more practical and simple wish lists given to parents to see and fulfill. There are people who would rather sleep off the whole thing without even greeting the people they know, thinking that they actually could have been doing something better that time if it wasn't Christmas break. blah blah blah. And there would be those people who would actually forget about what the day is, like it was just another day in their life.

But, really, why do we celebrate Christmas?
I guess I would be able to answer this clearly if I'd been listening intently to the church services we had this past month; if only I'd been taking down notes-- that is, if only my notebook's not been lost. gahh. K, it's still my fault, anyway.

It's the time of the year when we celebrate the day Jesus Christ has been born.
The day when our Saviour has been born.
The day when the one person who could and did save us has been brought to existence.
The day when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.(John 1:14)

Well, that's all I know since I'm not really a full-fledged Theologian -- or anything near that.

To avoid being a hypocrite, or to be called one, I honestly don't always think of Christmas this way. I'm actually one of those who anticipate the gift-giving part/s of this season. But, well, I just wanted to blog about this, anyway.

So, advanced merry Christmas, everyone!
May we all have a rockin' Christmas this year.. and the years to come :D

Done.


*PAT