Christmas Eve

I love Christmas Eve. In some ways, I actually like it more than Christmas. I feel like Christmas morning is always gone so quickly, passing by in a blur of wrapping paper and tape, followed by a overwhelming desire to take a nap.

Christmas Eve is special to me for the memories I have of going to church and having candlelight service; singing "Silent Night" in the flickering light and watching for Santa on the car ride home. It's dinner with family. It's feeling the love without feeling the stress of trying to figure out if people like their gifts, will they be offended if I take that back, how does this gadget even work?

There could -- and often would -- be family arguments and drama on Christmas. There was never any on Christmas Eve.

I often feel like Christmas Eve is more pure than Christmas. Like Christmas is the pretty sister, the one everyone wants to take to the prom, but Christmas Eve is her big sister, the one everyone wants to hang out with -- less showy, thoughtful, and actually more beautiful, but in a quieter way. Christmas may get all of the attention -- the bells! The sleigh! The reindeer! -- but Christmas Eve is where it's at.

It's where the magic is. Scrooge changed his mind and saw his ghosts on Christmas Eve. The Grinch decided to bring everything back on Christmas Eve (of course, his heart didn't grow until Christmas, but that's okay). Santa does his best work on Christmas Eve, I'm told.

See?

Magic.

I hope your Christmas Eve -- and your Christmas, too -- are completely magical.