50 Days: The Christmas Story

I love to listen to the Christmas Story. Without fail, each Holiday season at church, your pastor is going to do a Christmas series. The creative ones usually have a theme that hides it but still encompasses the story in it. I have already mentioned how much I enjoy Advent at church, hearing the Christmas story every year is also such a great reminder of the true meaning of Christmas for me that I can't go a year without it.

Another part of this posting is about my family.

Each year, after we all get up and watch part of the parade with our stockings, and then eat Christmas Breakfast, after that we gather around the tree and the inevitable happens.... we read the Christmas story.
(I know you were probably thinking after all that, it was going to be open presents right?)
Well, After the Christmas story, that is when the presents are opened, one by one, youngest to oldest. (Mom's last, haha).

I used to just get SO impatient with this tradition of Christmas morning. I wanted to get everyone up at 6AM (a few hours after I had already gotten up) and get straight to the presents. I was young, and I have always really had a one-track mind. Now, I thoroughly enjoy the Christmas Traditions on Christmas Morning.
About the Christmas story. Dad has us all get our bibles and we participate in the reading of the story. Until we were old enough, we would just listen, but when we were able to read well enough, we were given a passage to read. Another funny thing is the Ellithorpe (Mother's side of the family) Curse. This is where everything reminds you of a song and you have to sing it. Its not just an option, it is something you HAVE to do. Well, you know there are lots of parts in the Christmas Story that are taken from The Messiah (the composition)- that means that every part in there has to be sung like the Messiah. Mom started it, but the sisters and I have grown into it as well. I still fight the Ellithorpe Curse, but every year, whether I like it or not we have to sing.... Glory to God, Glory to God in the Highest!


Another great memory is having my Brother-in-law (Sister's Boyfriend at the time) when he was a new Christian and he got to read the part of the Magi. He read it as Maggie instead of Maj-eye. We all have a great laugh about that. Awesomeness.

So there is my memories of the Christmas Story. It would not be Christmas without this story.

12 Days until Christmas! What's your favorite part of the Christmas Story? 

(Mine's the fact that Mary was a virgin- it makes you think about how scary that would be as a 14 or 15 year old girl)