Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

One of the wonders of Christmas is the ability to stir up memories of the Christmas past in people’s lives. Most of you reading this column will have some memories about Christmas you can or have passed on to your children, the children in your family, and their generations. And it seems no matter how much technology has changed the way we live, those shared memories still provide a treasure trove of Christmas delight for the listeners.

I loved listening to how my parents and my ancestors celebrated Christmas. My grandparents shared stories of how they made simple gifts of freshly picked pecans, walnuts and peanuts, wrapped in burlap bundles to give to neighbors and friends. My grandmother gave me her molasses taffy recipe and told me how she would make taffy to give as gifts. A cake, or a specially made apron, mittens, or garment became cherished gifts too. And she talked about how even though the gifts were very simple, they were given with great care and love to the recipient.

Mama talked about how she went to Washington’s first really big official Christmas tree lighting in 1946. This was special to Mama as she had spent a few years living in Philadelphia and had seen the beautiful Christmas tree that was placed in the City Hall location with all the festivity and carolers around it. Now she was so excited to see the festivity around Washington’s big Christmas tree.

The tree was placed in the middle of Main Street at the corner of Market Street. The tree was so big it took three nights to get it just right and decorate it. There was a loudspeaker at the base of the tree so Christmas music could be heard for a block or more. Mama said you could hear it all up and down Main Street and even in some of the stores near the corner.

On Christmas Eve, Mr. Edmund Harding led a group of people in the singing of Christmas carols. Mama was moved to tears because for that moment in time, (which was during segregation,) people of all skin colors and ages sang together and celebrated the reason for the Christmas season, Jesus Christ the Lord, and the reason He was born.

I wish my parents and grandparents could have witnessed the lightening of Washington’s Christmas tree this year at the corner of Main and Gladden Streets. A huge crowd for that moment in time listened to the children sing, embraced one another and enjoyed the goodwill and joy that being together that night brought about. I can only imagine the stories the young people will tell future generations about that night and the festivities that followed.

I pray that for all of us, the gift and the joy of the true meaning of Christmas will shine bright in our hearts and lives as we remember Jesus is the reason for the season. He is the greatest gift ever given (John 3:16) and His love through us can be the best gift we can give one another.
Merry Christmas.