OurmiraclestorycomesfromanincidentthatoccurredinFlanders,Belgium,atthedawnofWorldWarI.OnDecember24th,1914,GermanandEnglishtroopsfacedeachotherfromtherelativesafetyoftheirditchesacrosswhichnoman'slandlyingbetweenthem.Suddenly,thesilencewasbroken,notbygunfire,butbythestrainsofSilentNightarisingfromtheGermanposition.Itwasn'tlongbeforetheEnglishtroopsrespondedwithaYuletidehymnoftheirown.ThenanamazingsightsurprisedtheeyesoftheEnglishsoldiers.AGermansoldierholdingasmalltreearrangedwithlightedcandlesbegantowalkacrossthelandtowardtheEnglishlines.ThismiraculoussceneoccasionedthedeclarationofatrucefollowedbyEnglishandGermantroopsgreetingoneanother,exchangingsmallgiftsandsingingsongsofChristmas.WordofthisincrediblephenomenonreachedtheHighCommandofbothsides.
OnChristmasDay,botharmiesmovedfromtheirpositionstoengageinthekillingofwaratotherbattlefields.However,onChristmasEve1914onafieldinFlanders,therewasPeaceonEarth.
Christmasisatrulyamazingphenomenon.Thedayandseasonperpetuateamiraculous,historicaleventasanannualpresencethatchallengesanoftenrough,cruel,andegotisticalcreature--thehumanbeing--tobecomeopenandamenabletotheirCreator'svision.ThegreatmiracleofChristmascontinuesintheperformanceofhumaneacts,moralhonesty,andinthespiritualawarenessofmillionsstrugglingtoleadalifeofgrace.
ChildrenareveryexcitedonChristmasmorningandalwayswakeupearly.Christmasisalsoafamilycelebration.Asanymembersofthefamilyaspossiblegathertoeat,playpartygamesandwatchthespecialChristmasprogrammesonTV.
Onthetwenty-fourthofdecembereveryonegetsexcitedforit’sthedaybeforechristmaswhichiscalledchristmaseve.thechildrenareusuallysenttobedearlyandarewarnedthat“santaclauswillonlycomeandgiveyouapresentifyoubegood.”theyoungerkidsactuallybelievethatsantawillcomedownthechimneyonthesleighthat’spulledbyhisreindeers.foodlikeshortbreadandbeerarepreparedforsantawhenhecomes,howevermosttimesparentsjusteatthem.somechildrenputsocksandsacksupfortheholdingofthepresents(thattheirparentsputin).
Riseandshineonchristmasmorning!thechildrenarealwaysthefirstonestowakeup,someevendoatfour.presentwrapperseverywhere!theylookintotheirpresentswithabigsmileontheirfaceandohdear….ihopenoone’sdisappointed.ifeelsorryforanyonethatgotpinkunderwear.childrenplaywhiledinnerispreparedbytheadults.thechristmasdinnerareusuallyeatentogetherbyrelatives.thetraditionofchristmaspuddingandroostersareusuallyeatenwithdesertsafterwards.therestofthedayisusuallygamesandfunbeforethegooddaysallcometoanend.
Iwisheveryoneamerrychristmasandahappynewyear!