Chuck Lawless: Christmas Eve Memories

I’m 52 years old, but I remember well the Christmas eves of my childhood. Our grandpa spent the night with us, and he always slept on the couch in the living room. We needed him there to open the front door for Santa Claus. Sure, Santa usually came down the chimney, but our fireplace was a fake one. We may have been young, but even we figured out there was no way for Santa to enter our house through that means.

Grandpa was also responsible for making sure Santa saw the milk and cookies we left for him in the kitchen. We always wondered if Grandpa actually ate the cookies, and he teased with us enough that we never really knew. I can’t remember all the gifts we received each year, but I vividly recall Grandpa’s delight in telling the stories of his encounters with Santa.

Seldom did we sleep deeply on Christmas Eve. I doubt we had “visions of sugar-plums” dancing in our heads, but I’m sure we had thoughts of Matchbox cars, army men, fishing gear, and bicycles – thoughts about “stuff.” I know we wondered just how early on Christmas morning we could head downstairs to the Christmas tree. Every Christmas Eve lasted only 24 hours, but the memories still linger for me now decades later. Keep reading

For me for a number of years Christmas Eve was the late night service at Christ Episcopal Church in Covington, Louisiana. My mother sang in the choir. One year my mother and I brought my oldest grandnephew with us to the service. It was his first Christ Eve Service. The service began with carol-singing with the choir in their stalls. After the carol-singing the service proper began with a solemn procession around the interior of the nave, up the center aisles and down the side aisles. The Christmas Eve Service was one of the few times of the that incense was used at Christ Church. As the choir swept past the pew where my grandnephew and I were sitting, my grandnephew joined his great grandmother in the procession. My grandnephew is now a young adult. His great grandmother passed away in May and sings in the heavenly choir. This Christmas will be my family's first Christmas without her. Christmas is a season to reflect on what is of real value in this life. A very merry Christmas to you all.