The recipe card for your great-grandmother’s cookies, with its smudged flour and grease fingerprints and worn edges… the ornament you’ve unwrapped carefully from its layers of tissue paper year after year, smiling at the memories it conjures… the book of carols that graces the piano next to the sprig of holly from your mother’s garden…
It’s Christmas Eve, and we’ve reached the end of our countdown. Before we all turn in to bed with our kerchiefs and caps for dreams of sugarplums, I’d like to leave you with a final thought: part of the true spirit of the season is whatever makes it special for you.
Tonight, I have two songs for you. The first inspired my final thought. The second is part of what makes Christmas special for me: one of my favorite hymns that I recorded to share with you.
Thank you for joining me for our countdown. On this beautiful night and always, I wish you and yours peace, joy, and love.
That’s Christmas to Me (Pentatonix)
The fireplace is burning bright, shining all on me
I see the presents underneath the good old Christmas tree
And I wait all night ’til Santa comes to wake me from my dreams
Oh, why? ‘Cause that’s Christmas to me
I see the children play outside, like angels in the snow
While mom and daddy share a kiss under the mistletoe
And we’ll cherish all these simple things wherever we may be
Oh, why? ‘Cause that’s Christmas to me
I’ve got this Christmas song in my heart
I’ve got the candles glowing in the dark
I’m hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree
Oh, why? ‘Cause that’s Christmas to me
Oh, why? ‘Cause that’s Christmas to me
I listen for the thud of reindeer walking on the roof
As I fall asleep to lullabies, the morning’s coming soon
The only gift I’ll ever need is the joy of family
Oh, why? ‘Cause that’s Christmas to me
I’ve got this Christmas song in my heart (song in my heart)
I’ve got the candles glowing in the dark
I’m hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree
Oh, why? ‘Cause that’s Christmas to me
Oh, why? ‘Cause that’s Christmas to me
Oh, all the joy that fills our hearts and makes us see
Oh, why? ‘Cause that’s Christmas to me
I’ve got this Christmas song in my heart
I’ve got the candles glowing in the dark
And then for years to come we’ll always know one thing
That’s the love that Christmas can bring
Oh, why? ‘Cause that’s Christmas to me
“O Holy Night”
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees
O hear the angel voices
O night divine!
O night, when Christ was born
O night divine,
O night, O night divine!
