Feel of Christmas

Whenever I hear the word Christmas, it triggers certain images ,sounds and even smells. Many of us think of family and friends coming together amidst the glow of a warm fire. Smells of a wondrous feast cooking in the kitchen that we will all be eating. However, most of these images are completely distant from that first Christmas. The contrast occurred to me as I attended our local zoos Christmas light show. At one part of the zoo, they have a petting area with sheep, goats, and many other animals in a building that could double as a very nice manger. Needless to say, the sights and smells there did not bring back memories of Christmas past. However, as I was leaving I realized that the sounds and the “fragrance” of the petting zoo area are very much the sights and sounds of that first Christmas. It really made me think of the manger scene with animals and hay all around. This is very different from the Christmas memories that we have today. Visiting the petting zoo area may be an annual thing for me just to help me focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

I hope that you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.