Christmas experiences to keep the magic alive
It seems like each year feels less and less like Christmas. Am I the only one that feels that way? Is it the weather tricking us because it snows one day and is 65 degrees the next? Is it that I'm an adult and the days tend to blend together more? Is it because stores have the next holiday set of items in place before the previous one has ended? Why does it not feel like Christmas? It feels like days and months are passing so fast. This is how I've felt the past few years, but the past two have been interesting because I had an experience that put me into the Christmas spirit because of these events. Last year, about a week or two before Christmas, my partner and I bought tickets to see Brett Eldridge, a country singer. My partner really likes this guy, and he was going to have a concert at the Fox Theatre. We bought tickets and didn't think much of it until we got there on the night of and the advertising said that it was Brett's Christmas "Glow" show - which meant an entire concert dedicated to Christmas music. We paid to hear his popular songs, not some Christmas tunes. But by the time we left the show, we were blasting his Christmas album in the car singing along to it. Brett started singing because of Bing Crosby as a kid. He heard his Christmas music and fell in love. As a kid that grew up only a few hours away from St. Louis, he loved Christmas and just wanted to sing Christmas tunes. But he knew that he needed to make money, so he branched out and started singing country music. The show he hosted was so awe-inspiring. It was just him in a tux and a big band behind him - the saxophones, the trumpets, the trombones. He was vulnerable on stage, told us about his love for this music and that made you feel the spirit that you should feel around this time each year.
Fast forward to this year and I've had two other experiences that have moved me into the Christmas spirit. The first was seeing Lindsey Stirling's show a few weeks ago. I saw her last summer for the first time and her show was a very emotional experience for me. She plays the violin, dances ballet, and does acrobats all at the same time. How can one person be so talented? So then when she was doing a Christmas show, I had to go. And again, she was authentic and vulnerable on stage. While she did get a little preachy in my opinion, it was also inspiring to hear how her faith and Christmas intersect. Her dad and best friend passed away within a short amount of time and since then she's had a few experiences when there were conversations that she had where it seemed like it was her dad talking to her. She said that "Everybody is a little piece of magic". And I feel like that hit home for me. We may not be famous and be on stage, but we are making moments and impact on a daily basis with our immediate circle.
And finally, I saw Celtic Woman. This was kind of a random “yes” experience. A friend of mine mentioned wanting to go but didn't have anyone to go with and I told her to buy me a ticket. Well, little did I know that not only were these badass Irish women going to be singing, but the entire St. Louis Orchestra Symphony would also be performing with them. They had the entire symphony playing along with them while they sang. There was some mainstream Christmas music, but there were also others that I hadn't heard before. They also had bagpipes and gave us some history of how these songs came to be.
So as I'm reflecting on these Christmas experiences, I would encourage you to ask yourself- have you had a Christmas experience? And how can you ensure that you get one before the holiday comes? Because at the end of the day, presents will come and go in your household. You will donate those items you didn't actually want or need, but you will never forget the experience that you share with a friend, loved one, sibling, or stranger. These are the moments that will stay with us from year to year even when we feel like it's all blurring together. Make sure you have those standout moments in your life. Make sure you keep the magic alive.
Check these out on Amazon:
Brett Eldredge “Glow” CD: https://amzn.to/3P3V8ci
Brett Eldredge “Glow” Vinyl: https://amzn.to/49KMokK
Lindsey Stirling “Snow Waltz” CD: https://amzn.to/4iEyMLZ
Lindsey Stirling “Snow Waltz” Vinyl: https://amzn.to/3P44CUE
Celtic Woman “The Magic of Christmas” CD: https://amzn.to/49Lz3Zf
Amazon Music Subscription: https://amzn.to/3VLHdLB
