How do you feel about Christmas? Love it? Hate it?

paradox

rainbow, this is how I remember Christmas in my youth in Germany.
On Christmas Eve after the midday meal all present would sing along with the traditional songs and we would feast on roast nuts and toffee apple and Christmas stollen and have a little Gluhwein. When all was done and dusted we would retire to our individual homes for a rest until the evening meal and the gift giving. More often than not Gifts would be necessaries like clothing and maybe a block of chocolate. The older kids stayed awake until it was time to go to midnight mass. We would wake the young ones, dress them and then head for the church. Clear skies and crisp snow underfoot, the young ones being pulled along on sleighs and carrying lanterns, bells attached to the sleighs tinkling, we set off to arrive at the church just before midnight. The church was all lit up and presented a magnificent picture of warmth and welcome in the dark of the night. The inside was decorated with pine branches hung with baubles and real candles attached and lit.
A nativity scene was set up with real people playing the characters and a huge decorated pine tree in the middle lit with hundreds more candles. The church smelled of burning pine and incense and reverberated to the sounds of the organ playing and carols being sung by the choir boys. The congregation joined in the singing and children were wide eyed, happy and rugged up to the eyeballs in warm clothing. After Mass back home and a long peaceful sleep.
That's the meaning of Christmas for me.