What's Your Favorite?

One of the best things about this time of year are the books, songs, movies, etc. that you finally feel justified in enjoying. You could listen to Christmas music any time of year, but who wants to do that? Part of what makes this season so special and fun is the enjoyment of these holiday treats that we wait all year for.

My favorite Christmas book is A Christmas Carol. Many many years ago I got the idea from my brother to read it, and I have read it every Christmas since. It's incredible. If you've never read it you really should. There are some beautifully written thoughts and ideas in it. Many of which are usually kept in some form or another in the movies, plays, etc. of this story. A couple of my favorite quotes are also a couple of the best known, and both are spoken by Jacob Marley as he visits with Scrooge prior to the visit of the Three Spirits.

''Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

"At this time of the rolling year, I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellowbeings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!"

While there are so many good songs to listen to, both traditional and new, it may seem hard to select just one as your favorite. Most of my favorites are in German, and many of them are only in German, like Es wird scho gli dumpa. But if I had to choose just one as my absolute favorite it would have to be Silent Night. I've always loved this song, but after serving in Austria it is permanently ingrained in me as special. Most of you know of its origins and that it was written in Austria (near Salzburg, in Oberndorf), but you may not know that it is such a special song over there that they only sing it on Christmas Eve. That's the only day that it's okay to sing it. That was hard for me since I love it, so on that day both years I was there I must have sung it about 20 times just to get my fill. It has such powerful imagery that I feel like I am there at the birth of the Savior when I listen to it. It has the ability like no other song to make the spirit of the season very palpable.

I love old movies. And I mean from as far back as the 30's. So it's no surprise that the movies I love to watch around Christmas are old black and white ones. As cheesy as they might be, I always want to watch them. I enjoy newer movies too, but my favorite is It's A Wonderful Life. Even though it's on TV all the time and people make fun of it, I love it.

So what are your favorite Christmas songs, books, and movies? Do you have a favorite quote from one of them? Please share! I love learning things like this about people.