Christmas
Is it related to writing?

Of course it is!  Many writers drew some of their best and-or earliest inspiration from a variety of holidays, most notably Thanksgiving and Christmas.  From Dickens' "Christmas Carol" to Earl Hamner, Jr.'s "The Homecoming" which became the basis of "The Waltons" television series, writers galore have drawn their inspiration for certain stories from Christmas.  Myself included, in some early amateur press material.

I haven't yet made a story of it:  not enough 'percolating' time yet; but I did want to share my lovely Christmas Eve experience in the blog.

I had decided a week or two ago, having recently qualified conditionally for the local transportation service for elderly or disabled people under certain circumstances, to go to the parish I had belonged to during a prior tenancy to the place I'm living now.  One of those qualifications was distance; so the trip automatically qualified as long as I could pay the minimal fare.

The pastor had gotten the inspiration some weeks back not to hold the 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass at the church:  overflow had been a problem even with two Mass venues in the past.  He had arranged with the local high school to use their Field House for the Mass at 4:00 on Christmas Eve.

A lovely Mass it was, too.  Of those visible, and one suspects there were those who weren't visible, I figured there were at least 112 people actively involved in presenting this Mass.  Between greeters and ushers there were probably thirty.  Two priests, a deacon, two lectors, at least one altar server.  An adult choir with at least 12 members; children's choir about the same number, and about twenty kids ranging from about six to about sixteen years of age in a silent skit.

The organizers of the liturgy had arranged for the Gospel to be read (by the Deacon) in four segments.   In between the segments, the combined adult and children's choirs sang an appropriate verse of a well-known Christmas song.  As they did, other young people in costumes processed down the center aisle and took places in front of the altar: Mary and Joseph with a baby doll placed in a lined cardboard box, shepherds, a sacristan with a star on a pole, a troop of angels, and finally the Wise Men.

The venue made for a relaxed atmosphere wherein the youngest children could walk around or gather for ring dances while being far enough away not to distract the clergy on the altar.
It was a beautiful and very spiritual service.  Everyone was in an appropriately spiritual mood.

Even the pastor was a bit "blown away."  [His words.]  Though he had anticipated a crowd sufficient to book this venue, he had not anticipated a crowd of the size that actually did turn out.  Some of which may have been overflow from the neighboring parish, which turns people away when it becomes a fire safety issue of overcrowding.

The estimate of attendees was about 1500; and having not estimated that much there was standing room only for about 400 people, since it was too late to lower the bleachers on the side of the stadium that they had not done in advance.  Even with bleachers on one side and seating on the floor for about 400 people unable to use bleachers, they still had about 400 people in SRO status:  although any of those could have chosen to sit Indian-style on the floor for which there was plenty of room.

What a superbly spiritual way to start out a Christmas Day!