A Christmas Story

When people think of a Christmas story, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the Christian or Biblical story of the birth of Jesus. This is one that nearly everyone has at least heard during their lifetime.

It is repeated many times during church services in the Christmas season.

The story is of Mary and Joseph making their way to pay their taxes. Unfortunately, when they arrive at their destination, there is no place for them to stay. As Mary is quite pregnant, the inn keeper offers them space in his barn.  Mary gave birth that very night, right there in the barn. Surrounded by the animals in the barn, Mary and Joseph fashioned a crib for the baby out of a manger. They named their baby Jesus. This has always been a story of hope for many people.
 
For children, a Christmas story usually involves Santa Claus, his elves and his reindeer. This story has many variations, but they nearly all include the part where Santa, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, or St. Nicholas delivers presents on Christmas Eve to all the good boys and girls all over the world. All young children adore this story, and it keeps them worked up into a frenzy of excitement during the few days preceding Christmas.

There is a Christmas story of a totally different type, too. These are the personal, true stories of things that happened to people during the Christmas season. Sometimes these stories take on the tone of true Christmas miracles, and are very touching and heartwarming to the people who hear these tales. There are true experiences of families who have no money for presents or toys for their children. Then, someone finds out about their plight. Suddenly, there are presents and food for the entire family. These might, indeed, be the REAL Christmas stories.
 
Whatever your beliefs or experiences, you probably have a Christmas story of your own about something that happened to you during this special holiday season. It is most likely a story that you have shared with many others during a Christmas gathering. This is a time of sharing, and everyone loves to hear these special tales of wondrous things that happened during past Christmases. It is a fact that new Christmas stories are made each year to share during future holidays. You may already have many of them, but that doesn’t mean that you will not ever have another one happen to you. When it does, you will be eager to tell others all about it.