Carols by Candlelight

Last night we got into the Christmas spirit and went to a carols by candlelight service. It was held in a Catholic church near the university. It was a beautiful old church. It was also a Catholic service. TI was pretty moving, but the Catholics do really put a lot into their services. I wasn't too sure about what they do with the bible. They kneeled before it and held it up for everyone to admire and then waved incense over it before reading from it. I felt some of the servie was a little over the top. At the end of the service they put a spotlight on to the picture of Mary and everyone looked at it for awhile. Andrew wasn't too impressed, but I thought it was a beautiful service and I was very glad I went. It made it definite in my mind that I want to get into teaching and what I am doing now is not something I want to stay doing.
The carols were the traditional ones so I knew them. I thought they might have songs I didn't know. They even had a Bishop presiding over the service so that was pretty cool. I don't think I will be going to another Catholic service anytime soon. I will be going to church on Christmas day but it will be a Methodist service. It will be interesting to contrast the two services.
I miss the big outdoor carols services. Unfortunately it is too cold to have something like that here. It is funny, I didn't think I had any traditions that I upheld, but every year I watch the Carols in the Domain, or I am there and I always watch the Melbourne carols on Christmas Eve. I am hoping they might have something like that here so that I can have something to watch on Christmas Eve. Going to the carols last night has really put me in the mood for Christmas, I just have to get everyone else at work to get in the mood and have carols playing, so far it isn't working.
A couple of nights ago Andrew and I watched Carry on Christmas. For those of you who know about the Carry On series then you can just imagine what this was like. Not exactly hilarious, but a good laugh. They did one in 1969 and one in 1972, we have both,next week we will probably watch the next one, see if it just as good. The one in 1969 was filmed in front of an audience so there was a lot of playing to the audience, but it was not too bad.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!