Christmas was always a special time in the Russo household. Growing up, my whole family gathered for the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. We ate way too much amazing food, and my three uncles, who were skilled musicians, gave a musical performance that often led to impromptu dancing and clapping. By evening, the allure and mystique of Santa Clause made the build up to Christmas Day almost unbearable.
Around midnight, Santa would show up in my hallway, at 44 Burnham Dr., without fail. My little brother Greg and I wouldn’t see him completely, but we’d see enough of him to know for certain he was real. My mom and dad told us that one of the many magical elements of Christmas was if we dared to peek at the presents before a reasonable hour on Christmas morning, they would quickly disappear—a brilliant strategy to strike fear in the hearts of your children and keep them in their room.
As magical as Christmas was during those years, the time inevitably came when Greg and I realized the truth about Santa. Who we were actually seeing down the hallway was my dad, dressed up in a not-so-convincing Santa costume. Christmas was still special because of the family time, but without Santa, the holiday definitely dropped a few notches in my little heart.
That is, until the year 2000. I was 17 years old and left my home in Connecticut to go to the College of Charleston. As destiny would have it, one of my roommates happened to be a Christian, and on December 12 of that year, I had a crazy dream that led me into his room to give my life to Christ. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God....” This is what I experienced that day. The Bible I had started reading came alive.
I was shocked and forever changed by what Jesus had done for me. A previously unknown love and joy filled my heart, making the celebration of Jesus’ entrance into the world so much more meaningful. For the first time, I truly understood what it meant for hope to come into the world. For the first time, I understood what Christmas was all about.