Candlelight Processional at Disneyland

Yesterday, we went to Disneyland. I love to go to Disneyland, particularly when I can play tour guide, particularly on non-busy days. Yesterday was a crowded Saturday, and I didn't bring any tourists along. But the first Saturday in December is my favorite day to visit Disneyland, because that is the day of the Candlelight Processional.

Once a year, choirs from all over gather together at Disneyland. Choir members walk down Main Street, carrying (battery-operated) candles and singing Christmas carols. They start at Small World and end at the Main Street train station, where they join a full orchestra.

A celebrity reads the account of the birth of Jesus from the book of Luke in the Bible. Gary Sinise read this year.

After every few verses, the choir sings another musical number. The audience joins for "Silent Night."

Literally thousands of individuals, most in standing-room-only roped-off partitions, make up the audience. I generally don't like crowds, but in this instance, the number of people adds to the experience. Knowing that we are all gathered together to celebrate Christmas through song and scripture brings me such a feeling of love and unity. I might not know the names of the strangers around me, but I know they are my brothers and sisters. What better way to start the season than that!

Thankful thought: Thanks for musicians who share their talents, celebrities who read, and Disneyland for hosting such a religiously-based event each year. Thanks also for my family, and thousands of others, who share the experience with me!

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