Why does "O, Holy Night" make me cry?
It's been years since I have considered myself a practicing Christian. Still, I love the holidays, the decorations, the baking, the whole shebang. I imagine that must irritate people for whom this is an intensely important religious holiday. Like how environmentalists must resent the people who only celebrate the earth on Earth Day, them go back to their lives of styrofoam and SUVs.
That being said, I can't imagine there's a down side to having everyone, regardless of their affiliation, gather together with those they love, and celebrate. I guess at some point, it becomes Thanksgiving 2.0.
I wonder, though, how and why things you've "outgrown" still tug at your heartstrings. Why does "O, Holy Night" make me cry? Assuming it's performed well, am I just having an intense aesthetic experience? Or have I retained more beliefs around Christmas than I will allow myself to admit? What inexplicably makes you cry?
