Christmas is gone and past but like Scrooge I am trying to keep the spirit of Christmas in my heart all year long.
In fact, I was working on a series of columns to run this summer to be called “Christmas in July.” However, when I started to work on this first one, I got too excited about the information I found to keep it for another couple of months. I love visiting the Disney theme parks during the Christmas holidays. Only a grinch with a small heart wouldn’t be moved by the decorations, parades, shows, and more that truly capture the spirit of the season. Growing up in Southern California, I loved attending the Candlelight Processional with choirs carrying candles and wearing robes as they made their way to the base of the Main Street Train Station, and filled the risers and created a living Christmas tree. I loved hearing the narrator tell the story of the first Christmas, although I was often less impressed with the celebrity doing the reading than I was with the entire experience. In the beginning the Living Christmas Tree was performed by the Western High School choir of Anaheim. When the music director of that school retired, Disneyland decided to turn over the “tree duty” to a cast choir. During the transition, they were called the “Disney Employee Choir” because when the announcement was made during the ceremony, guests didn’t understand the term “cast member.” In addition, Disney didn’t want this group of talented volunteers to be confused with the park’s Entertainment division. Having worked briefly as a Southern California public school teacher, I know that Disneyland would contact school choirs from as far north as Bakersfield and as far south as San Diego at the beginning of each school year to reserve their spots in that season’s performance. While I never performed in a Candlelight Processional, I have had many good friends over the years who participated and when they shared their experiences with me, they were always magical.
And so, the celebrated tradition of The Candlelight Processional began.