I was born in Germany and was raised there until I was 8 years old when my family emigrated to the US.
Growing up in the US I always remembered a dream I had of when I was very small, not too many years after the end of WWII:
It was Christmas Eve, and my Mama took me to a candlelight service at the big cathedral near us. Papa stayed home with my little baby brother.
When we entered the cathedral, I immediately noticed the entire cavernous sanctuary was lit only by candles, many many candles. I held Mama's hand as we walked down the aisle close to the front and settled in. We had to keep our coats on because there was no heat.
I looked around to take it all in - the great gothic windows, the altar decorated in white and red, a huge Christmas tree to one side, and so many people -- I didn't know there were that many people in the whole world! All the benches were filled with families. People were even standing in the back and along the sides. It took my breath away. I was overwhelmed with the feeling of the strength of all of us together.
The service began, the minister spoke, other people spoke, we sang Christmas carols... I got to hold a hymn book even though I couldn't read it yet. It was all so nice and comforting and powerful.
Towards the end of the service it was time for all of us to pass the candle flame from one to the next. We picked up our candles that had been placed on our seats. I watched as some people walked down the center aisle with giant white candles burning. They lighted the candle of the person on the end of the pew, who lit the candle of the person next to them, and on down the row. Mama accepted the flame from the person on the other side of her and then turned to me. She helped me light my candle, and to hold it in a way that I would not drip wax or burn myself, my coat, my hymn book or my neighbor. She helped me to pass my light to the man next to me too.
As all the candles were being lit, the people began very softly to sing "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night). There was no choir, no organ or guitar, just all the people's voices. I just gazed into the small flickering flame of my candle and let the music wash over me like a warm blanket.
And then...
Snow began falling. So little at first that it was almost unnoticeable. I watched one snowflake land in my candle flame and instantly disappear... More and more snowflakes fell all around me...
I was filled with a deep feeling I could not describe -- the wonder of all the dancing candles, all the voices singing the most moving piece of music I had ever heard, the falling snow sparkling in the little flames all around...
I was transported.
I always remembered this powerful dream, and one Christmas many years later, when my children were already grown, it occurred to me to tell this dream to my Mama.
She jumped up immediately and exclaimed "No No No! That was not a dream! That really happened!"
She ran to retrieve a Christmas card from friends who still lived in that city and gave it to me. It showed a photo of that very cathedral, built in the 1400s. It had been severely damaged during the war and had finally been restored, new roof, new heating and electrical systems and all. The entire roof had been blown off when the city was bombed, and it actually did snow when we attended the Christmas Eve service when I was 5 years old.
