Marley was dead: to begin with.

That's how Charles Dickens starts A Christmas Carol. I know because I finished reading it last night. Yes, it's 36 days until Christmas and I have already read the timeless holiday classic. Why? Because I am a Christmas fanatic. I listen to Christmas carols in January. I make paperlink chains to countdown from September 15 to Christmas (this is exactly 100 days). I have even been known to go caroling in July. You would be a fool to think I was joking. But here's the thing I don't get: people are actually ANTI-Christmas-celebrating-before-Thanksgiving. Can you believe that? They actually get annoyed with the Christmas fanatics like me who insist on playing "Joy to the World" before Veteran's Day.

Well I guess that as much as I don't understand why people are anti-Christmas-celebrating-before-Thanksgiving there are people who don't understand my love for Christmas. And would you know someone actually once asked me why I like Christmas so much? She actually ASKED me! As if she didn't know why Christmas is so great. So I told her.

Starting on December 8th or after the first snowfall following Thanksgiving, whichever comes first, the world changes. Almost without knowning it, the world wakes up and finds itself in a fit of Christmas season. It's a time when suddenly people care. They volunteer at shelters and retirement centers. They suddenly start remembering relatives and friends. They send cards of love. They spend days searching for just the perfect gift. All throughout the Christmas season thoughts become more prayerful and prayers become more thoughtful. The change is subtle in some and obvious in others but significant to all. Soldiers recieve thanks for their service. Workers get an extra bonus. People throw parties. And all of this in anticipation of Christmas.

"And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works." (Alma 7:24).

The best part of Christmas-without a lick of a doubt-is the anticipation to Christmas. Because suddenly people actually do live by faith, hope, and charity. What a remarkable thing! For just a few short weeks the cold world sees warmth! For a few short weeks it appears as hearts glow with charity and suddenly illuminate dark corridors so brightly that one can help but feel joy radiate. For just a few short weeks. Why must it be just a few short weeks?

I believe that....well, let's see if I can find it....hmmm.....oh yes! Here it is,"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!" Ebeneezer Scrooge said it himself. Yes, the very same grinch who wouldn't even bring himself to utter the phrase merry Christmas. Gosh, I sure am happy Scrooge learned his lesson. Wouldn't that be tragic if he was still counting his pence like a miser? Good thing Dickens thought about that before printing it, wouldn't you say?

I believe in Christmas. I believe that it truly does change us-for whatever reason or rhyme I dare not decipher now. I believe that if everyone started anticipating Christmas in September instead of December 8th then there would be more months full of faith, hope, and charity.

And it shouldn't take a magic 8 ball to tell you that more faith, hope, and charity in the world will yield great things. Let me put it like this:

Faith, Hope, Charity

= peace, joy, inspiration

= less pain, or at least a little more comfort while suffering pain.

= a people who have managed to bridge the gaps between races, religions, generations, and locations

= better world

= world peace
= a dream come true for every Miss America contestant