The Christmas season is upon us, and while some may find myriad reasons to sit back and have the Ebenezer Scrooge attitude about this most wonderful time of the year, we urge residents to think more like Tiny Tim instead, allowing the magic that Sampson County offers to transform you.
Let’s celebrate the season as it should be celebrated — enjoying the company of family, friends and co-workers, worshipping according to our faith, sharing the gifts we can give and relishing in the festivities that will, no doubt, transform us from the bah-humbug thoughts of yesterday into the Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas hopes of today.
Among the many ways locally to infuse ourselves with the holiday spirit is joining in the fun of annual Christmas parades and other seasonal festivities being offered throughout the county.
Newton Grove’s annual Circle of Lights was held last night and the town’s Christmas parade steps off Saturday morning, both delivering the magic of the season by the sleigh load.
In Roseboro tonight, the holiday season kicks off with the town’s tree-lighting ceremony in the Roseboro Common at 7 p.m. There will be entertainment, food and, of course, visits with Saint Nick, himself. That event will be followed on Dec. 13 with Sampson’s only evening parade, set to kick off in Roseboro at 7 p.m. Santa, food and fun will start a little earlier, at 5:30 p.m. As in Newton Grove, the festivities are sure to put everyone in the spirit for a magical holiday season.
And, of course, here in Clinton, the kickoff to the holiday season began with last weekend’s Shop Small event, designed to attract shoppers to support local businesses and will continue this week with the first of two Christmas in the City events. The first kicks off Thursday, Dec. 5, with the tree-lighting ceremony on College Street at the public art piece followed by a plethora of holiday merriment — from carriage rides to decorating events. A continuation of the city events will continue again next Thursday, Dec. 12.
And that’s just the kickoff to festivities that include live nativities at churches around the area (check our Friday Faith & Family section to see where they are being held), the drive-thru at Sampson’s Red Barn (see a story Saturday on this special happening) and Christmas cantatas, all being held around the county.
Then, on Saturday, Dec. 14, beginning at 10 a.m., Sampson’s largest and oldest parade, the annual Clinton Christmas Parade, will regale watchers with colorful floats, entertaining bands and an appearance by Santa, who will make his way to his downtown house where he will keep hours through Christmas Eve.
We hope you will enjoy one or all of these events, allowing them to fill you with the spirit of the season.
And don’t forget to go Christmas shopping — locally. Just strolling through the aisles of some of our downtown stores will put you in the holiday spirit, and taking time to visit other local shops around Clinton and Sampson County, as well as in the local shopping centers, looking at their decorations and listening to their Christmas music, will help lift your spirits and have you humming even as you head to your cars.
And, after the shopping and the parades, don’t forget to take in one of the many Christmas cantatas, children’s Christmas plays and live nativities that are being held from now until Dec. 25.
It will remind us why we really celebrate this most magical and wonderful time of year.
Then before you know it, the Christmas spirit will have filled your soul, you’ll be kinder without even realizing why and you’ll smile more … just because.
And like Scrooge you’ll be repeating Tiny Tim’s words, and meaning them — God bless us everyone.