Santa Claus and mistletoe, Carols by the fire, Send a card and spread a little Christmas cheer,

Silent night, a fall of snow, Listen to the choir, Everyone is happy that it's here,

For we all remember, some past December, Of tinsel and holly and people we love,

Put the angel on the tree, then enjoy the view, Wait until the children are asleep and then,

Put together all the toys, Hide a gift or two, Wishing you were just a kid again,

For we all remember, some past December, Of train sets that whistle and dolls we could name,

Oh the years may change, But Christmas stays the same...

Turkey and gravy and Hams full of honey, Cousins you see once a year,

Fathers who scold you
Then slip you some money,
And roofs full of tiny reindeer,

Yes we all remember some past December,
Of grandmas and kitchens with kettles aflame,

Oh the years may change,
But Christmas stays the same.

On Tuesday, October 26, 2004, Linda's fans received an early holiday treat with the release of the CHRISTMAS STAYS THE SAME Bravo concert on DVD. In celebration of the release, a special Holiday 2004 Edition of THE VOICE was published and fans were asked to share their favorite holiday memories for a chance to win one of two signed copies of the new DVD. We were so overwhelmed by the flood of submissions, many of which touched our hearts, that we've doubled the amount of prizes.

Congratulations to Lexi Sanders, Dianne W. Fuzek, David Flanagan and Gabriella Greco for being selected as winners! And a very special thank you to everyone who took the time to write. Below are the featured entries as well as highlights from the many more we received.

So grab a box of tissues and read on for an emotional and heartwarming voyage into the hearts and minds of Linda's fans…

"Christmas Stays The Same," and yet they say, "The only thing constant is change." It really is a phenomenon. Even amidst this ever changing world, and changes within our own circle of family and friends, we can find a sense of peace and constancy at Christmas. Those old familiar feelings from Christmases past can either bring us joy, or for some they can make the season a difficult and sad time, reminding them of what and whom they have lost. Either way, the Christmas "Spirit" is there for all to take part in. Even through tears of sorrow, one can see the miracles of the Christmas Season, maybe even more so.

I have some wonderful memories of Christmases past. I remember seeing the perfect Christmas tree while snowmobiling with a friend. I dragged my whole family a mile through deep snow to find it and cut it down, only to find that it was fourteen feet tall, and wouldn't even come close to fitting in our living room. Sounds like a scene from "Christmas Vacation," doesn't it? I remember Christmas Eve at my aunt's house. All the food, the children taking turns singing Christmas Carols in front of the hearth (it was the closest thing we had to a stage). Playing games until the babies started getting tired and grumpy and we had to go home. All eleven of us piling into the old Ford van. Riding home in a snow storm, and listening to classic Christmas Carols on the radio, singing along when we could. Coming home, having a hot cup of wassil, and going straight to bed. Waking up multiple times during the night, thinking I was seeing morning light, only to find that it was just the moonlight reflecting off the snow-covered earth.

Christmas Day was full of activity. Of course, first things first, the opening of presents. Breakfast consisted of toasted Stollen (pronounced Stolla, a German bread my grandma made every year consisting of nuts and candied fruit and raisins), or cinnamon toast and hot chocolate. My grandparents lived just down the road and so they were over early to help with the cooking and setting up for dinner at 2:00. The cousins showed up at noon and the rest of the day consisted of eating a huge turkey dinner, playing with Christmas gifts, and of course sledding was a huge tradition. The adults just sat around and talked. Then it was time for pie! Any kind of pie you can think of, we had it. Served with cold milk, or coffee.

These are just some of the memories of my childhood Christmases. They are long since past. We moved from our big house in the country. All my brothers and sisters are grown and have families of their own. The grandparents have since passed away, my Grandma Phoebe just this past October. She had Alzheimer's and had been slipping away from us for ten years. I don't know what is worse, losing a loved one suddenly or tragically and not being able to say goodbye, or losing them a little bit at a time, and having to say a long goodbye. She was a character. I was just thinking how different this Christmas will be without her presence. Still, we are carrying on with old traditions, as we create new traditions and new memories, and that magical Christmas "Spirit" still resides.

I would bet that we will all be missing someone this Christmas. Loss is such a major part of our lives. Yet, we gain something in the experience of losing someone. We gain the ability to empathize and show compassion toward those who are experiencing a similar loss. In the names of those we have lost, we can make a difference for someone else this Christmas. Be a friend. Help someone in need. Share our family with someone who is alone. Even making a connection by smiling or talking to someone can make a difference. We could make friends with a neighbor. We don't have to be wealthy to give of ourselves. The most valuable and enduring gifts, most often, are the gifts of self. What is even better is that they are contagious and the symptoms seem to abound during the Christmas season-- the symptoms being a joyful heart and a hopeful attitude.

Although family is a big part of Christmas for me, it not the key ingredient to obtaining and keeping the Christmas "Spirit." The most constant, everlasting, and enduring influence on Christmas, and the source of all the good feelings that surround the season, is Jesus Christ. After all, it is the celebration of His birth. He is the "Reason for the Season," and He is the reason everyone can take part in the Christmas "Spirit," no matter where they are or what their circumstances. He gives us the most valuable gift of all. He gives us His ultimate example of how to give unselfishly. He is the meaning and source of the Christmas "Spirit." He is why "Christmas Stays The Same."

Merry Christmas!
-Lexi Sanders from Utah

When my 43-year-old son was six, he bought me (for Christmas) a miniature rosebush at the supermarket with money he had received for his birthday. That tiny plant bloomed until spring when I planted it outdoors. It bloomed and survived all seasons until we moved to a new home. We transported that little plant and it lived a while longer. It seemed to me that it represented a strong will to survive and bring beauty to the world if only in a small way. Each year, I now buy my mother (who will soon be 88) a miniature rosebush, which she plants. She has quite a garden of lovely tiny blooms and I hope they mean as much to her as mine did to me.

-Dianne W. Fuzek from Rhode Island

"All across the land dawns a brand new morn, this comes to pass when a child is born," words from one of my favorite Christmas songs, "When A Child Is Born," sung by the incomparable Johnny Mathis. Those magnificent words have a special meaning for anyone who has ever had the pleasure of witnessing the birth of a child, and for me they were never quite as meaningful as they were the night my son David was born.

Each year as the holiday season approaches, I find myself thinking about family gatherings at Nana Flanagan's house, watching "It's a Wonderful Life" more times than I care to admit and that most memorable of nights, December 24th, l988, the night my first son David was born.

David made his grand entrance into the world at 7:23 p.m. on Christmas Eve, 25 days before his estimated time of arrival. Trust me, the last place that Linda and I expected to be that night was in the Delivery Room of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Earlier that day Linda had complained about stomach pains and was concerned that they might be labor pains. Since Linda and I had gone to a party the night before and had eaten far more than our fair share of the Christmas goodies, I too had awoken with stomach pains. As a result we were thoroughly convinced that there was absolutely no possible way that Linda's pains could in any way be related to her pregnancy. After all, David wasn't due until January 18 and we had another party to go to that night. Needless to say, several hours later Linda and I found ourselves checking into the hospital and by nightfall David had arrived.

The birth of a child is indeed one of the most incredible wonders of the world and I will never, ever forget the first time that I laid eyes on David. Like all new parents, I found myself anxiously counting David's fingers and toes and wondering if he would be a healthy baby. How could something as incredibly wonderful as this happen to me? I marveled as the nurse handed David over to me.

There he was all six pounds, four ounces of him, crying and squirming around in my arms. David looked so small and vulnerable as I held him that night that I was afraid I might somehow squeeze just a bit too hard and hurt him. How wonderful, I thought, to be here on Christmas Eve with my new son, holding him tightly in my arms.

Within minutes of David's birth, my feelings of happiness turned to fear as the doctors and nurses began working on Linda who was apparently experiencing some type of complications from the delivery. I cannot recall ever feeling so alone and helpless as that night, standing there holding my son and my life in my hands while my wife was lying there helplessly nearby. I demanded to know what was wrong, and one of the doctors suggested that I leave the room so that they could help Linda. Reluctantly I left the delivery room and watched anxiously through the tiny window praying to God that everything would be okay.

The nurses were concerned for David's health and rushed him to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for observation. I agonized over whether to stay with Linda or go with David and decided that as much as I loved my wife, our new son needed me more that night. So I accompanied him to Neonatal.

The last thing that I wanted was for David to be alone, out of my sight for even a moment on Christmas Eve, his first night on this earth.

I will never, ever forget that night, sitting in a rocking chair, rocking well into the night, holding David and trying to fight back the tears as I thought about all that had happened that night. God, please help me, I thought. It's not supposed to be like this. Tonight was supposed to be the happiest night of my life but in moments it had become the saddest.

As I sat there in the rocking chair, slowly moving back and forth, holding David and looking at him lying there so peacefully, I could hear "O Holy Night" playing gently over a loudspeaker behind me. The music was so low that I could barely hear it, yet the words "O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining, It is the night of our dear Savior's birth," were never more clear or poignant to me.

I rocked well into the night, holding David. Tears streaming down my face, I prayed that Linda would make it through that night. Each Christmas Eve, as I look at David, his brother Evan and Linda, I thank God for helping me that night and for all that He has given me.

-David Flanagan from Massachusetts

Christmas has pretty much been the same since as long as I can remember. Our family gathers at Grandma's house every Christmas Eve. My cousins from North Carolina come up and I get to see my Aunt Mary who lives in New Jersey. It's really nice to see her because this is the only time we are able to see her all year. It feels so good when we walk in the front door of Grandma's and smell ginger, chocolate, meatballs and honey glazed ham cooking in the oven.

Then we go into the dining room and see a nicely decorated table that seats at least 20, and then in the living room there is a huge amazingly decorated tree surrounded by tons of presents. I just love to watch my little brother and cousins staring in awe at how many presents Santa Claus left for them at Nana's house. Before we know it, it's time to eat. Christmas dinner is always interesting in our family because there are so many different conversations going on at once. Somehow we all end up talking about the same things and sharing the same laughs at my Uncle Donny's corny jokes (while we will sporadically hear Linda's Christmas CD playing in the background because usually it is overruled by all the conversation and laughter). Then after dinner, all the females clean up the dinner dishes, put the coffee on and put the outstanding desserts that Grandma made on the table, while my little brother and cousins go back to staring at all the presents and waiting in anticipation. We all come back together and the conversation and laughter begin once again, except there are moments of silence due to the fact that everyone is savoring the delicious desserts. By the end of dessert, the anticipation to open the presents is so strong that even I become a little eager. But the time is not quite right yet.

All the cousins including some of the parents go and change into their pajamas. This has been a tradition forever in my family. After we are done changing and cleaning up after dessert, it is time to open presents. We all gather in the living room and surround the tree as Aunt Mary and Aunt Bridget pass out the presents. Once everyone has his or hers, we go by age from oldest to youngest. There are 14 grandchildren and eight adults so you can just imagine the eagerness at this point. Finally after we are done admiring our presents and giving tons of hugs and kisses, the little ones go in the den and watch Rudolph. They usually fall asleep while the rest of us are cleaning up the wrapping paper and singing Christmas songs as we clean. Then we all go into the den and watch the remainder of Rudolph.

By the time Rudolph is finished, we have all fallen asleep. At this point, our uncles have carried us into the bedroom and we all drift into a deep sleep while dreaming of the wonderful time and how happy we are to be together. That is Christmastime with my family. I hope you enjoyed celebrating Christmas with us! Thank you, Linda, for bringing our family together, especially at Christmastime and for such wonderful music.

-Gabriella Greco from New York

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