The Christmas season will come to a quiet, peaceful close with Old Christmas at Clay Hill on Tuesday, Jan. 6, which is Old Christmas Day.

Old Christmas is the celebration of the arrival of the Wise Men to worship the Christ Child and is held at historic Clay Hill Church at Pronto.

“The nativity scene usually depicts the shepherds and the Wise Men together at the stable where the Baby Jesus was born,” said the Rev. Ed Shirley, pastor of Brundidge United Methodist Church. “But the scriptures tell us that on coming into the house the Wise Men saw the child with his mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped Him. We don’t know the exact time of the arrival of the Wise Men but it was possibly as much as two years later.”

Old Christmas is a lantern-light service of scriptures and songs. The church is decorated with offerings from Mother Nature and the atmosphere is one of simplicity and beauty, said the Rev. Ron Jackson.

The music is played on acoustic instruments and features congregational singing and vocal specials.

“Old Christmas takes me back to an old-time Christmas,” Jackson said. “The emphasis is on the right things – the things that Christmas is really about. The service tells the story of the birth of Christ and the arrival of the Wise Men through the reading of the scriptures and the singing of the old Christian hymns. It’s just a wonderful celebration of Christmas and what it’s all about.”

Tammy Powell has attended every Old Christmas celebration except one.

“I missed Old Christmas the year I was taking chemo and I really missed not being there. My heart missed not being there,” she said. “Old Christmas extends the Christmas season and draws me closer to the real meaning of Christmas. It touches my heart. It’s just what Christmas should be – simply worshiping the Baby that was born in a stable and moving past the birth and into the life of Christ.”

Old Christmas at Clay Hill is a non-denominational service and everyone is invited.

Clay Hill Church is located on County Road 4408 just off Highway 93 between Banks and Brundidge.