(12/1) Many folks are starting to feel the stress of the season; from shopping wars to house guests to overbooked schedules, the "most wonderful time of the year" can easily turn into the "the most overwhelming time of year".

In response to the growing busyness of the holiday season, Camp Eder, a Christian Camp & Retreat Center in Fairfield, is hosting their Third Annual Christmas Tree Festival on December 13th – 15th from 5pm-8:30pm. Designed as a "Celebration of the Birth of Christ" the Camp Eder Christmas Tree Festival offers a place where families and individuals can experience an evening of refuge from the many things that pull our attention away from the true reason for the season. The festivities will include a tree decorating contest, indoor & outdoor lighting displays, luminaries, refreshments, live music, nativity collections, a candlelit service, alternative giving options and a wonderful evening out with family, friends, and neighbors.

This new tradition began in 2011 with an idea to offer Christmas Trees for folks to decorate and display in Geigley Lodge at Camp Eder. Each tree is sponsored by an organization, group, or individual which they can decorate with a theme of their choice. Attendees can vote on their favorite tree by purchasing tickets for a dollar each. The funds received from the tree decorating contest ticket sales benefit the variety of programs happening throughout the year at Camp Eder.

Food and refreshments are plenty as the Camp Eder staff and volunteers offer free cookies, punch, and warm drinks as an a la carte food court provides menu options for those wishing to purchase an affordable meal. For those that don’t have the time, a bake sale table will be selling delicious, beautifully boxed, homemade Christmas Cookies.

Live music, dozens of nativity scenes, decorated walking paths, and cozy fires set the stage for an evening of reflection as commercialism is tuned out and the simplicity of the Nativity Story comes into the spotlight for this event. The Camp Eder bell tolls each evening at 8:00pm, announcing the beginning of a peaceful candlelit service with a small live nativity. Christmas Carols are sung, followed by the reading of the Nativity Story directly from Scripture. The service closes with the acapella singing of Silent Night, Holy Night. The beautiful sound of Middle Creek and the lights shining in the forest all make for a serene atmosphere of reflection for all.

In addition to offering a place for celebration and reflection, the Camp Eder Christmas Tree Festival also offers a place where we can work together to make a difference in the lives of those around us.

As an outreach to our community, Camp Eder will be collecting new or gently used children’s clothing for infants through age six and donating them to God’s Closet, a clothing pantry run by Children’s Aid Society of New Oxford, PA. Canned food that is collected will be directed to the Fairfield Food Pantry at the Fairfield Mennonite Church for distribution. Children’s clothing and canned goods can be delivered at any time during the Christmas Tree Festival (December 13-15, 5pm-8:30pm) or arrangements can be made at the Camp Office to drop off items at any other time.

Throughout the year, Camp Eder offers a number of events that welcome the local community; the Spring Golf Tournament, the Summer Camp Program, the Fall Festival, and now The Winter Christmas Tree Festival. Each event has very specific elements that make each one very special to all; however it seems that even as young as the Christmas Tree Festival is, it is stealing hearts and becoming a favorite event for the Camp Eder Staff and those who visit during this very special time of the year.

If you’re looking for a way to find the true meaning of Christmas this year with your loved ones, consider stopping by Camp Eder during evening hours (5pm-8:30pm) on December 13th, 14th, or 15th. Camp Eder is found at 914 Mount Hope Road, Fairfield, PA; additional information can be obtained from www.campeder.org or you may reach the Camp Eder Office at 717-642-8256, Tuesdays – Saturdays 9am-4pm. Experience the joy, peace, and hope that can be found in remembering that Christmas is a birthday party for a very special baby boy.