High up in the snowy mountains, there was a tiny village with only twelve little houses. The village had no electricity, so there were no bright lights or televisions or electric heaters.
But the people who lived there had something much better. They had each other.
On Christmas Eve, young Maria walked through the village with her grandmother. Every door they passed was open, and warm firelight glowed from inside. Delicious smells of baking bread and cinnamon floated through the air.
"Grandmother, I wish we had electric lights like the big cities," Maria said. "Then our Christmas would be more beautiful."
Grandmother smiled and squeezed Maria's hand. "Wait until tonight, little one. You'll see."
That evening, all the villagers gathered in the square between their houses. They had no fancy decorations, but they had brought candles that flickered in the cold night air. They sang songs together, and their voices rose up into the dark sky.
Then Maria looked up and gasped.
Above them, the sky was filled with more stars than she had ever seen. They sparkled like a million tiny diamonds. And right above their village shone one enormous star, brighter than all the others. It seemed to glow just for them.
"It's beautiful!" Maria whispered.
Mr. Chen, the oldest neighbor, smiled. "No electric lights could ever be this bright."
Mrs. Rosa added, "And no city has what we have—neighbors who are like family."
The children played in the snow while the grown-ups shared hot cocoa. Everyone laughed and told stories by candlelight. Maria felt so warm inside, even though the night was cold.
As she walked home holding her grandmother's hand, Maria looked back at the huge star shining over their little village.
"You were right, Grandmother," she said. "This is the most beautiful Christmas ever."
And it truly was.