The holiday season is a joyous time, but for those who have lost a loved one, especially children, it can also be emotional.

Around 75 community members gathered at Zion United Church of Christ in Lehighton Sunday night to remember and honor young family members and friends who have passed away."We do this so that parents, grandparents, siblings and friends can all come together to remember children who are gone too soon," said Lora Krum, who helped start the event in Lehighton after her first son, Dylan, passed on July 15, 2010.Krum lost another son, Gavin, just over two years later on Nov. 27, 2012."The best gift at Christmastime is to know that the children we have lost are remembered," Lora said.Children's Remembrance Day services are held around the world on the second Sunday in December of each year.Before the service in Lehighton, attendees were invited to bring an ornament that honors their child, which can be placed on the "Remembrance Tree" to be displayed in the church throughout the holiday season.The moment was a special one for Patti Bissell of Palmerton, who lost her son Aaron in a car accident in 2003."This is a special night because it allows us to remember our children at a time when there is a lot of hustle and bustle with the holiday season," she said. "It's important to stop and think about who you have lost and be thankful for the family you have. It means a lot."The service featured a musical selection by JoNean Kimmel of Lehighton, who performed "Blue," a song she wrote for her brother who passed away in 2012.Sascha Wagner read the poem "Candles in the Winter Night" before many in attendance approached the altar to light a remembrance candle.Earlier, brothers and sisters who lost a sibling gathered around as the Five Candles of Remembrance were lit from the main Children's Memorial Candle."I'm sad that you have to be here tonight," Krum said at the start of the service. "Let's all remember that our children are a light that will always shine."