01.02.09
It’s Still Christmas
It’s January first and there’s a wreath on my door.
I feel like I’ve been sort of cheated. American culture tells us that once the presents are opened, Christmas is over. Oh sure, nobody takes their tree down on the 26th. But they start looking at it as a large visible reminder of a chore to be done. We look at the languishing remains of the Christmas sweets and think ‘Oh God, make it stop.’ Racks of Christmas things in stores become sparse and disorganised as they bear signs proclaiming progressively increasing discounts. Christmas music is unequivocally shunned. And our minds wander toward the New Year. Christmas is dead and gone.
But it’s still Christmas! Christmas day is the first of twelve days of Christmas. It should be the beginning, not the end of the celebration of of the mystery of the Incarnation, of the rejoicing in everything we longingly hoped for in the season of Advent. It’s the Feast of the Already following the Fast for the Not Yet. Christmas isn’t over until Epiphany, the celebration of visit of the Magi (Jan 6th).
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
–Handel’s Messiah “For Unto Us a Child is Born” (quoting Isaiah 9:6). Handel’s Messiah is absolutely amazing, by the way.
So have a merry Christmas.
Joel said,
January 2, 2009 at 11:07
yay!! He made a bloggings!!
Yes it is still Christmas, I still got my Christmas cold!!
ndu said,
February 19, 2009 at 23:58
That’s true…I was actually reading about that…America has largely forgotten but other cultures still celebrate Christmas that way…some even saving the biggest celebration for Epiphany.