If I have a personal Christmas mission, it's this one: Christmas doesn't end until January 6. Leave up your tree; keep spinning your Christmas jams; continue to get your Holly Jolly on.
My New Year's Resolution is to correct people--even strangers--when they refer to the 12 Days of Christmas being before Christmas. Why does everyone think this? This year, we even saw a "12 Days of Christmas" themed Advent calendar at Hallmark. Sacrilege! If Hallmark wants to bank on Christian traditions by labeling their countdown-to-Christmas cardboard junk an "Advent" calendar, at least they should not mix up their church seasons.
I understand the confusion, though. Tim was raised in an evangelical church and did not know about the 12 Days until we got married and I insisted that the Christmas trees stay up until January 6. (Just like he didn't know that pickles were cucumbers. Our marriage has been so educational for him.) What's so special about January 6, he wondered.
Well, January 6 is the celebration of the feast of Epiphany, the day when Christians who organize their worship by a religious calendar (like Lutherans and Catholics), commemorate the coming of the Magi. (Magi is the plural of Magus. Did you know that? As I typed Magi, I wondered what the non-plural of that word was so I Googled it. You're welcome.) In some countries, gifts are exchanged on Epiphany. I've heard my old pastor tell of one of his friends who did gifts on Epiphany instead of Christmas--for a lot of religious reasons, but also, hey! buy everything at after-Christmas sales. Thrifty!
So, in short, Advent is the preparation for Christmas and is celebrated the four weeks prior. Christmas is celebrated from December 25 through January 6. Why should yes-Christmas-non-Christians or yes-Christmas-non-practicing-Christians care? Why do you have a tree or exchange gift or do Santa on the 25th? Because Catholics told you to, that's why. So don't mess this Advent-Christmas thing up either, jerks. Also, why not celebrate until the 6th? More days for cookies and twinkle lights and merriment? More Harry Connick, Jr. crooning about wooden soldiers and being nice to strangers because your heart has grown three sizes? Yes, please!
(Sidebar: this year Tim decided that Santa is Jesus-lite for non-religious people: he watches over you, judges your behavior, rewards you for belief, and comes at Christmas.)
So this year, we are going to try even harder to keep our Christmas spirit twelve more days. Yes, we'll leave up our tree like we always do, but we'll also dedicate more family-togetherness time. Yes, we'll keep turning on our outdoor Christmas lights, but we'll also try to say hello to friends we know and everyone we meet. I hope you can do the same.
Merry Twelve Days of Christmas!
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