I don't know if it's a southern thing or a sign of the times, but after growing up in PA, I was surprised when I moved to Nashville to learn of so many people who take their decorations down the day after Christmas. The last few years, especially, it seems that while I am enjoying my first (ok, second) cup of coffee while scrolling on Facebook, so many people were happy to already have the tree put away, the ornaments boxed up and the house returned to its pre-holiday form.
Meanwhile, I have friends who, because of their religion or their personal choice (or both) celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, which begins on Dec. 25 and goes until Jan. 6, also known as Epiphany. Personally, I'm a firm believer that it's the holidays until Jan. 1, after which the decorations will, piece by piece over the next few days, find their way back into the respective boxes for 11 more months.
There's not a right or a wrong, of course, but I do have a thought.
Every year, whether it's over the Christmas holiday or shortly after, my family travels to PA, where we spend most of the time staying at my sister's house. Her and I talk frequently anyway, but as we get closer to our day of arrival, we talk a little more. We make our plans. She tells me what she's going to make to eat while we're there (she's a great cook). I make plans with friends. Our arrival is highly anticipated.
Imagine if, the day after we got there, no one was excited any more. What if, instead of people being anxious to see us, they said, "Oh, you're here? Well, that's nice. It's great that you're here, but I've got stuff to do now."
Christians celebrate Christmas as the birth of Christ. The coming of the Messiah. So, it always seems a bit sad to me that we spend so much time getting ready to commemorate the day of His arrival, and then the day after we celebrate His birth, we are so eager to go back to the way life was before the holiday season began.
Do we enjoy the season because of the anticipation, or because of the significance of the day?
It does seem that December brings out a certain sense of friendliness and good cheer among people. We say 'Merry Christmas' to the person taking too long at the post office. We greet the sales clerk with a smile, even though we waited in line for 25 minutes. We share cookies with our neighbors, and tip our servers a little bit extra.
So why are we in a rush to put it all behind us?
What if, this year, we left the decorations up just a bit longer? What if the tree that is still standing on December 27 served as a reminder that the Messiah did, in fact, come? What if we left the wreath up just long enough to remind us that life doesn't have to go back to normal? What if we did, in fact, celebrate His arrival more than just on one day?
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!” ~Charles Dickens, 'A Christmas Carol'
(thanks to Alicia Newberry for the picture of the BEAUTIFUL -- and still standing -- Christmas tree)
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