40 Days of Christmas

I was pleased to see a commentary recently posted at the Catholic Herald regarding the extension of the celebration of Christmas beyond what many folks would consider 'normal.' For many Catholic households, it seems common to put-up and decorate a Christmas Tree very early into the season of Advent, and then take-down the tree very early into the season of Christmas (even as I was a child, it was 'normal' for us to put-up a Christmas Tree very soon after Thanksgiving Day). As my wife and I began our marriage, we immediately strove to be conscious of the Church's liturgical year as we began living as the 'domestic Church,' and for us this meant a more disciplined approach to Advent and Christmas (and the other liturgical seasons, too).

Advent is relatively simple for us: Advent calendar, Advent wreath, and Advent-specific prayers in the home with our children. The 2016 Advent season was particularly fun for us as our son, age 3, is beginning to better understand what Advent is ("getting ready for Christmas") and what Christmas is ("Jesus' birthday"). Our daughter, age 1, was also amused by the Advent candle-lighting ritual and both children thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate-filled Advent calendar.

Christmas doesn't 'appear' at our home until the vigil night. The artificial tree that I inherited from my maternal grandparents goes up the evening of December 24 and is fully decorated prior to us heading to Midnight Mass. We place other ornaments, garland, statuettes, and the like around the house as well, and if the weather cooperates I like to hang a few strands of lights on a redbud tree in our front yard. With the addition of a Nativity scene either by the tree or on the mantle, we are 'set,' decor-wise, for Christmastide.

Our gift-giving approach corresponds with observing the '12 Days of Christmas,' up until Epiphany on January 6. Each of us opens one-present-per-day on each of the 12 days. While that may sound like an expensive enterprise (household of 4 x 12 days = 48 presents to be bought!), our gifts are simple: candy bars, mini-cereal boxes, packs of raisins, and other little 'treats.' My wife and I will exchange a few larger gifts, and our children will get books and clothes and small toys as well, but we don't place so much emphasis on the gifts as we do the fact that each day is a celebration of Christmas.

We try to host an 'Epiphany party' each year, making dinner and inviting family and friends over, and even exchanging a few additional gifts as we recall the Magi bringing gifts to the Christ-child. With blessed chalk, I mark the entryway and other exterior doorways during the Epiphany Blessing later in the evening, asking God's blessing on our household through the New Year.

After Epiphany, we simply 'go-with-the-liturgical-flow' and observe more consciously the feasts and memorials of January, and we leave our Christmas Tree up until February 2, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary ('Candlemas Day'). We tote candles to our parish to have blessed that day, and with thst ritual we begin the gradual transition away from Christmastide and towards Lent in just a few weeks.

Observing the traditional cycle of Christmastide - the forty days from Christmas to Candlemas - and avoiding the 'premature' celebration of Christmas, I've come to even better appreciate the wisdom in the Church's liturgical calendar. There is a flow to it that feels very natural, even as nature itself changes and transitions around us. It has also helped prevent our household from getting too wrapped-up in the commercial and secular 'scene' that can feel very domineering through November and December. We keep things simple and solemn, and I think it gives the King of Peace easier reign over our home and hearts.