Defending our Christmas

Our lights are still up people. Not because we’re lazy and haven’t gotten around to getting them down. Not because they’re so pretty we just can’t stand to take them down….well, maybe there’s a little truth in that last statement. But our lights are still up and our house is still decorated very much on purpose. And it’s all going to stay up for a few more days.

Did you know that the twelve days are NOT a countdown leading up to Christmas? The twelve days of Christmas are the days AFTER Christmas that takes us to January 6. Epiphany. The day we mark as the day the 3 wise men found Jesus. (Granted, it took them WAY longer than 12 days….which is often our excuse when our Christmas cards are late as they are most years, but I digress)

It makes me sad to hear people complaining about being tired of hearing Christmas music or seeing houses that STILL have their lights on. I do feel bad for people working in retail, and other jobs that are pretty well overly saturated with all of the extra stuff that goes into Christmas. But I cringe when so many people are “tired of it”.

It’s Christmas!! The birth of our Savior!! The night that changed the world as we know it!! How can we let ourselves get tired of the gift of that tiny babe? How can we be over the spirit and love that comes out so magically this time of year? I don’t ever want to be part of the society that gets tired of the clutter of Christmas! The “clutter” that represents all that truly IS Christmas.

In our house, Christmas decorations and lights go up with the start of Advent and come down sometime after Epiphany. And I’m NEVER sick of the clutter. I think it’s because we do try really hard to keep Christ in Christmas. For every Santa in our house, there is a baby Jesus. For all the references of presents, we have angels nearby as well.

I see stuff going up earlier and earlier each year. Though we have no control of retail and businesses, we do have control over our own homes! Maybe if as a whole, people started waiting a little longer to put things out, maybe they wouldn’t be tired of it so soon. Maybe people wouldn’t get tired of Christmas and would be able to really soak it all in?

Maybe I’m being too judgmental. Maybe I’m being hypocritical. But maybe if I point out what seems obvious to me, I can help someone else. And maybe, just maybe, somebody will point out something obvious that I am missing and I, in turn can grow and change too!

I find myself defending, or at least explaining our Christmas timeline a lot it seems. And I will happily keep doing it. I usually steer away from politics and religion in my conversations, but this seemed to be worth putting my feelings out there.

I hope you are still celebrating Christmas in some little way. I hope the magic of Christmas is still surrounding you! Whether you are like us and still have decorations up, or maybe you are making New Year’s resolutions that lead you closer to God, or maybe you are simply reading this and not judging me too much! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best in 2017! May the spirit and magic of Christmas stay with you through the rest of the season and for the whole year to come!!!