Already, the Christmas decorations are starting to come down. The irony to me is that we have had them up since Thanksgiving (Halloween in some cases), but the moment Christmas passes, we are desperate to tear them down as though they are somehow over ripe or spoiled. The truth is, however, that the Christmas season (as it was celebrated up until Cromwell cancelled Christmas in Britain) is a two week affair. It begins on Christmas day and lasts until Epiphany (the 6th of January). While many people sing the twelve days of Christmas, they forget the reason behind the song. The twelve days symbolize the spread of the word of Jesus's birth, culminating with the arrival of the Magi, the kings who bring the gifts which our gift-giving is supposed to symbolize.
While it's a bit of a joke that our Christmas decorations stay up until June. I, personally, try to keep them up for the entire twelve days. I have meant to resume the gift-giving on each of the twelve days in my family, but it never panned out that way for me. Our busy lives aren't willing to hold for that long. Maybe they should though. Maybe we need to make a better effort and make the Christmas season (the true Christmas season) more than just a time to return our unwanted gifts. Our time with friends and family should be more than just a single day.
While it's a bit of a joke that our Christmas decorations stay up until June. I, personally, try to keep them up for the entire twelve days. I have meant to resume the gift-giving on each of the twelve days in my family, but it never panned out that way for me. Our busy lives aren't willing to hold for that long. Maybe they should though. Maybe we need to make a better effort and make the Christmas season (the true Christmas season) more than just a time to return our unwanted gifts. Our time with friends and family should be more than just a single day.
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