Now that Christmas Day has passed, there is a tendency to think the celebration of the Lord’s birth has gone as fast as it came. Christians must fight the trend and celebrate completely not only Christmas Day but the whole season, which ends with the Baptism of the Lord.
It is not unusual in urban areas to see discarded trees in alleys or on the streets the day after Christmas, prompting the question of how long they were up in the first place. Not only trees but also outdoor illumination are shut down about the same time.
Perhaps the shutting down of Christmas is a clue to the homeowners’ intentions, who perceive the Christmas celebration culminating on the 25th of December. This is not meant to be a negative or judgmental comment; instead, it is an encouragement to experience Christmas as a season and not just a day.
From a purely secular interpretation, the day of Christmas and the following days of the octave are a bit less chaotic than the rest of the year. The whole educational industry shuts down from Christmas to the New Year. Many businesses slow down during this time as well. Built into this time of year is time to slow down a bit and enjoy the season. Even if you do not have a slower work schedule, it doesn’t mean you cannot celebrate Christmas as a season instead of a day.
Living a season instead of a day requires intentionality. A person has to be convinced that living a season is more beneficial than their usual day-to-day life during these two weeks. It is an adult attribute because it presupposes a mindset of living in the moment rather than looking ahead to the next thing. Using an example from Christmas, most people have experienced children ripping through their gifts, the first with excitement, and quickly thrown to the side, racing to open the next one.
Living the Christmas season demands patience and willingness to reflect once the hustle and bustle of Christmas Day has ended. It is a most opportune time to reflect and pray on what was just experienced. Our example comes from the Blessed Virgin. When the shepherds shared the message given to them by an angel, Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
The days after Christmas are meant to be spent pondering things in our hearts, if we allow it. The Word made Flesh is so important an event that one day cannot hold it. Things being so busy on Christmas doesn’t give us the time to be in awe of what it means that we are loved and have a Savior who wants nothing more than for each of us to be in communion with Him and live with Him for all eternity. If we ponder anything in our hearts, it should be this fact.
Aside from the gift of a Savior, we have received gifts both physical and spiritual at Christmas. Those who gave us gifts and provided a feast as a sign of their love for us, along with their presence in our lives, are worthy of our hearts’ pondering with gratitude. Having a season gives us the time to do this.
Christmas is about welcoming God again into our lives, but also a time to reflect on how we are loved, and how we have loved those whom God has placed in our lives.
Merry Christmas.