Almost Time to Celebrate!

Christmas begins tomorrow evening! We have been waiting for weeks now, and it is finally here. No, it did not begin the day after Thanksgiving. That was not even Advent yet. The timing of the American civic celebration of Thanksgiving has no bearing on when Christmas begins. The celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ properly begins on the evening of December 24th (and goes through to at least Epiphany, but properly to Candlemas). It does not make a difference if someone chose to put up their Christmas lights during Advent (which is sort of like having an Easter Egg hunt during Lent!).

So then, get ready to start celebrating tomorrow. I hope you did not begin celebrating too early where you will quit celebrating on Christmas Day after the last dishes are washed from dinner. Celebration of Christmas goes through at least Epiphany -- keep your tree up until then; keep your lights and other decorations up until then. Maybe even you can have a special celebration and recognition of Epiphany! After all, the vast majority of our forefathers did so.