To really celebrate Christmas we must recall that the Christmas season really began today. As Christmas Eve arrived yesterday we were bringing to a close Advent. Christmas season began at Midnight, earlier today, and lasts through the the Epiphany, the traditional date of which is January 6th. We will celebrate the Epiphany on the Sunday closeset to the 6th; which is the 8th. Liturgically, in the Church, the celebration continues to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
To insure that we recall the importance of Christmas, Christmas day in the Church is an octave. An octave is really an 8 day day. What? That's right; we celebrate Christmas as Christmas day over the next week. Even though many of the days ahead celebrate great Saints, like Stephen and John the Evangelist, the focus over this next week is Christmas.
This should not be so unusual for us in the secular world. Afterall, the schools are out between Christmas Day and New Year, many workers take vacation and several Christmas related festivities occur during the days ahead. Hopefully, you are one who does not take down the tree tonight, or pack away that nativity scene early. We are charged with keeping the Christmas season alive until it is truly over. And it most certainly is not over tonight. Some in the world may try to tell us back to the grind, but Christmas is a season and it is well worth celebrating to it is over.
So please celebrate Christmas for the rest of it's octave and the entire season over the next two weeks.
Have a very Merry Christmas!
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