Celebrating Advent And Christmas

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned . . . For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

- Isaiah 9:2, 6

I remember, as a child, the Christmas celebration was the day when you woke your parents up really, really early in order to open all the wonderful gifts Santa Claus brought. I still anticipate Christmas in much the same way but, being a parent, I get a very different perspective on it!

Being a Christian has given me a totally different perspective on Christmas as well. As I have learned over the past few years, the Christmas celebration doesn't simply start on the 24th of December with Christmas Eve and end on December 25th with Christmas Day. The holiday season starts right after Thanksgiving. (No, no, no! Not with the biggest shopping day of the year -- although I have sometimes gotten caught up in that as well). It starts four Sundays before Christmas with Advent and ends on January 6th with the Feast of Epiphany.

In brief, the Advent season is about preparation, waiting, and hope. There are three different perspectives on this; the past, the present, and the future. Seen from the past tense, it was the period of waiting and preparation for the coming of the Messiah; the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. When viewed from the present tense, it reflects the preparations being made to either accept the Lord into your heart for the first time, or for a renewal or strengthening of your faith. And when we look to the future, it is about the second coming of our Lord when He will invite all His children home!

It is no coincidence that Advent marks the beginning of the church year as the church year is designed to follow the life of Christ, beginning with His birth. The Advent message is simple: God in Christ is coming to the world, and for those prepared for His coming, there is salvation. For those that are unprepared...

Advent is a time to celebrate light in the midst of darkness. This is symbolized best by the Advent Wreath which is the centerpiece for the season of Advent. The Advent celebration itself lasts through (and includes) Christmas Eve. Part of this celebration can also include the Advent calendar, which is something that can really generate feelings of excitement in children (and even adults) as you look forward to opening the daily leaflet on the calendar to see what suprise is behind it!

The Advent celebration is followed by the celebration of the Christmas season. I was not previously aware that Christmas is a season and not just a single day. There are (as the song says) twelve days of Christmas, and they begin on Christmas Day, December 25 (as opposed to ending on Christmas Day as some retailers would have you believe) and end with the Feast of Epiphany, January 6. (Actually, the Feast of Epiphany is after the twelfth day of Christmas and marks the beginning of the season of Epiphany, but it is still considered a part of the Christmas season.) You are cordially invited to view the Christmas Season page for the significant religious celebrations during these twelve days.

This joyous period of the Christmas Season is often referred to as the "Twelve Days", but the old tradition of giving a gift on each of the twelve days is pretty much gone. Actually, the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was a means of instruction for young Catholics to learn about their faith during a time when they were prohibited by law to practice it. Each of the song's gifts has a hidden meaning of the teachings of Christian faith. Visit the Twelve Days page for the meanings of these gifts and descriptions of the twelve day-by-day celebrations based upon these teachings!

I also look forward to the entertaining and fellowship that is a big part of Christmas. I like to cook (and eat) those special Christmas goodies, I like to decorate the house, I like do some of the crafts, etc. Yes, there are a lot of fun things to do during the Christmas holiday season. For a sampling of some of the things I have done (and/or would like to do) check out this Christmas Fun page!

Another fun part of Christmas (at least for me) is looking at how other nationalities celebrate Christmas. It is especially fun to see which customs we have adapted as our own. Please visit the Seasonal Traditions page if this sounds like an interesting thing to you!

As I look back, I see how I used to complain about how commercialized and materialistic Christmas was getting to be to the point of losing focus on what Christmas is really about. It used to really put a damper on my "Christmas spirit", and I used to have to look for ways to get into the spirit of Christmas. Celebrating Advent and the Christmas Season has really helped to put me in the right frame of mind for the season.

Sure I still enjoy going out shopping and looking at Christmas lights etc, and I still enjoy giving those special gifts to those around me and seeing the smiles on their faces. And I still enjoy the anticipation of Christmas day with family and friends. But participating in this season of hope with scripture, prayer, and song makes Christmas much more meaningful and personal to me. It has not only served to strengthen my faith, but has helped our family bond in a very intimate and wonderful way. What a joy the Christmas season is!

"It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you . . . yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand."

- Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Merry Christmas!!