I love Christmastime. I love the season of Advent. I wait 11 months each year, for it to begin again. And then I try to slow down and treasure each moment. Sure, some days are busier than I prefer...there's a bit of stress involved with fitting everyone and everything in, and we work at prioritizing our calendar AND the celebrating! We have simplified so that gift giving is fun and a joy, rather than an expensive chore. And when I unplug the Christmas tree lights on the 25th, I still look forward to waking up and seeing them again on the 26th. After all, Advent does not end, officially, until January 6; Epiphany. The day we commemorate the wise men finding Jesus, after a long search.
Imagine my surprise then, in reading Facebook updates, one after another, detailing how Christmas trees are packed away Christmas night...or, the 26th! And how thrilled person after person is...to "set the house back in order". To put Christmas away. And to be fair, I understand that a Christmas tree takes up space. I know the extra decorations can be clutter. And honestly, I used to be one of those people; proud to be done with Christmas the moment the gifts were unwrapped. But over the years, my heart has changed. I am charged with providing the atmosphere of Christmas in our home; I do the planning, the buying, the wrapping, the baking, the cards, the decorating...and I love it! The traditions we choose will become memories for our family, our children. They will remember what we do! Our Christmas, year after year, will be what they recall one day...what we do will be what Christmas "is" to them.
The JOY, the LIGHT, the FUN of Christmas...is so often represented, so often captured, in these decorations; both traditional ones, like the tree and Nativity, but also the extras placed here and there around our homes. And then the outdoor lights sparkling on dark and cold winter nights. I am indeed, surprised, that so many of us are so anxious to put Christmas away. Can't we let it live a few extra days? For actually, Christmas BEGINS on the 25th! It does not end there! The anticipatory joy of a newly born baby does not end on the day it is welcomed into the world! The pregnancy ends, the waiting is complete...but the JOY of that birth begins the day a baby takes its first breath. Likewise, Christmas begins the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ! So at our home, we let the lights shine a bit longer...we revel in the Christmas joy as long as possible and reflect upon all that this Advent season means. For truly, the heart of Christmas, the heart of our Christ, should last year round; it is not something to be hurried through, packed away, and cleaned up. I want to yell "slow down!!" to the world around me.
This year, I did not put up two Christmas trees; I felt the need to pare down what went up so that I could more easily handle taking it all down when time allows. We have a tall, thin tree that is potted, and designed so that it can be left up through winter months. Or year round, really. And so, I decorated this tree, with felt ornaments and other bits and pieces that are non-breakable as I have little ones who constantly touch and rearrange the ornaments on it. As I was perusing the after-Christmas markdowns at Target, I noted red and white felt hearts in the ornament section...and plenty of snowmen and snowflakes. I picked up some silver glittered snowflakes, and these red hearts and white hearts...and now my Christmas tree looks like Valentine's Day! All at a markdown. I hope to grab some pink hearts later, as Valentine sales commence. I took down Christmas garland, but left up greenery which was decorated with snowmen and/or pinecones. My decorations are trending towards winter season, with a bit of Christmas thrown in. This allows us to hold on to Christmas magic just a bit longer in our home. To enjoy the lovely twinkling lights awhile, without feeling that we need to pack away "Christmas".
With every passing year, I am aware of how quickly time flies. My babies grow fast, becoming kids, then teenagers. This time with them is precious; our family whole and unscattered. I do not want to wish it away, to be done with this glorious season. The day will come, that my children might not all gather at Christmas; they may come at different times, or God may lead them across the country so that visits are rare. I want to take in these days in which we are all, blessedly (and sometimes loudly!) together. I want to take time to embrace the season, the heart change...to prepare for the pain of Lent and the coming joy of Easter season; to walk the Liturgical year step by step as Jesus walked the earth step by step. Moment by moment, each, in its God-ordained time. We cannot--or should not--rush through life, eager to pass each stage and pack away each holiday! Savor time! Relish moments. Live purposefully.
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