I don’t know how it is at your house, but we have the tradition here of leaving our Christmas decorations out (and up?) through the twelve days of Christmas and Epiphany on January 6.
And why is that? Well, I could say that “it’s always been that way,” but that wouldn’t necessarily be true. It is “this way” for us for a variety of reasons, which have come to us over time, and all of which made perfect sense at the time a reason was revealed. We have to put the Christmas dishes away first after hosting Christmas dinner. This was an early reason, but we haven’t hosted Christmas dinner in forever. Still, there are tables and counters to clear because we had whipped up a cheese ball or baked pies last minute, or stayed up late wrapping Christmas presents. So first things first. Thank you notes for Christmas gifts received must be written, and what provides impetus better than seeing those gifts still under the tree? My rule: once the thank-you is written, THEN you can enjoy the gift! A related reason is that sometimes, make that oftentimes, I am in the process of sending Christmas cards and/or letters, and being visually reminded by the lighted Christmas tree and the nativity atop the piano helps keep me in the holiday spirit until the project is complete. But the real reason we have learned to wait to “un-decorate” is because we celebrate for twelve days, not just one, the birth of Jesus and the fulfillment of God’s promise to save the world from sin. Then on Epiphany we celebrate the visit of the Wise Ones to the Christ child. A visit made possible because they followed the star. In faith that led them to the Light. The Light that shines for all the world and into the lives of all people. As people of the Light, may our light so shine. Grace and peace … --Pastor Pat
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