Make it last

On Sunday I was teaching my 1st grade Sunday school class about the 12 days of Christmas and Epiphany, when it's traditional to celebrate the coming of the Magi to visit baby Jesus. The kids seemed very excited to find out that Christmas wasn't in fact over and instead lasted for another 7 days. Their enthusiasm waned when they realised that those 7 days didn't include more gifts! The trick seems to be making the enjoyment of the first gift last for as long as possible. 

As usual, the lesson preparation taught me almost as much as I taught the kids. I never really appreciated that Christmas lasts more than 1 day, and it was always a huge anticlimax on the 26th. To minimise the disappointment I used to clear the Christmas cards off the shelf and put away the decorations by New Years Day. I've noticed other people doing the same thing this year. The sidewalk outside my building already has a few Christmas trees lying on it, waiting for the trash truck. It seems that we're all ready to move on.

I wonder why this is? Maybe we started too early with our celebrations, not praying and fasting our way through Advent as we should've, so we're now all party-ed out. Maybe we're just impatient to get back into our routine or afraid if we rest and relax too long some insidious sloth is going to overtake us making us unable to function ever again. Of course, some of us are just expected back at work on the 2nd.

If you have indeed prayed and fasted your way through Advent, then I congratulate you. You have certainly earned the right to party through Epiphany! I certainly did not earn that right, but I'm going to try and recognise the extended celebration by at least keeping my Christmas cards up a little longer this (next) year.

Happy Epiphany!

Philomena

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Comments

[nicodemus]

Hear, hear Philomena. I've always felt the anticlimax after Christmas was notable and you put your finger on the pulse of the reason: Advent is the celebratory time for most. Even football cannot fill the gap (or presence) of the 12 days of Christmas. I'm presently in Florida trying to celebrate the feast in earnest before Epiphany: no California storms here!