Our culture starts celebrating Christmas right after Thanksgiving or even Halloween and stops on December 26 or at most on January 1. But for Catholics, the Christmas season begins at sundown on Christmas Eve, December 24, and is still far from over as the New Year begins. In a previous article, I discussed how we can reclaim the season of Advent from our secular culture. Let us explore here how we can do the same for Christmas.
The True Meaning of Christmas
Our secular culture has worked hard to redefine Christmas as a winter holiday celebrating family and a general sense of good will and peace. But the true meaning of Christmas is that God become Incarnate; He took on a human nature and became one of us so that He would then die upon the Cross for us and heal the division that our sinfulness had brought about between Himself and humanity. Through the Incarnation, God also established the deepest possible connection between the Creator and created reality. When we are baptized into Christ, we enter into the inner life of the Holy Trinity. That is the true meaning of Christmas. Yes, at Christmas we celebrate family. Yes, Christmas gives us the hope of true peace. But not through some vague amorphous solidarity among humans, but through the grace of Christ, whose infinite love has been poured out upon the world since the first Christmas.
The Christmas Season
The first part of reclaiming Christmas is not to stop our Christmas celebrations just because the secular culture around us does so on January 1. In the Catholic Church, the Christmas season starts on Christmas Eve, with the vigil of Christmas Day, which itself is the beginning of the Octave of Christmas. An Octave is a liturgical feast that goes on for eight days, conveying the sense that the feast is so important that we cannot celebrate it in one day only.
In earlier times, the Church had various octave celebrations throughout the year, but when the liturgical calendar was reformed in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, only two were kept - the Octaves of Christmas and Easter. Liturgically, each day of the Christmas Octave is the feast of Christmas. Ideally, each Mass of the octave should be celebrated with the same liturgical pomp and energy as Christmas Day itself.
The Octave of Christmas ends on January 1, after which the Christmas season continues until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, usually celebrated on the second Sunday of January but sometimes on the Monday after Epiphany. As with Advent, the Christmas season can vary in length, ending anywhere from January 8 to January 13, depending on the year.
A question might arise here. What about the Twelve Days of Christmas? Doesn't the Christmas season end twelve days after December 25 on January 6, the feast of the Epiphany? The answer is, not in the current liturgical calendar. The number twelve comes from an older custom for counting the days of the season, kept mostly in awareness today by the popularity of the song involving gifts from the singer's true love. The Twelve Days of Christmas, together with the feast of Epiphany, used to be a time of Christmas cheer and merrymaking. While we can still count out the twelve days every year, in today's Church, the season does not end on Epiphany.
Another question might be raised here. If not twelve, then what about the forty days of Christmas? Didn't the Christmas season end in some other traditions on February 2, the feast of Candlemas? The answer to that is a bit more complicated, but we can safely say that some Christmas prayers and customs were indeed historically continued until February 2. For example, the Nativity Set was not removed until that day.
If we study the history of Christmas, we find a great variety of customs. As Catholics, we should first and foremost follow the liturgical practices of the Church, which will vary somewhat depending on our circumstances. At the same time, in our private devotions we are at liberty to observe some additional customs as well, as long as they don't conflict with life of the Church.
To reclaim Christmas from the secular world, let us begin by celebrating Christmas until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. In our personal devotions, we can go further and continue the celebration longer. Next, let's look at how.
Celebrate the Feast
Leave up the Christmas Decorations: The world around us starts to put away all the beautiful Christmas decorations already on December 26 and for sure by January 2. Let's buck this trend by leaving ours up – our tree, our Nativity Set, our lights, and all the other displays. In some areas, HOA regulations might limit outside décor, but let's do what we can.
My wife and I observe the older custom of keeping our decorations up until January 2. January is a dark, cold, dreary month and people seem down after all the festivities of December. The beautiful lights that had lit up the dark are gone. No more celebrations, just the credit card bills and weight gain to contend with from the holidays. So why not keep the cheer going as long as we can? Let's keep the halls decked at least until the Baptism of the Lord, or, if you are so inclined, until February 2. If the latter seems too much, I would at the very least recommend returning to the older custom of keeping the Nativity Set out until February 2 – a custom that is also observed by the Vatican.
Listen to More Christmas Music: By December 26, you might feel sick of hearing Christmas music and might be glad that the stores and radio stations are done playing these songs for another year. But what we mostly hear in December are the secular songs, not authentic, traditional Christmas music. As the secular Christmas songs fall silent, let us play in their place beautiful sacred music celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christmas Parties: The proper time for Christmas parties is not during Advent, the preparation for Christmas, but during the Christmas season itself. So let's start scheduling them for late December or January. People are more likely to have time in any case, since December calendars tend to fill up all too quickly. Our guests are also likely to appreciate the break from the January gloom. Sometimes people call such gatherings "After Christmas Parties" or "Epiphany Parties." But if they are still in the Christmas season, let's call them what they are: Christmas Parties.
Twelve Days: Though the Twelve Days of Christmas no longer determine the length of the season, we can have fun counting out the days. If you have kids, you could save some of the smaller presents and give one on each of the twelve days. You could plan a fun event for each evening, such as looking at lights or watching Christmas themed movies (focusing on ones that keep Christ in Christmas).
Twelfth Night: The night before Epiphany, known as Epiphany Eve or Twelfth Night was, at one point, considered the end of the Christmas season. Elaborate celebrations were held on this night. In fact, the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare got its name because it was first performed for the English court for their Twelfth Night celebrations. Today, the night before Epiphany might be a good time for a costume party, perhaps encouraging people to dress as saintly characters from the Bible or Church history.
Another popular tradition on Twelfth Night was the inversion of the social order. (We see some of that in Shakespeare play.) Masters and servants, students and teachers, parents and children would trade places in some ways for the day. If you have children, perhaps you could celebrate Twelfth Night by temporarily taking on some of their roles in the family and letting them take on some of the roles of the adults (within reason and with good boundaries, of course). That could make for some fun merriment.
Epiphany: The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Magi or Three Wise Men, who traveled from distant lands to see the child Jesus. Since the Magi are especially known for the gifts they brought to Jesus, traditionally, Christmas gift-giving centered on Epiphany, rather than on Christmas. If you have kids, Epiphany could be another good day to give gifts. Perhaps save one of the Christmas gifts and present it on this feast instead.
Another Epiphany tradition is the Epiphany cake, which has a bean or a baby Jesus figure hidden in it. As the slices are passed around, whoever finds the hidden item becomes king or queen for the day. If you have kids, the cake could be consumed early in the day and then someone from the family would get to be the royal personage until the evening (again, within reason). Or you could throw a party for your friends, encouraging them to dress in regal attire, but only the one who finds the bean or baby Jesus would get to wear a crown for the evening.
Candlemas: Traditionally, the Christmas cycle ended on February 2, which commemorates the day when St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary brought the baby Jesus to be presented at the temple 40 days after His birth. The feast has had three names.
One is the Purification of the Virgin Mary. Of course, Mary, the Mother of God, was completely pure and was not in need of cleansing in any way. But the Mosaic Law considered all pregnant women ritually impure and expected them to be sequestered from society until they went through a purification ceremony. The reason behind this law was to protect the woman who had just given birth and her newborn baby, as well as to safeguard others from any infections she might have developed. The purification ceremony certified that both mother and child were safe to enter society. Again, the Virgin Mary did not need this ritual, but she submitted to the rules of the Mosaic Law, as did Jesus throughout His life.
Another name for February 2 has been the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The Mosaic Law required that the firstborn son of every family be consecrated to God. The consecration recalled God's protection of the Israelites during the Exodus, when the angel of death struck down the firstborn male in every household in Egypt, but spared families that had smeared their doorframe with the blood of the lamb they had sacrificed.
Historically, the consecration of the firstborn males pointed toward the coming of Jesus, who would become the Lamb of God, offering himself as the sacrifice to save all from spiritual death. At end of our period of reflection on the infancy of Jesus, we focus on why He came among us - to become our Savior. The Presentation of the Lord anticipates Good Friday, the day our Lord was crucified, and also the victory of Easter.
The third name for February 2 has been Candlemas, which is rooted in the prophecy of the holy man Simeon at the Temple that Jesus would be "a light for revelation" to the people of the world (Luke 2:32). Traditionally, Jesus being the Light of the World was symbolized by the lighting of many candles. On this day, candles are also blessed at Mass, both those used in the church and candles brought by the faithful. Check with your pastor if he observes this custom in your community.
To celebrate Candlemas in your home, start by prayerfully reflecting on Luke 2:22-38, the passage detailing the biblical events commemorated this day. Then bring out lots of candles and eat dinner in candlelight. Depending on your circumstances, you might also use only candles to light most or all of your day. If you have kids, a candlelight day might be a lot of fun. (For safety, you might want to use electronic candles. I know that might sound like cheating, but we should do everything with prudence.)
Spiritual Practices During Christmastide
If you started various spiritual practices during Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas, the Christmas season is a great time to continue and build on those practices. On the other hand, if Advent was a frantic blur of holiday activities, leaving little time for spiritual reflection, then Christmas is a good time to refocus spiritually.
Prayer: If you do not already have a regular prayer life, set time aside each day during the Christmas season to pray. Focus on praying the Rosary daily. In all of her recent approved apparitions, our Blessed Mother has emphasized the supreme importance of this prayer. The Rosary is also the perfect prayer for Christmas because in saying the Rosary, we reflect on the role of our Holy Mother in Christ's Incarnation and work of salvation. Through her, Christ entered the human world. Her entire being remains focused on bringing Christ to all of us. She has one goal and one goal only - to help us experience the infinite, eternal love of her son, our Lord. As we pray the Rosary, let us ask Our Lady to help us be fully united with her Divine Son.
The Holy Eucharist: At Christmas, we celebrate the Incarnation. God took on human flesh and came among us as one of us. We might be tempted to envy the people who were alive at that time, since they were able to see Jesus while He was still on earth. But let us remember the mystery of the Holy Eucharist. After the words of consecration spoken by the priest, the bread and wine are transformed into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Risen Christ. Christ is really and truly present in the Eucharist. When we receive Holy Communion, we receive Christ Himself. Every Mass is Christmas in that Christ comes to us personally. As we contemplate the historical birth of Christ, let us also focus on how He is with us now, at every Mass.
Holy Hour: A powerful way to focus on Christ's presence is the practice of the Holy Hour, which entails spending a full hour praying before the Blessed Sacrament. We can meditate quietly. Or pray the Rosary. Or read from the Scriptures. How we spend our Holy Hour can vary. The main thing is to be there in the presence of Christ, opening our heart to His grace. During this Christmas season, let us commit ourselves to one Holy Hour per week. Keep up the practice until Easter and see how this powerful spiritual discipline changes your life.
The King of Our Home: The first Christmas was the beginning of the transformation of the world. God Himself took on a human nature and came among us as one of us. The birth of Christ would, in the fullness of time, lead to the Crucifixion, where He offered Himself up as a sacrifice for the salvation of the world. Through the work of the Church, the saving grace of Christ continues to be poured out upon the world, as we anticipate the return of Christ in the Second Coming, when He will remake the world into the New Jerusalem, ruled entirely by the love of Christ, the King of the Universe.
As we celebrate Christmas, let us reflect on the kingship of Christ. His kingship is not limited to the New Jerusalem. He is the King of the world now. Let us submit to his kingship in every aspect of our lives - in how we talk, how we think, how we act, how we relate to everything in life. Let us make Christ's kingship over us concrete by enthroning Him in our homes. We can do so by displaying a statue or painting of Christ prominently in our home and praying, either individually, if we live alone, or together with our whole household asking Christ to reign in our home and placing under His authority all that we are and all that we do.
Bless Your Home: A beautiful custom related to the feast of the Epiphany is the blessing of homes. On this day, chalk blessed by a priest is used to write the following on the doorpost of the main entrance to the home: "20 + C + M + B + [year]," the last being the last two digits of the year in question. The letters are the initials of the traditional names of the Three Wise Men: Casper, Melchior, and Balthazar, whose arrival at the home of the child Jesus we commemorate on the feast of the Epiphany. After the chalk inscription is made, the family prays a blessing over the home, asking for the outpouring of the grace of Christ for the coming year.
Some parishes give our blessed chalk with a prayer card to use for the home blessing. If your parish does not, you can ask your priest to bless some chalk that you bring from home. If your pastor is open to the idea, you could also volunteer to put together house blessing kits for your community, maybe enlisting the help of some friends. For the prayer, you could use the house blessing from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Blessing of the Home and Household on Epiphany
The Feasts of the Octave: Each day of the Christmas Octave celebrates a feast whose focus can enhance our understanding of Christmas.
December 26 - St. Stephen the Martyr: St. Stephen was the first martyr for the Christian faith, as we see in The Acts of the Apostles. Having the feast of the first martyr the day after Christmas Day reminds us of the cost of discipleship. Following Christ is not always easy and we might be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice. But if he hold fast to Christ, eternal life of unending, infinite joy awaits us .
December 27 - St. John the Evangelist: St. John is the divinely inspired author of five books of the New Testament - The Gospel of John, the three Letters of John, and The Book of Revelations.
In his inspired writings, John expounds beautifully on the mystery of the Incarnation, showing how God became one of us to save us from our broken state of sinfulness and to open the path for us to live eternally in the infinite love of the Holy Trinity. John also shows us that Christ entrusted the faithful to the protection of the Virgin Mary, who works tirelessly to bring all of us to Him.
December 28 - Holy Innocents: The feast of the Holy Innocents commemorates the children who were slaughtered by Herod in his attempt to kill the child Jesus. The horror of Herod's act shows how greatly the forces of evil oppose the life-giving message of Christ. The reality of that evil is all too present in our culture today. But the message of Christmas gives us the assurance that the light of God has come to us and will not be overcome by the darkness.
December 29 - St. Thomas Becket and King David: St. Thomas Becket was the Archbishop of Canterbury in 12th century England and King David was the biblical forbearer of Jesus. St. Thomas refused to allow the King to undermine the autonomy of the Church. His defense of the rights of the Church against raw political authority cost St. Thomas his life. He was murdered at the orders of King Henry II. In contrast to King Henry, David was the model of wielding political power in harmony with the laws of God, ensuring that power is used for the benefit of all of God's people. The lives of these two holy figures highlight that God and God alone must be the center of our lives, even if that puts us at odds with the powers of the world.
December 30 - St. Sabinus: St. Sabinus was a bishop in the late 3rd century. He was martyred during the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian, who sought to eradicate Christianity from the empire. The persecution of Diocletian was the last wave before Christianity became legalized and became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. The martyrdom of St. Sabinus reminds us that no matter how great and powerful the darkness of the world seems to be, Christ will always win the victory.
December 31 - Pope St. Sylvester I: St. Sylvester was the pope during the Council of Nicaea, which affirmed the divinity of Christ. Though he was not personally present at the Council, he sent legates to represent him. He affirmed and supported the conclusions of the Council, which stated that Christ was not a mere human being but is God Incarnate.
In the West, the feast of St. Sylvester falls on New Year's Eve. In a number of countries, the end of the year is called Sylvester, after the feast day. In the midsts of the New Year's Eve celebrations, the feast of St. Sylvester can help us keep in mind that the focus of the season is the Incarnation.
Holy Family: The feast of the Holy Family is celebrated on the Sunday between Christmas Day and New Year's Day, unless the latter is a Sunday, in which case the celebration of the Holy Family is on the Friday before. On this day and throughout the Christmas season, Church reflects on the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The contrast with our own families can be painful. So many families are broken and beset with strife today. Let us look to the Holy Family for help. Let us ask the Holy Family to sanctify and heal our families. During the Christmas season, let us pray for each family member by name, especially those who do not know the healing love of God.
Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: As discussed above, the Virgin Mary has one goal and one goal alone, to take us to Christ, so that we can live eternally in His infinite, unending love. What a better way to start the New Year than to celebrate our Holy Mother who wants us to be completely filled with God's grace, as she herself has always been. Let us start the year by honoring Our Lady at Mass and in our prayers, asking her to help us receive Christ into our lives, submitting our will to His, just as she did when she said yes to God's plan for her.
Merry Christmas!
Photo Credit: Nativity Christmas Lights Wikimedia Commons.
