The Mad Rush to Christmas!

Don't Let Thanksgiving be Lost in the Rush to Christmas!

When I was growing up, Christmas arrived in the secular world the day after Thanksgiving. The turkey was hardly off the table before Santa came riding in on his sleigh behind the reindeer. The worldly holiday fuss obliterated Advent completely. Despite the world's mad rush to Christmas, many Catholic families waited in the quiet for Emmanuel, God with us. They lit the Advent Wreath every evening, sang Come, O Come, Emmanuel and prayed together.

In my family growing up, we always went shopping for a Christmas tree a few days before and Daddy would haggle and get a good price since the Christmas tree lots would be closing soon. No matter that the choices were skimpier than in the earlier weeks, we always got a lovely balsam pine and the decorating would begin, usually on Christmas eve.

Today, not only is Advent lost in the shuffle, but Thanksgiving as well. Coming back from visiting my sister in Frederick yesterday we passed through town after town with the Christmas banners and lights already on full display. The pilgrims get short shrift; gotta make way for Santa and the elves. Buy, buy, buy, shop til you drop, no time to lose!

Actually, the stores have been hawking Christmas since before Halloween. Our deceased loved ones get nothing at all but grotesque displays of skeletons, witches, spider webs, bats, and other trappings of horror movies. What a sad testimony on our times to say that many of our relatives are canonized at their funerals and will receive nary a prayer to ease the pains of Purgatory.

Such is the secular world we inhabit that in many places, including many homes, more and more resembles hell on earth.

What is a faithful Catholic to do? 

To some degree, I say, "If you can't lick 'em, join 'em." So I will set up my star of Bethlehem on the day after Thanksgiving, bless it with holy water, and beg the Lord to use it to remind those who pass our home to "Follow the star." We will also set up our outdoor nativity scene on the first nice day after Thanksgiving to give public witness to the reason for the season as long as possible. It will likely stay up, lit every night, until Candlemas Day on February 2nd.

Inside the house, the decorations will not begin to appear until after Thanksgiving. I will set 
up my Advent dinner table with a purple runner and the statue of pregnant Mary on a donkey led by St. Joseph heading to Bethlehem. We will begin lighting the Advent candles every evening. When the tree appears, it will remain unlit. We will gradually add Jesse Tree ornaments to remind ourselves of the long period of waiting for the Messiah. Colorful little apple ornaments go on first to remind us of that fateful day when Adam and Eve defied God and brought sin into the earthly paradise deforming it. Noah's ark, a knife and bundle of sticks for Abraham and Isaac, a crown for King David, a necklace for Queen Esther, etc. and finally a lily for Mary will be added to Christ's "family tree" over the weeks. 

Only in the final days of Advent will we add all the other ornaments to the tree and turn on the lights. "The people in darkness have seen a great light!" The star announces it; the lit tree will magnify it. BUT! Not until a few days before Christmas.

All I am saying is give Advent a chance!