The Perks of Waiting For Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone!

This year was the first time Andrew and I made concerted efforts toward celebrating Advent during Advent and waiting for Christmas to put up the tree and hang stockings with care. I have to say, the whole experience has been fantastic. It’s true that good things come to those who wait and this idea is not lost with Christmas at all. Truly waiting cultivated my sense of liturgical seasons within the Catholic Church, and on a superficial level, I found I wasn’t bored by December 25th as with Christmases of yore.

DID YOU KNOW that the Christmas Feast lasts until Epiphany (January 6) and the Christmas season until the Baptism of the Lord (January 13)? I confess that I gained this clarity just this year, thanks to my mom and a family friend/professional liturgist.

SO! Below you’ll find a list of perks to waiting it out. If you celebrate Advent during Advent and Christmas during Christmas…

• Advent decor in church doesn’t throw you off if you decorate correspondingly in your own house.
  In any other year, our home was streamed with whites and reds right after Thanksgiving; tree up and decked, every inch of the house smothered in ribbons and wreaths, and nativity scene on the mantle. But then we’d walk into our parish each Sunday of Advent and see modest decor with purples and pinks, a gentle reminder that we were slightly off in our celebrations. There wasn’t any liturgical discord between our parish and house this year, which really added to our feeling of…
• Anticipation!
  I confess that I started putting Christmas decor up on the 22nd instead of waiting for Christmas Eve as planned. Our Christmas Eve/Day schedules were packed and I wanted to have things up. In hindsight, considering the length of the Feast, I could have waited. Regardless, I got really giddy for Christmas just before Christmas Eve Mass. We sang traditional carols before and during the liturgy, the church was covered in poinsettias and evergreens, the huge nativity scene was on display, the readings and incense were amazing, and everyone looked stunning in their Christmas best. The overall sensation was so joyful that I was totally and suddenly immersed in Christmas spirit and humbled at the profundity of the Incarnation.
• You score some major discounts!
  We went to put up our fake tree on Christmas Eve and saw that it was ruined by exposure to southern elements. It was a bummer that we didn’t have a tree Christmas Day, but the rest of our festive decor made up for it and I ran out to get a new one for us on the 26th. It was SUPER cheap! I threw in a few ornaments to the transaction and each item was at least 50% off. Not a bad deal. I’m still finding decorations in storage and putting them up to really relish in the season. Oh, and it helps having Nat King Cole/Bing Crosby Christmas playing on Pandora, especially since no one was too P.C. to sing about the glory of God back then.
• It’s the ideal season for procrastinators and perfectionists
  People freak out all during December – cooking  and shopping and wrapping, oh my! Not to mention the horrendous lines at the post office. The stress abounds and instead of people being more cheerful and generous in public, they’re ruthless on the road and snippy in-store. I get it – it’s the time of year when you really want everything to look and be nice for your loved ones; and it usually culminates on one day since most families gather on the 24th or 25th, but preparations don’t have to shoot your blood pressure sky high. The heavenly host glorified God proclaiming “peace and good will,” not “anxiety and fatigue.”I made egg nog this year (my dad’s recipe adapted from an old edition of Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book) and I wanted to make a big egg casserole for Christmas morning and crockpot hot chocolate for my family to enjoy all day and I still had to finish my Christmas cards. Feeling the burn of self-imposed pressure for perfection and having everything charming and picturesque ON CHRISTMAS DAY I realized, Hey the whole feast is 12 days long! I got time. I’m still sending out Christmas cards and enjoying the fact that doing so isn’t late as I’ve felt in years prior. The egg bake will come this weekend and maybe the hot chocolate if I can get to it. No big deal. I can make it next week, too, or even the week after. This way, each celebratory dish receives its due attention not only from me the chef, but my hungry men as well. Part of the gift in any home or culinary preparation is the peace with which its presented – a cup of hot chocolate tends to lose its decadence when poured out of stressed obligation instead of cheerful charity. Plus, stretching out the special meals and goodies over the whole Christmas season will help us maintain the celebration rather than letting it fade too quickly.

photo by hodgers

So far I’d give ourselves an A for effort and execution, but I have to examine our Advent. Our intended Jesse Tree and scriptural reflections were a bit of a flop and I think Advent Candle #4 went unlit for the last “week’s” 48 hour celebration. For us Advent Newbies, celebrating the season was defined more by what we didn’t do than what we did; for example, we didn’t listen to Christmas music or put up any yuletide decor, but we also failed at the Jesse Tree and our only active acknowledgment of anticipation was keeping the candles on the mantle lit. In prayer we asked God to help us anticipate His Son’s birthday celebration, but I’d say the general pursuit was slightly lacking.

I won’t get too down on our efforts, however. For our first year of decided Advent and Christmas liturgical celebrations in our own domestic church, I think we did pretty well. It’s important to note that while the whole experience has been wonderful and enhanced by observing each season, it was a challenge to hold off on what was so habitual not only for us, but for everyone else, too! I had to remind myself that I was participating in the same restraint and anticipation that the Holy Father was enduring. Well – I’m sure he didn’t have to harness his giddiness to hang his favorite Christmas wreath, but even so, knowing that what we were doing was in line with what the Catholic Church as a whole was doing made it fun. So! here’s to savoring the rest of the Christmas Feast and season and to improved active participation in Advent next year!