My wife and I have this running "discussion" every year around the end of October, beginning of November, about when we can officially prepare for and celebrate the Christmas season. She wants to take out the decorations a week or two before Thanksgiving and start playing Christmas music. I, on the other hand, believe you should wait until after Thanksgiving. I am really resistant to doing the "Christmasy" thing too early. For some reason it really bothers me that we tend to go from Halloween to Christmas without paying much respect to the Thanksgiving season.
This whole issue has frustrated me to such a point that some years back I put together my list of rules for Christmas. Mind you, these are my rules that no one seems to want to follow - at least some of them, as you will see - but I always pull them out and remind my wife of my rules as I start pulling down Christmas decoration boxes from the attic. This year I was reminding her of my rules the weekend before Thanksgiving, as I was putting up the four Christmas trees in our house! As I said, they're my rules that aren't necessarily embraced by many. But they should be!
Rule #1 - No Christmas ornaments on display or sold in stores until the week of Thanksgiving.
Is it me or did you notice how early the stores got the move on Christmas this year? It's disconcerting to walk through a store and see costumes of witches and monster and Halloween decorations in one aisle and angels, Santa Claus and Christmas decorations in the next. It really messes up my anticipation for Christmas.
Rule #2 - No Christmas decorations up in and around homes until after Thanksgiving.
What ever happened to Thanksgiving? I don't see any turkeys or pilgrims or Native Americans smiling out in the yard, no little ships hanging from the trees, no giant turkey drumstick on the top of roofs. It was nice to come home after Thanksgiving and find that the neighbors down the street finally took down their Halloween blowups off the lawn. I don't know but maybe witches, goblins and skeletons hold more significance than a time for giving thanks and the Christ Child. At least most jobs and schools are giving you the day before Thanksgiving off. That seems right, considering that, next to Christmas it is the most traveled few days in visiting family and friends.
Rule #3 - Sometime during the Christmas season there needs to be several days when the weather is colder than 40 degrees. Somewhere during the month of December, it would be wonderful it happened a few days before Christmas, that a light dusting of snow were to take place.
There is something just not normal when you get to this time of the year and the average temperature is hovering around the 60's or higher. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for drifts of snow or temps in the teens or twenties. I moved south from the north impart to get away from that kind of stuff. I just want a couple of days when you can go out, throw a snowball, make a snowman and snow angle, and watch the snow light up as it gently falls over the outside Christmas lights. Just a gentle reminder that we are, in fact, in the season of winter.
Rule #4 - Movies like "Christmas Carol", "It's a Wonderful Life", and "A White Christmas" should be required viewing during the Christmas season. Add to those movies such TV specials like "A Charlie Brown Christmas", "The Grinch that Stole Christmas", and "I Wish for Wings that Fly". When these are on, the family should be gathered, popcorn popped and the fire going, all together watching as a family.
I admit that I become a big sap for Hallmark movies made for Christmas. I snuggle in with my wife and we are reminded how easy it is to take things for granted, how important family and friends are, and that "'tis the season" is only for the child at heart, not grumpy, greedy people.
Rule #5 - Everyone should stand by the mall Christmas Tree or the moving Christmas decorations and watch the little children's reactions. They are always the same, they all have a gleam in their eyes, a smile on their faces, and a look of wonder at what ever they see. And, if you get lucky, no, if you are blessed, you'll catch that same wonder in the face of an adult or two, maybe it might even be you!
Rule #6 - Everyone should sing at least one Christmas song each day through Christmas Day. Solos are allowed and are to be applauded. Four part harmonies are nice but not required. At least one verse. Grab a partner and do a duet. Be spontaneous. Be bold. Be vocal.
Rule #7 - Along with the gifts that we give to our family and friends, we should also give them the gift of blessing. Words have far greater value and impact than material things. A blessing is more than a wish, a blessing involves hope, it involves encouragement, it involves knowing a little bit about that person's soul, it involves you being involved with that person in a deeper way than with just giving a material gift. It involves being open to let that person become a part of your life. Interestingly, as you bless you will be blessed. Strange how that works but it's true.
Rule #8 - It's OK, in fact, it's encouraged that, in the mix of buying Christmas cards, that we should sit down and create a few of our own cards. Limit your use of the computer generated kind. Let the paint and crayons and markers fly! Use stick figures, experiment with your colors, be expressive, be funny, be serious, but above all, be real! And be sure you mail it.
Rule #9 - Last but most importantly, forget not what this season is all about. It's not just about a child being born in a manger, angels singing, shepherds and magi kneeling. It's about a Holy God having compassion on a sinful and fallen people and becoming one of us so that, instead of condemnation and emptiness, we could experience grace and peace and communion and joy and hope and love and purpose and...well, you get the point.
"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish."
Christmas is about a Savior on the cross in our place, bearing our failures and, finally, standing before God as our Champion. our Intercessor, our Strength. He is, indeed, our "indescribable gift!"
This whole issue has frustrated me to such a point that some years back I put together my list of rules for Christmas. Mind you, these are my rules that no one seems to want to follow - at least some of them, as you will see - but I always pull them out and remind my wife of my rules as I start pulling down Christmas decoration boxes from the attic. This year I was reminding her of my rules the weekend before Thanksgiving, as I was putting up the four Christmas trees in our house! As I said, they're my rules that aren't necessarily embraced by many. But they should be!
Rule #1 - No Christmas ornaments on display or sold in stores until the week of Thanksgiving.
Is it me or did you notice how early the stores got the move on Christmas this year? It's disconcerting to walk through a store and see costumes of witches and monster and Halloween decorations in one aisle and angels, Santa Claus and Christmas decorations in the next. It really messes up my anticipation for Christmas.
Rule #2 - No Christmas decorations up in and around homes until after Thanksgiving.
What ever happened to Thanksgiving? I don't see any turkeys or pilgrims or Native Americans smiling out in the yard, no little ships hanging from the trees, no giant turkey drumstick on the top of roofs. It was nice to come home after Thanksgiving and find that the neighbors down the street finally took down their Halloween blowups off the lawn. I don't know but maybe witches, goblins and skeletons hold more significance than a time for giving thanks and the Christ Child. At least most jobs and schools are giving you the day before Thanksgiving off. That seems right, considering that, next to Christmas it is the most traveled few days in visiting family and friends.
Rule #3 - Sometime during the Christmas season there needs to be several days when the weather is colder than 40 degrees. Somewhere during the month of December, it would be wonderful it happened a few days before Christmas, that a light dusting of snow were to take place.
There is something just not normal when you get to this time of the year and the average temperature is hovering around the 60's or higher. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for drifts of snow or temps in the teens or twenties. I moved south from the north impart to get away from that kind of stuff. I just want a couple of days when you can go out, throw a snowball, make a snowman and snow angle, and watch the snow light up as it gently falls over the outside Christmas lights. Just a gentle reminder that we are, in fact, in the season of winter.
Rule #4 - Movies like "Christmas Carol", "It's a Wonderful Life", and "A White Christmas" should be required viewing during the Christmas season. Add to those movies such TV specials like "A Charlie Brown Christmas", "The Grinch that Stole Christmas", and "I Wish for Wings that Fly". When these are on, the family should be gathered, popcorn popped and the fire going, all together watching as a family.
I admit that I become a big sap for Hallmark movies made for Christmas. I snuggle in with my wife and we are reminded how easy it is to take things for granted, how important family and friends are, and that "'tis the season" is only for the child at heart, not grumpy, greedy people.
Rule #5 - Everyone should stand by the mall Christmas Tree or the moving Christmas decorations and watch the little children's reactions. They are always the same, they all have a gleam in their eyes, a smile on their faces, and a look of wonder at what ever they see. And, if you get lucky, no, if you are blessed, you'll catch that same wonder in the face of an adult or two, maybe it might even be you!
Rule #6 - Everyone should sing at least one Christmas song each day through Christmas Day. Solos are allowed and are to be applauded. Four part harmonies are nice but not required. At least one verse. Grab a partner and do a duet. Be spontaneous. Be bold. Be vocal.
Rule #7 - Along with the gifts that we give to our family and friends, we should also give them the gift of blessing. Words have far greater value and impact than material things. A blessing is more than a wish, a blessing involves hope, it involves encouragement, it involves knowing a little bit about that person's soul, it involves you being involved with that person in a deeper way than with just giving a material gift. It involves being open to let that person become a part of your life. Interestingly, as you bless you will be blessed. Strange how that works but it's true.
Rule #8 - It's OK, in fact, it's encouraged that, in the mix of buying Christmas cards, that we should sit down and create a few of our own cards. Limit your use of the computer generated kind. Let the paint and crayons and markers fly! Use stick figures, experiment with your colors, be expressive, be funny, be serious, but above all, be real! And be sure you mail it.
Rule #9 - Last but most importantly, forget not what this season is all about. It's not just about a child being born in a manger, angels singing, shepherds and magi kneeling. It's about a Holy God having compassion on a sinful and fallen people and becoming one of us so that, instead of condemnation and emptiness, we could experience grace and peace and communion and joy and hope and love and purpose and...well, you get the point.
"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish."
(John 1:14, the Message Bible)
Christmas is about a Savior on the cross in our place, bearing our failures and, finally, standing before God as our Champion. our Intercessor, our Strength. He is, indeed, our "indescribable gift!"
"For a child has been born - for us! The gift of a son - for us! He'll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there'll be no limits to the wholeness He brings."
(Isaiah 9:6-7, the Message Bible)
To all of you who read this blog, family, friends, strangers, may these next several weeks be a time of great joy. May you grow deeper in your faith, wider in your compassion and love for others, climb higher in your pilgrimage of life, and become firmer in your hope and peace. And, above all, may you be touched by the Grace of God this season and always!
