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The Secular Holiday Season... not necessarily our holiday season

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Why do I say the "secular" holiday season?  I think we're all aware of how our Christian celebration of Christmas has been taken over by commercial interests.  But you know what... I don't mind.  If these secular celebrations offer even a hint of how this divine infant came into the world to save us all, and the world learns for a moment the value of love and charity, it's a good thing.  And I see no problem with us as good Christians joining in the revelry of the secular holiday season.  I do think, however, that we need to keep everything in proper perspective and remind ourselves of our uniquely Catholic understanding (and timing) of these celebrations... to not get caught up in the secular interpretation and modes of celebration and embrace a more Catholic approach.

The Catholic approach begins with giving full recognition to the season of Advent.  While the secular world is already gearing up for the holidays, Advent, which begins December 2nd, is a four week journey of introspection and prayer.  Like Lent, it is a season of penitent reflection... a time to ask ourselves if we are indeed ready for the coming of Christ - Not his coming as an infant... that moment has come and gone - that time when he returns to gather his people to himself... the second coming.  And what better way to remind ourselves of his second coming than by remembering his first coming... that infant in the manger.  
As the secular world is running at a frantic pace preparing for that one day, we should approach it with a more Zen like attitude.  Sure, decorate your homes, enjoy the various parties, but don't stress over it, because Christmas itself is not just one day... It is an entire Liturgical Season!  No true Catholic is taking down their decorations on December 26th.  After all, we just finished getting them all up.  Rather, the Christmas season and the Christmas decorations should stay up all the way through to Epiphany (January 6, 2019) and to the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord (January 13, 2019).  THAT is the holiday season for us!  While the secular world has packed everything up and moved on, our party is just beginning!  You do not need to feel compelled to turn off the Christmas music.  You should not feel that you're being lazy because your decorations are still up long after New Years Day.

We Catholics should do a little time-shifting with our understanding of when "the holidays" begin and end.  Don't feel like you need to have everything decorated by Thanksgiving.  Instead, take a more relaxed approach, and use the entire four weeks of Advent to put up your decorations.  My family has a tradition of putting out decorations a little at a time during Advent... like a slow reveal, with the highlight being getting our tree on the Third Sunday of Advent... in honor of Gaudete Sunday.  Come Christmas Eve everything is up and we're ready, beginning with Mass of the Nativity, followed by family gatherings on Christmas day.  And is we miss someone that day... no worries... we spend the next two weeks gathering and catching up with family and friends as time allows.  Not necessarily one huge, frantic, one day blitz, but again, a more relaxed and extended celebration, complete with Christmas music running long after the secular radio stations have brought it to an end.  Christmas is not just one day, and it doesn't end on December 26th... in fact, it's just beginning.

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