G
GratiaCorpusChristi
Guest
Just a thought:
For the better part of forty-some-odd years, devout Christians have been concerned about the marginalization of Christmas in American culture. People say "happy holidays" instead of "merry Christmas" in stores, public schools have to put up either both Nativity Sets and Menorahs or neither, etc.
Now I love Christmas. But quite frankly, since when has the American Christmas really been Christian Christmas, anyway? I mean, first of all, the tradition of playing Christmas carols before Christmas (stretching all the way back to Thanksgiving, and even now to Halloween) is not only incredibly annoying, but is liturgically improper.
The current season is Advent, a season of repentance and expectation, not the Twelve days of Christmastide that follow Christmas Eve. And in any case, those carols are more likely to be about Santa and Rudolf (if you're lucky) or having sex with Santa Baby or date rape facilitated by it being Cold Outside (if you're not) than about the Nativity of Our Lord.
So I say let this faux-Christmas of American culture die so that we don't have to listen to ridiculous songs and look at blinding, tacky lights every time we go out in public after Labor Day (you know it's getting pushed back that far within just a few years). Then maybe we can reclaim the purity of Advent, St. Nicholas' Day (December 6), the Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord and the Twelve Days of Christmas, and the following Epiphany Season.
For the better part of forty-some-odd years, devout Christians have been concerned about the marginalization of Christmas in American culture. People say "happy holidays" instead of "merry Christmas" in stores, public schools have to put up either both Nativity Sets and Menorahs or neither, etc.
Now I love Christmas. But quite frankly, since when has the American Christmas really been Christian Christmas, anyway? I mean, first of all, the tradition of playing Christmas carols before Christmas (stretching all the way back to Thanksgiving, and even now to Halloween) is not only incredibly annoying, but is liturgically improper.
The current season is Advent, a season of repentance and expectation, not the Twelve days of Christmastide that follow Christmas Eve. And in any case, those carols are more likely to be about Santa and Rudolf (if you're lucky) or having sex with Santa Baby or date rape facilitated by it being Cold Outside (if you're not) than about the Nativity of Our Lord.
So I say let this faux-Christmas of American culture die so that we don't have to listen to ridiculous songs and look at blinding, tacky lights every time we go out in public after Labor Day (you know it's getting pushed back that far within just a few years). Then maybe we can reclaim the purity of Advent, St. Nicholas' Day (December 6), the Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord and the Twelve Days of Christmas, and the following Epiphany Season.