A Commercial or a Catholic Christmas?

Last year I said “Merry Christmas!” to a cashier at a store on December 26. “Christmas is over!” was the cashier’s jaundiced reply.

“I don’t think that’s right,” I politely replied.  “Christmas isn’t over until after Epiphany.”

Looking back on the exchange I begin to wonder. How can someone who is not a practicing Catholic or a Christian know when Christmas is over?  Public (or rather government) schools no longer even teach the traditions and meaning of Christmas.

The commercial world has appropriated Christmas.  This sacred holiday has been transformed into a consumer festival in many instances. Anyone looking around will find a commercial version of Christmas screaming at them from all directions.

Stores are offering sales earlier and earlier each year in a drive to beat the competition. Aisles are filled with decorations and gift sets already in October. Advertisements are constantly touting sales. It is almost as if Black Friday is a commercial day of obligation.

I was having some one-on-one time with my younger daughter at an ice cream stand on All Saints Day this year.  Christmas carols were playing over the speakers. My daughter and I found this odd because we were surrounded by jack-o’-lanterns. It made an impression.

The Catholic Liturgical Calendar

The secular world is pushing a commercial timetable upon us. But one need not fall prey to this timetable.  The Catholic Liturgical calendar can be of help.  Every New Year begins with four weeks of Advent and these four weeks lead into the feast days of Christmas.

The Liturgical Calendar for the Catholic Church in the United States of America says Christmas begins with the Nativity of the Lord, on December 25.  The Baptism of the Lord, on January 10, brings the season to an end.  And in between these dates, each day of Christmas is either a Solemnity, a Feast, or a Memorial:

25-Dec-20    Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

26-Dec-20    Feast of St. Stephen

27-Dec-20    Feast of Holy Family of Jesus Mary & Joseph

28-Dec-20    The Feast of the Holy Innocents

29-Dec-20    Memorial of St. Thomas Becket

31-Dec-20    New Year’s Eve, Memorial of St. Pope Sylvester I

1-Jan-21       Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God

2-Jan-21       Memorials of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen

3-Jan-21       Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

4-Jan-21       Memorial of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint

5-Jan-21       St. John Neumann, Bishop

6-Jan-21       St. André Bessette

10-Jan-21     Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

The song “Twelve Days of Christmas” is based on this calendar.

Combat Commercialism with Catholic Traditions

You set the tone for Christmas as a leader in your household.  If you don’t make the Christmas Season special, you cannot expect your children or grandchildren to know and understand the complete celebration of Christmas.

Christmas Day, or rather the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, is an exciting day. Children in particular are often overwhelmed.  Who would not be thrilled with what is found around the tree and coming from the kitchen. But even gift giving can be given a Catholic tone. In one family I know, each child receives only three gifts, just as Jesus received three gifts from the Magi.

Setting up a crèche along with the tree, excluding the baby Jesus, is another tradition for many families, including ours.  The Baby Jesus is held for safe keeping until late Christmas Eve.

Mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas day can include other family traditions. Some families take an annual picture together in the church after Mass.  Each year they add a new picture to the series of photographs. For many of these families this tradition now extends across several generations.

Oplatki

My family shares Oplatki or “Angel Bread” before beginning our Christmas feast. These very thin unleavened rectangular wafers are baked from wheat flour and water. My family’s eastern European ancestors passed this tradition on to us.

The head of the family says a prayer and breaks off a piece of the Oplatki wafer.  It’s then passed to the next family member who breaks off piece.  This is repeated around the table. This imitates the Eucharistic meal Catholics participate in at each Mass. Just as one shares in the Eucharist as one family in Christ, Oplatki allows a family to come together and share the love they have for one another.

Traditions abound within our Catholic Faith. If your family does not practice a tradition, discover what may have been lost and restore its place at Christmas.

Celebrate Christmas

The Catholic understanding of Christmas continues over two weeks.  But it can be difficult to continue observing the season while neighbors and business are throwing their decorations onto the ash heap of history.  Sometimes decorations come down before the New Year even starts.

Our family keeps our Christmas tree up until after Epiphany to contest such actions.  We also delay putting up our Christmas tree until the third week of Advent. In a sense, this is another way of protesting the early commercial calendar centered on Black Friday.

Another way to celebrate Christmas is to share with your family the history and meaning behind each day of Christmas. The Nativity of the Lord, Epiphany, and Baptism of the Lord are well known, but the rest of the days are not as recognized.

I remember the Feast of St. Stephen being referenced in the carol Good King Wenceslaus from when I was a young boy.  Now I understand that this is the feast of the first Catholic Martyr. And until I was in my 40’s, I had no clue that the feast of the Holy Innocents existed, or that it was to remember King Herod’s massacre of all male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem.Each day of Christmas has a rich history. Learn and discover the meaning of each day with your family.

Set the Tone

When leading your family, responsibilities outweigh privileges. It is up to you to set the tone for Christmas. No doubt some conflicts will arise when pushing back against the commercialization of this solemn celebration. Being Catholic will never be easy, but it is worth it despite the pushback.