2 Comments

Blake
December 27th, 2011 | 12:40 pm

I think an increasing number of people are starting to realize what the author of “Cheated Out Of Christmas” is talking about – Christmas doesn’t need to be reduced to a single day (to be hijacked by atheist trolls). The Nativity is central, but ultimately it is a process – a sequence of events that starts with waiting beforehand and is followed with numerous opportunities (when you celebrate the Magi recognizing Jesus, you could think about what it means to recognize Jesus; when you celebrate the circumcision and the Holy Name, you could think about what it means for Jesus to submit to earthly restrictions and become a man, and so on.)

Parent tip: if you are buying your kids multiple gifts, save half of them for Twelfth Night, so that the religious festival is enveloped by festive celebrations before and after. Then take the decorations down promptly, so that the Christmas season has a distinct ending.

Blake
December 27th, 2011 | 12:44 pm

BTW I don’t know why the media keeps making a big deal out of church attendance being down Christmas morning. Everyone I know celebrates such that Christmas eve is the Holy Night, and Christmas morning is a festive time – for family, gifts, and so on.

Seems like the media is trying to make it look like religious people are acting secular rather than religious by choosing to celebrate in this way, but I do not think it is an accurate picture – it suggests a conflict where there isn’t one.