Wrong About Christmas

You have unwrapped your gifts. You've kinda sorta maybe cleaned up the mess. You are enjoying your gifts, sharing holiday related photos online, and living off of leftovers. Jesus is resting peacefully in the manger. Your extended family has left the building. It's time to go back to work, back to real life. Christmas is over. 

But it's not. If you think Christmas is over, you're wrong. Christmas has just begun.

There are twelve days of Christmas, just like the song says. They start on Christmas Day - the First Day of Christmas, and end on Epiphany, the Twelfth Day of Christmas. Just as my family loves to celebrate Advent to the fullest, we also continue to celebrate Christmas in its entirety. 

And no, it's not just another excuse for this admitted Christmas music and movie addict to feed her addiction - it's an essential part of our Christmas journey, culminating, for our family, in our church's Epiphany Pageant. 

But I have a problem this year. Last year I had devotionals and activities for every day of Advent and Christmas set up before Thanksgiving. This year, I took care of Advent and Christmas Day, but was remiss in the preparation of eleven days' worth of Christmas-y joy, thanksgiving, and celebration. What's a Mama to do? 

Perhaps this year we will spend the eleven remaining days giving gifts of some sort, since on Day One, Christmas Day, we received so many wonderful gifts from family and friends, as well as the Greatest Gift - His Love incarnate. 

I step into the season of Christmas in joyful anticipation of giving.