Today, all the decorations will be coming down in the shops and town centres, maybe you are making a start on taking the tree down too. After all the build-up, the commercials in November, the church planning meetings and carol service rehearsals, the leaflet deliveries, the shopping trips, Christmas is over so quickly, in just one day.
But why the rush? Christmas, after all, according to the song is meant to last for 12 days. What if we were to enjoy it, not just as one special bank holiday but as a feast, in the way that feasts and parties used to be enjoyed, lasting for days and even weeks?
I suspect that part of the reason is that we struggle with the idea out of guilt. Wouldn’t it be over-indulgent and excessive to continue celebrating. No doubt, for some of us the pressure is on as our heads and stomachs tell us we have over indulged and we need to get back to normal. However, I also suspect that part of it is that we don’t know how to enjoy things and to take pleasure in taking time over that enjoyment.
It doesn’t have to be over indulgent or excessive to extend the festive season. There are two things that can help with this. First, by expanding the time, we can learn to pace ourselves. We don’t have to rush, we don’t have to cram everything into one day. Second, if we have been observing the rhythms of the seasons, then feasting should balance fasting. By this, I don’t mean that everyone must observe a literal fast but if Advent has been a time of restraint and anticipation, then this should balance the extended enjoyment that follows.
Thirdly, by expanding the time, we expand the circle of who is included in our enjoyment. After all, the original idea behind boxing day was that this was when Christmas boxes, or gifts were given to the wider circle, to those in the household including servants as well as to trades people.
This leads to another point for consideration. For many people, the time between Christmas and New Year is the hardest, it’s often when those who are on their own and lonely feel most isolated. What if we were to use the time after Christmas Day to seek to show hospitality and love to others in our community.
This might mean
- Inviting people from your street or your church round for a meal and an afternoon.
- Distributing gifts to the homeless
- Visiting those who are on their own.
- Organising additional events at your church.
It may be a bit late to do things differently this year but why not plan for next year, Christmas is not just for a day. Enjoy the feast.
Faithroots 