When my mother was growing up, they never put up the Christmas tree until Christmas eve. All the festivities and celebrating came after Christmas. They celebrated the 12 days of Christmas beginning with Christmas day. Now that we decorate our and trees much earlier (ours is usually done on Thanksgiving weekend) we have longer to enjoy our house with its Christmas dress on, but I still don’t like to take anything down until Epiphany. As I pack away ornaments and manger scenes, I remember that I am not putting away the Christ-light. Nearly 30 years ago I wrote about “undecorating”.
The mantle seems lonely without the little manger scene.
The house looks plain, bereft of red and green.
The tree is down, the front door bare.
No wreath or garland festooned there.
Our mailbox no longer yields its daily harvest of cards.
The lights and Santas are gone from all the yards.
We packed away the manger scene,
But not the shine of the star!
For His new birth within us, no time or season can mar.
Because He was born, we have Christmas.
Because He died we have life.
Because He lives we have new years
No matter what serves us with strife.
We thank Him for peace and for promise.
We thank Him for love and for sight.
We thank Him for meaning and purpose.
We live to show darkness the Light.
Definitely older, hopefully wiser...I sing along to Andrea Bocelli's Christmas album, allow a few tears to fill my eyes, and am aware that the gifts of Christmas continue.
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