one day holiday?

Christmas is over…at least for this year.

But for those mourning the end, never fear you can get your decorations out in less than ten months from now.

If there was any one misconception which I would like to die with the year, it would be the fact that Christmas is only celebrated for one day. Granted that as far as calendars and officiality goes, Christmas is simply limited to the day of December twenty-fifth, but in reality it lasts for much longer.

What other holiday do we begin preparations for months in advance? What other holiday do you have parties and other celebrations spread out over a month, beginning from Thanksgiving until the week after Christmas? Within the church, there is Advent, which takes up the month of December.

These things can’t be said for other definite one day holidays, like Memorial Day or Veterans Day; which honestly for me sneak up and pass by without much notice on my part.

I know many have blamed the extending of Christmas as being the result of consumerism, big business trying to make a few more bucks before the end of the year numbers come out. Which is definitely true to some extent.

Could there be another reason? Christmas and Easter are the two major Holy-days of the calendar. It might be that Christmas is such an important holiday that it merits an extended time of celebration; even if we don’t recognize it. Could it be that the holiday has taken care to get the time it needs?