I had two
motivators this year to put up my Christmas decorations early. One was that my oldest grandson was available
on Tuesday to help me and the other was that, like last year, Thanksgiving
would be later in November. I wanted to
avoid the frustration that I had in 2019 when I had to rush into the holidays
quickly, trying to decorate and do everything else in fast mode. It was mid-December before I got the
decorations done and I felt short-changed on the time I had to enjoy them. I wanted an early start this year and a good
attitude for the Christmas season.
While it felt strange on Thanksgiving Day to walk through the living room and see the decorations in all their array, on the Friday afterward it was a good feeling. The lights are plugged in and I’ve already baked 12 dozen cookies. I’m happy.
I’m enjoying the decorations because I know they only come out once a year and then for just a few weeks. They will be packed away, the house will look empty, and in 8 weeks it will be Ash Wednesday (February 17th) and Lent.
In thinking about the short time between Christmas Day and Ash Wednesday I checked some dates. The time frame between the two most important Christian celebrations is equal to or less than a quarter of a year. The earliest Ash Wednesday can occur is February 4th and the latest is March 10th which means that we can go from Christmas to Ash Wednesday in 6-11 weeks and to Easter Sunday in 3-4 months. Interestingly, scholars believe that Jesus was actually born during the summer months, but to avoid conflicts with pagan celebrations the observance of his birth was moved to December.
In Jesus’ life, however, Christmas and Resurrection Sunday were 33 years apart. And, Jesus ministry on this earth was only for 3 of those years. I’m glad we don’t celebrate Christmas and then wait 33 years for Easter Sunday! I'm glad we celebrate Jesus birth in December and then, while our hearts are still filled with the Christmas spirit we begin the journey to the cross.
Jesus’ birth was the beginning of God’s plan of salvation and Easter Sunday the completion of the gift of eternal life for believers. Advent is the start of the celebration; Easter is our goal. Let’s get started, prepare your heart for Christmas and be filled with the peace, hope, joy, and love of Advent.
