Putting Christ in Christmas

I’m finally joining the Catholic Women’s Blog Hop. They have been posting monthly posts on a certain topic for a few months now and I kept missing the deadline. I was determined to get this months post in and so here I am! 

In this secular world we live in it is SO HARD to remember the true reason of Christmas. Even in religious circles, other denominations think that Christmas is about spending time with family and not celebrating the birth of Christ.

If you have looked at your calendar you know that Christmas falls on a Sunday this year. A few weeks ago a woman on my facebook feed posted a status asking people if their church was having service on Sunday 12/25 even though it was Christmas Day. As a Catholic, I snarkily responded yes this is a dumb question. But many people were saying how they were only having services on Christmas Eve. One lady is Mormon and they don’t celebrate Jesus’ birth on 12/25 but they will go to a regular Sunday service on Christmas Day. When we asked her when they celebrate Jesus’ birth she never came back to respond as I was really interested in knowing the answer. 

Someone that is Church of Christ once told me they don’t celebrate the Christian holiday of Christmas Day because they celebrate Jesus being born EVERYDAY…what?!!? This person was also annoyed they had to go to Church on Christmas Day when it was a Sunday. Anyway, I digress sorry for that rant.

As Catholics we have about 8-10 Holy Days of Obligation a year and Christmas Day is actually one of them that is listed on that list. For Catholic’s it’s obviously a given but I did like that they actually put it on the list. 

But keeping Christ in the Christmas season is SO HARD these days. Many people are decorating so early some before Halloween that by Christmas Day they are tired of all the decorations and there are people taking down their tree on Christmas Day! I have even seen Churches taking down their decorations the day after Christmas. 

Unlike what the advertisers want you to think the 12 Days of Christmas don’t start until Christmas Day and end on January 6th, The Epiphany. So many times on December 12th we’ll see ads for the 12 days of Christmas counting down to Christmas Day which is totally wrong. Which I get it stores need to make money and this is their biggest sales quarter of the year but it annoys me when they take things out of context. 

So what can we do to remember Christ in Christmas? First of all, leave all your decorations up until at least New Years Day. I try really hard to keep everything up until Epiphany weekend but sometimes it just doesn’t happen but I always wait until at least New Years Day. 

Attend all the Christmas Season Masses. Some of the liturgies for the Christmas Season are so beautiful. Plus it’s the one time of year we get to sing all the Christmas Carols in Church. 

Read a daily reflection through Blessed is She or another online ministry on the readings of the day. Or pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Maybe don’t go so overboard on the gifts and make a small donation or adopt a family to buy gifts for. There are many things we can do to remember Christ this season it’s just a matter of not letting all the secular Christmas ideas get to us. I mean they are fine and I do them as well but I’ven

Maybe don’t go so overboard on the gifts and make a small donation or adopt a family to buy gifts for. There are many things we can do to remember Christ this season it’s just a matter of not letting all the secular Christmas ideas get to us. I mean they are fine and I do them as well but I’ve noticed that it’s really hard to not let them control your life. 

My mom is in charge of Religious Education and if she does a party for her teachers she usually waits and does it in January after all the Christmas stuff has calmed down and we’re still celebrating or back in Ordinary Time.