Christmas Crackers

In this crazy world people seem to rush headlong into the season of Christmas. It never fails to amaze me how many people get sucked into the commercial celebration of Christmas, but show no recognition of what Christmas is really all about. Usually in the middle of August you detect the first signs of "Christmas Fever!" This is followed in quick succession by Christmas decorations in shop widow displays, present adverts on the televison, adverts for the latest "must have" toys, reminders of only so many shopping days to Christmas 

Then suddenly in every house Christmas decorations appear (usually in the first week in December). Those of an electrical bent festoon the facades of their houses and gardens with garish illuminated figures - Father Christmas, Reindeer, snowmen, robins etc. and when you stop and think about it, what have any of these to really do with CHRISTMAS?

We wouldn't be celebrating if it wasn't for the birth of a baby in a stable in Bethlehem.

These self same people who have spent at least a month preparing themselves for Christmas are very unlikely to appear in a church over the Christmas period, and by December 26th are hastily dismantling the Christmas decorations!

Isn't it time someone explained that the season of Christmas doesn't actually start until Christmas Day and continues for twelve days (hence the song The Twelve Days of Christmas) and doesn't finish until Twelfth Night, which is January 6th (when the Wise Men/Kings/Magi put in an appearance.)

By the way we do have some Christmas decorations in our house, but they are usually put up as near as possible to Christmas, and stay there until January 6th!