Catholic Ragemonkey

Is it the beginning or the end?

Just another of my little posts to get you, the faithful reader, thinking. If you want to see the difference between our Catholic identity and the general culture you need not look any further than the placement of Christmas. Is Christmas the climax or is the beginning of something new? Given what retailers do by cramming Christmas related crap (and it is merely Christmas related if there is no creche) into their stores as soon as possible, you clearly see that Christmas is the end. Then you go back to winter, once you have used all of the gift cards you have received and bundled away the Christmas tree. For the Catholic, Christmas day is like someone pulling back the curtain you shut against the bleak midwinter haze only to discover the dawn of a sun-filled delight. The Christmas season reaches its climax on the Feast of the Epiphany when the Son who dawns for our salvation is revealed to all the world by the Gentiles.

So here's my question to you. Where have you put Christmas? Is it the beginning or is the end?