Celebrating Christmas a Little Early

OK. I admit it. The McDowells' like to celebrate Christmas early by decorating the house a week before Thanksgiving.

It's odd that we do such a thing in our home since Penny and I are both liturgically minded and we believe in the importance of the Advent season which includes hymns such as "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus." My sermons always include a counter cultural Christmas restraint to help us prepare for the coming of Jesus into the world through confession, contemplation, and hopeful anticipation.

So, why do we decorate for Christmas so early in our home?

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I think it has something to do with the need to do a little early Christmas shopping. Each year around early to mid November, my brother sends my two sisters and me the names of needy children who are in need of Christmas presents. Our goal is to give these gifts to my brother during the Thanksgiving holiday so he has time to take them to the social agency which will be distributing the gifts. We've been doing this as a family for the past several years and it has become an important part of our yearly yuletide tradition.

Today, we went to the store to buy the gifts and when we got home, we packaged them so that they would be ready to give to my brother. It was nice to come home to a lit Christmas tree, knowing that an anonymous family going through a time of financial hardship was going to receive nice presents for Christmas.

Of course, we could still go out and buy the presents and wait to decorate until at least after Black Friday is over. I just like knowing that the light of Christmas can sometimes come a little early.

Have a blessed Advent and Christmas season.

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I mean, have a Happy Thanksgiving!