Sometimes I wonder if this whole thing isn’t blown way out of proportion. I was raised in a family where Christmas was celebrated from around December 19 to February 2. It was a whole cycle of events that circled around the birth of Christ rather than the Presents. And no, we didn’t open our presents on December 25 at 8 AM, most of the time (and as adults, we rarely opened them at all on December 25!).

I would challenge you to look at the whole picture. There are twelve holidays over three months that are associated with Christmas that are worth looking at. These include the feast of Christ the King in late Novenmer, Advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, particular the third sunday of the four. St. Nicholas Day, December 5, celebrating the REAL St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, who didn’t wear a red suit and go Ho! Ho! Ho!. The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12. Christmas Vigil, not Christmas Eve, December 24. St. Stephen’s Day, December 26, also known as Boxing Day. THe feast of the Holy Innocents, December 27., The Feast of the Holy Family, the first Sunday after Christmas, The feast of the Circumcision, January 1, The feast of the Ephiphany, either January 6 or the first Sunday after January 1, The feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the second or third Sunday of January, the feast of the Presentation, February 2, and even Mardi Gras itself, all point to the birth of Christ.

I would challenge you to take all of these days and look at them in relation to Christmas, and consider taking the presents away until then.