Every year during Advent, the discussion comes up when to start celebrating Christmas. Our Protestant brethren start celebrating Christmas immediately after Thanksgiving. Unfortunately many Catholics have taken on this Protestant part of the American culture to one extent or another. All the Christmas parties are in Advent-seldom during Christmas.
It occurred to me this week that one way to illustrate the folly of celebrating Christmas during Advent was to look at Lent and Easter in the same way. For example:
Should we give out Easter baskets on Palm Sunday? on Ash Wednesday? When should we start greeting each other with "He is risen!"? Good Friday? Holy Thursday?
Certainly Lent is a more intense penitential season as the feast of Easter is the greater one. However, these questions do illustrate how ridiculous it is to mix up your seasons. Easter is all the more joyous went Lent is truly sacrificial. People are tired of celebrating Christmas by the time the celebration should be really starting.
I'll try to remember to pull this out of my bag of tricks come Advent 2006.
HE IS RISEN!
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