December 31 - Christmastide

December 31 - Christmastide

We are in the middle of the part of the holiday known as 'Christmastide.' It begins the evening of Christmas Day (December 25) and ends the morning of Epiphany (January 6). There are two distinct parts of the Christmas season. Advent, a time of longing and anticipation of the birth of the Savior and Christmastide, the twelve days after Christmas which are marked by celebration, feasting and rejoicing.

Around the world varying days are celebrated during this period of time. St. Stephen's Day is celebrated on December 26). It is a day of giving to the poor and is sung about in the song "Good King Wenceslaus." While Stephen was the first martyr of Christianity December 27 is the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, the only one of the twelve disciples who was not martyred. The Feast of the Innocents or Childremas on December 28 remembers the slaughter of the children by Herod in Bethlehem. Though they did not know Christ, they were killed for him. By remembering them, we remember the hopeless and the lost.

The feast of Christ's circumcision occurs on January 1, but this is also a day that is the Feast of Fools. There was also a Feast of the Ass which commemorated the donkey that carried Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. People were to bray like a donkey at mass instead of saying Amen.

Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" brings us to the ultimate celebration of madness on the eve of Epiphany.

Many customs and traditions have sprung up around this portion of the holiday season, but it generally ends on Epiphany with all of the Christmas and holiday decorations taken down and put away for another year. It was considered bad luck to have any of them up after Epiphany.

Epiphany also commemorates the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Christ's ministry on earth. Three different events are celebrated: the coming of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus (by John) and His first miracle - turning water into wine. With this, His time is at hand.

Happy Christmas!