11 pipers piping...

That's right, it is the 11th day of Christmas, and for the first time EVER I broke my own rule of taking down the tree and decorations before the Epiphany. I feel a little guilty because taking everything down Sunday would have taken the same amount of time as taking them down today, but I wanted to get it done quickly without the interruption of either of my children. Poor excuse for breaking tradition and something I truly believe in, but it is done so no more lamenting about it.

The reason I always wait until the Epiphany is because that is when the Christmas season actually ends. Even if someone is just celebrating the secular concept of Christmas, CHRISTmas came from a religious background so why not celebrate the entire season accordingly? Besides, everyone keeps whining about how depressing the day after Christmas is and how s/he doesn't want to take down decorations quite yet. If people just acknowledged Christmastide/Twelvetide, we could gradually say good-bye to the Christmas season until next year. Every day could just slightly take us out of Christmas into New Years and finally back on schedule.Then ending all the buildup wouldn't feel so jolting when the day actually comes and goes.

Think about how much cooler the season would be if we had 12 actual gifts to give on each day of Christmas? Or better yet, if we dedicated the 12 Days of Christmas to giving back in some way. The bottom line is I'm sick and tired of the complaining about Christmas having no meaning or being too commercial or ending too quickly. It really shouldn't stop on the 26th of December but rather continue on into the 6th of January. It might just matter more if we did it right.