Sunday, January 6, 2013

When does Christmas Season officially end?

No not yet! Don't take down your Christmas tree and parols just yet. Not even on the Solemnity of the Epiphany or traditionally called Three Kings which we are celebrating today.

Photo credits to Cypress Dublin
Christmas Season starts on Misa de Gallo or the Evening Mass before Christmas and ends on the Sunday of the Lord's Baptism. On Monday after the Solemnity of Baptism, we go back to the Ordinary Time. In some special cases though, the Solemnity of Baptism falls on a Monday. Hence, we end Christmas season on a Monday as well. But of course, this is based on the Christian Liturgical Calendar.

This post is just to inform servants and fellow Catholics that singing Christmas songs and using your church's fancy siryales and thurible sets are encouraged until Sunday. The Nativity sets are still supposed to be seen after today.

In a secular point of view tough, we may take down our Christmas decorations as the tradition suggests. Here in the Philippines, we traditionally keep the decors after Epiphany Sunday. In some countries, they do it on the Sunday of the Lord's Presentation, the 40th day of Christmas as they call it. Whichever day we prefer, it is not a bad thing to conform with the  commercialized celebrations. But it is always a good thing to follow the correct one and consider its meaning and significance in the story of our salvation.