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Catholics! Keep Your Trees Up!
Catholic Answers ^ | December 30, 2014 | Christopher Check

Posted on 01/02/2015 3:46:20 AM PST by NYer

New Year’s Day promises two certainties: college football bowl games and Christmas trees on the curb. To Catholics, of course, January 1 is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. It's a Holy Day of Obligation, and the final day of the Octave of Christmas.

The Church, however, is so generous with joy. She does not end our celebration of the Incarnation with the conclusion of the Octave of Christmas. She extends it to Epiphany. Twelfth Night, as our English-speaking brethren call it, is an event Catholics in America should celebrate with more enthusiasm (think: roaring bonfires, grilled meat, lots of singing, red wine, brown ale) and might very well do if it were observed here on the Liturgical Calendar on January 6 as it is England, Australia, and Canada, to say nothing of Vatican City.

But the celebrating doesn’t stop there! After Epiphany, the revelry continues until the Baptism of the Lord, the first Sunday after January 6 (usually). This year, Catholics may very well wish to keep their decorations up through January 11. And if you want to be really traditional, you can celebrate what the faithful called “Christmastide” before the liturgical reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council. In the old rite, or what we today call the Extraordinary Form, Christmastide lasted for 40 days to correspond with the 40 days of Lent, and the 40 days from Easter to Ascension Thursday.  

A 40-day party? Gloria in Excelsis! (And people say Trad Cats are a dour bunch.)

Christmastide ended on February 2, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called Candlemas Day. On this day, the faithful take candles that they will use throughout the year in their homes to Mass to have them blessed.

Here is how the brilliant Benedictine Abbot Dom Prosper Guéranger helps us understand the totality of the mystery of Christmastide:

We apply the name of Christmas to the 40 days, which begin with the Nativity of Our Lord, December 25, and end with the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, February 2. It is a period, which forms a distinct portion of the Liturgical Year, as distinct, by its own special spirit, from every other, as are Advent, Lent, Easter or Pentecost. One same Mystery is celebrated and kept in view the whole 40 days. Neither the Feasts of the Saints, which so abound during this Season; nor the time of Septuagesima, with its mournful Purple, which often begins before Christmastide is over, seem able to distract our Holy Mother the Church from the immense joy with which She received the glad tidings from the Angels (Luke 2:10) on that glorious Night for which the world had been longing for 4000 years. The custom of celebrating the Solemnity of Our Savior's Nativity by a Feast of 40 days' duration is founded on the Holy Gospel itself; for it tells us that the Blessed Virgin Mary, after spending 40 days in the contemplation of the Divine Fruit of Her glorious Maternity, went to the Temple, there to fulfill, in most perfect humility, the ceremonies which the Law demanded of the daughters of Israel when they became mothers. The Feast of Mary's Purification is, therefore, part of that of Jesus' Birth; and the custom of keeping this holy and glorious period of 40 days as one continued Festival has every appearance of being a very ancient one, at least in the Roman Church.

The feast in the new rite is called the Presentation of the Lord—same joyful event, different emphasis, but if you really want to be a “sign of contradiction” (get it?) do as they did in ages past! Keep your tree and your decorations up until Candlemas!



TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Religion & Culture; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic
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To: defconw

Horrid in its day, now dearly retro.


61 posted on 01/02/2015 7:08:34 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: cloudmountain
No Christmas trees here anymore either, I got tired of the hassle. I have a beautiful hand carved Nativity that I leave up until Easter every year.

I have lots of little Santas sitting around and I have already started putting them up. I do a few every day and it is not a lot of work.

62 posted on 01/02/2015 7:09:45 AM PST by Ditter
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To: Fiji Hill
It's one thing to differ.

It's another thing to elaborately rage.


63 posted on 01/02/2015 7:10:18 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: NYer

I do not argue against the spirit of the time, but if your tree is browning, it does represent a fire hazard, so please dispose of it. You might consider putting up a small artificial tree in its place, to help keep the mood of the season.


64 posted on 01/02/2015 7:10:52 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("Don't compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative." -Obama, 09-24-11)
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To: Salvation

C’mon, fundamentalist rednecks leave Christmas lights up ALL YEAR


65 posted on 01/02/2015 7:12:43 AM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: miss marmelstein
Yes, I’m thinking about an artificial one. Today, they are beautiful! When I was a kid, we only had the worst looking fake tree so when I had my own home I insisted on a real one. They’re a lot of trouble but so beautiful. And, yes, my cat has destroyed myriad ornaments over the years.

They sure do make beautiful artificial trees. We finally bought one years ago and it was a green one, LIKE a real tree. Now, I just put up a NATIVITY scene for the season.

I always thought that the Christmas trees were for the kiddies and kitties anyway. They get such pleasure from them.

True story.
My mother came to visit us in Saudi Arabia one Christmas. I asked her to bring me a small, green, artificial tree but to DISGUISE the box since Christmas trees were forbidden to bring into the Kingdom.

So she did. I got to meet her INSIDE the baggage claim...telling the Saudi guards that it was my MOTHER. They let me in.

Unfortunately, my mother's idea of "disguising" the box with the Christmas tree was to LAMELY change the "Christmas" to "Ohristmas."
My tree was confiscated and dumped on the HUGE pile of other confiscated artificial trees.

So...I got to customs and made a scene with the guards. They then called for a superior. HE validated the previous guards.

I went up the level of authority until FINALLY an old, old Saudi, wearing the white thobe and red/white checked gutra, came out to settle things.
He let me have my tree and I walked out HAPPILY with my artificial Christmas tree.

My poor husband, was waiting outside, thought that we had been taken to the pokey!!

I still have that tree.

66 posted on 01/02/2015 7:17:51 AM PST by cloudmountain
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To: miss marmelstein

Happy New Year to you too, miss marmelstein!


67 posted on 01/02/2015 7:20:36 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Ditter
1. No Christmas trees here anymore either, I got tired of the hassle. I have a beautiful hand carved Nativity that I leave up until Easter every year.
2. I have lots of little Santas sitting around and I have already started putting them up. I do a few every day and it is not a lot of work.

======================================

1. You can buy beautiful, carved Christmas nativity scenes made in Italy, of course, from the wood of olive trees grown there in the Holy Land. Nobody does the carving better than the Italians.

2. Great idea. Hohoho!

68 posted on 01/02/2015 7:22:54 AM PST by cloudmountain
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To: Salvation
From Christmas Even through the Epiphany. Catholics keep thinking and doing Christmas things while the rest of the world has moved on.

Everyone stops thinking of Christmas AFTER the sales. THEN they move on.

I take everything down and put it away on JANUARY 7TH.

69 posted on 01/02/2015 7:24:56 AM PST by cloudmountain
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To: HiTech RedNeck

I think leaving your lights on all year demeans Christmas; just my opinion.


70 posted on 01/02/2015 7:28:13 AM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: defconw
The cat that lived at my parents house, had a knack for drinking all the water out of the tree stand. Surprised the house never burnt down.

Cats and Christmas trees don't always get along. However, Allie, the big old gray tabby that hung out an my mother's nursing home loved to sleep beneath the tree in the lobby.

71 posted on 01/02/2015 7:31:42 AM PST by Fiji Hill (Io Triumphe!)
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To: trisham
We’re leaving ours up until June. :)

Lol! That reminds me of a family I once knew. They had an artificial tree, fully decorated, in the corner of their dining room, covered with plastic. At Christmas, the plastic cover was removed.

72 posted on 01/02/2015 7:31:47 AM PST by NYer (Merry Christmas and best wishes for a blessed New Year!)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

I don’t know, HiTech...I’ve had cats all my life and the only time they ever bothered the (live) tree was if they were too young to go outside — true kittens.

Once they are old enough to go out, if they bothered the Christmas tree, out they went. We’ve never had a lasting problem.

That said, I do make one concession — I no longer put tinsel on the tree. Pussycats and tinsel are a very bad mix.

THAT said, more than one of my cats have always enjoyed sleeping under the tree next to the manger. I think it must be nice and warm under all those lights, and it offers a nice opportunity for a cute picture.

Regards,

PS: Our tree will stay up at least until January 6, and if it’s not TOO much of a fire hazard, even longer than that.


73 posted on 01/02/2015 7:35:21 AM PST by VermiciousKnid (Sic narro nos totus!)
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To: NYer

LOL! Ours is artificial as well. Mr. trisham loves it. :)


74 posted on 01/02/2015 7:35:26 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Fiji Hill

My now deceased Tabby liked to sleep under mine. But only if it was on. He would whine until I turned it on. I miss that old rascal. Good cat.


75 posted on 01/02/2015 7:37:51 AM PST by defconw (If not now, WHEN?)
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To: cloudmountain

What a story! I was worried about you while I was reading your words. Thank God for happy endings. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you.


76 posted on 01/02/2015 7:38:18 AM PST by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: Loyalty Binds Me)
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To: Kolokotronis

OK, folks, I think I have you beat on this one: my Mom and I waited until the Feast of the Purification of Mary, Feb 2! And we had a Nativity set underneath, as well!


77 posted on 01/02/2015 7:44:46 AM PST by Grateful2God (And Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.)
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To: Arthur McGowan; Salvation

Thanks. It does seem to be a point I missed growing up. Chalk it up to that old saw “poor catechesis”!


78 posted on 01/02/2015 7:47:01 AM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
But if a Christmas tree offends you (the rhetorical you), by reminding you of something evil, by all means do not use it.

Sounds reasonable to me.

79 posted on 01/02/2015 7:48:03 AM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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To: bboop
Ahhh, 47, sweet common sense here. “Is it reasonable to believe no one ever thought of this point before?” is right on the mark.

I like to think so thanks. And usually I'm so poor I don't even have common sense (get it? Common sense/cents..hehe I amuse myself on the smallest things)

80 posted on 01/02/2015 7:50:18 AM PST by FourtySeven (47)
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