12 Days of Christmas
Although most of us finish our Christmas celebrations by the evening of December 25 (maybe celebrating Boxing Day on December 26), the Christmas season actually lasts 12 days in the church calendar, running from December 25 until January 5. The 12 days of Christmas isn't just a really, really long and goofy song - it is a running celebration in honor of Jesus' birth.
While giving presents every day throughout the 12 days of Christmas was a common practice at times, I generally lean away from gift giving during this time. Instead, the 12 Days of Christmas can be an opportunity for two different practices:
While giving presents every day throughout the 12 days of Christmas was a common practice at times, I generally lean away from gift giving during this time. Instead, the 12 Days of Christmas can be an opportunity for two different practices:
- Each day during Christmas, reach out to a different person who you care about (family, friend, etc.) and offer them a word of gratitude for who they are, and how thankful you are to have them in your life. If spreading joy, and light, and love is the theme of the season, then that's a pretty easy way to go about doing that!
- Some have also used the 12 days of Christmas to look ahead to the 12 months of the year - writing out easy, achievable goals or dreams that they have for each month. You'd place these goals out into a calendar, or on a jar, and try to keep track of them throughout the year... it's sort of like a more specific version of New Years' Resolutions!