For most people, today is the last day of the Christmas Season. The radio stations that started playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving (and those that started at Thanksgiving) switch back to their regularly scheduled programing. Stores rush to mark down Christmas merchandise and make room for the Valentine's Day displays. In living rooms, people settle down with an exhausted sigh, celebrating that the mad rush to get everything done in time for Christmas is over, and the family gatherings have been gathered and dispersed.
Maybe some diehards among us hold off until after New Year's day. After all, it's still part of the holiday season. And possibly, there are still some family gatherings to attend - after all you can only do so much on Christmas Day, and Mom and Dad still expect you to visit even though you had to visit the other side of the family on The Day.
But really, Christmas Day is just the beginning. Did you ever wonder where the whole 12 days of Christmas thing came from? Is it more than just a quaint song?
The 12 days of Christmas mark the tradition Christmas season according to the church calendar. It starts on Christmas day and goes until Epiphany - the day celebrating the visit of the Magi to the infant Christ. (For the purists - Christmas Day is the first day and Epiphany, being the 13th day after and the start of a new church season, is not included in the count).
So in honor of the season, I offer gifts for the 12 days of Christmas.
Ok, I'm not your true love - so no partridges or lords a-leaping.
I offer for your Christmas enjoyment the 12 Videos of Christmas.
Today's video is bySt Paul's Church, Auckland, New Zealand. They may just be my new favorites at telling the Christmas story. And who can resist the kid's accents!
Enjoy An Unexpected Christmas (link provided in case you can't get the video to work.) I love the angels - warrior angels, baby angels, little girl angels and the image of heaven is so much fun. And I love the idea that the angels are stunned at God's idea.
I love that God want's to be closer to God's children.
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