On December 25, Advent gives way to Christmas, and our hope gives way to joy. Our longing turns to love, our aching to peace. God has kept his promise: the Savior has come. It’s time to celebrate!
Twelve Days of Christmas
In the Western Christian tradition, the Christmas season runs from December 25 to January 5. Christmas is not a single day — it’s twelve days. For Christians, December 25 marks the beginning of this celebratory season, not the end of it.
The twelve days of Christmas commemorate the most important event in human history: the incarnation of Christ, the entry of God into the world He made. We cannot grasp the significance of this event in a single day. Having prepared our hearts through Advent, we need time to rejoice and reflect.
We journey through the twelve days of Christmas with gladness, thanking God for His mercy, for the gift of Christ, for shining His Light in the darkness and showing us the way to salvation.
![The birth of Jesus with shepherds [Jesus Mafa, Vanderbilt Divinity Library]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5742827ff699bb27dcd2796f/1468935476912-AZTZEDWT02BQUZY9PBV0/image-asset.jpeg)
The birth of Jesus with shepherds [Jesus Mafa, Vanderbilt Divinity Library]
A Joyous Festival
Christmas is a joyous festival, a time for merriment and good old-fashioned fun, for honoring old traditions and starting new ones. It's less rhythm and more revelry. So gather with friends and family, throw parties, share meals, give gifts, sing carols, play games. It’s hard to go wrong at Christmastime. It really is the most wonderful time of the year!
