THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

In elementary school, I was always slightly jealous of my Jewish friends who celebrated Hanukkah because they received an eight-day long celebration. I felt duped by Christmas because I understood it to be just one day; however, this year I made a commitment to learn about the Catholic liturgical Christmas season as a whole. Surely there is nothing like the anticipation of Christmas Eve, and the following pandemonium of Christmas morning; but the entirety of the Christmas season makes the holiday feel complete.

Christmas begins on December 25th, The Octave Day. The Octave of Christmas continues for the following 8 days, each marked by different solemnities and celebrations.  On January 6th occurs the Epiphany of the Lord, marking the end of the Christmas season (in the United States, Epiphany is recognized as the Sunday between January 2nd-8th). In total, Christmas encompasses 12 days, each honoring a unique solemnity. 

During this 12-day period, I followed the USCCB liturgical calendar to learn about each celebration and made sure to research for information regarding each topic. Since I am beginning the process of rediscovering the Catholic church, most ordinary traditions are foreign to me. I often feel like my childhood Sundays in RE "failed me," but I am slowly discovering the value in learning these concepts for myself. I believe that faith cannot be forced and it is an individual process. Each day I gather new wisdom, and it is an exhilarating feeling to know that I will never master it all- almost feeling like I can never tire out of my faith. 

Growing in awareness has been made much easier with the companionship of my mom. She even put together a fun activity to commemorate the Epiphany of the Lord: she hid baby Jesus within a pan of brownies for a lucky eater to discover. While it was just a silly event, it was our goofy version of an Epiphany Kings' Cake (during which I also learned that Kings' Cakes are not only a Lenten tradition, but also common for Epiphany). 

Today, January 9th, is the Baptism of the Lord. While this feast is not part of the Christmas season, it is understandably very significant in the ministry of Christ. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, his cousin. You can read Matthew's account of his baptism in Matthew 3:13-17. I wrote this post primarily to share the following piece of art. It is an original piece by Christian artist Vanessa Horabuena titled "This is My Son". I appreciate her evident incorporation of the dove and rays of light as they approach Jesus, paired by the piece's allusive title to these features. The downward glance of Jesus and his wet, dripping hair convey a meditative and subtly dismal tone. Even though Jesus was sinless, he was baptized as a way to prepare the waters for those to follow (aka sinners like us). In this painting, it appears that he is fully reflecting on the sacrificial mission he has just assumed through baptism. 

While the Christmas season has come to an end, I do not feel the same burdening weight of surviving winter. Now, I look forward to the approaching Lenten season and small celebrations along the way. One tool I will be using to keep focused is printed, mini calendars on which I have written the feasts or memorials outlined by the USCCB liturgical calendar. This small step will be a visual reminder each day and a starting point for prayer and research.