Andrew called me from Walmart yesterday. “They’re playing Christmas music,” he reported. {In case anyone needs context, yesterday was the Sunday before Thanksgiving…}
More than any previous year, I’ve lately understood and realized the importance of living in the now in all sorts of ways, but especially when it comes to holidays. People are already tuning in to Christmas stations and I drove past a house all bedazzled with twinkle lights and a glowing, decorated tree in the window. Hold your horses, everybody! Christmas will come – it does every year – can we wait to deck the halls until then without breezing through Thanksgiving? It’s true that Christmas is a liturgically awesome and magically wonderful time, but it’s not quite here yet. Advent hasn’t even started {I’ll write to that effect next week}.
Granted, Thanksgiving doesn’t boast of its own nostalgic music genre or even style of home decor; but it’s an American celebration and a rather important one for American Catholics in the Year of Faith. Offering true and humble thanksgiving confesses trust in God’s will for us as individuals and collectively as a nation. I wrote earlier this month that President George Washington declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, decreeing it “as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.”
There’s such a push for all things commercial at this time of year that I think the presence of Thanksgiving is absolutely necessary to give us humble and grateful pause. Before you rush out to buy presents for the fam and yourself, look around at what you have and carry the spirit of Thanksgiving through the Advent and Christmas seasons. Consider making these holidays a materialistically simple but spiritually rich time of year. Pray with your spouse, children, and friends. Give an overly generous tip when you eat out. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Purge your closets of excess and give your extra blankets and coats to a homeless shelter. All we have is from God, shouldn’t we offer it to him in thanksgiving?
photo by Mr. T in DC
And what’s even more difficult: not shopping during Advent or on Sundays!
I heard Christmas music at Walmart yesterday as well. And while I feel the same way about rushing through the holiday seasons, I was impressed to hear Christmas music from them at all. It seemed to me that Walmart along with most other big business retail stores were more interested in being sensitive to those that don’t celebrate Christmas, lest they be offended…this where nearly 90% of the population is Catholic.
A-MEN !!! I couldn’t agree MORE and am constantly annoyed at how quickly the ‘market-teer’s’ want to hasten the season upon us. This is so NOT about the Holy Day that is should be; it’s unfortunately about the ‘almighty dollar’ and nothing more.
Kohl’s had their Christmas decorations up the week of Oct. 20 – even before Halloween (which shouldn’t even be celebrated, but don’t get me started on that one). The mall had Santa LAST week. I told Santa that he was too early. It is obvious- the SPEND, SPEND SPEND LURE is upon us. Religious Christmas cards are harder and harder to find. Justin Beiber has rapped the Little Drummer Boy to death.
As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord and give thanks (I love your suggestions). Yes, we have our Thanksgiving decorations up. Our Advent wreath is next.
No, we will not be shopping the evening of Thanksgiving at 8pm which Walmart introduced as the new Black Thursday. We will not be shopping on Friday either.
Stand up, Christians, and fight back! Don’t give in, don’t give up to the world!
I love Christmas and will sometimes listen to the music in July. Christmas is everyday in my heart. As a Catholic I can receive Christ in the Eucharist, which Christ promised he would be with us until the end of time. I understand the concern about making it about retail, but I love to walk in a store and hear the music. It lifts up my heart. Isn’t that what Christ does for us? Lift our hearts?
As a mom of five, my youngest son being a priest, I applaud your article. We need to teach our children & grandchildren that Advent is a very special time of prayer, meditation, and preparation. Christmas Day begins the season of joyful celebration for Christians (twelve days of Christmas). One of our daughters was born on December 26, so my husband and I treat the entire family to a Christmas breakfast celebration every year at a nice restaurant. It starts the Christmas season with a joyful bang.
I agree with the core intention of your statement. But, if I understand you correctly, you’re saying “my husband and I treat the entire family to a a Christmas breakfast celebration every year at a nice restaurant. It starts the Christmas season with a joyful bang.” Earlier you said “Christmas Day begins the season of joyful celebration for Christians.” You make reference to one of your daughters being born on December 26. What I am not clear about is the date of your “Christmas breakfast celebration at a nice restaurant.” Is it December 25 or 26? If it’s December 25, it might not be such “a joyful bang” for those who are working on Christmas Day. Just saying.
We have 5 adult offspring & our youngest is a very good priest. Your article is appropos to Catholic families. Continue to teach your children that Advent is a time of prayer, meditation and preparation for the Christmas Season itself. One of our daughters was born on December 26, so my husband and I have a tradition of treating the entire family on December 26 to a Christmas celebration breakfast out… a great way to begin the season. My observation is that many/most ‘Catholic’ children do not have a clue that the joyful season actually starts on Christmas Day. If your kids are falling through the cracks in our society, buy a Catechism of the Catholic Church and spend some evenings taking the kids through it. You won’t regret it.
I’ve been quietly stating the celebration of Christmas in early November for years. I’m just a really big fan of Christmas (and I don’t mean to imply that others are not.) Of course the holiness of the season is of primary importance but I, like many others, love the celebrations, the food, the music, the movies, etc. I even enjoy hearing Christmas music in stores since it just seems to signal times when strangers are more willing to smile and say “hello” or wish you a “Merry Christmas.” To some, Christmas is a time of stressful preparation but in my family it was always a time of faith, fun, and relaxation. And as I’ve gotten older, of course Advent and Christmas pass by far too quickly, hence my early celebration. I want to savor Advent and Christmas and not wake up on January 2nd and wonder where my favorite time of year went.
Now I wholeheartedly agree with others that starting Black Friday sales by opening stores on Thanksgiving is just not right but that is just a symptom of the decades old problem of the over-commercialization of Christmas.
On the other hand: it is good to hear “Christmas” music any time during the year–even if it is a market ploy, real Christians know what the celebration is really all about.
I completely agree with you. I wish everyone would see things this way. My husband and I were just talking about this the other day. I like waiting to listen to Christmas music at Christmas time. The radio station plays it from early November til Christmas day. Great writing this! I hope a lot of people come across it.
Consider the alternative to Christmas music on the radio or in retail establishments and you might want it all year .
HA! I’ll concede to that idea without a problem!
It is true that Christmas music can be joyful and touches the heart. But the Christmas music that is often played is not religious, has been modernized and often has no correlation to Jesus, the reason for the season.
Then I wonder if you could take it another step and classify that type as “non-Christmas” music. Songs like Jingle Bells and Let It Snow are more winter tunes than they are Christmas.
Perhaps, in addition to celebrating Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas in their due seasons, people could/should take a look at what they consider to be decorations, music, etc. Snowflakes and reindeer, etc.
Thanksgiving should be 365 days of the year. Let’s be Thankful for what we have and WHAT WE DON’T HAVE. People don’t think of it in that aspect. But I heard Christmas music last week at work. O well. Enjoy and Praise Be TO GOD AND THANKS BE TO GOD, FOR ALL GLORY IS YOURS LORD not mine.
In case you couldn’t tell, I totally agree with you! I already have a post planned out for T&C on the same topic for next Wednesday.
in england xmas comes earlier every year & all the stupid people say “it comes earlier every year” it does my head in,i say to them “its because its advertized earlier” & it seems they didnt even realise thats whats happening until i mentioned it……
Also in england, nov 5th is bonfire night,but its been overshadowed by xmas, i`d say even 5 yrs ago, this was`nt happening, england has become more & more comercialised & americanised. we`re even starting to use the word……….”corporate”….. i wish we`d just keep our own culture.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Katie! I know this isn’t on the topic of your post, so I hope it’s ok. I don’t think it’s a good thing for anyone to get their news solely from Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. I’m a fair person, so I would say the same thing about getting news from MSNBC. Perhaps you should try looking at some other news sources (in addition to Fox and Rush) as to get a more “fair and balanced” view of things. Just a suggestion…
Thank you, Mike! I try to shop around to ensure my own version of “fair and balanced.” A great suggestion!