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For me, Christmas doesn't end on December 26. I'm sure you would like to know why I'm making such a statement. As stated in prior devotionals, Christmas is without question my favorite time of the year, but not for the reasons you may think. If you're not careful, you can easily lose the meaning of Christmas with all of the commercialism. For me, Christmas is my favorite time of year for the following reasons:

1. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

2. The season brings family and friends together in a spirit of love.

3. We express our appreciation of the Lord's birth and our love for family and friends with the exchanging of gifts. 

Let me share some history about Christmas with you. Once you've read the rest of this devotional, you will understand why Christmas for me doesn't end on the 26th of December.

In the early Church, Christians, particularly those in the East, celebrated the advent of Christ on Jan. 6 by commemorating the Nativity, the Visitation of the Magi, the Baptism of Christ, and the Wedding of Cana all in one feast of the Epiphany. By the fourth century, both Christmas and Epiphany had been set as separate feasts in some dioceses. At the Council of Tours in 567, the Church set Dec. 25 as Christmas Day and Jan. 6 as Epiphany, and designated the 12 days between the feasts as the Christmas season.

That's why my Christmas tree and all its beautiful decorations remain up until the 6th day of January or the day after. There's so much to thank God for and celebrate between the dates of December 25th and January 6th:

  • The Nativity
  • The Visitation of the Magi
  • The Baptism of Christ
  • The Wedding of Cana 

The period between December 25th and January 6th is my Twelve Days of Christmas. The Western Church later separated the remaining feasts into their own celebrations, leaving the Epiphany to commemorate primarily the Magi's visitation to see the newborn Christ on January 6th. In fact, Epiphany services still take place every year, and I make a special effort to attend each year. I would like you to do the same. 

There is so much more to Christmas than many people know. Just a little history you might enjoy learning. 

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