Crazy Countdown to Christmas

Tweet

When I was 9, I marveled at the countdown of Apollo 11 blasting to the moon. Ten, nine, eight seven, six, five.... Wow, I thought, that's counting backwards. Thus began my fascination of countdowns, the sense of excitement before the big boom. Until I've grown old and have to endure the crazy Christmas countdown. Look, Ebenezer Scrooge am I not, and Christmas is my favorite time of year. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. I believe in Saint Nicholas even if he isn't a canonized saint. Is he? Catholicism is in the heart. A reason to automatically click off the boob tube or the car radio soon as the BER months countdown commences. It isn't Christmas yet. Christmas is actually the shortest season in the church calendar. It has only eight days, from 25 December to 1 January. It is called the Octave of Christmas. Before that is the Season of Advent, the cleansing time. Purgation is necessary because we are awaiting the Birth of the Messiah.This is the musing moment when everyone is advised to recollect on the past year, whether they've been good, otherwise, the huge socks will remain empty. But what happens? To my dismay. my daughter has already told me that her Christmas party would be on the 18th of December, the theme "Bedazzled." Sigh. Two things not right here: first.Christmas has become something one fits to the company's schedule. second, for merriment purposes, a theme other than Christmas is adapted. Sigh again.