2021 Cleaning Up Christmas

I love decorating my tree and putting all the presents under it. Then sitting by it and enjoying it is my favorite thing! My tree is up and presents under it by Thanksgiving! When my company comes for Thanksgiving I want to enjoy and not be stressed during the holidays! For me, that works. Some people love the last minute hustle and bustle. Because I have enjoyed the tree for a month before Christmas, after the presents are gone, I am ready to get my house back in order.

People have different dates of when they take their decorations down. Some think you have to wait until New Years Eve. (I like to have fun on New Year's Eve!) There is a saying that you take it down before the bells toll at midnight or you will be dragging all of the baggage and bad luck from the previous year into the new year. Some people say January 5 is last day of the 12 days of Christmas celebration. Other's feel January 6 is the day to take your tree down in observance of the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day, a Christian holiday. There is no right or wrong time to take down decorations because they are just that - decorations. Christmas goes with us!

I do not know anyone who looks forward to cleaning up Christmas! Let's not let cleaning up Christmas rob us of our joy! Remember when you take your decorations down most of them tell a story or bring someone to mind. Some of those people are no longer with us. But don't get sad packing those things away. Those things are Not Christmas. They are symbols of Christmas. The Christ in Christmas stays with us. Jesus' birth did not happen to us but it happened "in us". We can continue Christmas all year long! Let's let Jesus shine from within all year! John 8: 12, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

As we pack our lights away let's remember that "the Light of the World" is not packed away. Jesus is the true Light of the World. We can still celebrate Him. He is not a display but He makes a huge display of His love for all! Jesus brings the light of the gospel to us and allows us to be freed from the darkness of sin and death. John 9: 5, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Take a moment and just be grateful. Grateful for your family, time spent with loved ones, the freedom to celebrate Christmas, for memories, for presents received and especially for knowing the true Light of the World!