On the Phenomenon of Instant Christmas
It is well-known that in the U.S. (if not other countries as well), Christmas is seen to start as soon as Thanksgiving ends (if not even earlier). There is no preparation: as soon as the turkey is eaten, the crèche and tree are set up. Songs by Bing Crosby begin to be played incessantly, and the country begins to celebrate the coming of Santa Claus (and, occasionally, Christ as well). This is what I call the phenomenon of "Instant Christmas." In a culture often marked by the pursuit of instant gratification, it makes sense that Christmas would begin a month early. What does not make as much sense to me is when I see Catholics celebrating "Instant Christmas." I have a friend who put up a small Christmas tree in early November, and he was already humming Christmas songs. I've even seen complete crèches set up by Catholics just as early as the rest of the culture does. The thing that I take issue with there is a complete absence of an entire liturgical seaso...