Christmas... in the News: Popular Christmas Presents by Decade, PAG's "Christmas Eve in Chaos" & Case for Leaving Christmas Decorations Up Until February

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Christmas... in the news. This is a weekly review of some of the Christmas articles and news over the last week. 

How is everyone this week? Are you setting those New Year's resolutions? Are you eager to get back to your regular schedule now that the holidays are past? 

For me, I am preparing new real estate listings, finalizing an editing job, and taking a rare day off. The closer we get to spring market, the fewer of those there will be. 

It was so pleasing to find so many neat Christmas tidbits this week. InForum featured an article by C.S. Hagen that shared popular Christmas gifts by decade, starting in the 1930s. I instantly thought of Ralphie from A Christmas Story when I read about Ryder BB guns being popular during the Depression. G.I. Joe and Etch a Sketch were popular in my decade, and Barbie dolls and the Nerf Ball made the list for the 70s. Check out the article here.

The SHAW LOCAL News Network reported that the Performing Arts Guild of Mt. Morris is presenting a dessert theater titled, "Christmas in Chaos," January 10 - 12. For more details about this funny play, you can click here.

This last tidbit is definitely for someone like me, who enjoys keeping up those Christmas decorations as long as possible. CBC shared an article about the historic case for keeping Christmas decorations up until February. 

In some parts of the world, it's considered bad luck to take decorations down before January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. However, this article states that for centuries the tradition was to keep decorations up until February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem. Interested in finding out more? Check out the article here. 

Now, off to enjoy reading and editing. Hope you have a great week!

Celebrating the Epiphany Around the World

 

Photo credit freepik.com

Today, Christians around the world will celebrate Epiphany, or as some call it, Three Kings' Day. This is the official end of the Christmas season and the observance of the coming of the Magi. The visit of the Magi is shared in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, verses 1 - 12. 

The well-known--and sometimes annoying--Christmas carol, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," celebrates the Christmas season, which runs from Christmas Day through Epiphany. 

Web-holidays talks about how some countries celebrate Epiphany. You can read the article at https://web-holidays.com/blog/2014/12/15/january-6-epiphany/

Wassailing, which is known as going from house to house singing while drinking wassail, is traditionally done on Epiphany Eve (January 5), also called Twelfth Night. You can find a recipe for wassail at https://www.farmersalmanac.com/holiday-wassail-punch-11649

Christmas in January?

 Did you know that some people celebrate Christmas in January? Since the exact date of the birth of Jesus remains unknown, some Orthodox Christians celebrate it on January 7. Here are two articles that talk about it:

Time

Euronews

Many of my friends leave their decorations up until the feast of the Epiphany, which is January 6. You can read about that here.

So, when do you take your decorations down? Day after Christmas, after New Year's Day, or later?