<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder Q: How can we make Christmas last longer? A: Many people wonder this. By Thanksgiving, we were awash in carols, cards, and consumerism. For many of us, none of this seemed to be Christmas. Yet suddenly, that day came and went. The kids will play a bit more with their new toys. We'll wear our new clothes, redeem gift certificates, and cash the checks. But where did Christmas go? Often, we hustle to prepare, dash through the Holy Day, then settle right back into old ruts. Already, some have taken down trees, packed ornaments, and settled into familiar habits. Come the New Year, most of the decorations will be gone. All that will remain are credit card statements. Isn't there more celebration for such an important event as the coming of God in human flesh? Yes, there are several days of celebration to go! Clues come in some of our carols and in the traditional Christian calendar. In the Church Year, Christmas doesn't start until after sundown on the twenty-fourth of December. This Sunday is only the fifth day of Christmas. The festival continues through the fifth of January, the Eve of Epiphany, when the coming of the Wise Men signals the end of the Christmas season. The days of Christmas encourage special giving. We've received not only the gift of the Christ, but also much worldly loot. What do we do with our blessings? The Twelve Days of Christmas encourage us to carry the peace, hope, and joy of the Nativity into our everyday lives. Special Bible studies and prayers help set new habits of thankfulness and giving, even in bad times. By example, the song about these days didn't grow out of good times, but from a time of oppression. The gifts of these days were code words understood by the Catholic minority in England. It was dangerous to observe the Feast of the Nativity with unbridled enthusiasm, or to teach the children their faith. This song was a teaching tool. The partridge stood for Jesus, the first, best Gift. Other gifts were two turtle doves: Old and New Testaments; French hens: Faith, Hope, Charity; calling birds: four Gospels; gold rings: first five books of the Old Testament; geese a-laying: six days of Creation; swans a-swimming: seven gifts of the Spirit; maids a-milking: eight Beatitudes; ladies dancing: nine fruits of the Spirit; lords a-leaping: Ten Commandments; pipers piping: eleven faithful apostles; drummers drumming: twelve points in the Apostles' Creed. The days following Christmas remind us that a sin-filled world is opposed, sometime violently, to the Gospel. Christ's message of peace and reconciliation is often met with hatred and scorn. The twenty-sixth is St. Stephen's Day. He was the first recorded martyr of the Christian Church. It is the "Feast of Stephen" that "Good King Wenceslas" observes. This Bohemian (Czech) king spotted a poor man in the cold forest and took along one of his pages with "flesh ... wine ... and pine-logs" to give to the poor man. The king knew the Gift of Christmas and eagerly shared it with the least of his subjects by trudging through the winter woods. The twenty-seventh is the Day of St. John, the Apostle. He didn't die for the Faith, but was exiled. We thank God that we are not exiled, and can take the promises recorded by John and freely share them. More deaths follow on the twenty-eighth. Holy Innocents' Day commemorates the slaughter of Bethlehem's children by Herod, as he attempted to destroy the Usurper to his throne. Stephen, John, and the Innocents remind us that not all receive the Gift of Christmas with joy, yet God's plan of salvation has spread in spite of hatred. Even today, much of the world is actively hostile to the Gospel, yet we continue to proclaim it because any place that acts this way proves its need of the message we bear. Of the other Days of Christmas, the Eighth has special meaning. This is the Day of the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus. Following the Old Testament Law, he was circumcised, shedding his first blood as he stood in our stead before the father. He also formally received the Name of Jesus ("He Saves"). So if Christmas goes by too quickly, keep it for all twelve days. You'll discover that it's easier to keep it for the other 353 days, as well. The so-called "spirit of giving" is ultimately the Holy Spirit moving us to give as we have received. May you give the Gift of Christmas every day, to everyone you meet. Until next week, when, Lord willing, we enjoy more of your questions, remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Pastor Snyder serves St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas and is coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1996 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.