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Barbara C.
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| Posted: Dec 01 2009 at 10:04am | IP Logged
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At Mass this past weekend, our priest said that you aren't supposed to start decorating for Christmas until December 17th. This is the first time I had heard that.
Does anyone know why the 17th? My calendar from the church doesn't list any special feast. Or could this be a Polish custom (since he's from Poland)? Or is this one of those things that's kind of dropped off the radar?
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Tami
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| Posted: Dec 01 2009 at 10:18am | IP Logged
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It's the beginning of the O Antiphons - I'm assuming that's why. And fairly close to Gaudete Sunday, when we light the pink candle, a sign of hope (as opposed to the more penitential purple candles).
But I'm just guessin'..... 
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Dec 01 2009 at 10:37am | IP Logged
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It is the date in the little "guidebook" that priests get for the first date for blessing of Christmas trees...I think. Something like that I'm almost positive;)
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JennGM
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It's the priest's suggestion, it's not law. But it's a reflection on the spirit of the Advent Liturgy.
December 17 marks the beginning of the O Antiphons, but it's also the second half of Advent which has a more intense spirit of the Coming of Christ. His coming is Imminent!
There's a different focus in the liturgy. In the precedence of feastdays, those Advent days are obligatory, meaning the priest has to celebrate the Mass of the Advent day, not a saint's feast. The priest will be wearing purple everyday. If one of the saints' days falls during that period, the Collect or Opening prayer can be said for that saint, but the readings and preface are for that day, and the priest still wears purple.
These are some of the most ancient parts of our liturgy, retained even today. It's a really special time. So I just think Father is suggesting that this would be a more proper time to decorate than the first part of Advent..
I remember reading a few places a bit more about this, but I'm not coming across anything easily to share more details. Maybe I can find something later.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JennGM
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| Posted: Dec 01 2009 at 3:00pm | IP Logged
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I found something that can elaborate. To get back to your original question, I'm suspecting it's a Polish custom that Father might be referring to. It was traditional to do cleaning and baking starting on the 21st for many cultures (a-thomasing).
From one of my favorite books, The Liturgical Year by Adolf Adam:
Quote:
The new General Norms for the Liturgical Year makes a very important statement about the meaning of the Advent period of preparation and thereby sets up guidelines for the liturgical celebration: "The season of Advent has a twofold character. It is a time of preparation for Christmas when the first coming of God's Son to men is recalled. It is also a season when minds are directed by this memorial to Christ's second coming at the end of time. It is thus a seasons of joyful and spiritual expectation" (no. 39)...
We must not see a contradiction to the above quoted explanation of Advent when the Commentary on the General Norms speaks of the weekdays from December 17 to December 24 inclusive as more directly oriented to the Lord's birth, while it speaks of the period from the first Sunday of Advent to December 16 as having an eschatological emphasis "since it [the liturgy] urges souls to look for the second coming of Christ." There is no contradiction because even in the eschatologically oriented period the first coming of Christ is not forgotten, but rather both aspects are present. |
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Barbara C.
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| Posted: Dec 01 2009 at 8:08pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the information. I was just curious. I would personally love to hold off decorating until the 17th, but we'll see if my husband would go along with it. Do I have to tell him it's just a suggestion? 
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Barbara
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Gloria JMJ
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| Posted: Dec 02 2009 at 1:24am | IP Logged
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Thank you for passing on this suggestion!
I have always put off decorating for as long as I could get dh to let me but wondered where I should stop. It would be really difficult to do EVERYTHING on Christmas Eve  , so I am relieved to know that I can spend a good guiltless week decorating the house  . I will probably still decorate the tree on Christmas Eve.
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: December 17th?
