Growing up in Indiana my family celebrated the Christmas season in what, I thought, was the normal way. My family was of German heritage and observed the customs that they (my mother and father) observed all of their lifetime. This included the 12 days of Christmas with Christmas being the first day, not the last. The last day or 12th day, being the Christian festival of Epiphany, the date that, supposedly, the three wise men arrived at the manger to view the baby Jesus.
During this period, my family visited with family and friends, went to their homes to view their decorations, exchanged gifts and devoured Christmas “goodies.” The Christmas lights glowed nightly until that day.
Now I live in Mountain Home, a place recognized by many as a hotbed of Christianity. Many of the homes in my neighborhood were decorated and lighted by Thanksgiving, a lovely sight to behold. But, wait a minute — a few days after Christmas most of the lights had disappeared, and by Epiphany mine were the only lights on in the neighborhood.
I am not a religious person, but I do know the story of Epiphany, and I leave my lights on until that date probably as a remembrance of my childhood. But what of all the good Christians in my neighborhood — what is their reason for extinguishing their Christmas lights before the biblical end of the season?
I don’t understand.
Most Popular Ever
