If you will wonder why we still have a Christmas theme on this blog, note that St. Josaphat, this blog and its moderator observe Polish Christmas. That means that decorations stay up until February 2.
You too are encouraged to take up this practice not because it is Polish but rather as a sign of devotion to the Christ Child. In fact, in the Divine Office of both forms, the Alma Redemptoris Mater is sung as the Marian antiphon after Compline until February 2. The very fact that a hymn so rooted in Advent/Christmas because it refers to Mary’s Maternity hints that even the Church’s Liturgy kind of observes something until February 2.
It would be nice if next Christmas, folks would wait until at least the first day of the Christmas Novena to put up decorations and leave the stuff up until February 2. This would help take away the “Advent is Christmas mentality” or even the Christmas starts in November mentality of our secular world today.
Thank you for making this clear
This is wonderful not only to those of us who believe Christmas is year ’round, but to those of us who are devoted to the Holy Infant of Prague.
The homepage photo of St. Anne is absolutely gorgeous, by the way.