It is certainly true that the way the world celebrates Christmas is rather pathetic. Christmas has become a 'time with our families' holiday, instead of a feast to celebrate the threefold coming of Our Blessed Lord and Saviour. It is indeed a good thing to celebrate the nativity with one's family, but it is not the point of the festivity.
The season of Advent begins on Sunday closest to - before or after - the feast of St Andrew (November 30). The Church has set aside this time to encourage the faithful to spiritually prepare for the 'coming' of Our Lord. It is a threefold preparation. Firstly we must prepare for the celebration of His coming in the past, two thousand and twenty years ago. Secondly, we celebrate His Coming in the present; during Mass, Holy Communion, and many special graces, on Christmas Day. Finally, we also must prepare for His Second Coming, in the future, when Heaven will start for us and when we shall greet Him in the bliss of eternal glory, only if we die with His Sanctifying Grace.
The season of Advent is not the season of Christmas. Catholics have been warned and encouraged not to celebrate Christmas during Advent. Fr Francis X. Weiser S.J. in his book "Religious Customs in the Family: The Radiation of the Liturgy into Catholic Homes" warns parents from celebrating Christmas before December 25:
"One negative demand has to be stressed in our time if you truly wish your family to observe Advent in the spirit of the Holy Liturgy. Modern commercialism has introduced the abuse of starting the Christmas celebration on Thanksgiving Day [last Thursday of November], of displaying the Christmas symbols through all the weeks of Advent, and of presenting Christmas music on the radio, television a whole month in advance of the feast. The spirit of Advent, a spirit of prayerful penance and meditation is utterly absent from these displays. Such untimely anticipation of the Christmas festivities tends to rob the feast itself of a joyful and radiant celebration.
"Christmas does not start until the evening of December 24th. After the dark and dawn of Advent is should rise like a glorious sun before the eyes and hearts of our children, sudden and fresh in all its joyous features.
"What can we do about it? Since it is not possible to stop the abuses that commercialism has introduced, you can only try to protect your family from this harmful influence. As far as possible, do not let your children listen to Christmas music and Christmas programs in Advent. Do not take them to see the displays in the stores except perhaps during the last few days before the feast. Do not allow them to go to Christmas parties long before December 25. Do not decorate your home before Christmas Eve.
"Instead, try to explain to your children why they should co-operate willingly in avoiding all such prepature celebration of Christmas. After all, we do not sing 'Alleluia' on Good Friday either, nor do we hold and Easter parade on Holy Thursday." (Fr. Francis X Weiser, 1956, p. 36-37)
Even though the news that we must try to avoid Christmasy celebrations during the month of Advent seems too complicated for 'our times', we must be reminded that the Christmas season is actually longer for us than for those who celebrate it ahead of time. The length of the time that the world considers 'Christmas Season' is 31 days long (considering that Christmas Celebrations end on Boxing day (26th December). However, the length of the Catholic Season of Christmas is 40 days, from December 25 to February 2. Really those 9 more days are worth it! Moreover, early Christmas celebrations are something you can give up during Advent as part of the penitential season.
Advent is then a time to prepare for the coming of Christ. In Lent we prepare for His death, dying to ourselves for Him. Advent makes Lent possible preparing a place for Him to come. Fr Lawrence Smith proposes that "Advent is the time to make ready for Christ to live with us. Lent is the time to make us ready to die with Christ. Advent makes Lent possible. Lent makes salvation possible. Advent is the time when eternity approaches earth. Lent is the time when time reaches consummation in Christ's eternal Sacrifice to the Father. Advent leads to Christ's life in time on earth. Lent leads to Christ's eternal Life in Heaven. The Cross -- through the Mass, penance, and mortification -- is the bridge connecting Advent and Lent, Christ and His Church, man, and God. Each of the Church's penitential seasons is a dying to the world to attain new life in Christ."
So join me this season in rejecting everything Christmasy before Christmas. Save the chocolate advent calendars for January; Send Christmas Cards to only arrive on or after Christmas; do not buy Christmas Celebrations; prepare the nativity scene and save the Child Jesus for Christmas Day; and above all, prepare for the Coming of Christ. Meditate on His Nativity, His presence in the Eucharist, and His Second Coming.
Ave Maria!