Travelocity may have a roaming gnome, but the Bohon’s have the roaming Magi. Today is the 8th days of Christmas. (Oh yes, Obama, I said it! CHRISTmas!!!) My mom has started a wonderful new tradition... I guess you can't call it a tradition if you've only done it once. Nonetheless, I think it has great potential to become a tradition in our house. We have a couple of rules in our house when it comes to decorating for Christmas:
1. The commencement of the Christmas Season begins when Santa Claus arrives at the Macy's Day Parade. Decorating anytime prior to Santa’s arrival is just blasphemous.
2. Decorations should remain in place until the Epiphany. For those of you who do not know, the Epiphany (Jan 6) is a Christian holiday celebrating the visit of the Magi, also referred to as Wise Men, to the baby Jesus. Traditionally, the 12 days of Christmas are from December 25 – January 5.
I like these rules because, one, I like rules and I like to follow them. Two, you maximize the use of holiday decor (and who doesn't like efficiency?!) We have a few Nativity scenes scattered throughout the house, but this year all participants in the Nativity have arrived chronologically. The shepherd and animals arrived first, then Mary and Joseph, an angel, followed by Jesus in the wee hours of Christmas morning. And it was Christmas Day that the Magi started their journey from the east (aka family room). Each day, the Magi continue their journey across the land, following the star to find the one who has been born king of the Jews.
"After they [the Magi] had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." Matthew 2:9-10
Due to the untimely arrival of a cold this Christmas, I have yet to be the first one up in our house… until today! After a week of ridiculous amounts of sleep and crashing hours before the big ball drop in Times Square, I was up at 6:00 AM this morning. Before dawn and my first cup of coffee, I tip toed into the family room, carefully gathered the Wise Men in my arms, and moved them into the kitchen. I have determined that these particilar Wise Men are quite adventurous and what better place for adventure than under the china cabinet alongside topiary reindeer?
Now it is almost 8:00 and I am waiting in eager anticipation for somebody else to wake up and find the skillfully hidden Magi! Just a few more days of travel and they will arrive on January 6 along side the baby Jesus!
Happy New Year and Happy 8th Day of Christmas!
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