why is there a christmas tree on christmas

One option would be to wait until Gaudete Sunday - the “pink” Sunday of the third week of Advent - when the church’s prayers specifically tell us to rejoice at the closeness of Jesus’ upcoming birthday.Īnother liturgically fitting day to set up a Christmas tree would be Dec. Or, you could take some cues from our liturgy as for when to set up your Christmas tree. For example, perhaps a family could set up a Christmas tree earlier on during Advent, but only start decorating it closer to Christmas. In contrast to the secular emphasis on pre-Christmas celebrations, waiting until Christmas to set up a tree makes it clear that Advent is not Christmas, but rather its own important season of waiting.Īnd of course, it’s always possible to find a middle ground between these two extremes. But for other families waiting until Christmas eve to set up a tree could be a helpful way of respecting the season of Advent as a time of quiet and even penitential preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas. In terms of when to put up a Christmas tree, there is nothing to prevent a Catholic from setting up a Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving if they so choose. Yet depending on your family’s own particular holiday traditions and spiritual needs, there are some dates that might be especially appropriate in your own household. Because of this, there are no strict right or wrong answers as to when a Catholic should put up or take down a Christmas tree. Now as a Catholic, what is the best way for me to handle the Christmas tree? When does it go up and when does it come down? (Indiana)Ī: Unlike certain other kinds of holiday decorations, such as an Advent wreath, a Christmas tree is neither a sacramental nor part of a liturgy. As an adult, I put the tree up a day or two after Thanksgiving and left it up until Jan. Q: When I was a kid we put up the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and took it down a day or two after Christmas.

Why is there a christmas tree on christmas