Imagine waking up December 26 thinking Christmas has ended. Great news: it hasn't! Christmas only begins on December 25; the liturgical celebration keeps rolling right along through Epiphany (Kings Day) and the Feast of the Presentation. Maybe you're exhausted from the work of the holidays, but I'm here to encourage you to take a nap, hydrate, and then keep on celebrating and feasting.
Feasts matter—God made us ultimately for the glorious, authentic feast of Heaven. Our periodic feasts in this life help us to anticipate our eternal destiny. The more we can anticipate Heaven, the better and more properly ordered we will live. St Iraneus agrees: “The glory of God is man fully alive.” And in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
The best thing that's ever happened in history is the Incarnation of our Savior. Allons-y!
Bless your home for the new year.
An old Catholic tradition is blessing the home by marking the doorway with chalk. Write the new year and the initials of the Magi (e.g., 20+C+M+B+25) across your doorposts. "CMB" also stands for Christus mansionem benedicat ("May Christ bless this house"). You can also acquire blessed salt from your parish or another site like this saint's shrine is in New Orleans. Use blessed salt in your home throughout the year. Pro tip: sacramentals like blessed salt or holy water have no power on their own, and they are not magic rituals. Rather, sacramentals are physical ways of expressing grace, which is a gift from God alone.
Make a galette des rois or a New Orleans king cake.
The French fill their puff pastry galette with almond cream, traditionally with a fève (a small ceramic figurine or bean) hidden inside. The person who finds it becomes "king" or "queen" for the day. In New Orleans, "getting the baby" means that you bring the next king cake. I got our set of vintage fèves on Etsy. Weird but true: you can buy plastic king cake babies in bulk. This one even looks like baby Jesus! Here's my own family's recipe.
Use more candles, especially at meals.
The Advent wreath is packed away, but let's keep celebrating that the darkness has not overcome. Lighting candles at dinner or other meals is a visible sign of the Light of the world! We have a few sets of these amazing flameless candles—so realistic that I often catch myself fussing at kids for being careless around them as if there was an actual flame. Our longtime favorite Corda Candles has a "Gifts for a King" candle featuring frankincense and myrrh with notes of spices, sweetness, powdery amber, woods, and musk.
Decorate with stars.
We love a theme! The Star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi makes an easy muse. This garland of foil stars (pictured above) would be so pretty and simple hanging from the ceiling, doorways, in windows, or even from headboards and bathroom mirrors. Serve celebration food (or just lunch) with star-topped cocktail picks. Moravian stars look exactly how I imagine the Star of Bethlehem did, and they're beautiful hanging from your porch, banisters, or set as a table centerpiece.
Have a Christmas greenery bonfire.
In many European cultures, Christmas greenery is used to kindle bonfires for Epiphany and the Presentation. Make an occasion of your bonfire and invite over friends to sing carols, roast marshmallows, and drink something warm and festive. (Fun fact: In Louisiana, discarded Christmas trees go to the Gulf Coast to be used for barrier island reinforcement against coastal erosion.)
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