Why I Embrace Christmas at Thanksgiving

I know that it’s fashionable to be annoyed at the Christmas decorations that pop up just after Halloween, but yesterday as Eloïse and I were doing some pre-Thanksgiving meal prep, I went all in. We turned on the Christmas music and danced to “Oh Holy Night” while cranberries popped gleefully on the stovetop and pie finished in the oven.

Certainly, no judgement to those who like to keep their holidays separate, but I thought I would offer two reasons I’ve decided to embrace Christmas at Thanksgiving.

One: Advent is Coming

As our family has grown (and with it, the chaos), I’ve found that any plan or activity I want to execute thoughtfully requires weeks of planning. I may only be able to snag 20 minutes on a lunch break, or a half hour between kids’ bedtimes and the moment my own mind goes to mush, so I will give myself nearly a month of prep time where it used to take me only a few days.

For us, that means starting to think about Christmas in November. We made a family decision early on that we wanted our holidays to be maximum Jesus, minimum Santa. So, Advent is a particularly special part of our celebration because each night we read a portion of the Bible, starting in Genesis, that helps to build anticipation for the birth of Jesus. And since Advent usually sneaks up on me right after Thanksgiving, it feels only natural to begin to turn my mind to the importance of this season around the same time that I’m brining my turkey.

Two: Thanksgiving Always Comes Back Around to the Gospel

As the kids make thankful turkeys and thankful alphabets and thankful trees at school, I consider my own list of reasons to rejoice. I’m thankful for family, for a roof over our head, for jobs that take care of us, for a city full of restaurants and interesting activities and fascinating people. But any time I allow myself to ruminate on the deeper reasons I am able to enjoy and appreciate the blessings in my life, I always come back to this: God is the beginning and end of everything good in this world.

Every material possession that makes me smile exists because God created it. Every person I enjoy exists because God breathed life into them. Every relationship, every circumstance, every opportunity finds meaning and purpose in a God who didn’t just stay up in the clouds as aloof Creator but humbled Himself into the form of His creation so that we might know Him and be called His children. What better way to grow thanksgiving in my heart than to think about that tiny baby in Bethlehem who came to take away the sins of the world?

Psalm 145

I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your saints shall bless you!
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.
The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.