January 7

When I was a child, I hated to see Christmas leave. The depression started on the 26th of December and descended to a dirge after January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. It was OK to leave the tree and lights up until then, but after that, the mandated return to normalcy followed, with nothing joyful in sight until Easter break.
How different it is now as an adult. Christmas is work. . and lots of it, and as wonderful as it is to follow the traditions every year, I savor the return to the status quo ante with a quiet and peaceful joy. Today the colored lights were finally replaced by our regular white outdoor lights, and except for the stray knick-knack of the festive holiday season, there is nary a hint of the rush of Christmas that so filled the house a scant 30 days ago. Thank God for this truly silent night.