It's that time of year again. 

It's the time when those who hate eggnog, pretty lights, cheery music, presents, and joy itself crawl out of their dark, barren hovels, bent on ruining Christmas.

Well, we aren't those people. Let us have our winter festival, says Dru. Let us have our (modest) presents, says Celina. Let us have our feasting, says Amy.

But we all ask, what does the winter festival of American Christmas really have to do with the first and second comings of Jesus Christ? Are traditional Advent practices a straightforward way to redeem the holiday? Do we even want to put the "Christ" back in "Christmas"?

Join Dru, Celina, and Amy as they discuss how we might faithfully improvise rituals of waiting and celebration to help us remember our place within the story of God's promise to the nations through Israel.

• 0:30 Rushing and conflating—why we're grumpy
• 6:08 Calling Dru out*
• 6:49 The fat man in the room: Christmas is not a biblical holy day
• 9:37 Redeeming Christmas through better rituals? 
• 11:23 An Hebraic spin on Advent
• 17:22 Distraction from the establishment of God's peace through Israel
• 19:51 The biblical argument against telling children there's a Santa Claus
• 21:41 Theologically rich Advent practices

*Despite her protestations, Celina has since admitted that Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" totally slaps. 

Show notes by Celina Durgin

Credits for the music TBM podcast: hebraicthought.org/credits.