NOTE:It may seem a stretch to blame American Catholic bishops for the increase in the loss of indentification and increasing commercialization of the Christmas season. But when a major segment of the Christian religious community decides to reduce a traditional observance in this case the observance of Epiphany seemingly bowing to the cafeteria culture prevelant in certain Catholic circles that may have been the unintended result. Placing the observance of "Christmas" as a one day event rather than a series of reflections of what the faith is spanning over a longer period of time. In the US that feast day (Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas) which was formally observed on Jan 6th is now observed the first Sunday falling between Jan 2nd and Jan 8th.

The following is an explaination of how the RC's observed Christmas prior to 1960. Prior to the Roman Catholic Reformed Liturgical rite promulgated by the Vatican Council which seems to make a hodge-podge of the early life of Jesus.
   The calandar of liturgical observances (mass) was a recollection which through the gospels followed the life of Christ and goes like this.

Christmas Mass (gospel; birth of Jesus).

The Sunday following Christmas the old liturgy proscribed was "The Sunday within the octave of Christmas" that gospel related the visit to relatives and a prophets warning to Mary .

Today that Sunday is the feast of the Holy Family who's gospel recalls Jesus at age 12 and is out of chronological and liturgical sequence with Epiphany which recalls shortly after the birth of Jesus and the visits of the 3 kings .

New Years was the feast first called Circumcision (term,practice,being dumped) then later named the feast of The Presentation.{NOTE: During WWII there was a popular misconception that the way the Nazis could tell if a male person was a Jew was if that person was circumcized, Catholics (not all) were also circumcized }. This gospel was of the Holy Family following Jewish traditions and practice,then if a Sunday came between Circumcision and Epiphany it was The Feast of The Holy Name of Jesus.

On Jan 6th was The Feast of Epiphany ,( or 12th day of Christmas,or 3 Kings Day) no matter what day it fell on and was a holy day of obligation .

That observance is the basis for the exchanging of gifts on Xmas and when in many countries gifts are exchanged.

The Sunday following Epiphany would be the first Sunday after Epiphany,also known as The feast of the Holy Family; gospel Jesus at age 12 and his visit to the temple.

Today Epiphany is the Sunday following New Years .Now it is the feast of the baptism of Jesus,with the gospel of Luke relating the story of John the Baptist baptising Jesus.

The Solemn Latin Midnight Mass Prologue

There was a time we would all face east toward the land where the babe was borne,
then crucified
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
Our tie to days of yore
We would bow and kneel and the bells would ring,
and the censor with would be swung back and forth with its incense
a cleansing odor it would bring
another tie to another time as the host was lifted
for us to wounder and adore
A gift few yet few understand
A symbol of,committment of God made man
not of man eating man as some disclaim
Partaking is a statement of dedication
to serve God and man
An affirmation of committment this rite would bring
Begining with a confession of how we sinned rite begins
as priests and servers prostrate themselves before the altar their sins proclaim
Then references to the prophets before the gospel is read,
Cleanse my heart and lips as thou didst cleanse the lips of Isaias with a burning coal
and why that curious custom of making the sign of the cross with thumb and forefinger is always made
upon the forehead,lips and heart
At the lavabo offering of the gifts, the washing of the hands a prayer is read
I will wash my hands among the innocent as thy high priest Melchisedec blessing of Abraham is said
Such were the ways in those days when Advent was a verb and not a noun

  How an "American" neighborhood became "Irish"
" A Proud Queen Courted By Fifty Duchys And Chicago is Her Name."Chicago Couplet...©2003 L.J.Keslin

How a Chicago community various ethnic groups reacted to WWII begining with the effect Hitler's invasion of Poland had on the area. Bridgeport prior to (and even after) WW I probably had one of the highest concentrations of various ethnic churches and parochial schools mainly Catholic and Lutheran in the US. To celebrate this diversity and to challange the Mayor( Richard J) Daley myth of a Irish Neighborhood being created at that time which has persisted into urban legend

A Bridgeport Ode" was published in The New World Catholic newspaper in 1965. One could walk three blocks in any given direction and find one particularly on the areas west end. There were 3 German, one Catholic, two Lutheran,one Catholic Lithuanian, and two very large Catholic Polish edifices and one large Irish On its east end three large Italian, two Croation (Hervati)*,on its south end two large Irish Catholic plus Swedish and German Lutheran into the mix, all operating their own parrish  grammar school and two operating high schools.*Hervat is what "Croations" call themselves in their language