Santa Claus Rally? Who Cares? - It's Still Christmas!

However the stock market behaves this coming week - or any other market for that matter -one thing's for sure: It's still Christmas. 

Yes, really. Let's consider why that's true.

First of all, no matter your religious affiliation, you've likely heard of the Twelve Days of Christmas, right? The song originated at a time when people didn't so much celebrate the Christmas Season weeks and weeks before December 25th as they do now. There was something held back for not only December 25th, but those days thereafter, leading up to the Feast of the Epiphany (traditionally January 6th) - a day when large parts of the world took a holiday to exchange gifts, as opposed to our custom of doing so on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. 

What a time, what a world, eh? Something has been both lost and distorted these past decades as the true Christmas Spirit finds itself in a battle with the world's passing fascinations and obsessions. Our personal "choices" outweigh the recognition of the great event that took place two millennia ago. Sure, we may pay it lip service, but are our hearts really given to the stark and wondrous reality of what Christmas Day was and remains to this day?

Thoughts like these keep me from spending inordinate amounts of time dwelling on what the markets are doing or not doing during these days between Christmas and New Year's. Besides, historically it's hardly been the most eventful time of the year for the Great Mammon's various markets.

And lest your tempted to let politics garner too much of your attention - given the recent election and its dramatic aftermath - you have permission to skip it for a few days. Remember that the people involved on both sides have likely taken off for their various holidays, even as they leave some of the masses bewildered, wondering what lies ahead for our country as we approach January 20th.

It's all going to pass, folks. And if a particularly bad result does come to be, we'll deal with it - ideally with faith and courage. But that's all for future discussion. 

For now, Christmas remains. It's 1st day, December 25th, having passed, along with its 2nd, we're now into the 3rd Day of Christmas. Let's make the most of it. For those of us who make a profession of giving financial and investment advice, it's OK to ignore the financial media and their made-up stories about whether and why a Santa Claus rally is or isn't happening - or any of the others concocted reasons why the market will go up or down in 2021. (Seriously, you should consider pretty much ignoring most of this drivel as a general rule, with few exceptions.)

Instead, here's an offering that might help to restore at least some semblance of Christmas into what was once and should - in a right world - continue to be the Christmas Season, filled with the peace and joy that come in such a special way but once a year. It's from that work we mentioned last time, The Inner Life of the Soul. This from the entry for Christmas Day that includes verses from an Italian Christmas song:

" Behold, my heart, the Babe divine I
This night He left the skies,
And born on earth for sins of thine,
In that rough manger lies.
Canst thou behold, and yet be cold ?
Or look with careless eyes ?
" He came in winter's frost and cold,
That thou shouldst warmed be ;
That heavenly light should thee enfold,
In midnight shades came He.
Come, meet Him here, with love sincere,
For much hath He loved thee."

Christmas Day seems, distinctively, to be the feast ofsimple, childlike joy and love. How could it be otherwise, when it is the feast of angels and of shepherds ; of a simple carpenter and an immaculate maiden-mother ; of the little white lambs of Bethlehem, and of the undefiled and innocent Lamb of God. How could it be otherwise, when the very gates of heaven above are flung open, and the starstrewn skies become a pathway for seraphim and cherubim, and the angels' feet are beautiful on the Judean mountains? What a glad, glad song rings from angel lips, clearly audible to the ears of those favored men who were tending their blessed sheep on the first Christmas night : " Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. 

Can talk of a Santa Claus rally or mindless speculating on the direction of the markets and the economy next year hold a candle to that? Seriously.

Merry Christmas!