As we are about to begin a study of Advent, it seems appropriate to pull up an old blog post of my own from a blog I used to keep... From 2012, here were my thoughts on the practice of Advent:
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This is going to be a little like Advent 101 because I want to offer the
possibility of these tradition to people who are totally new to the
idea. I strongly believe that traditions help us focus, they help us
make meaning, they help us mark time, and they help us draw closer to
each other and to our Creator. Traditions are meant to be modified to
fit each family. They are meant to be tools in the shaping of our lives.
So, I'm offering here some possibilities and a whole lot of
information. Take what you need and leave the rest.
So, first things first...Advent is a season of anticipation, a season of
hope, a season marked by reflection...and filled with meaning.
If you
get too wrapped up in doing things to make the season happen, you'll
totally miss the meaning. You'll be frazzled and weary before Christmas
even arrives. If you're new to Advent traditions, start slow. You don't
have to do everything. You can do one thing or dabble in many. But you
absolutely do not have to do it all.
This is about remembering the gift
of the Messiah. It isn't (and never has been) about doing everything
right.
Next, I just want to say that Advent isn't only for families that come
from liturgical church traditions. Anyone can celebrate Advent. It might
not look like Advent at your local Catholic, Lutheran or Methodist
church, but if you are participating in a way that draws your focus
toward the gift of Jesus as Messiah, you are celebrating Advent. The
candles and calendars and stories and ornaments are
tools, not the focus.
Advent
always
begins 4 Sundays before Christmas.You can remember this because there
are 4 candles in an Advent wreath, one for each Sunday until Christmas.
Many people have a fifth, larger candle in the middle of the Advent
wreath to light on Christmas.
The
season of Advent is not always the same length as an
Advent
calendar, which always begins on December 1st and counts down the days
until Christmas. So, this year, if you're using an Advent calendar,
you'll start on
Saturday, December 1st. You'll light your first Advent candle, however, on
Sunday, December 2nd.
Now, here's the fun part! We designed our own very non-traditional
Advent wreath some years ago. I'm not a fan of green wreaths, and I'm
perpetually worried about the fire hazard. So, we found a circular
mosaic-ed tray/plate, and we place 4 votive candles in a circle on the
plate around the center "Messiah" candle....like this:
We've had the same center candle since Mane was around 2 years old
because it only gets lit for a few days of every year. You can do most
anything to set up your Advent candles. See a number of non-traditional
ideas at
homesteadrevival.blogspot.com. (Or go look on Pinterest!)
Traditionally, Advent candles are purple and pink (3 purple, 1 pink). Our family has used other colors over the years. We
do
typically use 3 of one color and 1 of another, but that isn't necessary
either.
Remember, these are traditions for your family, to help you
focus this season, to bring honor to your King. This is what the candles
are intended to represent:
1st Sunday: Purple: Hope
2nd Sunday: Purple: Peace
3rd Sunday: Pink: Joy
4th Sunday: Purple: Love
Your family might choose a different color for each idea. Or you might
choose to have all white candles. Some families choose white candles
because they are unscented and less likely to cause allergic reactions.
(Psst...you can even use LED candles.) Do what works for you.
The first year that we celebrated Advent, we made a matchbox Advent
calendar. This was such a fun craft, and I'd definitely recommend it!
See instructions at
marthastewart.com. Here's a photo of the one we made. As you can see, it needed some repair of several years of use:
Of course, a variety of Advent calendars are available for purchase.
Michaels had
a paint-able wooden Christmas tree Advent calendar this year with 24
drawers. Paper, one-time-use calendars can be found at almost any
department store, typically with chocolate behind each numbered door.
Marthastewart.com has a number of other handmade ideas.
The advantage of a homemade calendar is that you don't have to fill it
with candy. We've filled our matchboxes with pennies, beads, charms,
erasers, jelly bracelets, hair binders, and all manner of other tiny
things. Remember, these things are not meant to cost you a lot. They are
meant to build anticipation...and possibly reward little people for
sitting through a quick candle-lighting, prayer and story.
Here's what a typical night of Advent looks like for us...
- Light the candle(s) and briefly discuss the meaning of each candle that has
been lit.
- Read scripture/story/book. For us, the reading will correspond with
our Jesse Tree ornament for the night. The Jesse Tree is probably the
most significant part of our Advent tradition, and it's going to get its own post
here in my blog. The short version is that the Jesse Tree tradition
involves telling the major stories of the Bible from creation to the
birth of Jesus over the days of Advent. It is a condensed retelling of
the redemption story. For each story, we hang a symbolic ornament on our
Jesse Tree.
- Say a prayer.
- Hang the Jesse Tree ornament.
- Open the door of the Advent calendar.
- Blow out the candles.
This series of traditions developed over a period of YEARS. We did not
start doing everything all at once. I can't stress enough how important
it is to relax and do what works for your family. You want this to be
peaceful. You want it to bring your family life and joy. You do not want
a bunch of stress and unfulfilled expectations. Let things happen how
they happen. Breathe in the moment.
Be blessed.
