Advent part 1: Celebrating Advent with Your Family

This year we will be celebrating Advent for the first time. Although I have a Christian background, I only just discovered this often overlooked celebration. In my research on Advent I came up with some very interesting activities I can do with my boys. I am really looking forward to it and pray that they enjoy it as much as I will.

What is Advent?
The word Advent means “the coming” or “arrival”. Advent is separated into two events – the Advent of the Christ child and the Advent of the Second Christ. Thus Advent is the celebration or anticipation of the Christ child and Christ’s Return. Historically Advent is also known as the start of the Church Calendar.

When?
Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent.

Colors of Advent:
Purple – to welcome the Advent of the King (4 purple candles)
Blue – sometimes blue is used as well as a symbol of Royalty
Rose - 1 rose colored Candle (3rd lighted candle)

How?
Celebrations of Advent vary depending on the church you attend and which parts you’d like to emphasize for your family. Below you will find what we have chosen to include in our celebration. Please feel free to use these ideas in your own celebrations.

This year we will be purchasing a live wreath for our Advent wreath. The wreath is used to symbolize the new and everlasting life given to us through Jesus the Christ. The wreath has 5 candles – 4 go around the circular wreath and 1 goes in the middle. We will be making Bees Wax Candles this year in preparation of lighting the Advent Wreath.

Symbolism of the Advent Wreath:
“The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life. Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His son. The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ”. http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html

Colors of the Advent Candles:
Each Candle is lit on a Sunday. The first is the Candle of HOPE. The second is Joy, the third (rose colored) is Peace, and the fourth is Love. The final candle – Center – is the Christ Candle and is white and is lit on Christmas Eve.

The Jesse Tree:
You could also make a Jesse Tree during this time. A Jesse tree traces the lineage of Jesse to the Christ Child. You can make the symbols with your children while sharing the stories (see http://www.rca.org/worship/material/advent/jessedevotions.html) of each symbol.
Visit http://www.rca.org/worship/material/advent/makingtree.html for an explanation of how to make a Jesse Tree and to download printable symbols to use on your tree.

See also –
Jesse tree - http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Advent/adventcustoms.asp
The Jesse Tree- http://www.cresourcei.org/jesse.html
Jesse Tree Symbols Printable #2- http://www.christiancrafters.com/jesse_tree.html

The Festival of Light:
You can celebrate this festival in a number of ways. It is celebrated in many cultures throughout the world. The celebration we have chosen to do this year is the Spiral. This is especially nice with a large number of children.

See also–
The Spiral - http://www.uua.org/re/reach/families/christmas96.html
St. Lucia’s Day or the Festival of Light December 13th
http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/light_festivals.php
Sweden St. Lucia - http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/CommonPage____11421.aspx

Foods of Advent:
Stir Up Sunday Bread Pudding- http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/news_and_events/events_stirupsunday.shtml
Saffron buns – St. Lucia
Advent Biscuits - http://www.abc.net.au/adelaide/stories/s1251239.htm
Recipes for Advent - http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/adx/adx-recipes.html
Advent Cookies - http://www.recipeland.com/recipe/43851/
Advent Recipe Calendar – A recipe for everyday –
http://www.christmas-baking.com/cgi-bin/advent.cgi
Cookie Advent Calendar for Children - http://www.easyfunschool.com/CCCookieAdvent.html
Sweets - http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/FOODUNIT.html

Other Links of interest:
Advent E-cards - http://www.catholicgreetings.org/Holiday/Advent.asp
Explanation of Advent - http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Advent/faqs.asp
Daily Advent Prayers- http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1103.asp

Article by:

Sara Duggan is the Owner of Mommie-Care.com News for Moms. She is a proud mom of two beautiful boys and happily married to her soul -mate of 11 years. Sign up for her newsletter at mommie-care.com You are free to reprint this article in your print or online newsletter as long as this bio and hyper links are intact.

This article is available for reprint with author's resource box intact and all links live and clickable. Copyright is reserved by author.

Click the XML Icon to Receive Holidays Articles Via RSS!