The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming”.
This year, the season of Advent lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas - it officially begins Dec. 1 and culminates on Dec. 24. At that time, the new Christian year begins with the twelve-day celebration of Christmas, which lasts from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6.
We have a perfect opportunity to use this Advent season to cultivate traditions and rhythms in our home.
In a world where Christmas begins after Halloween, and the season is marked by shopping, rushing, and a general feeling of stress, we can heed a greater call to SLOW DOWN, savor, and anticipate the birth of Christ.
Use this Advent season to celebrate truth, beauty, and goodness.
The spirit of Advent is countercultural to our world today.
(Want to learn more about Advent before you embark upon it with your children. I highly recommend reading this short article - What is Advent?)
The “Three Cs” of Advent Traditions
Rather than give you a HUGE list of wonderful Advent ideas, I am just going to give you a few.
Less is more.
These are traditions we have used in our home - traditions that have grounded and shaped our holiday season. Now that my children are both teens I feel like we got this part of parenting “right”… and hopefully, my children will pass some of these traditions along to their own families one day.
Calendars, Carols, and Candles
These three simple things will help your family have a peaceful Advent. It is my prayer that you can use some of these suggestions in your home this Advent season.
Calendars for Advent
An Advent calendar is a simple way to mark the days for the coming of Christ’s birth.
When my children were young I had an Advent calendar that hung in the hall outside their bedrooms.
It had little numbered pockets for each day of Advent - inside each pocket, I placed two Hershey Kisses. They could choose when they wanted to eat their kiss… one child ate it FIRST thing out of bed - the other child saved it for after rest time in the afternoon.
One year my son had a LEGO Advent calendar.
I’ve seen so many Advent calendars - just pick one and make it part of your family’s Advent tradition each year.
Carols for Advent
Learning carols to celebrate the coming of the Christ child is another way to make memories and deepen the meaning of the Advent season.
I’ve written two volumes of carols. These teach about the history of the carol and include activities for ALL ages to enjoy.
As a child, I remember my mother sitting at the piano playing Christmas carols. Each time I hear Away in a Manger I have a vivid memory of my mom’s hands on the piano. I know all of the verses by heart.
What a gift that was (and continues to be) to me… and it’s so simple to give that same kind of gift to our children.
Pick a few carols. Learn them. Sing them. Make them part of your Advent traditions.
Candles for Advent
Use an Advent wreath in your home to learn about the season and create an atmosphere of peace and anticipation.
Do you know the history of the Advent wreath?
The Advent wreath first appeared in Germany in 1839. A Lutheran minister working at a mission for children created a wreath out of the wheel of a cart. He placed twenty small red candles and four large white candles inside the ring. The red candles were lit on weekdays and the four white candles were lit on Sundays.
Eventually, the Advent wreath was created out of evergreens, symbolizing everlasting life in the midst of winter and death as the evergreen is continuously green. The circle reminds us of God’s unending love and the eternal life He makes possible.
Advent candles shine brightly in the midst of darkness, symbolizing and reminding us that Jesus came as Light into our dark world. The candles are often set in a circular Advent wreath. In Scandinavia, Lutheran churches light a candle each day of December; by Christmas, they have twenty-four candles burning.
The most common Advent candle tradition, however, involves four candles around the wreath. A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Each candle represents something different, although traditions vary. Often, the first, second, and fourth candles are purple; the third candle is rose-colored. Sometimes all the candles are red; in other traditions, all four candles are blue or white. Occasionally, a fifth white candle is placed in the middle of the wreath and is lit on Christmas Day to celebrate Jesus’ birth.
It’s so simple to create an Advent wreath.
Keep the wreath on your dinner table. Light a candle each Sunday in Advent and read a devotion to go along with the significance of that particular candle. When Christmas morning arrives, light the white candle in the middle and celebrate the birth of the Christ child.
Make Your Own Advent Wreath (from Focus on the Family)
We Light the Candles: Devotions Related to Family Use of the Advent Wreath
The Season of Light: Daily Prayer for the Lighting of the Advent Wreath (a liturgical resource that is beautiful!)
Use your Advent wreath to create a tradition and liturgy for the holiday season.
These are just a few suggestions for your Advent celebrations. Whatever you do - stay consistent, make it something you can sustain for the entire four weeks of Advent, and let your children take ownership.
We have such a gift waiting for us on December 25 - enjoy the anticipation!!
Do you have Advent traditions in your home?
Tell me about them in the comments below.
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