December: Advent

By Mattie

December!

Prayerful or just too full? It's a crazy time of year, isn’t it? And the reason, well, let’s be honest, is not always the right one. The reason should be the Christ child, we all know it, but do not always follow it.

This year I challenge you to make it extra Christ centered and less crazy.

Here is what I am doing to tame the December monster and let in the little child:

- Very few commitments (bare bone minimum of invitations accepted, and if anyone is offended, they won’t remember by next year, anyway :))

- We don’t have any office parties, so that’s easy!

- School is closing for the whole of Advent until after the Epiphany.

- Lots of Christmas books are coming up from the basement (and I mean LOTS! I am a bookoholic and Christmas books are just so beautiful!)

- Advent wreath on the table starting on the first Sunday of Advent, with home made candles (find some beeswax sheets in purple and pink and you can roll your own candles, wonderful fun, good smell, and great tradition!)

- Advent calendar is slowly being filled for the kiddos with their Playmobil Nativity. (by the way, an Advent calendar should start on the first Sunday of Advent and go until Christmas day. It does not start on December 1st.)

- Lots of crafting and elfing around here, this year we are aiming for a mainly hand made Christmas! Lots of fun!

Our Nativity 2011

But most importantly we want to carve out time for prayer: Advent story, Jesse Tree, praying around the wreath, etc, and it is a time to GIVE! Not presents, not material things but MYSELF. It is often the hardest, at least for me. To give time to the 4 year old who wants to learn to knit (Who came up with that brilliant idea anyway?!) to give to the 6 year old who wants a story, to the 9 year old who just wants to be on Pinterest (PLEEEEAAAZZZE!) to the 8 year old who just needs a hug, and to the baby who just needs to be held, for an hour or so. Last but not least, of course, time to my husband, because he needs attention too :) So that summarizes Advent for me for this year!

Let's look in some of the beautiful Advent traditions from our Church.

The Jesse Tree:

Beginning with Creation, we walk through Salvation's history to understand better why Jesus came and how it all happened.

Our Jesse Tree in 2008

It is a long standing tradition. There have been Jesse Trees carved in churches since the Middle Ages. It traces the family of Jesus (a familiar trail on this blog! We love family history!) A beautiful family tree, and history to re-discover every year.

Here is the book we use, but you could also just go through the Bible.

The Advent Wreath:

Traditionally made of evergreen, but for us city dwellers, Target will have to do. As long as it is in a circle and has some leaves I say it's good enough. You will need 3 to 6 purple candles and one pink (or rose) candle. You light a new one every Sunday of Advent (the pink one is the third Sunday). We light our candles every night for dinner.

The Advent Calendar:

Advent Calendar 2009

On this one you can let your imagination run wild! There is, of course, the chocolates and goodies, but we try to keep it Christ centered by finding every day a new figure for our Nativity (the kids one, not MY nice one! I'm working on sharing.) This year we are going with a St. Francis theme: Playmobil nativity set and all the Playmobil animals I could find from bear and wolf, to peacock and frogs!

Now for some feast days!

December 3rd: St. Francis Xavier

December 6th: St. Nicholas

St. Nick's Day 2010

Our kids usually find their shoes filled with their first clementines of the season, pistachios, gold coins and Christmas books (perfect excuse for this bookoholic!) and of course cookies and gingerbread. (Remember my Alsatian roots? That's where it all comes from!)

December 8th: The Immaculate Conception: Holy Day of Obligation. Patronal Feastday of the United States of America! Usually pretty low key, with Mass and a nice dessert.

December 11th: our Lady of Guadalupe: Mexican dinner!

December 13th: St. Lucy

Lucie's Saint Lucia

That day we celebrate the saint of light and out own little light! 

Lucie, 2010

We pull out all the candles and start spreading them through the house, to wait for Christmas.

Then you have Las Posadas that start on December 16th: the re-enactement of Mary and Joseph looking for shelter. A beautiful Mexican tradition that goes on for 9 days.

Our O Antiphons ornaments under our Nativity on Christmas Eve spelling out Ero Cras (Tomorrow I will be here)

The O Antiphons start on the 18th and take us through the last week of Advent using the verses of O Come Emmanuel.

I could go on for years to come, but it's breakfast time and I'm hungry! See y'all in January!