I received another idea of how a family incororates Advent into their family life. Check out these great ideas from AM in CA. (We posted these ideas on RoL - Keeping Christ in Advent and Christmas 2004.)
As for Advent, we are doing things quite different this year. Every year we have always gotten out all the Christmas decorations and the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year we got out some decorations for the fireplace and the stockings for St Nick Day. (Dec. 6) Everything else, will be put out the 3rd week of Advent (pink week) as we show signs of Joy! Our tree will go up the third week also or we might wait for Christmas Eve.We have several Advent calendars and our Advent wreath, which we gather around every evening as a family to light the candles and say our Advent prayers. We emptied our basket of reading books in the living room and filled it with religious, advent and Christmas books.
We have been celebrating the special feast and Holy days as a family. We celebrated St Nick with stockings in the morning filled with several religious gifts and a few small treats, then read books about him. We celebrated The Feast of the Immaculate Conception with Mass, prayers, and a SPECIAL new book called Angel in the Waters. We will also try to celebrate other special days this month.
We have been talking everyday about the presents we are going to give Jesus, and have been trying to teach the kids that these are gifts we can give him all year long( being nice to brothers & sisters, helping Mom or Dad without being asked, saying extra prayers, playing a game with sibling, doing a chore for someone else, etc.) We are trying to steer them away from talking about what they want to get, and lead them toward talking about what they want to give (this is very challenging at times!)In years past, I have been so overwhelmed during December that I never got to enjoy Advent, or teach the kids about it, just spend it as a time of prayerful waiting. I have always been so busy with activities, Christmas shopping, and general business, that I missed the whole season, and always said, "I'll do it different next year." This year, I'm actually trying to do it different. We streamlined our Christmas shopping and did it all in one day before December arrived. We got out our advent materials early, and had them ready, when the first Sunday rolled around. We are just simplifying, and really enjoying it so much more. I feel peaceful, and happy, and have time for spontaneous book reading and prayers with the kids.
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