The way the calendar falls this year, there is almost a week and a half between Thanksgiving Day and the first Sunday of Advent. With the approaching holidays on everyone’s minds, the question may arise about how to decorate the home during this gap between festivities. The stores have been fully decked-out in Christmas attire since October so their answer is “Don’t wait! You are already late! Christmas is here!” As Catholics our family tries to fully respect the church’s liturgical cycle; Advent is the beginning of the Church’s calendar year and is separate from “the Christmas season”. Advent is a season of waiting and preparation for the anniversary of the arrival of the Messiah. It is sometimes called a “mini-Lent” and is a penitential period where by praying, and practicing fasting and almsgiving, we prepare our souls to celebrate the Incarnation of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is hard to wait, but wait we must because God always has perfect timing and this waiting helps us grow in virtue.
Decorating for Advent in our family, looks like a bit like paired-down Christmas decorating; I try to save the flashy decor for later but I do emphasize the theme of “light”. We will put electric candlelights in the windows, as we wait for Christ, the Light of the World, and we will display a wooden nativity scene outside and also a poinsettia welcome mat for visitors. We will wait to put up a lit Christmas tree until Gaudete Sunday and add decorations on Christmas Eve before going to Midnight Mass. We will put out our Advent calendars (felt, Scriptural, and chocolate ones!) We will also bless and decorate our Advent wreath.
An Advent of Hope
Last year when I was teaching pre-K, I discovered this sweet picture book called An Advent of Hope by Madeleine Carroll and published by Holy Heroes, LLC. (My family has been following Holy Heroes for many, many years, and they always have fun and solid Catholic teaching resources. You should really check them out.)
This delightful picture book written by Madeleine Carroll focuses on simple but profound Advent traditions that can be celebrated within the family home. From creating an Advent wreath to making a Christmas pudding, from observing salvation history through a Jesse Tree to attending Mass together, the book provides a glimpse into one family’s way of recognizing the season of Advent and waiting for Christmas.
Each written page highlights a word related to the Christian faith, and then presents a scriptural verse which uses that word. When reading the book to a pre-reading child, an adult could put their finger under the focus word and have the child locate the word in the scripture. Then, the adult could read the scripture and pause before the focus word so that the child could “read” it. If the book is read this way several times during Advent, before long, the child will be able to recognize these words. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if children would fill their early vocabulary with words like “peace”, “joyful”, “light” and “gladness” and listen to these words within the Word of God?
The beautiful, watercolor illustrations by Austyn Schwartzbeck are inviting and instructive and capture a family living out the Advent season. She depicts warm and funny moments in a large and busy loving family. Children will be captivated by the antics of the family dog, Ben.
I hope you will enjoy this An Advent of Hope as much as my family and students have. It can be on the Holy Heroes website at https://www.holyheroes.com. (I do not receive any monies from the purchase of this product.) Tomorrow, I will post a sweet mini Advent wreath craft that even your children can make: DIYK Personal Advent Wreath.
Please join me as we wait in joyful hope together! ❤
Hideaway Hearts 