Advent
Activities
Ideas from families at
the Church of Saint Paul
Prior
to the beginning of Advent we gather as a family and write on separate
slips of paper different activities (i.e. Bible story, board game,
write letters for nursing home residents, make cookies or ornaments,
sing and dance, play in snow, etc.). All slips are put into a
jar. Each evening we pick one slip randomly and perform the
activity. This activity guarantees discussions of Advent and is
an opportunity for family time. Kids love when their ideas are
drawn out!
1.
We put out different parts of the Nativity set as Christmas draws closer.
2. We put out shoes for St. Nicholas Day and fill them with candy.
3. We serve a taco meal to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
4. We celebrate as we decorate the family tree.
5. The Advent wreath
6. We add a piece of yarn in a crib for Jesus (under the tree) each day
as we do good deeds.
We
change the cloth on our prayer table to purple and put purple lights up
in our windows. This adds to the celebration, but keeps the focus
on Advent and not Christmas. When Christmas is close, I put up
other lights around bathroom mirrors, on top of cabinets, etc. and
leave them all up until the 12 days of Christmas have passed.
We
light up our Advent wreath at our dinner table each Sunday of Advent
and say a prayer to help us prepare ourselves for the coming of our
Lord. We help our children prepare some of the projects from
Family Formation and display them in our great room.
1. We
read a little bit from the book Jotham’s Journey each day. This
is a super story for families.
2. Jesse Tree banner
3. Advent candles
We
celebrate Advent in many ways:
1.
On the feast of Saint Nicholas we find gold foil-wrapped chocolate
coins in our shoes and a new storybook such as Max Lucado’s Crippled
Lamb.
2.
For
the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe we use a Mexican blanket on our
table for a tablecloth. We have a candlelit Mexican meal and read
the story of Jean Diego.
3.
Baby Jesus is not put in the manger until Christmas Eve. This is
a reminder that something is missing and to wait expectantly.
4.
As
the children are getting into the car for Christmas Eve Mass, mom
changes the Advent wreath’s pink and purple candles to all white
candles, white ribbon and gold accents in celebration.
We
wait to put up our tree until the week before Christmas. We only
put the lights on for the first few days (the light of Christ is
getting closer!), and finally add the ornaments a day or two before
Christmas. We leave the tree up for the entire season of
Christmas. By waiting, we’ve found that we aren’t tired of the
tree before Christmas even begins!
My
children’s grandparents have put together an Advent calendar
specifically for them. Each day in December each child needs to
complete a specific act of kindness. When they have done these
they receive a small gift.
One
of the most enjoyable Advent activities we’ve ever done is to simply
get together with another family or two to pray the Joyful Mysteries of
the Rosary each of the four Sundays in Advent. Before we began we
sat in a circle, each person said their intention for the prayers and
we went around, taking turns with the prayers of the Rosary. It
helped to prepare our hearts and was just fun to spend time with good
friends.
Each
Sunday during Advent we light the candle(s) and do the Bible readings
that go for that day. We do this at the Sunday noon meal and use
the good dishes. The kids take turns blowing out the candles.
How
we celebrate Advent:
1.
Confession
2.
Make an Advent calendar
3.
Prepare gifts for others
4.
Advent wreath
5.
Avoid the malls!
Last
year we did an Advent calendar and Jesse Tree.
We
have two children who have Saint Nicholas as their patron so his feast
day (Dec. 6) is one we are sure to celebrate. On the night before
they leave their shoes out and are pleased to find them full of coins,
their first candy canes of the season and a special ornament that
(usually) represents something we’ve done as a family that year or some
personal accomplishment they’ve had during the year. While we’re on
vacation, I’m always trying to think ahead to this and try to purchase
things that can be ornament/reminders of fun family times.
We
have something like the Jesse tree that has a Christian symbol to put
on the tree each day.
Advent:
how we celebrate:
1.
Bedtime family prayer time each family member shares what they are
thankful for and what they want other family members to pray for.
2.
Try
to spend as much family time as we can together.
1.
Bedtime prayers with family
2.
Advent Calendar
3.
Table prayers
4.
Family meals together every night
1.
Advent wreath At dinner read the Scripture and light the candles.
2. Jesse Tree --We use the felt one or the hanging ornaments from
Family Formation.
I
celebrate Advent by WAITING.
The
main way I celebrate Advent with my family is not to give in and
celebrate Christmas before its time. I get my family to let
Advent take its full breath. This waiting and getting ready makes
Christmas fresh and welcome when it comes.
Special
days to celebrate during Advent:
December 6 Feast of
Saint Nicholas
December 8 Feast of the Immaculate
Conception of the Virgin Mary
December 12 Feast of Our Lady of
Guadelupe
Idea
Exchange Archives:
