Although I love Christmas, and go all out in decorating (I even put up three trees!), I come from a tradition where Advent–those four weeks before Christmas–were treated as a mini-Lent. My grandparents never decorated their trees until Christmas Eve, and the actual Twelve Days of Christmas started on December 25 and were celebrated until the Epiphany on January 6th. And our church kept their decorations up until February 2nd, St. Brigid’s Day.
Growing up, my parents slowly let the Christmas creep in and we started decorating earlier and earlier. But never before the first week in December. And we certainly didn’t decorate before Thanksgiving. Now, with a family of my own, I take the holiday season slowly and appreciate what Advent has to offer. Waiting has been more difficult this year with the first Sunday of Advent falling a few days after Thanksgiving. It feels like we’ve lost an entire week of holiday prep time!
So, what is Advent? In Latin, Advent means “coming towards” (“ad” = towards, vent = coming) and around the middle of the fifth century, it became a 40-day period of fasting and spiritual preparation, starting on St. Martin’s day (November 12) and ending on December 25. Advent traditions became popular during the middle ages when candles were lit to show that despite the growing darkness, God would always provide a light for our spiritual journey, especially in the winter season. Advent is about waiting with faith for God’s promise, while Christmas is about the promise fulfilled. The former is a time of contemplation and prayer, the latter is about joy and celebration. And once upon a time my grandparents (and their grandparents) understood this.
Although the tradition of fasting during Advent has waned, there a number of devotions that support both prayer and contemplation during this time. The most popular are the Advent wreath, the Advent calendar, and setting up Nativity scenes. But others have regained their popularity, such as the Jesse Tree and celebrating St. Lucia’s Day. So in the spirit of today’s post, here are a few of my Advent traditions.
Advent Wreath #1
My first advent wreath sits on my kitchen table. It’s a simple wreath of greenery with four candles, three purple and one pink. We light the first candle on the first Sunday of Advent, then each week add another candle, allowing the day’s lections to guide us towards Christmas day. Purple is a penitential color, reminding us that the celebrations are yet to come–but not yet. And the pink candle, lit three weeks into Advent, is for Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete, which means Rejoice in Latin, reminds us that in spite of the darkness, joy is coming soon.
Advent Wreath # 2
My second Advent wreath is much simpler. It is a wooden spiral wreath with 25 candle holes made by a family in Canada. A small wooden cut-out of a pregnant Mary on a donkey follows the lighted candles, reminding us of our own spiritual journey during this time of waiting.
Jesse Tree
The Jesse Tree, which also dates back to medieval times, tells the story of Christ’s lineage. The Jesse Tree, named after King David’s father, represents a direct ancestral line from creation, up to King David, then straight through to the Nativity. Every night during advent, we place Jesse ornaments, representing Jesus’ ancestors, on the tree and read the corresponding bible story.
Saint Lucia Day
This is the festival of lights celebrated on December 13 in honor of St. Lucia of Sweden, a young girl who was martyred around the year 303 AD, during the reign of Diocletian. When I was a kid, we used to process around school (a public school!) holding real candles (how did we ever survive the 70’s and 80’s?!?) which represented St. Lucia’s triumph over darkness. Then we’d get hot chocolate and St. Lucia buns in the cafeteria. Now, in honor of this holiday, I plug in the lights on my Christmas trees and decorate them.
Manger Scene
I bought this crèche not long after we were married, and we even took it overseas when my husband was stationed in Korea. A crèche or creche, from the Latin cripia meaning crib or cradle, refers to a group of small figures arranged to represent the nativity, aka the birth of Jesus Christ. When I put up our manger scene, I hide the baby Jesus until Christmas morning. And the kids, if they’re home, still move the Wise Men around until the Epiphany on January 6th. (Did I mention they’re grown and they still play with the manger scene?)
Dickens Village
Many years ago, my husband and I began collecting Department 56 ceramic houses that were part of the Dickens’ Christmas collection. The village has grown almost every year, and now I have an entire section of my dining room dedicated to these small ceramic houses. Although these houses are small, and the ceramic people oddly sized in proportion to the buildings, this village takes a lot of time to set up. By the time I’m done, I’m ready to move on to decorating the trees. Then, finally, I can sit back and relax while drinking cocoa and watching my favorite holiday movies and while I wait for Christmas Day to arrive.
