Advent Dreams and Traditions

A post encouraging me to organize for Advent – a list of what we usually do, some things we would like to do and some helpful links to what others do.

The excitement of the Advent season begins when the children see the purple vestments at Holy Mass on the first Sunday of Advent. (This year December 2nd)The purple is a reminder that Advent is a penitential season. We keep a bowl of penances written on paper. Each child selects one for the day.

For example:

Wash the windows in the kitchen

Wipe down the chairs in the kitchen/dining room

No sweets for today (this one usually gets lost before the end of Advent or Lent)

Be extra nice to [family member name]

Speak to St. Joseph today

Make three Spiritual Communions

Say an extra decade of the Rosary

We usually light the Advent wreath at night in a darkened room, singing O Come O Come Emmanuel. I like to keep a hymnal available to learn more Advent songs.

Traditionally, beginning on the Feast of St. Andrew (November 30th) this prayer is said:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen.

Last year, many of the Catholic homeschooling blogs showcased this prayer in their sidebars. I hope Catholic bloggers will continue with this tradition.

Our Jesse Tree comes out during the first week of Advent. We began these diorama style ornaments many, many years ago when I had an only child. I try to make one or two new ones a year. We haven’t yet gotten through the entire history of salvation and all the symbols of the Jesse Tree. But, I think this is one of the endearing aspects of our Jesse Tree -- it continues to grow each year!

(Here's the post with Jesse Tree Dioramas links)







On December 6th, St. Nicholas visits. (His costume is in serious need of attention.) St. Nicholas traditionally brings games or handcrafts so that we have something to do during the darkening days of winter. He also brings chocolate gold coins. The night before we hang our stockings on the mantle with Nutcracker holders.







This year I bought some St. Nicholas molds
from House on the Hill.

I made the cookies (they say they last for months) but I burnt them. (No surprise.) I really hope to try again with a different recipe but the likelihood is rather slim. Although, Mary has a recipe I might be able to try!

How about some Holiday Tea?




I hope to prepare for the feast of the Immaculate Conception with our focus on Marian symbols in the Jesse Tree.



I particularly liked Dawn’s post last year: Immaculate Conception






I would love to follow Alice’s suggestions for a Guadalupe Tea Party.
Here are her links
Guadalupe Tea

Shopping List

Scenes from her Guadalupe Tea party

Alice also has a suggestion for a Jesse Tree Tea Party:

Alice’s Jesse Tree Tea

The children look forward to Gaudete Sunday with its pink vestments and the lighting of the pink candle in the Advent wreath. I try to remember to dress the girls in pink on the Third Sunday of Advent.
I’ll have to remember to look at Maria Von Trapp’s Around the Year with the Trapp Family. She has many recipes to help make this season special. Some of this book is available at Jennifer Miller's blog: Around the Year with the Trapp Family.





As Advent draws to a close, the breviary and at Mass one hears the O Antiphons.
(I’d like to learn to sing these.)

Here’s our O Antiphon tree from last year. Many of the bloggers made O Antiphon houses.






New Ideas for this year

Mary G. recommended reading A Christmas Mystery during December. (Here’s the 4real thread.)

I thought this would go along well with a rather secular Advent calendar (from Rite Aid) filled with chocolate. I don’t know anything about the book, but we’ll give it a try this year. After each chapter, we’ll break out the Advent calendar and sample the chocolate. Sounds like fun.






I’d like to make these dolls for St. Lucy day
recommended by Kathleen at the 4Real forum. If you read down this post at 4Real, Jennifer found these dolls. One of them depicts the Star Boy. Perhaps my boys would be interested?

When I described the Star Boy dolls to “Matt” he said,
“You want us to make wizards??”

Maybe they’ll just go out and play in the yard or wrestle while the girls make the St. Lucy dolls. ;)

I think this is the day to hang Christmas lights or put candles in the windows. But, I usually have these out before. The electric candles in the windows are just so appealing at this time of year.


Finally, as if this post isn't long enough, here are some helpful links:


Loveliness of Advent (Last year's blog carnival)

O Night Divine (MaryEllen's blog dedicated to preparing for Christmas)

Catholic Homeschooling Carnival at O Night Divine

Elizabeth Foss' blog Real Learning. Here's a link to the Advent/Christmas category.

Meredith's Sweetness and Light Advent/Christmas category.

What link list would be complete without a link to Dawn's By Sun and Candlelight? Here's her Advent index.