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Years ago, attending a woman's Christmas luncheon before Advent, shortly after Thanksgiving, the speaker suggested we ask family members what traditions they wanted to keep ie cutting a fresh tree, eliminate ie Grandma's date cookies. Then told about Advent, gave 24 Scripture verses to read, 1 an evening.
So ! At the dinner that evening, husband, 2 teenage sons did just the above. We decided to have Advent. Each evening, 10, 15 minutes we read the Scripture for the day. Christmas day, peaceful. Asked our sons, what the thought about celebrating Advent.
Now we know what Christmas is all about, was the reply ! The coming of Jesus, the day chosen to celebrate His birth.
We set up our nativity set without Mary, Joseph & Jesus. Mary and Joseph were added before Christmas and baby Jesus was added on Christmas morning.
When my kids were young, once a week, we did an arts & crafts project - like decorating homemade wrapping paper with potato stamps, baking cookies, decorating jars for tea light candles, etc. in preparation of Christmas.
We also did something unusual. We celebrated St. Nick's Day on December 6th & the Epiphany on January 7th. Our reason was we didn't want Christmas Day to be a commercial present grab day. By spreading out the presents on three days, it emphasis the importance of each day.
Celebrating St. Nick's, Christmas and Epiphany teaches the Christmas story. We also celebrated St. Lucy's Day on December 13th with a special breakfast. The story of the Three Wise Men and St. Nick's and St. Lucy's Day enforces the message of Jesus' birth. It's more than a once a year event that disappears after the presents are opened.
The entire Christian Calendar is really a work of beauty and spiritualism which should be celebrated.
We set up our nativity set without Mary, Joseph & Jesus. Mary and Joseph were added before Christmas and baby Jesus was added on Christmas morning.
When my kids were young, once a week, we did an arts & crafts project - like decorating homemade wrapping paper with potato stamps, baking cookies, decorating jars for tea light candles, etc. in preparation of Christmas.
We also did something unusual. We celebrated St. Nick's Day on December 6th & the Epiphany on January 7th. Our reason was we didn't want Christmas Day to be a commercial present grab day. By spreading out the presents on three days, it emphasis the importance of each day.
Celebrating St. Nick's, Christmas and Epiphany teaches the Christmas story. We also celebrated St. Lucy's Day on December 13th with a special breakfast. The story of the Three Wise Men and St. Nick's and St. Lucy's Day enforces the message of Jesus' birth. It's more than a once a year event that disappears after the presents are opened.
The entire Christian Calendar is really a work of beauty and spiritualism which should be celebrated.
BTW, Great topic! Glad Sera started this thread!
That's nice that you actually celebrate the real reason behind Christmas and made it special in this way for your kids while they were growing up.
Years ago, attending a woman's Christmas luncheon before Advent, shortly after Thanksgiving, the speaker suggested we ask family members what traditions they wanted to keep ie cutting a fresh tree, eliminate ie Grandma's date cookies. Then told about Advent, gave 24 Scripture verses to read, 1 an evening.
So ! At the dinner that evening, husband, 2 teenage sons did just the above. We decided to have Advent. Each evening, 10, 15 minutes we read the Scripture for the day. Christmas day, peaceful. Asked our sons, what the thought about celebrating Advent.
Now we know what Christmas is all about, was the reply ! The coming of Jesus, the day chosen to celebrate His birth.
Do you celebrate Advent ? If so, please share.
I prefer Advent to Christmas, because there is no secular Advent..........we make a homemade Advent wreath each year and do the daily readings......although TBH it's more like we catch up on the weekends........We also put up a Nativity.
My kids have small Christmas Trees in their rooms, but no big one for the house, I don't see the point. I prefer the Advent wreath with its LED candles and Nativity as our decorations.
My church is careful to use ADVENT carols, not Christmas carols, until Christmas Eve comes, with the actual start of the CHRISTMAS season. When I was pastoring, I tried and tried to explain the difference. But they wanted to do CHRISTMAS carols, early. Eventually, I gave up. If people refuse to learn, what can you do?
"If people don't want to come out to the ballpark, how ya gonna stop 'em?" ---Yogi Berra.
Last edited by sitonmywhat; 11-26-2023 at 03:41 PM..
My church is careful to use ADVENT carols, not Christmas carols, until Christmas Eve comes, with the actual start of the CHRISTMAS season. When I was pastoring, I tried and tried to explain the difference. But they wanted to do CHRISTMAS carols, early. Eventually, I gave up. If people refuse to learn, what can you do?
"If people don't want to come out to the ballpark, how ya gonna stop 'em?" ---Yogi Berra.
Episcopalian here. To us, Christmas begins at sunset on December 24 and lasts until Epiphany.
Advent has always been considered to be a little Lent, a time of contemplation and waiting. But now people are too busy putting up Christmas trees by mid-November. I don't want to be That Guy, but at least let the church calendar do its beautiful work.
Episcopalian here. To us, Christmas begins at sunset on December 24 and lasts until Epiphany.
Advent has always been considered to be a little Lent, a time of contemplation and waiting. But now people are too busy putting up Christmas trees by mid-November. I don't want to be That Guy, but at least let the church calendar do its beautiful work.
They seem to have accepted me too because of my charitable works and $$$ not due to my beliefs
SO today an intersting speech by the priest regarding the parable of the sheep and goats
to paraphrase, it is NOT the fatalistic lesson that many protestants love (ie You Better believe what we say boy or there's gonna be trouble [whip Cracks] ) Instead it is an invitation that anyone who practices good works will be accepted....and in ref to the faith vs works argument, if you do not have good works to demonstrate what you believe then you probably do not have good faith either.....
the parable shows that those who help the least will be accepted
Wonder if that includes stray cats? because we seem to do that too
ANYWAY I thought it was a great lesson to kick off Advent, my favorite season of the year..... used to go only at advent, then only at Christmas eve
Because I work in a charitable group i have been showing up on Sundays for the charity meetings And Advent is a great charitable time
Although we do charity year round, as Dickens said Christmas is the time when people “open their shut-up hearts freely, and think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave”.
Advent is a great time to bring others on board to help with our works to bring others into our outreach for the needy and homeless.
SO ye DVENT Traditions
Well, daily inspirational (sometimes non Christian but Charity based) readings
Decorations to the extreme (you know it is the Christmas season at the Big Cat's House)
Increased charitable giving.
And believe it or not, this non believing cat LOVES The Christmas season, a season of hope, peace and love
And the most beautiful magical time of the year.
ON a comical note, My Friend made a hand carved Nativity set for me years ago. It remains under my tree annually. He is a gifted wood-worker and carpenter and I cherish the gift he made for me.
We have a train around the tree. When my son was little, he would always play with the train (why not?) He told hims mom once that he had to send the train around the tree one more, and when she asked why, he said "Because I missed the train station"
To this day, the nativity building is still tongue in cheek referred to as "the train station"
Last edited by LargeKingCat; 11-26-2023 at 05:14 PM..
Christmas Day, youngest son, family spends with in-laws, King's Day ?, January 6 ? I'll celebrate with them.
We also have a birthday cake for Jesus, it is the day we celebrate His birth.
sitonmywhat, you remind me of the song sung by Tevye, from Fiddler on the Roof,
Tradition, TRADITION !
Peace/Shalom !
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