I love Advent, and Christmas. It has always been one of my favorite times of year. But it can also be one of the busiest times. It’s easy to get caught up in the rush and before you know it, it’s January and you aren’t sure that you even enjoyed the season.
Celebrating Advent can be a great way to slow down and enjoy the Christmas season, especially as a family. If you aren’t familiar with Advent, traditionally Advent is celebrated the four weeks leading up to Christmas (though some people celebrate it as the first 24 days in December). Find Christmas Eve on your calendar, then count back four Sundays. That is how long Advent is for that year. The last week of Advent varies in length depending on what day of the week Christmas Day falls on. This year, Advent begins on December 1 and Christmas Eve is on a Tuesday so the fourth week of Advent is significantly shorter than the others.
Traditionally these weeks are considered a time of waiting. Time to focus on the long wait of the nation of Israel for a Messiah, the wait of the universe for redemption. I find this particularly appropriate given how fast the holiday season seems to fly by. What more appropriate way to celebrate the true reason for Christmas than by taking time to slow down?
Some families celebrate by reading scriptures or sharing a family devotional. Others put an ornament on the tree each day, or open a small present each day.
For the rest of this week I’ll be sharing some ways to celebrate Advent with your family, especially if you’ve never done it before. Feel free to try a few different things until you find something that works for you. While Advent did technically start yesterday, don’t worry, it’s not too late. Hopefully, by the end of this week you’ll have some ideas of how to celebrate with your family.
