Once upon a time, Christmas was in December.  Then it crept into November.  Today, the stores are filled with ornaments, gifts, and tinsel by Halloween, if not sooner.

While I doubt it’s possible to actually reverse the rushed, commercial direction of Christmas, I do believe we can use these December days to prepare our hearts for celebrating Christ’s birth.  In fact, the Church has already mapped out a plan for us—the four weeks of Advent.

This year the first Sunday of Advent was November 29th.  The priest wore wear purple at Mass (just like during Lent!) as we were reminded to repent and ready our hearts for Jesus.  Over the coming weeks the Scripture readings will concentrate on the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah.  The gospels will tell of Elizabeth and Zechariah, John the Baptist, and Mary and Joseph.  There are many rich lessons to listen to.

Paying more attention at Mass and praying with our families is all good, but it’s not enough to bring Advent fully alive for most of us.  My children are a good excuse, but the truth is that I get more out of this season when my family’s Advent includes decorations, candles, stories, music, or crafts.

Here are some ideas for making Advent special.  If you haven’t done much before, please don’t try to incorporate all of them this year!  Begin somewhere, then adjust a bit each season.  Our family traditions have included most of what follows, but never everything every year.

One of the simplest ways to bring Advent to life is with a wreath.  An Advent wreath has four candles; a new one is lit each Sunday as the birth of the Light of the World approaches.  Three of the candles are purple, with a rose colored one set aside for the third (“Joyful”) Sunday.  It’s easy to buy or make an Advent wreath.  Keep it on the dinner table or in the family room.  When you pray (find some ready-to-read prayers online!) while lighting the candles, it’s easy to incorporate the spirituality of the season. 

Most children enjoy opening the daily doors of an Advent calendar.  Try to find one that includes scripture readings and religious imagery (no need for Santa—there’s plenty of him at the mall!). 

We also like to set up our nativity figures early in December.  If you have a sturdy set, the younger children will be able to spend lots of time playing with the shepherds, animals, and Holy Family.  Some of my friends like to start Advent with the three wise men at a far end of the house.  Each day they are moved closer and closer to the creche, symbolizing the journey to Bethlehem.

A secular Christmas centers on presents.  Turn that idea on its head by encouraging your children to give presents to Jesus.  Make a simple manger (or use the one from your Nativity set if the baby isn’t stuck to it) and keep it in sight—maybe with the creche or Advent wreath.  As each person makes a sacrifice for God or does a good deed, he or she can place a bit of straw or yarn in the manger.  By Christmas morning, there will hopefully be a soft bed for the infant Christ.  As one of our gifts, we try to take the family to Confession.  There’s nothing like a fresh, clean soul to make us ready for the big day!

If you’re ready for even more Advent activities, you might consider using a Jesse tree.  This involves hanging ornaments related to our Salvation Story, like an apple as a reminder of Adam and Eve, or Joseph’s coat of many colors.  There are lots of resources online for buying or making your own Jesse tree, along with suggested scripture passages.  I found great Advent information (not just about the Jesse Tree) and links at http://catholicmom.com/advent.htm. 

Also, be sure and check out the new Advent and Christmas website that was just launched by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).   Suggestions for daily prayers, readings, reflection and action are included, along with a collection of Lessons and Carols for live listening or download.

Still want more?  Your nightly story time could include Jotham’s Journey, a book about a shepherd boy in ancient Israel.  It’s an adventure full of cliff-hangers and a story line that intertwines with the first Christmas.  Hard to find for a time, this book is available new on Amazon, along with Bartholomew’s Passage (Tabitha’s Travels is still out of print).  It does get scary at times (some characters are wicked), so I wouldn’t consider it appropriate for young children.

Advent is a rich season, full of fun and symbolism.  As the years go by you may find yourself acquiring decorations, music, craft ideas (check the internet!) and prayer books.  My final bit of advice is that you pack your Advent supplies in their own box and keep them relatively accessible.  You can pull them out at Thanksgiving, even if you’re not yet ready to drag out all the Christmas decorations.  You’ll be off to a great start.  Happy  Holy-days!

Barbara has been married to her veterinarian husband since 1986.  They are the parents of six children.  Life is busy with one in college, two in private school, and three in VERY private (home!) school.  She blogs at These Things.

Image from Blueberry Forest Toys.

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