As I shared before we are using a wooden calendar as part of our daily Advent time. I printed out these verses (page 1, page 2), and have them behind each door, along with yummy candy. (Last year, we also had fun activities hidden behind some of the doors.) Part of the boys’ morning routine is singing our Advent hymn together, reading the verses together, and enjoying the candy.
(My friend Allison pointed out that Target has their wooden calendars on sale right now!)
I told Hubby the one thing that I wanted for Christmas was this song — and he found it! *giddy* I’ve looked the past few years, and couldn’t get it online. I get so sentimental. It just doesn’t feel like the holidays without the Leprikonsi.
Ну, Дед Мороз! Ну, Дед Мороз!
Ну, Дед Мороз, погоди!
Tonight we assembled our Advent wreath. Along with tapers purple and pink and a pillar of white, the boys have arranged magnolia leaves, spanish moss, acorns and bits of grass. We turned off all the lights in the house, and were goofy for a few minutes in the dark. Then I lit a candle that I was holding, gave it to one of the boys, lit another, until we were each holding candles. We took our candles outside and saw how much even our little candles brought light to the dark neighborhood.
We returned to the table, and my oldest lit the first candle, the prophecy candle.
2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
We talked about why we observe Advent. We talked about light, darkness. We talked about prophecy and the incarnation. When I told the boys to look up hymn #194, my oldest got excited, “I love that one!” We’ll be singing it together each day this week.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
O come, thou Dayspring from on high
And cheer us by thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
O come, thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Advent has become a special part of our family’s tradition. It looks a little different each year, grows, changes. . . I’ve shared bits of it in the past, but wanted to gather in one place what Advent looks like in our home for a reference for the future and for those who are curious. What we do changes each year, and so I’ll share what we’re doing this year.
Why does our family observe Advent?
Advent is a time of anticipation, preparation. Advent is looking towards the coming of Christ, both His incarnation and His coming again. It is a time of expectant waiting. When I was about 8 years old, I remember making an advent wreath at the Base Chapel on Adak. My mom has told me that as a child, it was important to me to have the rituals and traditions of faith.
Advent is a tradition, not a worship practice that is directed by the Bible. Yet, the Bible is replete with both prophecies looking toward the future–to the Incarnation and our salvation–as well as enjoinders to remember what God has done for us in the past.
For me, traditions are a catalyst for remembering, for refocusing. As an adult these are important to me because they direct my heart and thoughts to the Lord, as well as help me take special time with my boys. The holidays can be stressful. . . observing Advent is a way for me to focus on the Lord and not be swept up by the commercialism, the frantic pace, and the distractions around me.
If you are new to the idea of the Advent season, this article is a good overview. If observing Advent prompts your heart to worship, that is a good thing. But please remember this is not something that all families do or need to do to celebrate the Incarnation.
Advent Wreath
We make an advent wreath each year. Advent wreaths usually have four candles around a circle, one to light each week, with an additional candle in the middle to light on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Each Sunday in Advent is focused on a specific theme, and the corresponding candle lit that Sunday (and possibly each day of that week.)
Our wreaths tend to be rather non-traditional, as we started using an advent wreath and lighting the candles when we were in Ukraine and had to be creative with what we had at hand. One year we used a small mirror as the base with four votive candles in the corners and a pillar candle in the middle. The boys were quite small that year, and I wanted something I could easily put out of reach of little hands, and this one fit on our small shelf. Another year, we made one which was more traditional, using live evergreen branches to make the wreath. The past few years the boys have gone on a nature walk and gathered greens and other outdoorsy items, we’ve arranged them on a plate, and affixed the candles to the plate with a bit of modelling clay.
Badgermum has clear instructions on how she makes her Advent wreath. The more crafty and creative among us can check out these instructions and inspiration.
Lighting the Candles
Each Sunday in Advent, we gather around the table, light the candle, sing Advent hymns, read Scriptures and pray together. Some years we do that each evening, some year we do that just on Sundays. Since we have four boys and there are four Sundays in Advent, each boy gets a turn lighting the candles. I’ll be posting our hymns and readings each week. You can also find Advent readings online:
Advent Calendar
In addition to lighting the candles on the Advent wreath on Sundays, we’ll be opening a door on our wooden advent calendar this year. (This is the one my MIL has, ours is a little different.) I have meshed our weekly candle lighting and readings with daily door-opening and reading Bible verses I printed out. Each little compartment also had either four pieces of candy or an activity written on it. Activities are things like drink hot cocoa together, make homemade playdough, watch a holiday movie, bake cookies. These are activities I want to remember to do this holiday season, but tend to happen only if I plan ahead. This little calendar helps me plan ahead as well as be a surprise to the boys. I also have a few small gifts that go along with the calendar and activities — things like speciality instant cocoa, Christmas mugs for each of the boys (bought on clearance last year!), microwave popcorn to go with the movie. Obviously those don’t fit in the little compartments, but I put a little note behind the calendar door and pull them out of the closet when they open the door. Like I said, I have to plan ahead to do these fun holidayish things, and this helps me actually do fun things with the boys that otherwise fall to the wayside when I get busy.
Other families observe advent in ways that we aren’t this year. When our boys were little, we had a Jesse Tree that was passed along to us by Auntie L. Several friends use these ideas for Jesse Tree devotions. Other families use books like Jotham’s Journey or Christ in Christmas. Some of these ideas may work for you — or none of them might be right for your family this year. Advent can be a catalyst for preparing our hearts for worship, but if it becomes another holiday stress than its purpose is defeated.
Blessings to you and yours this Advent season!
The dates for advent this year are:
November 30 - First Sunday of Advent
December 7 - Second Sunday of Advent
December 14 - Third Sunday of Advent
December 21 - Fourth Sunday of Advent
Just a reminder for myself as Advent approaches. . .
When I was little, I had cassette tapes of my Maw Maw on the radio in New Orleans being Mrs. Claus. Children would call up and ask questions about the North Pole or ask Mrs. Claus for that very special gift they hoped to find under the tree on Christmas morning. One of the things I’ve always admired about Maw Maw is her ability to jump feet first into new projects and try new things. She passed that quality along to my mother, too.
For the past couple of years, my Mom has been Mrs. Claus at Navy Pier in Chicago. (Did you know Mrs. Claus’s first name is Cookie?) She delights the children and adds to the magical air of the holiday season.
We’ve done something new this year, which I think I’d like to turn into a family tradition. I put a bunch of Christmas movies at the top of our Netflix/Blockbuster queue–both ones that we know are classics and ones which we’ve never seen. On the evenings Hubby has to work, the boys and I snuggle in bed and watch Christmas shows. Usually I drift off to sleep in the middle of the movie. . . We’ve watched classics like The Nutcracker and It’s A Wonderful Life (with Hubby) and movies new to us like Holiday Inn, Christmas Past, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas Special.
I don’t like doing too much TV time, but it’s nice and cozy and snuggling in front of a movie is the Florida equivalent to cuddling in front of a fire. . .
Hubby and the boys really like singing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Today they turned it into a medley, singing the words from “Amazing Grace” to that tune. The meters work, and my men are amazing. I can’t keep the tunes/words straight with this variation.
Grace and peace to all of my friends and readers, as you prepare your hearts for the Advent of Christ in our lives daily, and as you celebrate with your family with joy!
So we missed church this morning. There is an early service at 8am (impossible) and at 9:30am. At 10:30 T9 was asking “when are we leaving for church?” C6 had “helpfully” turned off the alarm clock. I didn’t even hear it go off–I must have rolled over and gone back to sleep.
So we had family worship today. I like having multiple copies of the Trinity Hymnal now. We didn’t need to pull them out for today’s Christmas hymns, though.
C6 lit three candles today. This is the week for the joy candle. We sang all the verses to Joy to the World.
I spoke with someone on the phone today and recognized the lilt in her accent. While her English was flawless and accent faint, it was just enough for me to ask her where she was from. Ukraine. Kyiv. She hasn’t been there in 15 years. My memories are more recent than hers.
As we are in the holiday season, a lot of memories and “traditions” we made in the few years we were there are making me sad and nostalgic. I liked having the season paced a bit slower than in the States. Our family observing Advent. Christmas on December 25th, celebrated with our family and teammates. New Year’s–which has the traditions and emphasis in Ukraine that we have here with Christmas. That was celebrated with our Ukrainian friends Then Ukrainian Christmas in January. Then Old New Year around the 13th. Each celebrated slightly differently, but still sharing some traditions and the spirit of the holidays.
The temperatures have dipped slightly. Enough to wear a sweater or coat and not look like you’re totally out of your mind. While in general I love the Florida weather, right now I’m missing Ukraine’s winter. Watching the snow fall, looking out from our 15th floor flat and seeing a fairyland instead of grey concrete block buildings.
I haven’t kept in touch very much with our friends or teammates in Kyiv. But as I’m doing my Christmas shopping, I’m mentally picking out gifts for Sasha and Laura, Dima and Erik.
Added on later: One of the things I have really been missing is our annual trek to Dyetski Mir, Children’s World. It is a 4 story department store, and the top floor is all kids’ toys. Really it had an impressive collection of kids’ things. Hubby and I would get a babysitter and then go Christmas shopping for the boys. One of our favorite toys we found were little plastic guys (like green army guys) but specific to a historical period. We got knights and vikings and lots of neat things. Unfortunately, by the time we discovered them, the toy factory in Donetsk had already been closed. Typed out, this doesn’t sound very exciting, but it was one of our “traditions” that I miss.
We have a couple of people on our gift list who have everything they’d ever want or need and are pretty hard to buy for. But, I bet none of them has their very own crocagator. I’m tempted. Buying a ‘gator is a very Floridian thing to do–even if they don’t get to unwrap it under the Christmas tree.
(For more ideas, check out the 2005 Gift Guide For the Hard to Buy For Bunch)
Ooooh! I love this hand made, fair trade nativity set! It’s finger puppets for children to act out the Christmas story, made by Peruvian women through a fair trade program.
Update: The one pictured is out of stock, but there is a smaller finger puppet nativity set here.
The holly and the ivy,
Now both are full well grown.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Savior.
Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.
Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas day in the morn.
Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
The rising of the sun
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.
(Listening to Christmas music mixes at Pandora.)
Here at TulipGirl:
Advent – The First Sunday
Advent – The Second Sunday
Advent – The Third Sunday
Advent – The Fourth Sunday
Examples of Advent Wreaths:
Midnight Cafe
The Badger Mum
TulipGirl 2004
This Classical Life (see the banner–looking for the wreath pic in the archives!)
Online Advent Calendars / Studies:
GCF Advent Study 2006
Teaching Mom’s Advent Calendar
Advent for the Family
Advent Devotionals
Advent Articles / Books:
Season of Advent: Anticipation and Hope
First Sunday in Advent, Joel Garver
Christ in Christmas
Other Resources:
Advent Coloring Pages
Advent For Evangelicals Blog
This year’s advent wreath is made with the ferns, vines, and pinecones which the boys gathered from the woods. We used plates as the base, with clay to hold the candles in place and upright.
Tonight R6 lit the prophecy candle and we read from Isaiah. We have started with the readings we used a few years ago for advent.
Had a nice evening making Coq au Vin, drinking shiraz (used instead of burgandy), wearing my WIC Have You Hugged A Presbyterian Today? apron and listening to Harry Connick, Jr’s, Christmas album. Usually I am a strict constructionist when it comes to Christmas–doesn’t start until Advent and/or after Thanksgiving. But I had this cd from the library, and after thinking about Roger Whittaker yesterday, well. . .
I’m making Coq au Vin for a birthday potluck tomorrow. I bought a crock pot today for this very reason. I have wanted one like the one my Mom bought me before we moved to Ukraine. Unfortunately, even with the transformer, it wasn’t happy with the electrical current there. Still, it had a removeable pot and all-glass lid, and so could be used in the oven and on the stovetop. So, that’s what I wanted if I bought another crock pot. Do you know how hard that is to find?
Washing dishes by candelight is the best way to do it.
My bil is here, helping Hubby repair our recalcitrant laptop.
T8 is begging to read LOTR. Hubby wants him to wait until he’s older, not because it is “too much” but because he wants him to really be able to appreciate it So, we’re encouraging him to read The Hobbit first to get used to J.R.R. Tolkein’s style.
I ordered my absolute most favorite Christmas album on cd last year through Amazon. I listened to this cassette over and over and over again when I was younger, and not just at Christmas.
My order last November was delayed because Amazon didn’t have it in stock and couldn’t get it in stock. Every few weeks, I’d get an e-mail, “Do you still want us to try to fulfill the order?” I kept selecting yes so it’s been in my “order history” for ages.
(The year before I was careless in ordering, and inadvertantly bought the wrong album, right artist. Since we were in Ukraine, I didn’t bother trying to trade it for the right one.)
Today I received and e-mail–it’s been shipped! Woohoo! I’ll be all set for Christmas this year! It’s only taken three Christmases.
This day,
In sadness borne,
We must confess:
The Spirit of the Age
Has crushed
The infant in the cradle.And yet:
O glorious yet,
One day, in gladness shown,
We must profess:
The infant from the manger
Has crushed
The Spirit of the Age.Tristan Gylberd (1954-)
From George Grant and King’s Meadow
I’ve been feeling so sentimental about Ukraine the past month. Maybe because one year ago we were in the midst of the Orange Revolution. Maybe because I’m feeling more settled now, and “safer” to start missing Ukraine.
The holiday season has seemed so different. I really got used to preparing our family / American friend Christmas for December 25th. Then celebrating New Year’s with our Ukrainian friends. And then a religious observance of Ukrainian Christmas. This year everything seems so. . . rushed.
My dear friend Laura has just returned from serving over three years in Ukraine. We are hoping to have her join us for New Year’s. Have some familiarity, continuity, for us both.
One of the things I’m missing is the Christmas music I got used to in Ukraine. This song (though another version, which I can’t find to play online) has been going through my head all week. I keep trying to change the radio station to find one playing it, but they are all playing American traditional music. It’s a song from a children’s cartoon series about a wolf and rabbit (and it may be an older folk song, I don’t know.) The version I heard on the radio all the time in Kyiv was a pop one done by the groups “The Leperchauns”. The music video for it was fun, too.
НОВОГОДНЯЯ ПЕСЕНКА. из мультфильма “Ну, погоди!”
Расскажи, Снегурочка, где была?
Расскажи-ка, милая, как дела?
За тобою бегала, Дед Мороз,
Пролила немало я горьких слёз!Припев:
А ну-ка, давай-ка плясать выходи!
Нет, Дед Мороз! Нет, Дед Мороз!
Нет, Дед Мороз, погоди!
Ждёт моих подарочков ребятня,
И тебе достанется от меня!
Наконец сбываются все мечты,
Лучший мой подарочек, это – ты!Припев:
А ну-ка, давай-ка плясать выходи!
Нет, Дед Мороз! Нет, Дед Мороз!
Нет, Дед Мороз, погоди!Проигрыш.
Ну, Дед Мороз! Ну, Дед Мороз!
Ну, Дед Мороз, погоди!
I’m missing Ukraine.
I just read what Barbara Curtis shared about part of her life, and feel compelled to link to it here.
In fact, I met one just a few years ago when I was asked to speak at another ladies’ luncheon where as I greeted the women working in the kitchen I noticed a familiar face I couldn’t quite place.
“Remember me?” she said, smiling. I had to confess I didn’t know where I knew her from.
“Kimberly,” she said. “We worked for the phone company in Corte Madera in 1979.”
“Kimberly, I didn’t know you were a Christian!” I said. And then there was an embarrassed moment of silence, as we both realized that’s probably the last thing a Christian would want to hear. I mean, what if when we stand before our Creator there is a cloud of witnesses who became believers in spite of our neglect? I can almost hear them intoning the chorus: “I didn’t know you were a Christian.”
At this time of year, we are remembering the Incarnation, God becoming man, communicating His love and holyness in a way we can understand.
May the Lord use us in an incarnational way in the lives of those around us us.
I keep making my list and crossing it off, and then misplacing it. *blush* No, I don’t rank among the super-organized like the ladies at Organized Christmas or FlyLady. But the important parts of the holiday are coming together–the smell of baking, the sound of carols, doing the Jesse Tree, lighting advent candles. . .
Anyway, so I don’t lose my gift list again, I’m posting it here.
Grandparents M: Card and Photos
Grandparents B: Card and Photos
Grandparents R: Card and Photos
(Still need to choose photos and have them printed.)
My Family:
Dad: Bought (not posting it–Mom might see it!)
Mom: ???
MtnMama and family: Ordered, shipped (You can open it early! *grin* It’s for the whole family, but especially the kiddos.)
Johnny: ???
Hubby’s Family:
Pop: Book on CD, Ordered
Mom: Book, Chocolate, Surprise, Ordered/Bought
Mike and Shelly: Bread Dipping Spices and Olive Oil, Made/Bought
Their Kids: Christmas Traditions Box, Ordered/Bought
Amanda and Jonathan: ??? (Movie and Popcorn?)
Andrew: 1/2 bought
Kids’ Teachers:
Mrs. D: Post It Notes, Bought
Mrs. E: ???
Mrs. K: Chocolate, Bought
Miss S: Cosmetic Bag w/ Goodies, Bought
Other:
Dr J/Dr M: Bread Dipping Spices and Olive Oil, Made/Bought
Dee: Hippie Book/Tension Tamer Collection
Bev: Ukrainian Pysanky
Kiddos: (Not posting too many details, just in case.)
Each year we get one “big” gift for all of them, and then some individual gifts. Some of the past “big” gifts have been: a wooden chess set with child-hand sized pieces and the book “The Story of Chess,” an indoor wall anchored gym set, the Chronicles of Narnia book set and reading it aloud.
This year we have two big gift. The first is a certain board game that Hubby loves that he wants to teach the boys to play together as a family.
The second is a new costume storage bin and costumes. The boys love dress up and pretend play, and we encourage that. I found some great post-Halloween sales for costumes that seem very durable, and at 90% off, well, it made for lots of fun costume buying! Also we’ve ordering them these wooden items.
I just came across a photo of my boys that shows a small part of our Jesse Tree on the left side of the photo. Our Jesse Tree is made of felt and has magnets on the back that hold it to the fridge. Each day’s ornament attaches with velcro. You can see five days are up.
This photo is from three years ago, and is taken in our kitchen in Ukraine. My hubby is the guy in the grey turtleneck on the right.
The other guy? I don’t remember. . . I think he was an American spending a few weeks in Ukraine who was staying at our house for a few hours on the way to the airport.
Gentle Christian Mothers will be hosting an Advent Bible study, based on the Jesse Tree. The Bible study begins the first Sunday of Advent, November 27th. It will be hosted in the Drawing Closer/Bible Study forum, which is accessible to all registered GCM members. (New mamas are invited to join!)
As Hannah Jo, one of the Bible study leaders explains, “A Jesse Tree displays the family tree of Jesus. All the pivitol events in the Old Testament are drawn together to trace God’s faithfulness throughout the generations and the working out of His plan for the salvation of mankind through the coming messiah.”
The GCM Jesse Tree Bible study will follow these symbols and scriptures.
Many families are building the Jesse Tree into part of their family Christmas tradition. Here are some daily family devotions based on the Jesse Tree.
Our family has a felt Jesse Tree made by a dear friend over a decade ago for her family. Her children are grown now, and she’s shared it with us. It’s one of my boys favorite parts of the holiday, building anticipation to the celebration of the coming of the Christ Child.
Curious about what a Jesse Tree looks like?
Jesse Tree 1
Jesse Tree 2
Jesse Tree 3
Jesse Tree 4
Jesse Tree 5
“Children love helping to make the ornaments,” says Hannah Jo, “and the Jesse Tree can be a teaching tool to help pass on the faith to yet another generation. We’re looking forward to enjoying this tradition together with you!”
Today is the first Sunday in Advent.
If your family does not yet observe Advent, I’d like to encourage you to consider incorporating it into your family Christmas traditions. There are many ways to observe advent, from the very simple to the more involved.
Here are some resources to browse through and consider for your family.
Our Advent Readings / Hymns 2004:
First Sunday
Second Sunday
Third Sunday
Fourth Sunday
Our boys and Advent 2004
BadgerMum wrote an excellent, illustrated post about Advent last year. This Classical Life posted a photo of their traditional Advent wreath–I think I asked Kristen to, when I was trying to assemble ours in Ukraine.
