Advent Preparations
For Christmas
During Advent, we
prepare for Jesus' birth at Christmas by joining the patriarchs and prophets in
awaiting the coming of Jesus. Advent is a penitential season, as seen by the
Church's use of violet vestments and more somber music and decorations. Our home
should mimic what we are doing in our church - use purple to decorate the
dining table and other places in the home, hold off on Christmas themes until
it's Christmas and let Advent be Advent in your family! During this time, the
Advent wreath is our primary symbol, not the Christmas tree - it is quite
inappropriate to have a fully decorated Christmas Tree throughout the season of
Advent.
On the other hand,
Catholics celebrate Christmas with particular joy when it really is Christmas!
Unlike the rest of the world, we continue to celebrate Christmas with much
festivity through the whole Twelve Days, till January 6th. The Christmas spirit
continues even until February 2nd, forty days after our Lord's birth, when Mary
and Joseph first left Bethlehem to take the newborn King to the Temple. Let
Advent be Advent, and let Christmas be Christmas!
Here are some simple
ideas for decorating the home during the Advent and Christmas seasons. These
are just suggestions and do not follow an hard and fast rule. We all can adapt
practices to our particular needs - so long as we continue to respect the
essential character of the season and both temptations of celebrating Christmas
too soon (during Advent) or not long enough (ending before February 2nd, or
even before January 6th).
First Sunday of
Advent - Put out the purple tablecloth and use purple and dark colors in other
places throughout the home. Place the Advent wreath on the dining table or in
another prominent place in the home.
Second Sunday of
Advent - Today we turn to St John the Baptist as the Herald of the Messiah. St
John is often associated with a fire burning brightly for the Lord - this is a
special day to put some moderate decoration around the fireplace and enjoy a
winter fire.
December 6th, St
Nicholas Day - Put out the stockings and write our Christmas wish-list.
December 8th, The
Immaculate Conception - Today we use a white or gold table cloth with nice
happy flowers, and we decorate a statue or image of Mary. But we switch back to
the purple table cloth tomorrow.
Third Sunday of
Advent, Gaudete Sunday - Put garland up around the home, and a simple wreath on
the door. This week is Ember Week, with special days of penance on Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday.
December 13th, St
Lucy Day - Place a few of the Christmas lights around the inside and outside of
the house.
December 16th,
Christmas Novena, 9 days till Christmas eve! - Put out the Nativity set,
without any of the figures, just the stable and hay, etc.
December 17th to
December 23rd - Each day, place more figures in the Nativity set: shepherds and
sheep, ox and ass, and other livestock, the empty manger. Mary and Joseph go in
on the last couple days before Christmas. Do not put in the Baby Jesus, or any
of the Wise Men, or the Angel, or the Star.
Fourth Sunday of
Advent - Put up the Christmas Tree, but without any lights or ornaments. Put up
the rest of the greenery around the home, but again without any ornaments. Put
up more lights on the outside of the house, but don't turn them on at night
(only those that have been up since St Lucy Day).
December 24th,
Christmas Eve - Put up the remaining lights on the outside of the home and all
around the tree and throughout the house. These lights are finally all turned
on tonight! Fully decorate the tree and garland around the home. In the early
eve, replace the purple and other dark colors around the home with white and
gold and happy colors!
December 25th,
Christmas Day - At midnight, place the Baby Jesus in the Nativity Set and kneel
for a moment as a family to worship the newborn King! The star and the angel
are also placed in the Nativity set, but not the wise men or their camel. All
other Christmas decoration are placed throughout the home!
December 25th to
January 5th - The wise men begin to make their journey through our home, as
they travel from Persia to Bethlehem. Additional small presents are given on
each of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
January 1st, Octave
Day of Christmas - Mary is the Mother of God, we decorate a picture or statue
of her and celebrate with special flowers on the dinner table and throughout
the home! Our Christmas lights are still burning brightly! Remember that we are
celebrating Mary as Mother of God, this is much more important than New Year's
or football - don't let our secular culture take over your Christmas!
January 6th,
Epiphany - The Magi finally arrive and are placed in the Nativity Set! Any
extra decorations are set up inside and outside the house today! This is the
day that Christmas was revealed to the world! It is as great a feast as
Christmas itself, and we should take pride in having our Tree up and our
Christmas lights fully aglow! Throw your Christmas/Epiphany party today!
January 7th to
January 13th, the Octave of Epiphany - We gradually reduce our Christmas
decorations and begin to put then away. But our Christmas spirit continues till
February 2nd, and we keep at least our Nativity Set in a prominent position
until then.
May God grant us all
a most prayerful Advent, so that we will be ready to receive Christ with true
Christmas joy!
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Father Ryan’s
Recommendations
(simply some ideas of how
to enter more fully into Advent)
Let
Advent be Advent, and don’t celebrate Christmas until it is Christmas. Don’t decorate the home or put up the
Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving, but slowly allow the Advent season to
lead your family and home into the Christmas season.
Attend
daily Mass as often as possible, make it a priority to attend at least one
daily Mass a week. Additionally, make frequent use of the sacrament of
confession.
Consider
adding some penitential practices to your Advent – perhaps some light fasting
on Fridays and abstaining from meat (and maybe even from eggs and dairy
products) on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. For those who are able, it would
be especially good to practice extra fasting and abstinence during Ember week
(the Third Week of Advent).
Finally,
many devotions are especially helpful during Advent: The Rosary, Scripture
Reading (especially Isaiah and Luke), and Eucharistic Adoration. I especially
recommend dinner time family devotions around the Advent Wreath and perhaps
incorporating the Jesse Tree tradition (much more can be found about the Jesse
Tree through a simple online search) or the Advent Calendar. Advent hymns like
“Creator of the Stars of Night,” “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” and “O Come, O
Come, Emmanuel” are great to sing, rather than Christmas carols (which are saved
until Christmas season). It is always great to listen to the first half of
Handel’s Messiah during Advent and Christmas seasons!
