When God gave Moses the Jewish law, he established a bunch of holidays/festivals for his people to practice.
Christmas was, obviously, not one of those ancient festivals. Nor was Advent. But Christmas and Advent can function the same way as these pre-Jesus festivals did, providing a ”party with a purpose”.
Christmas/Advent doesn’t need to be 100% spiritual. Nor should it be. But this season can have a spiritual framework or structure…an underlying reason that permeates the direction and “flavor” of the celebration.
And us grown-ups aren’t the only ones who benefit: festive occassions can be hugely effective teaching tools for children. Those little goofy traditions we do year after year? They stay with us. And if there is an explained ”meaning” behind it, however small or simple, it stays too. When I was growing up, my family put little plastic apples on our Christmas tree, the “the forbidden fruit” that symbolized sin and our need for a Savior. And yes, by the time I was in jr high, I was rolling my eyes when my mom asked us, “And why do we have apples on the tree?”… But look: I remember it.
Besides Christmas/Advent being an opportunity for spiritual instruction and celebration, the truth is, we need a happy, break-from-normal-routine kind of time in our year.
At least, I do. I need to plan to have fun every once in a while, otherwise my kids are going to grow up mostly having memories of doing the dishes and cleaning up their rooms. (Granted those will still probably comprise the majority of their childhood memories, but if I can get just a couple fun ones in, I won’t feel as obligated to foot their therapy bills when they’re adults.)
Advent provides a great platform for beginning your own family traditions and building family memories. The season has a basic structure, but also enough flexibility for each family to celebrate in a way that fits them. Family traditions help establish a family identity, and foster a sense of belonging. And great memories can be made from the many opportunities for fun — planned or spontaneous — during this season.
The list of possible Advent activities is long and there are many Advent activity calendars available for people who want to do a little activity everyday. The Jesse Tree and Advent Wreath are some of the most common Advent traditions, but if you research the idea online, you’ll find a wide variety of ideas — from fun family activities to more meaningful or spiritual practices.
And of course, please share your ideas below!
related pages:
Traditions|Memories: How our family did Advent in 2007
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