Hands up if you’ve started your Christmas shopping? Even if you’re the last-minute type, I can almost guarantee you’ve got a list somewhere - even if it’s only in your head! You may even have managed to add a bottle of Shloer or a jar of cranberry sauce to the weekly shop. 

I always feel a little sad when I hear people talk about Christmas being over for another year on St. Stephen’s Day. Despite what we see from the world around us, Christmas doesn't actually begin until Christmas Day. The party's only beginning! And like any good party, you need to prepare. Thankfully the Church has given us a whole season called Advent in order to prepare for Christmas. 

Celebrating Advent has become significantly less well-known as Christmas preparations begin earlier and earlier every year. However, in the Catholic tradition, this is a chance for us to prepare our hearts and our minds to welcome the baby Jesus at Christmas. But what actually is Advent? Well, put simply, it’s a period of waiting. 

“When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming.” - CCC 524

This quote from The Catechism of the Catholic Church encourages us to have a sense of anticipation. In order to make sure that we can really and truly celebrate the birth of Christ we are encouraged to focus on waiting, to help us really desire His coming among us not just as an infant, but our Saviour. As the culture around us focuses more on the materialistic side of Christmas, (which let’s face it, is valid at times) it can be hard not to let that become our sole focus too.

Here are three very simple Advent traditions that can help you prepare for Christmas, on a deeper level.

The Advent calendar

I think this is one everyone is familiar with, and if it’s anything like my house, it usually involves chocolate! However this year, we’ve decided to try something a little different; one reusable calendar for all the family. In the hope of inspiring a spirit of waiting rather than one of receiving, (i.e. where’s my chocolate?) each day will include a note with a small act of service for family and friends or a little aspiration - which is just a short prayer.  We’ve included little things such as putting away everyone’s laundry as well as your own and making an effort to speak to someone who you don’t normally get along with. Smiling when you feel cross is another one - easy to say, very hard to do! An aspiration could be something like, “make me know your ways Lord” or even simpler, “come baby Jesus, come.” There will also be the occasional chocolate because, let’s face it, waiting, while necessary, can be hard! 

The Advent wreath

This is another well-known tradition and while we’re used to seeing the wreath in our Church, it’s also a really lovely tradition to add to our home. The symbolism behind an advent wreath is incredibly rich and provides a great opportunity to discuss religious symbolism with your family or friends. It’s good to keep this in mind when gathering the materials for your wreath so as not to accidentally miss any of the symbolism. So here they are: 

• The circle, which has no beginning and no end, is a symbol of God’s eternal nature while the fresh evergreen branches symbolise the immortality of our souls.

• The pine cones and berries or seeds are not simply added decorations but symbolise new life and the resurrection.

• The four coloured candles are there to represent the four weeks of Advent while the flames symbolise the light of Christ we are so patiently waiting for.

Having an Advent wreath with a new candle to light each Sunday is also a great excuse to set aside some specific prayer time and to be deliberate about our preparations. 

The Christmas anticipation prayer

In the past, we have tried as a family to read the Gospel passage for each Sunday of Advent - which has been great for the adults and older children. However, a lot can go over the little ones' heads. This year we’ve decided to incorporate a daily prayer to prepare for Christmas. This one is simple but incredibly effective, as the words can really hit home when said seriously and prayerfully. I bet nearly all of us can remember the first prayers we were taught as children, so this is a good one to help encourage the littles, and after all, we’re all little in God’s eyes. Even if they don’t fully understand the words now, I love the idea of them having a prayer they can recall as they grow in wisdom and understanding of their faith. 

The Christmas Anticipation prayer is:

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment, in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

Traditionally this prayer is said fifteen times a day but that definitely could be a hard one to incorporate into busy schedules! Even once a day is a great effort and this is a handy tradition to add onto other little prayer times in the day like driving in the car, grace before meals, or bedtime.

One of the best homilies I ever heard at the beginning of Advent has always stuck with me and I recall it every year. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas by incorporating some of these Advent traditions, I leave the words of this homily here for you as well. 

“Christmas is coming. And it’s not your birthday and it’s not mine.” 

I think that says it all. Happy Advent.