While joyfully assembling our first-born son’s Christmas scrapbook, I sadly noticed photos of his first Christmas were filled with holiday decorations and Christmas presents, but nowhere was there evidence of the most important reason for the season. A strong desire immediately emerged to adjust our family’s focus to place Christ above the commercialism of the holidays. Therefore, we established a new family tradition: observing Advent. Traditionally, Advent is a period of preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth which begins on the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. Initially, the short attention spans of our active toddler and lively baby made us question our decision. Did they comprehend anything? Were they even interested?
Honestly, our new tradition seemed arduous. Only a few evenings later, our hearts filled with delight as our toddler requested this new tradition with his tiny finger eagerly pointing and sweet lips puckered and blowing to extinguish a candle on our Advent display. Now older, our boys participate in more than just blowing out the Advent candles. Most evenings after dinner, we begin with a short devotional which includes taking turns lighting the candle(s) on the Advent wreath, reading scripture, singing a hymn or Christmas song in one accord, discussing a part of the Christmas story beginning with Isaiah’s prophecy of Christ’s coming, and putting our Nativity scene together one piece at a time.
On Sundays, we plan extra-special activities – enjoying red and green foods; tasting Middle-eastern foods on the floor by candlelight called “Bethlehem Night”; creating Christmas cookies to give as gifts; visiting a live Nativity scene; and more. Every year our boys begin pleading with us to set up the Advent wreath on our dining table even before our Thanksgiving meal has graced it. As the years pass, our family photo albums and our children’s hearts continue to be filled with precious, family memories and the real significance of Christmas – the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior.
Tammy Schreiner is a Circle mom and the Foundations Bible Teacher. Tammy and her husband Keaton have two sons.
