Ive been troubled In recent years trying to balance Advent and Christmas. When John and I first married, we did 12 days of gifts for Christmas, partly to extend the feast and mostly to take advantage of sales :). Ive tried going full into the cultural Christmas season (Nov-Dec 25) and Ive experienced a full-on Advent with Christmas as let-down. I feel like this article gets at my frustration, and it also makes suggestions which our family had already decided to implement this year: celebrating a true 12 Days of Christmas, with special activities each day. We have a large whiteboard calendar filled out, and I think well be parceling gifts out over the course of the feast. Its flexible, but for the sake of sharing, heres the rough outline of the McAteer Family Christmas so far: Christmas Day/Feast of the Nativity: church, gifts, homemade cinnamon rolls, movies, popcorn, relaxing! Dec 26/St. Stephens Day (a day for deacons & sharing): our Friday Family Meal Christmas celebration, with games, carols, and all the merriment of a pre-Christmas holiday party. Dec. 27-29 is a mix of ideas, and well have friends in town so theyll have input. Some of the activities weve come up with together include visiting the snow (if there is any), doing a giant puzzle, a picnic on the beach, visiting tidepools or whale watching, lighting a fire, and building a single item that includes every LEGO in the house. Dec 30 is free day at the museums in Balboa Park, and also the Big Bay Balloon Parade (the kids also have dentist appts!). We will go to our church that evening to help serve a meal to the homeless. Dec 31-Jan 1 we will be ringing in the New Year with a marathon of the six Star Wars movies. Jan 2: a family craft, and also Family Meal resumes with a new ritual for the new year. Jan 3: Family day at the movies! Jan 4-5: still working these out, possibly a date for Mom & Dad! :D Hope that gives you some ideas of fun ways you can celebrate a full TWELVE DAY feast with your family! As Ms. Moody says, preparation is not an end to itself. Would you prepare a Thanksgiving meal, set out the china, invite the family over, and then not eat it? Would you take a few bites, but leave the majority of the plate to spoil? Lets take back not only Advent, but the 12 Day celebration of the Incarnation as well!
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 13:59:55 +0000
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