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onemoretracy
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I know many have posted some wonderful ideas for celebrating the Christmas season and of course I have been enjoying everyone's Advent ideas and plans.
I am looking to do some new year planning soon and I am hoping someone can point me to some plans and activities that focus on the Christmas season and beyond. This is our first year HS and I loved all of the Advent ideas but I still feel a bit behind the ball.
Is anyone interested in sharing some more traditions/activites/crafts relating to Christmas, Carnival etc....?
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kjohnson
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Tracy,
Do you own A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families from Illuminated Ink? Unfortunately it's out of stock at the moment, but if you have it or known someone who does, it's a great resource. I need to do a little planning for the Christmas season. There are so many wonderful feasts during those 12 days.
One of our family's favorite traditions is baking Vasilopita (St. Basil's Bread) on January 2, the feast of Saints Basil and Gregory. It is a delicious cake with a coin baked inside. The kids love seeing who will end up with the lucky piece (and the special blessing from St. Basil). I have a recipe from one of the Yia Yia's at our old Greek Orthodox parish. I'll dig it up and post it on my blog soon.
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Katherine
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Dawn
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Tracy, a while back I posted about our Epiphany celebrations last year. It is hard to believe it is already time to be thinking about them again!
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Karen E.
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Tracy,
We make our St. Lucia bread as a King's Cake. The recipe is here.
We also give the kids a small gift on Epiphany.
I also send our Christmas cards during the actual Christmas season (during the Twelve Days, between Christmas and Epiphany), and stress to the kids that the feast begins on December 25th, rather than ending on that day, as one would think from the stores (who are putting out Valentine's Day things already ....) 
There are all the usual suspects to check into:
Catholic Culture -- here
More from Catholic Culture
And
more
Search Domestic Church.com here for Epiphany ideas.
Women for Faith and Family -- see here.
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JennGM
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Oh, I have lots of ideas...a big post was in the planning, but I don't think it's going to happen.
I think I mentioned this last year. Our family celebrates Epiphany by all my siblings (5 that are local) and their families coming together for dinner. We usually have lasagne. I usually make a New Orleans King Cake (not stuffed). We always invite a priest to come and do the house blessing. Over the years we've had different priests, but now we have a dear friend who loves our tradition and makes it priority to come every year.
We use blessed chalk to makr over the doors 20 + C + M + B + 07. Father walks around the house sprinkling with holy water, we all sing "We Three Kings."
At first when we weren't married or didn't have many kids, the dads were the 3 Kings. Now that the children are older, we are trying to get them more involved. Some craft projects are making crowns for all the kings (and since the Bible doesn't say an exact number, you can have as many as you want). Kingly robes would be fun to have, too.
This year I bought some little treasure boxes in the unfinished wood section of the Craft Store, 3 different kinds. I plan on painting/staining and having one for each gold, frankincense, and myrrh, perhaps lining the boxes with fabric. It all depends on the time frame. I was hoping to buy an censor and have one of the boys incense in front of Father while blessing the house...the incense being frankincense and myrrh scented, of course.
MaryM had a good idea of making or buying F. & M. scented candles, too.
Of course, we read books. Legend of Old Befana by Tomie dePaola, Baboushka and the Three Kings, Story of the Three Wise Kings by dePaola. There are other Christmas stories we still read, but these cover the Wise Men.
We also enthrone the Christ Child. In another thread I put a picture of our manger. I have a small doll that we use as baby Jesus. On Christmas we process and place him in the manger, singing Silent Night and with some lighted candles and prayers. On Epiphany he has a small crown, a red cloak with gold trim, lights around the manger, gold fabric around. The Christ Child no longer looks poor, but we get a glimpse of his Kingship. The Advent Wreath has gold candles and festive ribbons.
So some of the "projects" are having ideas of how to make the Christ child "kingly" and to have the right costumes to "play" the Wise Men.
Elizabeth last year said she held the book presents until Epiphany, and had them wrapped in gold paper. That's an idea I just love and might do this year.
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onemoretracy
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Wow ladies thanks! I also have looked in my Catholic Mosaic for some ideas and books. Keep the great posts coming!
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Tracy
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mommylori
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We are making a Kings Cake, and then giving the children 3 very small gifts, like dollar tree gifts.lol From each of the wise men.
And reading them the story of the 3 wise men in the bible.
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MichelleW
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I know I've posted this before, but I'm not sure where so: we give the kids buttons. The morning of Epiphany the kids find a card and a wrapped button on their plates. The card explains why I choose that particular button this year (for my middle son he is getting two--a peanutbutter jar and a jelly jar--because this year he became quite a bit more independant; he makes his own breakfast and lunch if he needs to and has been noticing when he can do things to help others as well). I sew the buttons onto their stockings, store the cards inside and we begin to take down our Christmas decorations.
We are usually done taking down our decorations by the afternoon, when we make the rounds delivering little things to family, friends, neighbors (cookies usually, but this year it will be those wonderful beeswax candles the kids and I rolled this year; they are golden and smell so wonderful!). This is us going out into the world. For us Christmas is the celebration of Christ to our family, Epiphany the celebration of Christ to the world, so we try to make some connections outside our home in His Holy Name.
At night, the kids take baths by candlelight and dh and I read ALL the Christmas books. Then dh and I carry candles in a procession to beds.
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Ruth
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I am from Puerto Rico, and our family still celebrates the feast of the Epiphany. It's a HUGE celebration back at home. The kids get an empty box and fill it with grass and a bowl of water and put them under the bed for the camels. Those camels travel very far
They each get a present from the 3 Wise men, usually something under $30.00 
We don't do school on that day. I think this time it's on Saturday. It's one of the few traditions I have kept from my youth.
Have a blessed Advent. God bless.
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CathinCoffeland
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OhI I love the button Idea Michelle!
We are having a big potluck with all the other "cry room inmates" from church.
I like the idea of using the Lucia bread but i think with so many kids this year we will make cupcakes and put them in a circle.
I will have a crown craft for the kids too.
We open our family presents and ones from my mom on epiphany and dismantle our tree. In the past we had a balcony to toss the tree out and say "goodbye" to christmas but we moved and we will have to just use the back porch. Not quite as fun as seeing it fly 30 feet thought the air
all the decorations will get put away except some of the books and the nativity which will stay up to candlemass when we add anne and simion before taking that down.
Happy celebrating! Maggie
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MaryM
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Another Baboushka book is Baboushka: A Christmas Folktale From Russia retold by Arthur Scholey.
A version by this author is retold here - it's a great audio version if you can't get a book - click to listen.
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Helen
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I'm not sure if a novena was mentioned as a way of preparing for Epiphany. Beginning today on the 30th allows nine days before the Sunday celebration of Epiphany. (Right? I often count incorrectly.)
I posted our little Epiphany prayer reminder project. I wanted to do something to help us to pray a novena each year in anticipation of Epiphany.
I didn't post the novena - it came from my local list and I'm not sure of the source. Feel free to email me if you would like a word document.
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momwise
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Gosh I'm feeling awfully behind these days. I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the fact that we're in the Octave (a couple of days ago I realized I was going to do the symbolism of the 12 days of Christmas with the dc and hadn't even started yet).
We usually have an Epiphany party with my sibs and their dc, like Jenn, only unlike Jenn, my sibs are not practicing the faith and it is my way of teaching their dc this is still Christmas. This year they won't be able to make it, so I'm wondering what to do. For sure there will be Mass, house blessing and King's Cake.
Using spices in the meal is a nice easy tradition I think I can manage. Something curried, something with cinnamon (King's cake)....ahhh, what else?
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JennGM
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momwise wrote:
Gosh I'm feeling awfully behind these days. I'm just trying to wrap my brain around the fact that we're in the Octave (a couple of days ago I realized I was going to do the symbolism of the 12 days of Christmas with the dc and hadn't even started yet).
We usually have an Epiphany party with my sibs and their dc, like Jenn, only unlike Jenn, my sibs are not practicing the faith and it is my way of teaching their dc this is still Christmas. This year they won't be able to make it, so I'm wondering what to do. For sure there will be Mass, house blessing and King's Cake.
Using spices in the meal is a nice easy tradition I think I can manage. Something curried, something with cinnamon (King's cake)....ahhh, what else? |
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I'm behind, too. We've been going non-stop it seems. My mother threw her back out the day after Christmas, so we've been helping on her home front. Dh just cleaned my parents' house gutters. We were observing that it was Dec. 29 and he was on the roof cleaning the gutters in short-sleeves. Just so mild here!
How about mulled cider? Lots of cloves and cinnamon?
There's a book I checked out from the library I think called "Three Kings Day" and it had a recipe for coconut rice...I was thinking of trying that, but I don't have the book now! My sister's mil makes that and all the brothers-in-law (including my dh) just LOVE it.
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Donna Marie
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I had a nice little boxed set of the Magi gifts from Dumb Ox...I can't find it anywhere! Does anyone know where I can find a replacement?
....speaking of Dumb Ox...Does anyone know if they are ever going to get back in business?
God Love you!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 7dc
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chicken lady
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A quick easy addition to all the beforementioned ideas, is go buy some premade "crackers"! They are in all the stores right now for New Years, when the dc pull them out comes a crown, joke, and usually small toy. We like to make our own, but for those of you needing quick and easy crowns and treats these can't be beat. I think I saw some for 5.00 for 8 crackers.
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JennGM
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Donna Marie wrote:
I had a nice little boxed set of the Magi gifts from Dumb Ox...I can't find it anywhere! Does anyone know where I can find a replacement?
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Try Leaflet Missal. I think I have the same set, it was a charcoal for incense wrapped in gold foil, and small beads of frankincense and myrrh for the incense? There are other more pricey sets, and I don't know if the small one is still available.
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BrendaPeter
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Easy King Cake:
2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2/3 c. confectioners' sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrig. crescent rolls
1/2 can pie filling
Preheat oven to 350. Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks and extract together until smooth. Remove rolls from cans & arrange around baking stone or cookie sheet with points toward the center. Push the dough together leaving center open.
Spread cream cheese mixture on dough. Top with pie filling. Fold dough over mixture & seal. Bruch with beaten egg white. Bake 25-30 min. until golden brown. Drizzled with glaze & sprinkle with color sugar.
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KellyinPA
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oh, this sounds wonderful! Can't wait to try it 
Blessings,
Kelly
mom to 6 in PA
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alicegunther
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Here is our Tea for the Twelve Days of Christmas and the Epiphany.
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Epiphany ideas?
