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MaryM
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Wishing everyone a very joyous and faith-filled Advent Season!!!
Thought it would be interesting to see which of the common Advent traditions are most popular in the homes of our members. Whether you do one or many let us know. You can vote multiple times (click 1st selection, vote, click next selection, vote, etc.) Let's go with those we do on a regular basis most years - that are ongoing traditions. I know I've dabbled with several that I don't do regularly, so I'm not going to vote for those.
Which is most meaningful to you?
Are there ones that are really memorable to you from your childhood?
Is there an Advent activity you are hoping to start for the first time this season?
Which is your children's most treasured tradition(s)?
Any other specific Advent traditions your family does that aren't listed?(only had 8 spaces  )
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Mary M. in Denver
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stellamaris
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Umm...tried to click them all, but I could only click one! We do everything and then a bit more...makes Christmas joyful and crazy!
Most meaningful: The Advent Wreath with prayers and the Jesse Tree with the Mary Hidden in Advent prayers
From my childhood: Reading the Gospel According to St. Luke story of the the Nativity on Christmas Eve
New activity: Sprouting wheat on St. Lucy's Day
Children's most treasured: Got to say...BAKING COOKIES!  Deeply spiritual preparation!
In addition to the listed items, we also enjoy celebrating the saints days and feasts that occur during Advent by reading books, special foods, and crafts. We especially focus on St. Nicholas, Immaculate Conception, and OL of Guadalupe.
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SallyT
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I know, I wish we could click more than one! I went with the O Antiphons, because that's been a constant and beautiful tradition in our family since before we were officially Catholic. Instead of an O Antiphon house, I made ornaments using templates from an O Antiphon house pattern a friend had lent me, and we hang them each night of the Antiphons -- we used to hang them on the tree, but in recent years we've hung them on the chandelier fixture over our kitchen table, so that we could sing the antiphons as part of our table blessing each night.
This year I've just bought a beautiful wooden Nativity puzzle from an Etsy vendor (she's in Utah, so I'm guessing she's Mormon, but I don't know --anyway, her work is lovely). The pieces fit into a stable-shaped frame, but are thick enough to stand up in front of it like a regular Nativity set. I'm really looking forward to setting this out and adding pieces as Advent progresses.
And last year in the thrift store I found an Advent-calendar story book which unfolds the story of the Incarnation starting in the Old Testament, so we'll be getting that out to start this week.
We love Advent!
Sally
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JodieLyn
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you may vote for more than one.. you just have to do it one at a time.. click advent wreath and then vote.. and then click advent calender and then vote etc.
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jawgee
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We have a mishmash this year.
-We have an Advent Wreath, like we do every year.
-Syncletica was kind enough to send her 5-in-1 Advent Calendar. I passed out four of them to friends and one we saved for ourself.
-We have yellow rings to count down to Christmas. Each ring has a "good deed" on it. When completed, we use the yellow ring as straw to line a manger.
-We take out one decoration out each day starting with the first Sunday in Advent. First is the Advent wreath, then there are constant negotiations about what comes next. When the boys were younger, they always wanted the Little People Nativity. Now that they are a little older, they really like to get out our lawn nativity.
-Their favorite tradition, though, is being Saint Nicholas for someone on St. Nick's feast day (12/6). Last year we made a meal for some neighbors who were having a rough time. The kids made the menu, helped cook the meal, and delivered it to their doorstep. They rang the bell and ran as fast as they could so they wouldn't be caught. As soon as that mission was complete they immediately put their thoughts to what could top that this year.
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Angie Mc
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The Advent Wreath is the tradition I carry forward from my childhood. This year I used white candles, 3 with purple ribbons and 1 with pink, placed in different brass candlesticks, set in a round white platter, filled with brown and white pine cones. Pretty!
Love,
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MaryM
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Sounds so pretty, Angie - post a picture if you can. That goes for everyone. If you would like to post a picture or email one to us to post, that would be great. Would love to see pictures of anyone's traditions in action!
JodieLyn wrote:
| you may vote for more than one.. you just have to do it one at a time.. click advent wreath and then vote.. and then click advent calender and then vote etc. |
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Yes, each time is a separate vote - but you can vote as many times as you want. I set it up so that it didn't close down after the first vote. So if you have more to add please vote again! Vote early, vote often....
Oh, and I didn't include the many saints day feast traditions in the poll because there are so many and there weren't that many options in the poll. So I stuck with the specifically Advent (waiting) traditions. But we would love to hear all the saint traditions, too (or post them to the threads for those feast days).
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Grace&Chaos
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Just put my votes in.
Your wreath does sound lovely Angie! This is a tradition the kids really enjoy. I had to sort through our Christmas box this weekend to find our ring. Our decorations don't come out until mid December when we get our tree. I think I need a better place to put it 
We tried the empty manger (add straws) last year and my girls are asking that we do that again. I'm so glad they liked it and will become tradition  .
I'll be honest I have not heard of a Christ/Mary candle before. Can someone tell me about it?
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MaryM
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Grace&Chaos wrote:
| I'll be honest I have not heard of a Christ/Mary candle before. Can someone tell me about it? |
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I had not heard of the tradition either until this forum. Jenn has shared info through the years. We did our first candle in 2007 after hearing about it for a few years.
Have you made a Christ Candle? thread talks about both the Christ and Mary candles, and has lots of discussion and several pictures of different styles.
Mary Candle question
beeswax Jesus for candle?
From Catholic Culture:
Christ Candle
Mary Candle
Jenn's blog post
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JennGM
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And even though I've talked about this before, I'm happy to share more.
I differentiate the Mary Candle and the Christ Candle, thinking it as two different traditions...but when researching it is confusing. The candle we use in our home we call the "Mary Candle". The candle symbolizes Mary, and we cover the candle to hide the precious Gift in her womb until Christmas.
At first thought I think it is potentially confusing to cover the candle on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Since the feast is about the purity of Mary, and not about Jesus in her womb. But on second thinking the feast is truly an Advent feast. Because of her purity and being without sin, she became the Mother of God. It's this feast that we appreciate her immaculate soul and recall that this is why she CAN carry Jesus in her pure womb. The feast puts the Immaculate Conception into application, and so we cover the candle to recall all these important points along the Advent journey.
The other approach which would make is a Christ candle (to me) would be have a white candle that is Christ, and the "veil" is Mary's womb, and when lifted, He is born.
I'm seeing more and more of the Advent Wreath having the white Candle in the middle, and to me that's a Christ Candle, because it symbolizes Christ, the Light of World when he is born. Christ is our Light. I think it also provides a little glimpse into the Paschal Candle at Easter and gives a sense of continuity with Christmas and Easter, because all of the Liturgical Year's main focus is the Paschal Mystery -- Every Sunday is a little Easter.
But hanging our wreath we have no way to incorporate the Christ Candle until Christmas, and I usually have a sweet Baby Jesus statue in the middle when I take the wreath down for Christmas. So I keep the ideas separate.
But really, it's like your favorite family traditions for Thanksgiving. Every family has their own tradition and favorite way of cooking, and there is no wrong way. It's what works for your family. Since we have the broken line that some of the traditions weren't passed on to generations, we have to do a little more work finding ones that fit our family, but always make it your own!
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MaryM
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And I did not include the Christmas Anticipatory Novena (St. Andrew Novena) in the list - wish there was more room.  But linking to last years thread reminder which was just bumped - the novena starts on Wednesday - Feast of St. Andrew.
And I definitely see them (Mary candle and Christ Candle) as two separate traditions - just included them together due to the similar nature and it was a way to have them both in the poll with limited space.
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Jenn Sal
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We have always had an Advent Wreath, because I grew up with it.  We have added putting cut-out candles in our front window....they get bigger every year!
Over the past few years, we have delivered cookies to neighbors on the feast of St. Nicholas with a prayer card included from St. Nicholas Center THe night before, the children leave their shoes out to be filled with chocolate coins, a candy cane, orange, and an ornament.
We have the empty stable on our mantle with all the pieces scattered through out the house. Each child's room has someone in it according to how far they are from the stable. My son's room is the farthest, so he has the three wise men....he loves that!
We just started saying the St. Andrew chaplet last year. 
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Angie Mc
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Jenn Sal wrote:
We have the empty stable on our mantle with all the pieces scattered through out the house. Each child's room has someone in it according to how far they are from the stable. My son's room is the farthest, so he has the three wise men....he loves that!
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Jenn, that is SO sweet! I don't have a stable...yet. I purchased large figurines and couldn't afford the stable too. I'm going to ask a friend if he can help me with something. If so, then I'll scatter our pieces too .
ETA: We also do Advent Calendars (from Trader Joes), paper chain, empty manger, and O Antiphons. Each child seems to choose a favorite, making the tradition stick.
Love,
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guitarnan
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We have an Advent wreath and calendars (chocolate-laden, in the German tradition), and as Advent progresses we get out our Italian presepe (Nativity scene plus zillions of farm animals, little fake trees, etc.) and set it up. Some years I manage to dig out the purple lights for the front of our house (AKA "Ravens lights" because we live near Baltimore). I hope this is one of those years!
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Claire F
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We have an Advent wreath on our dining table. Although we ate in the kitchen tonight, so we brought it in with us.
We also do Advent calendars for the kids.
I have a lovely Nativity scene on my mantle that was my dear Grammy's. I am so glad my mom and aunts gave it to me after she passed a couple of years ago. It makes me happy :).
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MaryM
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So far, clearly the Advent Wreath (followed closely by Advent Calendar) is the predominant tradition. Growing up, those two were the ones our family did. The rest of them were definitely new to me as an adult. The O Antiphons were always part of the liturgical celebration growing up, but we didn't incorporate any traditions with them in the home.
What I think is so amazing is the way that variations have developed - adapted to make them our own as families. Such creative variations I have seen through the years. Thanks for continuing to share those.
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Topic: Advent Traditions in Your Home
