Advent Activity - Celebrating
Advent: Celebrating the Waiting at Home
Daily 3-minutes family celebration – ideal for busy families.
Create your sacred space. We used a combination of dark pebbles from the lake, a few dollar store items, a family candle-snuffer, the baby Jesus from our Nativity set (he’s hiding under the bell right now), some gold spray to decorate our box and paint one side of the pebbles, and some printed materials. Download printable files below for cards, daily celebration and suggested promotion to parents and grandparents.
You don’t have to use the same materials. Try adding some family photos or personal mementos. Use wood blocks instead of stone or incorporate something special from your culture. Be creative!
Just keep in mind that the “stepping stones” to Christmas should be light on one side and dark on the other. The candle is important for the same reason. If you’re making an Advent set to gift to someone, you may want to check your local Christian bookstore (or some thrift or dollar stores) for a baby Jesus, or make your own.
Print and cut out the Names of Jesus cards (Side 2 logo included for 2-sided printing) and the Celebrating the Waiting at Home ritual. Follow the daily practice, choosing a new Names of Jesus card each day. Try to involve every family member with a reading or activity. Very young children can be coached to use the candle snuffer carefully, and this is often their favourite part of the activity. We always light the candle when we read Scripture, to remind us that Jesus is present in his Word as light to the whole world!
If you are using this activity with very young children, use the different names for Jesus, but try repeating a simpler Advent Scripture each week (see Cards adapted for the Very Young). Encourage them to pick their favourite or hold the card as you read.
Start with all of the stones gold-side-down, the baby Jesus in his gift box, and the bell on top of the box. Nobody needs to know there is anything in the box yet. You might want to stuff a cotton ball around the bell to keep it from making any noise until Christmas.
Keep turning stones as you move closer to the bell each week, but let everyone know we won’t be ringing the bell until Christmas morning, or Christmas Eve if your family attends midnight Mass.
On Christmas morning, ring the bell (or bells!) as loudly as you can and sing or play a rousing Joy to the World! Ask your youngest to open the gift box; help them place the child Jesus in the Nativity set or other honoured place. Jesus has arrived!