Posted on 11/29/2007 9:13:21 PM PST by Salvation
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We always used three red candles and one rose colored candle.
And as our children got older they got to light candles too.
Then after Christmas, we changed all the candles to white.
Any other Christmas customs out there?
We always had an Advent calendar, with goodies, etc., to teach our children of the birth of the Saviour of the World.
And they’re still good, Christian kids!
We used a Christmas calendar too. The kids (5) took turns pinning up a new emblem on a felt caledar.
We also did one in the shape of a Christmas tree on our fireplace that was more like the Jesse Tree.
Yes. We used a felt nativity scene too as an Advent calendar, and of course on Christmas Day the kids would fight to see who would place baby Jesus in the manger.
Glad they’re older now. LOL!
My parents settled this by having us leave a note asking "Santa" to please place the baby Jesus in the manger before he left our house.
We always had the Advent wreath and each one of the kids had an advent calendar. Stopped the fighting.
My mother also put out a baby cradle. Right after Thanksgiving, the kids could put a handful of “hay” (Easter straw) every time we did something good, and remove a handful each time we did something bad. The idea was to make sure that the baby Jesus (a Cabbage Patch doll wrapped in swadling clothes) has a soft, comfortable bed waiting for him on Christmas Eve.
Cue the Catholic guilt when you had to take away straw from Jesus’ bed!
**My parents settled this by having us leave a note asking “Santa” to please place the baby Jesus in the manger before he left our house.**
LOL! What a grand idea! Should settle a lot of arguments this Christmas!
**Cue the Catholic guilt when you had to take away straw from Jesus’ bed!**
But I still like your idea. It’s not so much about guilt as it is about building responsibility in children to complete their chores, do what they say they will doo, etc.
That’s exactly what it was, but it quite literally put the fear of God into us if we were told to remove some straw.
I’ll do it wiht my kids too. It was a great lesson and worked much better than “Santa is watching”. Also kept to the actual reason for the season!
Thank all of you for sharing your family Advent customs.
Our house doesn’t do “Santa”. :)
Welcome, what about at your house?
Any other Christmas customs out there?
**
We always used the 3 purple and one pink. Some years I could not find purple candles, so I used white candles to which I tied ribbons of the appropriate colors.
Also, I had 4 sons so for each week one got to light the candles each night at the start of supper, as I did the reading. The youngest one always got the duty the first week, the next youngest the second, etc. That way, the eldest son had to wait until the last week, but he got to light the most candles.
On Christmas, the candles were replaced with white or with red candles, and I would light the candles each night with an appropriate prayer prior to grace before meals.
...Christmas Day the kids would fight to see who would place baby Jesus in the manger.
***
In my home, the youngest got this job as well as the job of setting the place at the dining room table on Christmas Eve in case a stranger needed to come in to eat. This is an old Irish custom meant to commemorate the difficulty the Holy Family had at finding a place.
**as well as the job of setting the place at the dining room table on Christmas Eve in case a stranger needed to come in to eat. This is an old Irish custom meant to commemorate the difficulty the Holy Family had at finding a place.**
I like that tradition. What a way to teach hospitality and generosity!
Blessings!
A bump for Advent of 2008
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