Our final and newest tradition that we just implemented this year is the 5 advent candles. These are 4 calenders of various colors that are lit on the 4 Sundays prior to Christmas and a fifth candle on Christmas day. Each candle represents a various people group who had an important role in the birth of Jesus Christ. A side benefit for this tradition is the enjoyment the children get from the lighting and blowing out of candles every day. Zeke stands and screams joyously at the smoke from the smoldering wicks while Caroline tries to catch it. There are many different versions of Advent but this worked best for us...
On the 1st Advent Sunday we lit the first candle which is the candle for the prophets. The prophets are listed first because all throughout the Old Testament and up through Simeon in the New Testament the prophets of God had been speaking of a coming Messiah and giving details of his birth, life and death. Isaiah is most noteworthy for messianic prophecies and he lived roughly 600 years before Christ. Micah speaks of the birthplace of the Messiah which Herod found and told the Magi when they came looking for Jesus. We close our discussion about the prophets by singing "After lighting this first candle on the first Advent Sunday we light the one candle each night that week as we move through the Jesse Tree and sing our carols.
On the 2nd Sunday we light the first candle and then we light a second candle. This second candle is for the angels who were sent by God to tell the people of Israel as well as Mary, Joseph, Zechariah (father of John the Baptist) and the Magi before they left Bethlehem to return home. Again we light 2 candles all that week and so on... The third candle is for the Shepherds and the fourth candle is for the Magi. On Christmas day we add a fifth and special candle for the Christ child and we read and hang our final Jesse Tree ornament. Julie cooks a special traditional Christmas breakfast highlighted by homemade cinnamon rolls.
These recent posts are some of the traditions which we have adopted over many years as a family. They have added meaning and depth to our Christmas season and have added significantly to what our children have been able to take away from Christmas. If Christmas is just about gifts and what they get (even if we love giving them gifts), then a great family time and teaching season is potentially lost. Our children are a captive audience to all things Christmas. It is up to us as parents to shape what they actually become captive to.
Merry Christmas to you and to your family this year!!!
(Summary of our Advent tradition )
1st Sunday - Prophets
Read Isaiah 9:2,6 & Sing O Come, O Come Emmanuel
2nd Sunday - Angels
Read Luke 2:10-14 & Sing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
3rd Sunday - Shepherds
Read - Luke 2:15-18,20 & Sing Go Tell it on the Mountain
4th Sunday - Magi
Read Matthew 2:1-2,11 & Sing We Three Kings
Christmas - Savior
Read Luke 1:32-33 & Sing Joy to the World
1 comment:
Praise the Lord
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