Get Ready to Celebrate!
Advent is a wonderful time for preparing for the greatest miracle in the history of the world, the birth of Christ. With all of the busyness of the holiday season, it is easy to miss the deeper experience and meaning of Christmas. This year I wanted to try to be more intentional in how I approach this amazing time. Here is my list of 25 activities to celebrate Advent and Christmas.
Buy an Advent Wreath for your table and light the candles each week.
Enjoy a beautiful virtual advent calendar. Jacquie Lawson has amazing ones. I get one every year. Check out her website here.
Set up your nativity scene. (I have several). Pray as you put out each piece, thanking God for all the gifts and abundance we have in our world today. Here is a pretty one you can get.
Make buying your Christmas tree an event. Let the kids weigh in as to how big or what kind of tree they want. Read about the ancient tradition of Christmas trees.
Get out the decorations early – put on only those that really have meaning for you. Every year my daughter buys a new special decoration for each member of the family. These are lovely.
Listen to Christmas music. Create a playlist for your iPhone. Make sure to include some hymns and classical pieces.
Find a good advent devotional and read some every day with your evening cup of tea. This is a good one.
Contribute a bag of food to a food shelter.
Contribute to a favorite charity in honor of a loved one.
Re-read a favorite childhood Christmas book. Read it to one of your children. Here is one of my favorites.
Keep a journal of your thoughts about the coming of Christ each day during advent. Here is a pretty one.
Tell stories of past Christmases at the dinner table. Here is one of my favorite stories about my childhood.
https://seaofglassreflections.net/christmas-gift-from-my-father/
Read about St. Francis. Then create some birdseed ornaments for your outdoor bushes and trees. Here’s a good book for children.
Buy or create your own potpourri. Use it every day. Let its heavenly smell remind you of God’s abundance.
In the middle of a hectic shopping excursion, instead of being annoyed by the traffic, pray for the people in the cars next to you.
Turn off all the lights in the house and sit quietly looking at the Christmas tree while sipping hot chocolate. Feel the peace of the first Christmas.
Visit a sick friend. Take them a miniature tree or a delicious goodie.
Spend some time with your pets or if you don’t have any, spend some time at an animal shelter petting room or Cat Café – a place where you can pet homeless kitties.
Go to a petting zoo. Lots of Christmas tree lots have them. Take the kids. If you don’t have kids, go anyway and pet the goats and feed the chickens.
Take a walk through a Christmasy neighborhood to look at the lights. Or drive around your area and check out the beautiful displays. Say a prayer for the people who have chosen to celebrate the season.
Find out which church in your area will be having a live Nativity scene and go see it.
Sing some carols. Sing along with the radio. Or create your own music.
Imagine Jesus is with you while you wrap presents. Each gift is from Him.
Read the Christmas story and spend some time thinking about how Mary and Joseph struggled to find a place to sleep. Imagine their wonder when Christ was born. Here is a modern-day retelling that will get you into the holiday spirit.
Merry Christmas! Enjoy your family and the day. Thank God for the miracle of His Son.
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