Saturday, November 29, 2008

Advent Calendars & Other Holiday Preparations

By Kerry Beck

Advent is the time period from December 1st to December 24th that identifies the days and weeks that come before Christmas. An advent calendar or wreath is used to track the season, which represents "coming" as a derivative of the Latin word "adventus." This time period celebrates the period leading up to the birth of Christ.

The most common form of preparation for Advent is the advent calendar. Created a wide variety of different ways, this device is used to track the progress of the days that make up the advent season.

The typical way the calendar is made is by the use of advent candles. There are 24 candles used to signify the 24 days that precede Christmas, from December 1st to December 24th. When a new day arrives, the family gathers around the advent calendar and lights a candle to signify the progression of the Advent season.

There are a wide variety of designs that make up an Advent calendar. Calendars are most commonly used by children to track the days of the period. One example of an Advent calendar design is a Christmas tree that has 24 candles on different branches of the tree.

Another advent calendar design is a candy holder calendar. The candy holder calendar includes 24 pockets that are filled with candy. As each day arrives in the holiday season, someone, usually a child, takes the candy out of the holder and eats it.

An advent wreath is another form of preparation for the Advent holiday. Unlike the calendar that tracks each day of the season, the wreath tracks the four weeks of the holiday period. There are four candles that make up the wreath and as each week arrives, a candle is lit to commemorate the arrival of one of the weeks of advent.

There are a number of different activities that Christian families participate in to celebrate the season. For instance, many churches light candles and focus their efforts on special prayers and teachings to prepare for the season. Some churches even have special hymns that they sing that focus on the coming of Christ. In addition, some denominations encourage their members to fast or give up certain activities during this season.

At home, there are a number of Advent activities that can be conducted together as a family. For example, some families have their kids gather together and actually create their own advent calendar or wreath to celebrate the holiday season. Other families have their kids color in special advent themed coloring books that commemorate the holiday season.

The Advent holiday season is a time of reflection, celebration and rededication for the millions of individuals that celebrate it worldwide. As you can see there are a number of different ways that you can choose to celebrate the holiday. You can use the suggestions and examples that we give in this article or you can use them as a starting point to come up with your own ideas. The choice is completely up to you.

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