This is the second post in a 12 day series called “12 Days of Christmas {Planning}”. Check back every day for tips and downloads to help you organize your Christmas holiday!
Many people celebrate the joyful season of Advent. Advent is the coming or arrival of something extremely important. The advent of Christ is the most significant “coming” in the history of the world. Christmas represents the celebration of God taking on human flesh to bring forgiveness and freedom from sin to people, the pinnacle of his creation.
Advent is a perfect way to consistently realign your focus, during the Christmas season, onto Christ. December can be overwhelmingly busy with all the events, programs, shopping, baking, entertaining, traveling, etc. Observing Advent can be a daily reminder of the reason you are celebrating in the first place.
Many of us have fun traditions for celebrating Advent with our families. Some use calendars with chocolates hidden behind little doors:
Some open little presents:
One way that my family celebrates advent, or the coming of Jesus’ birthday, is by reading together. Last year a friend gave me an amazing gift. She introduced me to a children’s book series by Arnold Ytreeide. There are three books in the series. Each book covers one advent season, so, one book should be read per year for three years.
This is the first in the series:
If you have not already read this book, I cannot recommend it highly enough! It is suspenseful, funny, scary, and extremely exciting. There is one chapter for each day leading up to Christmas, the last chapter being read on Christmas Eve. My kids literally begged, and I mean begged, me to read more than one chapter a day. I had to force myself not to give in to their pleas, because I could barely wait myself!
We are really looking forward, this year, to beginning the next book in the series, Bartholomew’s Passage. Next year, we will read the third book, Tabitha’s Travels.
***I must warn you: when I said the books are scary, I meant scary. The books are very intense and may be a little too much for young children. You may want to preview and adapt a little depending on the ages of your little ones.
What do you do for advent? I would love to hear about your family’s tradition!
The 12 Days of Christmas Planning:
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Absolutely excited about this chapter book! In past years, I have wrapped up 25 Christmas books(same books each year) and had my young boys open one each night. Then story time is shared as a family. They love this tradition as well, however, now that they are 10, 8, and 6, the chapter book will be awesome! My older 2 will love the “big kid-ness” about it, and my younger can do both.
also starting Lisa whelchel’s ADVENTure of Christmas book with my kids this year.
Other advent traditions include the chocolate calendar and the advent candle wreath. But we also trace and paste a fabric replica of the kids hands on our tree skirt. Great visuals of growing and changing.
Thanks for sharing
Steph
That sounds fun to have them open a book each night. I can tell you, your kids are at perfect ages for this book. My kids are just about the same ages as yours. Heed the warning, though – it is a bit scary at times. You may want to preview the chapters ahead of time. It all depends on what your kids are used to. It is very exciting. Have fun!
I am looking forward to starting this tradition with my girls this year. Thank you for the wonderful ideas you have shared. Looking forward to reading more of your blog.