Celebrating Advent at Home: Advent Calendar & Jesus Tree

Advent Calendar and Jesus Tree

In addition to our weekly tradition of lighting the Advent Wreath, my husband and I wanted to do something small with the kids each day to celebrate Advent and again keep the focus on Jesus.  If you want to know more about Advent, check out my Advent vs Christmas post.

Many people do an "Advent" calendar where each day leading up to Christmas you open the door/pocket/stocking and there is a small gift inside. I would probably rename these Christmas calendars because although lots of families enjoy doing these, those calendars do not have anything to do with Advent.  Advent is for preparing for Christ not Christmas. So I took that idea and turned it into a true Advent tradition for our family. I picked 24 Scriptures and 24 names for Jesus. One for each day in December leading up to Christmas. Each day we will read a part of Jesus' story from the bible and put an ornament on our "Advent Tree" that has a name for Jesus. The scriptures range from prophecies about the coming of Jesus, to the preparing a way for Jesus and Jesus' birth.

How we do our Advent Calendar 

 

Our Advent Calender (not hung up)

I made the Advent calendar in the picture with small stockings hung on small rope. On each stocking I painted a number for the corresponding day of December leading up to Christmas. Inside each stocking is a printed card with the scripture for the day and a small ornament with a name of Jesus.

Painted ornament with a name for Jesus

Every night after PJ's are put on and teeth are brushed, we get together and do our Advent Calendar. The kids pull out the ornament with a name of Jesus and the card with the scripture on it out of the stocking that corresponds to that day. We sit down together as a family and Daddy reads the scripture and then we tell them what ornament says. Then they hang the ornament on our Jesus Tree.

Our small "Jesus Tree" for our Jesus ornaments

Here are the scriptures we are using for each night and the name for Jesus:

                             December 1:             Isaiah 7: 13-15;              Immanuel

                             December 2:             Isaiah 9: 6-7;                 Prince of Peace

                             December 3:             Isaiah 11: 1-5;                Wonderful Counselor

                             December 4:             Isaiah 11: 6-10;              Lion of Judah

                             December 5:             Jeremiah 33: 14-16;         Savior

                             December 6:             Micah 5: 2-5;                Good Shepherd

                             December 7:             Luke 1: 11-17;                The Way

                             December 8:             Luke 1: 21-25;               Lord

                             December 9:             Luke 1: 26-38;               Jesus

                             December 10:           Matthew 1: 18-21;          Messiah

                             December 11:           Matthew 1: 22-26;          Holy One

                             December 12:           Luke 1: 39-45;                Son of God

                             December 13:           Luke 1: 46-56;                Mighty One

                             December 14:           Luke 2: 1-5;                   Christ

                             December 15:           Luke 2: 6-7;                   Healer

                             December 16:           Luke 2: 8-12;                 Anointed One

                             December 17:           Luke 2: 13-14;                Light of the World

                             December 18:           Luke 2: 15-18;               Lamb of God

                             December 19:           Luke 2: 19-20;               Redeemer

                             December 20:           Matthew 2: 1-2;            God With Us

                             December 21:           Matthew 2: 3-6;            King of Kings

                             December 22:           Matthew 2: 7-8;            Rabbi

                             December 23:           Matthew 2: 9-12;           Everlasting Father
                             December 24:           John 1:14                     The Word

I found many different lists of scriptures online and in print and adapted the list of scriptures to what I thought was the most important. I wanted to make sure that the scriptures to cover the prophecies, the preparation of Jesus' birth and Jesus' birth, but did not want the scriptures to be too long each day. So I read the all the verses, shortened some and lengthened others. The list that I have compiled is, for the most part, in chronological order. Most of the names for Jesus relate to the verses read for that day, but some do not, but all are names used for Jesus.

It is ok to not have an Advent calendar or a Jesus tree. If all you do is sit down as a family each night and read the verses and learn the name for Jesus that day, that is wonderful! I hope you join us in celebrating Advent with a little piece of the Christmas story and a little bit more of Jesus each day!

God Bless
Happy Advent
and Merry Christmas,

Katie <><

Check out my related posts!
Celebrating Christmas at Home: Advent Wreath
Advent vs Christmas

Celebrating Advent at Home: Advent Wreath

The Advent Wreath

Although the true origin of the advent wreath is not known, we do know that the advent wreath started being used in the Middle Ages by the Catholics. Each part of the wreath has a significant and symbolic meaning. The four candles around the outside represent the four weeks before Christmas. Lighting the candles each Sunday and participating in the traditions of the Advent wreath are a wonderful way to help prepare our hearts and our families for Christmas, the coming of Christ.

If you want more history on the Advent Wreath, the Catholic church explains the history here.

The tradition of the Advent Wreath is commonly done at church, during the services on the four Sundays prior to Christmas to help celebrate the season of advent and prepare us for the coming of Christmas, but as I was growing up we did it at home as well. I loved it growing up as it kept us centered and made us closer during this season. The wreath has three purple candles and a pink candle around the outside and a white candle in the middle. Each Sunday night we light the candle for that week (and any candles for the weeks prior), read a scripture, sing a song or two and then have a small discussion. On Christmas Eve, we light all the candles and the white Christ candle in the middle. This is done at the Christmas Eve service at church and then at home right before we went to bed.

Our Advent Wreath at Home

Week 1: Purple candle of Hope

Week 2: Purple candle of Love

Week 3: Pink candle of Joy (some traditions have 4 purple)

Week 4: Purple candle of Peace
Christmas Eve: White Christ candle

If you are interested in more about each week, or a guide to follow for each week, the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church have good family devotions for each week:
Advent Home Worship (United Methodist)
 Lighting of the Advent Wreath(Presbyterian)

 I really believe it's never too young to do things like this even if your kids don't understand everything. If their favorite thing to do is blow the candles out each Sunday night when you get done its ok. They are soaking in a lot more than you think they are! I know because I am keeping my parents' tradition of doing the advent wreath at home as a family. The goal for my husband and I is to keep our family grounded and centered on Jesus' birth and the grand importance of it. I want my children to be thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ first.

God Bless,
Happy Advent,
and Merry Christmas,

Katie <><

**SIDE NOTE: I bought the octagon mirror, purple/pink/clear candle holders and votive candles for under $20 at Hobby Lobby! It was super easy to assemble/disassemble and is a beautiful decoration to leave out during the Advent/Christmas season!

Advent vs Christmas

I will just be honest. I am not a fan of Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas carols and decorating the house with my family, but there is something about Christmas time that makes me irritable...the "I want! I want! I want!" consumerism. It bothered me as a little kid (just ask my parents) and bugs me even more now that I am grown up with kids of my own. I know I want Christmas to be different than the typical getting and giving gifts and Santa and all of that (We will save Santa for another post). So my husband and I decided to emphasize the season of Advent rather than the Christmas season. No, Advent is not about opening a box/stocking/pocket from an advent calendar and getting a gift EVERY DAY until Christmas. That is NOT what Advent is!

I am United Methodist, but many denominations have similar traditions. Even if your denomination doesn't have Advent traditions, it is never too late to start them as a family.

What is Advent? 
Advent is the four weeks prior to Christmas starting on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Advent is time of preparation of the coming of Jesus, thus Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning "coming".  Advent was started in fourth century France and the number of weeks of preparation varied from 3 to 4 to 6 weeks before Christmas, but the tradition now stands at four weeks. Advent is also the start of the liturgical (church) calendar. Other seasons include Christmas (yes, this is a separate season), Epiphany, and later Lent and Easter. As a church and as individual Christians we prepare ourselves by reading the Scriptures that foretell Jesus' coming, prepare the for Jesus to be born, and Jesus' birth story. We also prepare by centering ourselves around Jesus and not around ourselves.

Find our more about the history and meaning of Advent:

United Methodist Church

Evangelical Lutheran Church of America

The Catholic Church

The Presbyterian Church

Our Family Advent Traditions:

Advent Calendar & Jesus Tree
This is a new tradition that we started this year. 24 Scriptures and 24 names for Jesus. One for each day in December leading up to Christmas. Each day we will read a part of Jesus' story from the bible and put an ornament on our "Advent Tree" that has a name for Jesus. The scriptures range from prophecies about the coming of Jesus, to the preparing a way for Jesus and Jesus' birth.

Our homemade Advent Calendar

Advent Wreath
The wreath has three purple candles and a pink candle around the outside and a white candle in the middle. Each Sunday night we light the candle for that week, read a scripture, sing a song or two and then have a small discussion. On Christmas Eve, we light all the candles and the white Christ candle in the middle. This is done at the Christmas Eve service at church and then at home right before we went to bed.

Our home Advent Wreath

Some people go crazy about Christmas covering their house with decorations (don't get me wrong I do LOVE Christmas decorations), doing the elf on the shelf and all of that (and I totally have no problems with that at all), but I consider myself an Advent addict! (I am considering starting a new hashtag trend with #adventaddict) love the preparation of the coming of Jesus, all the symbolism in the candles, colors and what-not, and the faith-building and togetherness it creates with my family!

God Bless you and your family this time of year and always!
Katie <><