Advent—Kissmuss Comin

Christmas is coming!  The second Sunday of Advent is here already!  

(If you are not familiar with celebrating Advent, here’s my lay recap.  Advent is the part of the church year where we anticipate the coming of Christ to earth as a man, being born a baby to Mary.  (Traditionally, the season of Christmas is celebrated Christmas day through Epiphany, on January 6th—hence the 12 days of Christmas) Advent mirrors our preparation for Christ’s second coming.  Each of the four weeks before Christmas day focus on a theme. The four colored candles represent these themes and as we light them each evening we remember the hope of the prophets, the joy of the shepherds and angels, the love seen in Bethlehem, the light in our darkness, and finally on Christmas day, the Christ candle itself.  In our family growing up, each night we lit the appropriate candle(s) had a scripture reading, sang a song and worked on memorizing a verse together each week. )

Jonathan and I have been celebrating Advent this way since we got married.  This year we started off Advent with wreath-making in NC.   We were making a new wreath for my parents.  Charlie and I loved helping/interfering/taking over/eating the fake red berries.  

The first Sunday after Thanksgiving began Advent this year.  That night, because he was the youngest,  Charlie lit the first candle of Advent. 

It was such a delight for us to be together with my parents doing advent and to bring Charlie into that tradition.  I always feel like advent is a gift to those who celebrate it.  We were staying in my parent’s friends the Bushnell’s house.  (They were amazing hosts and generously  gave up their master bedroom for the whole week we were there so that Charlie would have a consistent place to nap.  Thank you, Susan and Jason!)  What  fun to be able to bring advent into their house and celebrate with them!