The Twenty-Four Days of Christmas: Day One

When I was a little girl my brothers and sisters and I began our celebration of Advent the Sunday after Thanksgiving (usually), which is the first Sunday in Advent.  During the week before Thanksgiving, Mom would take us up to the mountains where we would gather pine branches that we would make into a wreath.  That would be set on a square piece of styrofoam.  Four candles would be set in the four corners, all of the same color, and one ~ usually red ~ would be set in the middle.  Each Sunday at dinner time we would light a candle until all four had been lit.  Then on Christmas day we would light the fifth.  Since there were five children in the family, we each were assigned one Sunday when we got to be the candle lighter.

From the Vermont Christmas Company

My siblings and I have tried to continue this tradition with our own families.  It is a little more challenging when you hit the "empty nest" years!  In my family we try to keep this celebration an important part of our preparation for Christmas.

The other important celebration that would begin on December 1st was opening our Advent Calendar.  In case you have never seen one, this is a large Christmas picture with doors numbered 1-24.  Behind the door would be a picture or a Scripture verse celebrating the season.  Each evening at bedtime we would have to find that day's door and open it.  When I was very little we had some that my Grandparents had sent from Switzerland.  Mother kept those and we re-used them from year to year.  It didn't matter that we had seen what was behind the door; we still enjoyed them.  I always pitied my oldest brother and sister when I was very little.  My calendar had pictures behind the doors and theirs just had words!  Here is a link to a site with some interesting history and pictures of early calendars.

What did you do today to celebrate Advent?