What are your traditions for Advent?

We always get a small book of advent prayers from someone we admire. This year we have chosen Henri Nouwen. We read one of the prayers for that date before we say grace at dinner. Sometimes this sparks great conversation.

When my children were young, we would move the figures of Mary and Joseph closer and closer to the manger, and then put the baby Jesus in there on Christmas. This helped them see in a concrete way that Jesus was coming.

We also try to pick one additional charity to support. I think this year we may give extra money to the people in Haiti.

Our parish has a giving tree for the needy: we take a tag with a request and buy a particular gift

We have a big Advent Wreath and our youth group sells small ones for home

We have a table with pamphlets and prayer booklets about Advent on a special table in the back of the church

We also give out little coin boxes to put in spare change for our sister parish in Honduras

We sing O Come OCome Emanuel at every daily Mass

We have a special sung Evening prayer with Advent hymns

We put up a Jesse tree in the sacristy for the children's Liturgy of the Word

and the rectory puts up one that has many of the characters of the Old Testament depicted on homemade bulbs

When our kids were younger, my wife and I did the Advent Wreath & calendar devotions. All our kids are now adults and are living on their own. I now daily pray the Liturgy of the Hours and my wife and I pray our daily rosary together.

What is Advent?

Mate, I'm just living... no time for all that groveling nonsense... unless it's to my wife...

Cos there are benefits.

~

None. Not an Adventist. Do you also honor Jewish feasts?